2008 Woodie Awards
Cinema sans originality, depth
Film: Words are not as important in movies as before
By: Jocelyn Saddi
Issue date: 4/29/04 Section: The Arts
Both Diane Bernardo, 19, English major and Ashly Anoina, 18, film major, said they agree that some people are not looking to see a movie with a hidden message.
"There are scenes that jump out at you or stick out and producers take advantage of that," Bernardo said.
"I feel insulted that it seems that most people our age want to see these kinds of movies all the time, because I know I'm not the only one who wants to see better movies," Anoina said about action movies like "Torque" and "The Fast and the Furious," which both include attractive male leading roles and cast equally attractive females.
Independent films an alternative
Screenplay analysis professor Kevin O'Brien said that the current Hollywood trend is not as different as it was more than a decade ago.
"I think Hollywood has changed little since the 1980s. The trend is for the studios to play it commercially-safe and try for the blockbuster hit like 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Kill Bill,'" O'Brien said.
"Unfortunately, this cuts out a lot of independent films from distribution," he said.
The so-called "indie flick," or independent film produced without the backing of a major studio, offers an alternative to moviegoers who want to see more than just mainstream, formulaic movies.
"I think it is a misconception that there isn't dialogue in movies. There are a lot of independent films that are personal and have meaning," Alex Paris, 20, film major, said.
"The reason is, there is a trend because producers use a formula that makes money."
McCarthy said she agrees that not all of the movies that are being played on-screen are bad.
"There are good movies, but they are few and far between," she said.
Becoming attached to a movie depends on how much understanding can be gained through the characters, Fraser said.
"One of the ways that happens is through what they say and through their dialogue with other characters," Fraser said.
"There are scenes that jump out at you or stick out and producers take advantage of that," Bernardo said.
"I feel insulted that it seems that most people our age want to see these kinds of movies all the time, because I know I'm not the only one who wants to see better movies," Anoina said about action movies like "Torque" and "The Fast and the Furious," which both include attractive male leading roles and cast equally attractive females.
Independent films an alternative
Screenplay analysis professor Kevin O'Brien said that the current Hollywood trend is not as different as it was more than a decade ago.
"I think Hollywood has changed little since the 1980s. The trend is for the studios to play it commercially-safe and try for the blockbuster hit like 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Kill Bill,'" O'Brien said.
"Unfortunately, this cuts out a lot of independent films from distribution," he said.
The so-called "indie flick," or independent film produced without the backing of a major studio, offers an alternative to moviegoers who want to see more than just mainstream, formulaic movies.
"I think it is a misconception that there isn't dialogue in movies. There are a lot of independent films that are personal and have meaning," Alex Paris, 20, film major, said.
"The reason is, there is a trend because producers use a formula that makes money."
McCarthy said she agrees that not all of the movies that are being played on-screen are bad.
"There are good movies, but they are few and far between," she said.
Becoming attached to a movie depends on how much understanding can be gained through the characters, Fraser said.
"One of the ways that happens is through what they say and through their dialogue with other characters," Fraser said.