Old Fashioned

I might be old fashioned. I do not own an iPhone or listen to iTunes. I do not use a Blackberry. I prefer cd and even vinyl, and I have no need for apps. I also do not understand why many have a cellphone surgically implanted on the side of their head.

I love films but I am not impressed with 3D, CGI or the tired old formula of car chases, explosions and women with large breasts. I prefer the 80's style of doing things, when entertainment was worth the money. One of my favorites is Ray Harryhausen, the genius responsible for the creatures in Clash of the Titans. Someone decided that style should trump substance, and stories should be remade again and again, each time destroying the magic of the original vision. I despise 3D releases and remakes. I do not watch something simply because it features Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise. I will watch only if the story is interesting. I have no desire to pay nearly $20 for a ticket, popcorn and soda in a crowded theater with a sticky floor.
When it comes to story, that is what matters to me. I do not care if something took $200 million to make, that is inconsequential. The bottom line question should be: How is it different from every other story? Most big budget films bore me, and I gravitate towards the low budget releases.

As for literature, I am fond of some of the classics. New authors fail to impress me. I do not care about Twilight or...even Harry Potter. I realize this appeals to a younger crowd but I see people in their 30's and 40's drooling over these stories. What I find amusing is that many authors and film directors fail to mention is their ideas are built upon older ideas. The Brothers Grimm tales were great but Disney decided they were too scary and sugarcoated them. Maybe kids need to see the originals and recognize that sometimes there are no happy endings.

My other love is music, but currently there is not much that catches my interest. Most is boring drivel and I wonder how these "musicians" get signed. The harmonies are strange and the lyrics are a sign that we truly have been dumbed down. Enough of that Autotune. Because of the current offerings, I long for the 70's and 80's. Give me cheesy hair metal bands and Euro-pop any day over some "teen sensation" that has a show on Disney. Say what you want about the last few decades, but they offered something original. Musicians were not afraid to take chances then, and their legacies have withstood the test of time. Today's hits are plastic and their vision is anything but unique. I have a friend who likes to listen to vinyl, he says it has a better sound because technology has sucked the soul out of music. He likes the crackles and hisses. I have to agree. Entertainment used to be fun, now its nauseatingly dull.

So, am I weird for not jumping on the tech bandwagon? Maybe, but only weird because most are under the impression that having the latest technology equates to being intelligent.