Are we lowering our standards?

I have sat down with many of my friends and we all seem to agree on the fact that music, books and movies tend to not live up to the definition of ‘art’ and ‘creative works.’ Perhaps people are lowering their standards. As we have performers like Lady Gaga, Lil’Wayne, Chris Brown, Eminem hitting our radios. Along with Beyonce and TI and T.Pain (I used to think they were the same person), we hear their songs on repeat as each radio station shares the same playlist. We know their songs whether we like it or not. Now with the King of Pop having passed away recently his past music career was one that no one has topped or is even trying to top. Our standards have dropped as we take in crappy lyrics and loop beats. These musicians rarely play instruments, rarely write their own lyrics and their music videos are just junk.  There is not a backing behind them as performers.  Their lyrics are not only trashy but they are also filling the ears of our young people who are our future. And I’m not even in my thirties yet, so don’t assume I’m some ‘mature’ adult pissed MJ and Bryan Adams aren’t popping around the stages.

Now we have rap. Which is now mocked as it has nothing that it had in the past. It’s poetry. Telling the stories of difficult lives. But the rap we hear on the radio is nothing like that it’s rhyming titty with shitty.  Let’s qutoe L’il Wayne ” You know them hoes love Weezy/ Sticky, pimp small, long hair, big dick/Weezy bring to y’all /Don’t y’all lip quit/Put your lips on this dick /Call my hoes to get salami, ’cause they brush the balls/Let Weezy bust they jaws.” What?

And hmm lets try Lady Gaga ‘He cried, “Mother! What’d you do to me?”/I said, “Mother mother mother’s for babies Call me kitty.” ‘ Huh…

Now what about movies? It seems that directors, writers and actors do not have to work as hard to peoples attention. Toss in some R rated sex scenes (some ‘dick and kitty according to Gaga and Wayne’) a good chunk of violence, a few close ups on a bullet in the head, some cool explosions and a car race and they’ve just got their 30 million from all the ticket sales.

After seeing Transformers Revenge of the Fallen I am sure that that has happened.  Television and Movies were better in the past. But as time goes by all of those good Tv shows and movies disappear. It’s just a bunch of Junk. I can’t even find a comedy that doesn’t have a pale butt and two men kissing. Somehow that is humor and even after it’s been done over and over again. People ask why no other movie has beat Titanic, and that’s because they aren’t work half as hard. And yes, having a relationship and romance with some good explosions yes they’re entertaining. But why isn’t their a good plot? You know the layouts of writing? Where’d all that go?

Television. Reality tv seems to be what everyone wants to see. I’m sick of it, it’s all over the place. Good tv has vanished. I remember good television and all the shows I remember were booted off the air and the slots were filled with ‘I survived a Japanese Game Show’ and ‘Gossip Girl.’  Have you seen the Oscars? What is all that crap winning awards? I’m confused. And in the theatre I”m bored. I’m exhausted. And yet inspired to get in their and make some good television shows, and fantastic movies that deserve to be a runner up to Titanic. I’m redoing all of the superhero movies as the comic book world has some fantastic writers. But those darn writers who pick up the pen to write a script butcher it to death. And what the heck is wrong with Stan Lee? I’d never let them touch my master pieces. But I’m forgetting, MONEY! It’s all about the MONEY when it comes down to it. Although I like money, my art is more valuable than anything. I’d never give it up. So move over people…New Spiderman, and Tomb Raider (yuck, what happened) Superman…(how do yous crew up superman) Xmen, even Wolverine (crap again)! All redone. And if they don’t grant me that honor. Some new superheros are on the way.

I”ll write about the crap in books next time

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen WTH?

I will start this with compliments. Michael Bay is a gift for all of us action loving movie goers. I pray that he’ll one day work with me! What a team we’ll be! It’s a shame that the writers (Ehren Kruger, Roberto orci, Alex Kurtzman) of the film are perhaps what made this film be about 8-10 scenes away from awesome. I occasionally furrowed my brow thinking what the hell? or oh my god with a little eye roll.

I am not sure the name of this critic I stumbled upon on the News on ABC, but I recall him saying he felt he was being hit over the head with a  baseball bat while he was watching the movie. At first I went how is that possible? It’s Transformers,..  But once I sat down and about an hour and ten minutes into it I went wow, I get what he was saying. I wasn’t sure if I was watching Superbad or some Adam Sandler flick or if I was watching Transformers. I forgot. I didn’t see very many Transformers it was humans acting as a ‘primitive race’ just as Optimus Prime had mentioned in the last film.  Don’t freak out, i’m a young one and I’m aware that the reason they used an actor like Shia Lebouf and wrote the character the way that had is because he represents the guy with the greatest fears about themselves. and that the everyday classified dork or loser can be a hero. Shia Lebouf…I will return to him soon. But the movie was long and I wouldn’t complain if for the first hour and a ten or so minutes hadn’t felt wasted.  There was way to much screen time for humans and it consisted of mainly ridiculous humor, bad-acting and a few overexposed humans, a bunch of sexy close ups topped with a bunch of irritating cliche’s .

The good news for the humans is Shia Lebouf is a fine actor, gifted. I truly feel he’s now grown past this Transformer’s franchise. As it didn’t live up to the first.  They tossed in this Leo character played by Ramon Rodriguez. However, this character got on my nerves. It felt as though they were trying to write in another guy to try to compliment Shia Lebouf’s laid back humor that so many have grown to love. Although Leo had one or two moments I laughed lightly I honestly wished he wasn’t on screen most of the time.  Truly complimenting Shia Lebouf were Josh Duhman, Tyrese Gibson along with the other group of soldiers and government operatives. I think those were my favorite scenes, I was tossed into the chaos of war. I felt those few scenes. It’s a shame there wasn’t more of them.

If it was not for Michael Bay’s brilliant shots and incredible layouts of explosions and keeping all of the action shots, 100% action in every corner of the screen. I would have walked out after I had felt my hour and a half of life was wasted as well as my ten dollars. (I should have waited to rent it)  I dream of Michael Bay teaming up with a screenwriter that’s as brilliant as he is. We’ll see what happens… a strong story line, some comedy and some incredible action sequences.

Sean Gandert quote: “…a bad teen comedy played up for cheap laughs that seems to drag on and on due to its formulaic nature. Will the geeky yet likable teen guy end up with the troubled yet gorgeous teen girl? Yes, yes he will. There’s also a magical sentient car that helps the couple get together. Now you can grab the opening action sequence and then skip out for a 30-minute coffee break without missing anything.”

He is right. You could walk out of the movie come back and not feel like you were lost as the first hour and a half was a long long long bad teen comedy. And I can’t figure out why the movie was called Transformers. As they were in 15% of the movie and the whole war going on seemed somewhere lost in the background appearing occasionally in between our traveling through a teen comedy. How’s that work? The movie could have been amazing with Michael Bays genius camera movements and cutting, but it becomes nothing to me as the movie had way to many flaws for me to walk away in complete awe. There were a few brilliant performances that were completely overshadowed as the movies crap covered right over it.

Mike Abundo quote “Humans get more screen time in this movie than they do in the entire original series — and their acting consists mostly of making hero faces and sexy poses for gratuitous closeups.” Wow, how right is he!!  Hell, look at the poster, you see Transformers! But the movie starts and they’re no where to be found. Who knows what they’re doing. However, Mikayla is outside of Sam’s garage undressing with flowers for him as he heads of to college. Sam’s soon stalked by some hot terminator wannabe who’s wearing some expensive panties (as I got a clear view),  some irritating geek is Sam’s roommate and of course get’s caught up in the

storm. Now for all those great autobots, and the war coming…who knows what’s going on with that.

Links:

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2007/07/transformers.html

<—Now this poster gets it right. A whole lot of ‘ass,’  cheap comedy, loads of cliches and good cg.