Newer PostOlder PostF R I D AY, J A N U A RY 1 3 , 2 0 0 6New York Times: Movies Are Too LongThe New York Times is growing increasingly banal -- today they'veprinted a commentary with the tired complaint that movies are toolong.</p><p> As they tacitly acknowledge, a bad movie at 100 minutes is a lotmore tiresome than a good movie at 180 minutes.</p><p> Then the New YorkTimes offers this truly bizarre argument:But viewers now walk into theaters already so crammed withinformation about the film that those establishing scenes almosttake care of themselves. "Brokeback Mountain" spends so muchtime offering scenic views of the range and all those sheep thatyou begin to wonder if Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger'scharacters are ever going to sidle up to each other.</p><p> The filmtakes off only after their romance begins, nearly a half-hour in.Huh? Movies should skip all that set-up because people already knowthe plot? So "Gone With The Wind" should have junked that first hourand just begun with the burning of Atlanta? I mean, we already knowwhat's going to happen. 'Brokeback Mountain" should have jumpedright into the pup tent, since everyone knew the cowboys were gonnaget intimate? That's insanely wrong -- if the movie had rushed intotheir romance, audiences would have never believed it was a major,defining moment for them. "Narnia" I suppose should have skipped thefirst half hour and begun with all four children walking through thewardrobe.</p><p> I mean, we know they're all going to end up there, so whywaste time creating a mood or establishing who these children are? Nogood movie is ever too long; no bad movie is ever too short.POSTED BY MICHAEL IN NEW YORK AT 10:38 AM 0 C O M M E N T S :Post a CommentL I N K S T O T H I S P O S TCreate a LinkHomeSubscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)Next Blog»sal1mineo@hotmail.comSEARCH BLOG FLAG BLOGFOLLOW BLOGP O P S U R F I N G .</p><p> C O MS U R F I N G T H E WAV E S O F P O P U L A R C U LT U R EB Y M I C H A E L G I LT Z & F R I E N D SPOPSURFING.COM: New York Times: Movies Are Too Longhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/01/new-york-times-movies... 1 of 37/29/09 4:25 AMFAV O R I T E L I N K SAmericablogFive O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's BlogThe Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPNRadioCine-Blog -- George Robinson's BlogDocuments On Art & Cinema - DarylChin's BlogBrucie G's Wondrous Blog OfAdventure and Mystery -- BruceGreenspan's BlogB L O G A R C H I V E▼ 2009 (17)▼ July (3)1939 -- The Greatest Year ForMoviesSwimming Bans Those Hi-TechSuits!Best Movies Of The Year -- TheMaster List► June (3)► May (1)► March (2)► February (1)► January (7)► 2008 (86)► 2007 (781)► 2006 (2412)► 2005 (5)C O N T R I B U TO R SAaronMichael in New YorkBiboy POPSURFING.COM: New York Times: Movies Are Too Longhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/01/new-york-times-movies... 2 of 37/29/09 4:25 AMPOPSURFING.COM: New York Times: Movies Are Too Longhttp://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/01/new-york-times-movies... 3 of 37/29/09 4:25 AM
