Popcorn and sticky floors

The very first movie I saw (my memory is fuzzy, so I may be wrong) was Star Wars. I remember the thrill of sitting in a dark cinema, as fantastic images exploded across the screen, leaving my young mind astonished. I remember creating a scrapbook of newspaper and magazine clippings about the movie, especially Darth Vader, my favorite character (man, was I relieved his damaged ship spiralled to safety ....)

Movies don't have that same charm or thrill me the same way these days. I don't consider myself a big movie buff; I find that the ticket price of a movie has risen to quite an astronomical amount (I realize inflation has had an impact since the 1970s, but still). At the same time, most 'blockbusters' are boring 'cut and paste' of plots and scenes from other movies, with some overpaid actor chewing up the scenery (or smoldering during lingering, unnecessary close-ups). Dramas tend to be pretentious and dull, and comedies are usually aimed at the lowest common denominator.

It's extremely rare that movies come long that live up to my expectations, but two have accomplished that feat so far this Summer: Toy Story 3, and Inception.

The former is a beautiful story about toys that show more genuine emotion than many humans I know. I have tremendous respect for the talented folk at Pixar, their standards are obviously high, and they always deliver entertaining films that are visually appealling. The latter is a visual tour-de-force, a daring thriller that challenges the audience to come along for a wild and convoluted ride.

I find that hollywood has been creatively bancrupt for many years; it's cool that great, entertaining films occassionally pop up, and I'm pleased to have caught two of them this year.

Hopefully, more similar gems are on the horizon.