Sup3rnality

Like any child of the 80s who grew up on a steady diet of cartoons and movies from the era that was, I am dreading all the "remakes" and the "modern twists" many film makers insist on doing year after year. For example, I've seen a childhood favourite, Alvin and the Chipmunks, get mutilated. I felt like [this] when I saw the trailer. I refused to watch the movie.

Thing is, Hollywood sees that it is their right and duty to give us old timers a bit of nostalgia by remaking them old cartoons and movies so we would remember them again. And, they also think that they're doing the young'uns a favour by reintroducing the ol' skool stuff. Wrong, Hollywood.

I like my nostalgia as it was, thank you very much. I would like to remember all them cartoons and movies I loved as they were, in their original form and not the sad excuse of a remake you keep churning out and pushing into our faces. And kids nowadays, well, they couldn't care less. Not most of them anyway. In this fickle world today, everything lasts as long as a flavour of the week, and sometimes, day even. Interests change at the click of a mouse, and voila, you have something new.

Twenty years ago, you had to wait til next week to see the next episode of your favourite show. You had to wait forever for a movie you watched today to be available in the video shop, or even get in line to borrow it from the video rental place and they were not cheap. Cinemas were quite far and uncomfortable (we used to have to sit on benches). You bought books to read more about that movie/series, or cut it out  of magazines and kept them in folders so you can have a look at them again and again.

And now, there are cinemas everywhere. They are somewhat affordable an comfortable. Series' episodes have up to 4 repeats a day, and if you can't wait for next week's episode, you can always go download it or watch in on Youtube. DVDs are sold at dirt-cheap prices. If you wanted to research the movie more, you can just go online and it's all there. No need to print and keep, they'll be there anytime you want.

So you see, some kids I know don't get invested in these things anymore. They don't need to. They live fast-paced, never stopping to enjoy the simpler things. It's one thing at this moment, and they forget it the next, and are in search for something new the very next moment. Hence, there is no need to put much substance in things, as what the masses want is a quick fix til they can get their hands on the next best things that comes their way.

What I'm saying is that, movies/series nowadays, for the most part, don't have that much a substance in them. It's all flash and bash, and bits and bobs, and colour and light, and pretty pretty illusions. But substance is sorely lacking.

The flavour of the week now is 3D movies. Of course, it's not like they didn't have it before, but now it's ever the more rampant. Everywhere I turn, it's 3D. But when you watch it, you realize that that's all it is, some 3D crap that doesn't amount to anything. If you are easily distracted, you won't have time to blink as you take in all the visually-pleasing aesthetics, that you don't realize that at the very core, you are left hollow.

I love Clash of the Titans (1981). It was the ultimate movie for me at the age of 3-5 years. I suppose it was my love for that story that paved the way for my love of Greek mythology and epic movies. My mother taped it off TV2 long long time ago, and as soon as I learned how to operate the VCR, I was popping the video in to watch the movie again and again.

It was the stuff of fantasies and dreams. I loved Bubo, Athena's owl. I had dreams of owning the owl cos it was just so cute, and it made sounds like R2D2. The inferior special effects left a lot to be desired, but I loved it, and thinking about it now, despite it's obvious "fake-ness", carried more weight and was much more memorable. I remembered being scared as hell of Medusa (when I downloaded the movie last year in my doomed laptop, I still couldn't watch the Medusa scene alone).

What I'm saying is, I'm afraid the remake that is coming out this April 1st would just turn out to be another CGI-3D fest with not much of story told. I have a good mind not to go see this movie, afraid it'll shatter my last memory of it. But at the same time, I'm curious to see as to whether they did the movie justice. But from experience, nothing good ever comes out from the likes of remakes.

Love,
Linzy