Life is so full of choices that sometimes I find myself ducking decisions instead of making them. Movies are a great ample example of this. Not long ago I read a funny thing. It referred to people who get to a certain age who happily are driving down a highway listening to music loudly as to drown out the cars and other things. Then when they get to their exit, and they begin to slow they have to turn down the music — to see things better. HAHA I thankfully am not THERE, yet. But! Yes, a loud and still visual “but.” I am of the age as to loudly say to those making new movies, “Please turn down the music. I can’t hear the words.” Not that the movie industry will live or die with the pittance I spend on movies or anything like that. I do however wonder if I am the only person left who watches movies to watch the story more than the special effects. Yes, I will admit it, I like the story. The nice entertaining movie with a few listenable songs and a musical score or two to fit the mood of the story. Well that all sounded pretty old and petty, didn’t it? Let’s take a look at it from another angle. A younger angle. When I was younger, I would not have enjoyed watching the movies I like today. The ones made in maybe the 1950s and 60s. Which were way before my time. If it has been a while, or never, for you to see a movie from that era you should make an effort to sit and enjoy one. It’s like watching a play. In a play the actors are the main event, and the story unfolds like one of those funny greeting cards with several pages. You know. The one that pokes fun at the celebrator with laughter and questions and in the end, you know just what has been played out and the reason for the card. Usually walking away satisfied and smiling. That’s what an old movie is like. Satisfying. Being fair I asked someone, a younger, but adult someone what draws them to a movie that is loud and all sparkly with zooming this and that and more blood and guts than I know no 10 bodies would hold. “It’s the non-stop action,” was the quick response. There was a glaze that came over his face. Like clear gooey glaze on a fresh fished out of the grease donut. Then I asked what about the story. Glazed donut. Glazed donut. “The story IS the action.” How could I have not seen that? Don’t get me wrong. I loved the high-speed car scenes in “Bullitt.” Guys might watch that movie just for that dark green powerful Mustang. Girls I am here to tell you watch for, be still my heart, Steve McQueen, oh and yes, the story. I then asked my younger subject if he had seen “Bullitt.” No, he hadn’t. But after a short clip on his phone, he was going to download it and watch that wonderful movie on said phone. NO! That is no way to watch a movie of such epic proportions. Maybe that’s part of the problem. A lot of movie watching is done by way of teeny tiny phone screens. I can’t imagine watching Bette Davis and Joan Crawford duke it out in “Whatever Happened To Baby Jane” on anything less than a 36-inch living room TV screen. Chilling to this day. And I know that story. From the bedroom to the beach. Chilling and story full. Yeah, you’re going to look it up. No matter your age. The choices available today and in every lifetime from when time began are what makes the world go around. We are really very luck, luck, lucky today to have so much at our fingertips. With a flick of your fingertips, you can, without so much as leaving your bark-o-lounger, poolside lounger, back yard chaise lounge or even a zero-gravity lounger watch life unfold before your eyes. But please. Never from your driver’s seat. You know who you are. I want to add something about loud unlistenable music. I want to, but my fingertips are telling me I have said quite enough. Trina Machacek lives in Eureka. Find her books online wherever you buy books or email her at itybytrina@yahoo.com to buy a signed copy.
