It’s a small percentage of any demographic who are truly enlightened, that goes for people my age as well
Ahh you should move to Chapel Hill, where the entire population has a PhD, or so the entire population would like everyone to believe. It’s not only the dumbest assemblage of smart people, but also the most close-minded assemblage of open-minded people you’ll ever have the pleasure (and it is a pleasure, because really, what else could it be?) of living around.
David, that’s so funny. I believe you.
I would like to stress one more time to Jeff that “blowing an intellectual load” over the policies and faces of foolish politicians is different than disrespecting someone by the merits of what filmmakers they are familiar with. Film began as a populist form of art and entertainment. Different artists have taken it in different directions, and different people choose to follow different artists. What’s constructive about whining about it? Like I said, if you don’t like that your friend hasn’t seen “Giant” or “Rebel Without A Cause” than invite him or her over. You are an art elitist, very different than a soldier of change. Go create something and shut up.
I see it as an example of a sign of the times…one of my best friends whether or not hes seen a james dean movie, hes not a fool,
Hi, I need a lovingly-tailored Indentity Kit of highbrow texts (pre-approved by better minds than mine) to forge a special and different identity for myself that can furnish me a buffer from the plebians and allow me to continue to misdiagnose my own human failings as being misunderstood. And maybe someday someone will come over and see my shelf full of Criterions (I arrange by director!) and we’ll just look into each others eyes and we’ll just KNOW.
It all comes down to who you can connect with and how. I don’t expect to be able to connect with everyone on an intellectual level — that’s just as frustrating and limiting as being a total non-intellectual. Life should be well rounded, everyone has some area that he or she is knowledgeable about.
Of course people don’t know who James Dean is. Movies are a product created to make money. Hollywood has moved on to promoting new films. You and I are the freaks that watch TCM and like the movies from the ‘50s whenever. In fact it’s not even young people’s fault. And in fact young people aren’t stupid or irresponsible, it’s people in general.
SIGH
I get where you’re coming from. I’m 16 and find it pretty hard to find people to talk about movies with.
I don’t have as big of a problem with people who don’t know a name as the ones not willing to learn who it is. For my birthday I rented a projector and invited all my friends over to watch Vertigo because I thought it was a chance to expose them to probably my favorite film. They all talked so loudly and were coming in and out of the room I turned it off in the middle. All the time they say how much Vertigo sucked and they didn’t give it a chance for even a minute. I do have one friend though that I have introduced to film and is pretty open minded so thank god for him.
@Benham Jones
Don’t knock masturbation, it’s sex with someone you love. : )
My whole family hated Vertigo except me, when we watched it as a family (I was 12). Now it remains as one of my favorites at age 27 and Hitchcock is my favorite director. Can’t blame people for their poor taste.
@City Girl
But you still gave it enough of a chance and watched it. If someone has an opinion that is fine but they can’t have an opinion if they haven’t seen it.
For the greatest example of foolish opinion on a film without ever even having seen it, I think everyone should visit the latest ‘Milk’ thread.
1. That’s really not a good enough reason.
…Being misinformed/uninformed of past icons is prevalent everywhere.
…& is also somewhat irrelevant, I’d rather a kid knew about JFK over James Dean anyday ofthe week.
2. Good reasons would include: apathy, purposeful ignorance, racism, etc.
3. The ‘younger generation’ includes everyone born last year & today, so there’s still hope.
True, true. When I was rewatching Vertigo a few years ago, my roommate came in during the last 5-10 minutes and wanted me to explain the rest of the movie to her. So I did, and then months later, she acted like she had watched the movie and told everyone how she loved it and rehashed what I had told her. People these days are very surprising.
I understand you.
I’m 17 and I know people my age who don’t even know who the fuck Bob Dylan is.
Agreed: Youth is a hideous disease, right up there with AIDS , leprosy and colo-rectal cancer. But it goes away, on its own.
I have a friend with a James Dean quote tattooed on his arm but would probably have no idea he even acted in a film. Who cares though.
@Neh
I too agree it is better to know JFK than James Dean but let me add another story. I was playing a game where you have to describe famous people without saying their name. I said he was a German dictator in World War II. He killed a lot of people. The Holocaust. (then I cheated) Come on his first name is Adolf!
Most people know Hitler after the age of 10 but a ton of people don’t know common knowledge that being an extreme example.
@drew. your story reminds me when I was a junior/senior in college. We had this (practically) pointless class where the teacher made us study maps of South America and learn the names of all the leaders of the world in a European Business class (so why were we studying the maps of South America, right?). I learned all the names of the world leaders which was helpful. But what wasn’t helpful was that the teacher didn’t provide any information about the leaders themselves, so that was practically pointless. Ok, I know the names now, but so what. Ah, well.
Just want to add a thoght to what many of the young people posting here are complaining about re the lack of knowledge or interest in all things related to film, arts, politics, history, or culture, in general. We are all aware, and those of us that are older, even more so, of the gradual dumbing down of society. It is appalling what the general population of any age group does not know about things we here think important. I blame the lack of education in schools, the fact the media never deals with anything of substance, just what is happening to Britney, Paris, or the latest non-entity. Serious discussion went out the window ages ago, hence these forums exist to bring it back. This isn’t elitist, as some have suggested, this is just a way for some of us to breathe, and not be smothered by all the irrelevant information out there.
Yet, when it comes to your own friends, I always felt the same at your age — and I am the product of a different generation. I never felt any of my firends were interested in any of the books, films, ideas, whatever, that I was. So, this feeling is not isolated to the time we are in now. I have always had the feeling that the last people to come out of the closet, after all the other ‘minorities’, are intellectuals. Intellectuals are always a danger in any society and are the first people to be rounded up, when things turn ugly. Let me define what an intellectual is: a person who thinks for themselves, has some awareness of culture, reads certain books, watches certain movies – well, everyone here qualifes. Remember that most of the human race are pretty dumb, and happy to be so. Stay in the circle of people who think, who use their brains, where ever you find them, and be thankful for the fact they exist somewhere. Keep an open mind, keep exploring, and watch your back. However alone you feel, or isolated, you are not alone or is your despair anything new.
At the risk of stating the obvious, it’s good to give people a little credit sometimes. Benham’s observation: Film began as a populist form of art and entertainment. Different artists have taken it in different directions, and different people choose to follow different artists. What’s constructive about whining about it? is right on. I once worked in a convenience store, in the ghetto, complete with all the usual sketch that goes along with convenience stores in the ghetto, but I also got into serious film conversations, and serious conversation in general, on at least a handful of occasions, and it involved folks who are invisible (unless referenced in some statistic in some study) in the town I live in. And at the other extreme, I discovered in college that a significant number of very very cool people, with whom I share lots of taste are also not above being snobs or assholes on occasion. So I tend to think taking it as it comes, and expecting that many (not all) folks will show you some kind of intelligence if you give ‘em the chance is a great way to not get trapped in the ludicrous belief that my very rarified little niche of esoterica is the pinnacle of anything. And maybe bohemian college towns are strange places (I’ve noted as much) demographically speaking, but I’ve watched ART film with cabbies and convenience store clerks about as often as I have with film students or academics: and it’s worth remembering that Tadao Sato (the preeminent Japanese scholar of Japanese cinematic history) began his career as a film critic and historian as a side project while working as a lineman for the phone company.
It’s easy to feel that most people are stupid, or that those young’un’s don’t know their ass from a hole in the ground. It’s more challenging to give people a little credit, but if you can do that, you might run into a pleasant surprise or two.
Just the other day I mentioned to my friend that my favorite film is Casablanca. He responded with “I don’t care for black and white.” I didn’t realize that a film not being in color could detract from anyone’s opinion on a film. I died a little inside when I realized it could.
I’m 17 and consider myself enlightened by/on the medium of film, and never once in my life didn’t watch something because it was B&W or subtitled.
i try to talk to people at work about things like what’s going on in the world, or even simple pop culture small talk, or music, and no one ever knows what i’m talking about, or understand the words i use. but most of these people are in their 30s and 40s, and i’m 25. so i would say it’s people in general
>>so i would say it’s people in general<<
I agree.
In my office, I am the oldest, but the rest of the staff ranges from 30 – 50. Aside from one guy who likes Marlene Dietrich films (I gave him my VHS tapes when I’ replaced or dubbed them top DVDR), there’s no knowledge of older or foreign film. They wouldn’t know Fellini or Bergman – and probably wouldn’t like those films if they saw them.
They’re only barely informed on current events, for that matter, aside from what’s been told them on Faux News.
They can go on and on about last night’s AMERICAN IDOL, however …
@Harry Long
Very similarly, I’m known at my office and among my friends as “the guy who knows about directors.” Not film. Apparently, when watching films, most people only pay attention to films individually as disposable entertainment. They don’t bother to notice whether the creative people behind these efforts are consistent, or whether they explore similar themes/genres/stories to better effect elsewhere in their careers. The exceptions are two other guys at work who’ve read and followed a few Top 100 canons online, and have seen “M” and “Goodfellas.” These guys stare at me blankly when I recommend “Scarlet Street” or “The King of Comedy.” When I mention that they are great films by the same directors, I get more blankness and a slight glazing of the eyes like I’m talking about quadratic equations or French grammar.
@General thread
Though, I don’t bemoan this generation its cultural poverty. People don’t have time to cultivate a love of something aside from work or their families. Work has gotten busier as all these “labor saving” devices like computers are used to generate more work instead of actually saving anyone any time. It is a shame, but not necessarily a cultural impoverished person’s fault. They can learn. They just need more exposure. I loan out DVDs whenever it seems relevant.
I certainly understand where the original poster is coming from. I get particularly disheartened when people say that “black-and-white movies are boring” or other such nonsense. Even many young people who call themselves film buffs think that the apex of cinema is Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith.
If it makes anyone feel any better, I’m 15 and 8 1/2 is one of my favorite films. I’ve been trying to watch a lot of classics lately. In fact, I just watched M for the first time tonight.
Drew I know how you feel. I’m 16 and seriously none of my friends watch the same movies I watch. They have no idea who Godard, Truffaut, Hitchcock, etc. are. Every time I’m talking about movies, it feels like I’m talking to a wall. Instead I talk with my French teacher. She’s the only person at school, that I know watches the same movies. My friends always ask me what movies we’re talking about and when I tell them they always say they’ve never heard of it.
man when i was younger, i was like i dont give a shit about anything. i had my puberty going on, all kinds of raging hormones that made me do incredibly stupid things. but as i grew out my “i cant go to school, i have my period” days… i started appriciating finer things in life like movies. with the help of a friend i really dug movies, and he’s younger than i am. what i’m saying is that, kids will be kids and once they balance their endocrine system, one will notice good movies. with ridiculous amounts of testosterone, i dont think one can handle a little more than the notebook or friday night lights.
Benham Jones
Jeff, but we are talking about film right now