Movies Worth Watching

Alright, so I've worked on this blog for about a week and a half and I'm pretty proud of it, read, enjoy and if you would like, let me know what you think on myspace or here (if you have an account.)

A week and a half ago, despite my recent insufficiency of fundage, I had the opportunity to see a movie in theaters. The movie, an instant favorite, was titled "Amazing Grace" and was about a man, William Wilberforce, who lead the petition to abolish the slave trade in Great Britain. While no fancy camera tricks or special affects were featured, the film was very well done and the story was notably inspirational. I could probably write a whole blog on my thoughts from the movie but I would rather address another feeling at this time.

When the movie ended I had such a great feeling in my heart. I was inspired by the Nobility, love and determination Wilberforce displayed. It made me want to be a better person, to step it up a notch, and to be more aware of myself and others around me. I walked out of the theater uplifted and entertained.

Then, on my way home, I got to thinking, why should I see any movie that does not have some kind of positive effect on me. A movie, or any entertainment, should have certain standards or requirements. If its a drama, it should make a man cry, inspire him, or speak out for or against some principle, event or feeling. A comedy should make a man laugh, without resorting to grotesque images and bawdy humor. (See Tyler's Blog about Err's of Comedy) A horror or suspense would be much better if it could put one on the edge of his or her seat without showing mutilated bodies and disgusting images. We as an audience should not pay for anything less than excellent. We should not reward producers, directors and actors for mediocrity. We should not pay to degrade our senses, and speaking of degradation, there is also the question of morality.

A moviegoer should be able to watch a movie in the presence of his or her parents, or better yet, in front of his or her respective creator. I realize that this is a bit of a steep outlook, but honestly, would one be comfortable sitting down with Jesus Christ and watching a movie like "300," "Borat," or even something less outrageous like "The Notebook" or "Dumb and Dumber?" I will be one of the first to rise up and say wo, wo, wo, Dumb and Dumber is a classic, no attacking that! But really, after analyzing it from a slightly different perspective, even "classics" have their moral degradations.

As I deliver these thoughts I realize that I still have much to improve in the area of entertainment. It would be near impossible to give up all things morally degrading immediately (Dumb and Dumber is just a classic, what can I say?) but I believe I can start to improve it. Instead of just excluding rated R movies from my list of movies I'm going to limit my movie going experience to those movies that seem to excel. No more B movies. I'm going to submit myself to media that's worth experiencing. So next time you want to go see a movie like Norbit, Wild Hogs or Ghost Rider, don't bother inviting me. I would rather spend my time at home, watching Mary Poppins, Cinderella Man, or Back to the Future.

So yeah.. that's it, thanks for reading, God Speed.