Ryan McNeil
Lately, I’ve been thinking about my changing tastes.
When I was younger, I used to know a girl who saw a different class of movies than the rest of us. While I was devouring mainstream stuff like INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE and APOLLO 13, she was digging into stuff like SMOKE and LEAVING LAS VEGAS. Heck, she was one of the few who went to see THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION in the theatre, and was claiming it as one of her all-time favourite films long before the rest of us pushed it to number one on the IMDb rankings.
Interestingly, it was around this same time that I started drinking coffee. It didn’t hurt that my high school hangout was a coffee shop, but it was a sign of tastes changing. As a kid I obviously thought coffee was “yucky”, and while my family had me drinking tea from a pretty young age, I never went anywhere near coffee. However, curiosity took hold and I tried it…and liked it. Far too much cream and sugar in hindsight, but still – liked it.
Of course, as one matures, and their palette changes, they find they are drawn to different things. (Cut to my current consumption of cups and cups of black coffee).
What has me thinking about all of that these days is the last several films I have covered on this site. Going back into July and August, I have noticed the content of this site begin to drift away from the mainstream. While my choices have long been for a more indie brand of cinema (the first film I ever wrote about online was ONCE after all), it seems to be pulling even harder off the turnpike lately. Films like REAL STEEL, and THE HELP, and PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 are going ignored where they once would have been opening weekend affairs. In their place are films that few have seen, and some haven’t even heard of. I’m thinking of my recent posts on TAKE SHELTER, THE INTERRUPTERS, and MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE.
Does this change in my watching habit push me further towards snobbery? I for one don’t think so, because I know I’m still looking forward to upcoming mainstream offerings like MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, THE MUPPETS, and TINTIN. Just because I’m eating in higher class joints doesn’t mean I can’t still appreciate a good burger. But what if my taste has irrevocably moved over to quieter, artier, more indie titles?
On the one hand, I can tell you that it’s a bit of a tough go as a blogger. Were I to put up a post about PUSS AND BOOTS, I could probably count on a pretty healthy readership since a lot of my fellow movie-lovers would have watched the same movie last weekend. Unfortunately, in writing about smaller titles like THE IDES OF MARCH, BEGINNERS, and THE GUARD, I willingly stall the conversation. Those are the sorts of films that get a smaller rollout – if they even roll out where you are reading this from at all. If you get to see these titles, you might catch up with them weeks later…by which time my meagre post is a distant memory in our short-attention-span society. It’s tough enough writing this space thinking that some days I’m talking to twelve people: Making it a mathematical certainty borders on insanity.
But on the other hand, I’d rather talk these films up. In some instances, they are the sort of film that will play a town on one screen for a week and then disappear. Not to stroke my ego with delusions of grandeur, but if someone can read my thoughts on promoting a great smaller film, and make it a priority over a movie that will play for at least a few weeks, then I feel like I’ve done my job in spreading the word.
Maybe that’s the reason for the shift. It’s not that I don’t care for the slapstick comedy based around some wild misunderstanding, or the fast paced blow-em-up with millions of dollars in effects…I’ve just come to the realization that they will always be there. Even if for some reason the slapstick or blow-em-up I want isn’t there, some other one will be. Even then, they tend to filter through the system for much longer (I can still find theatres in Toronto playing CAPTAIN AMERICA). The character dramas that feel more original, more authentic, and ultimately more memorable not only have a short window – but often times once they’re gone, they’re gone.
So maybe like those first cups of irish cream coffee, my taste has predominantly changed. (I wonder if that girl I used to know would be proud of me?) While I hope that won’t lead to people deciding they no longer want to hear what I have to say, I can only wish them well if that’s the case. To those who are interested, but refrain because they want to see the film up for discussion but can’t yet, I can only plead that you come back and spark the discussion when you do.
After all, I might be eating in a different class of restaurant these days, but I still prefer company to eating alone.
I have what I consider a healthy mix in my movie diet. I watch a quite a few fairly small, obscure films (at least in comparsion to the big picture), but I will also happily watch and write about Tintin with no apologies or regrets. And that’s how I want the blogs I follow to be as well. It’s wonderful to explore new territories guided by enthusiastic bloggers – but I’d also like to go to Paris and London once in a while since it’s awesome and pretty there. Just because a ton of other people visit Notre Dame every year it doesn’t mean that it’s not worth a visit.
I think you’ve hit a nice balance, at least for my taste. Not ONLY small movies for gourmets, not ONLY hamburger movies. A little of both. Enjoyed with the same kind of enthusiasm and passion. That’s what I want to see in a blog.
Thanks Jessica. Finiding the right balance hasn’t been easy, but hopefully others think like you and I can keep going down the path I
ve chosen for this space.
When I lived in Iowa (and even Phoenix, whose movie scene is disappointing for such a sprawling city), I mainly saw mainstream movies because those were the primary options and, hey, I needed my cinema fix. When I moved to Chicago I realized I had access to EVERYTHING and could pick and choose. Which is to say I think I always had a taste for indie/arty stuff but that it was tougher to find. It’s for reasons like this that I’m very distrusting of the phrase “what the people want.” How can people truly know what they want when they have limited options?
I’ve written volumes on the relation between low box office and limited exposure. I don’t think Hollywood will ever wake up. The fact that this past decade the studios all opened-then-closed boutique divisions because they didn’t realize that independent cinema needed to be nurtured makes me fear that in fact they will never wake up.
I fear what will happen if I ever move away from so much theatrical selection. I’ll probably have a to-see list that goes a mile long, as I wait for films to hit dvd and on-demand!
This is a really nice piece, Ryan. Jessica knows that I recently got into a serious war of words with someone online who was berating me for my apparently “middlebrow” tastes. He’d have leveled the same criticism on you, even based on the less mainstream films you’ve written about recently. The reason I even got pulled into that argument (and trust me, it was heated) was that I seriously resent the implication that there are better or worse films to watch. I’m a guy who has no problem going to see the Footloose remake one day and sitting down to watch the 1987 Danish film, Babette’s Feast, the next. I don’t think of my tastes as highbrow or middlebrow or any brow for that matter. I watch what I watch when I feel like watching it and that can include everything from pure shlock to the most obscure and high-minded artistic films. I don’t discriminate.
And in that sense, I’ll also write about whatever I choose. My blog isn’t really for an audience. It’s a space for me to express how I feel about film and the world. If people read it and respond to it then I’m glad, but I won’t review every stupid sequel I see (and I do see most of them, sadly) just because it may get me more hits. Granted, I don’t like writing reviews in general, so unless it’s part of a festival or a marathon I’ll really only write about a film if I feel I have something truly worth saying. In the past, these kinds of reviews have been for films as varied as The White Ribbon and Shutter Island. I haven’t written any for my new blog yet, but I’m sure I will soon. Take Shelter has been inspiring some interesting thoughts in me lately.
And this post has actually inspired me to write a post about why I watch the films that I watch. So thanks for that.
Always happy to inspire, so you’re welcome. And cripes, if that person thought *you* were middlebrow, they’d probably really tear into me.
By and large, I do write about every new film I see in theatres. Off the top of my head I’ve only skipped out on two this year (TRISHNA and TERRI). Good or bad, I’ve found that there’s always something about a film I’ve seen that I want to talk about…whether it’s “Hey, find this film and give it a watch”, or “This movie everyone else loves doesn’t work for me because…”
I think if anything, I value a “middlebrow” opinion more because Their taste is so broad. Were I to know that a site exclusively catered to highbrow (as I fear some might see The Matinee drifting towards), then I’d see them as incapable of watching a movie for fun. Were a site lowbrow (no chance of that here), then I’d believe them incapable of watching a film that challenges them.
Thanks for the encouragement buddy. I’ll stick to middle-high as it were, and hope to keep fostering the conversation.
Oddly enough we both chose to write about our ever changing taste in films on today. Granted, from far different starting point of views, but never the less it’s interesting. I would say “great minds think alike” but I’ve known lots of moronic minds to think alike too, which complicates the quote.
Anywho… I know exactly where you’re coming from, and I think part of the ever changing mindset of a viewer is recognizing that change but not letting it change how you treat others (or your own opinion). With reviewing, it’s always a balancing act between writing about what people know about it, and writing about what you want people to know about. That’s not to say those two don’t overlap in healthy doses, but I’ll admit I’m less inclined to seek out a review for a movie I know won’t be coming my way for months on end, versus one that’s out and readily available now.
That was quite a post you put up today, and yeah – it’s crazy that we both found ourselves thinking about our teenage mindset today. Must be something in the water.
I DO struggle with how I express my opinion, and likewise how I respond to other people’s expressions…but hopefully I can tap into a bit more patience and keep the conversation going.
I would plead though that if someone like me mentions a film that isn’t playing in your neck yet, do give it a once-over, sometimes you’ll find your appetite is stoked that much more (such was the case this year for me with THE INTERRUPTERS)
Thanks for reading bro.
For what it’s worth, I’ve discovered that one of the joys of blogging–particularly about the obscure or overlooked in cinema–is that you’re never alone. While I certainly hit films that almost everyone has seen (In the past week or so I’ve put up reviews of The King’s Speech, The Lion King, Scream and Halloween), I also hit the end of the mall where almost no one shops.
But that’s the joy of this, because online, there are people who go there. Even better, when I “discover” a film from 70 years ago that I really enjoy (Gaslight), I also find that there are other people who are discovering it with me, or who have just seen it recently for the first time and want to talk about it as well.
Blogging, if nothing else, is about shared experience, and while we may never be the cool kids, there are enough of us to make a community.
In fact, I’ve found over and over that the films that I think will generate discussion (The Lion King) get almost no response while those that feel more obscure or highbrow (Wild Strawberries generate a surprising amount of positive feedback. But I also understand this. “Everyone” has seen The Lion King, so what can you bring to the discussion? But if you’ve actually seen a rarity or an ignored gem, seeing someone else talk about it is like a secret handshake or entry into the secret clubhouse.
Watch what you love. Discuss what you love. The people who love the same things will find you.
I needed that Steve. Thanks for saying so…and for reading.
Some days I know exactly what you mean. The benefits of writing about flicks like Puss in Boots and Captain America are often only monetary as the real enjoyment of writing comes from analyzing films like Shame, MMMM, and Take Shelter. Keep it up Ryan, we are all better for having read your work.
I wasn;t looking for an ego-boost, but I’ll take one. Thanks for that. At least there are mainstream films coming that I’m quite anxious for, such as HUGO, THE MUPPETS, and J. EDGAR just this month, not to mention another half dozen or so when we get into December.
The Muppets movie! I had almost forgotten about that.
Great post, Ryan. I’ll echo Steve’s comments above. I can never predict which films will draw more responses on my blog. I think the key is just writing about movies that you find interesting. This could be mainstream or obscure films, as there are cases in both camps where the films have plenty of intriguing themes to explore.
Also, I wouldn’t discount the effect of blogs like yours to influence people to give films a chance. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m getting more great recommendations from personal blogs and podcasts than professional critics. It’s really exciting and is leading me to choose better movies. You’re doing a great job, and all the comments above mine just support that fact.
Thanks Dan…I want to say “Welcome to The Matinee”, but I think you’ve commented before.
Finding the balance in what to write about is hinged to finding the balance in what I watch, since at the moment I write about almost everything I see theatrically. This is something I try to keep in mind when deciding what to go out and see, especially when Lindsay wants to see something different and it’s not high on my priorities.
Also good to know that the blogosphere is having an influence when it comes to suggesting smaller films. I myself try to keep an eye on people’s dispatches from film festivals as they often point me in the right direction – just this year posts from Sundance, Sidney, and Fantasia in Montreal made me take mental note of films that I later tracked down and loved. Hopefully others out there are like yourself, and don’t automatically breeze by something they haven’t seen.
Thanks for reading!
In my former life as a comics blogger, I encountered the exact same problem: I gravitated more towards the smaller, low-budget, independent comics and wrote about them very often, but they’d never get as much attention as when I wrote about superhero books. (Not that my blog was all that popular to begin with.) I don’t think there’s any way around it: lowest common denominator movies will always attract more attention – at least in the short term.
See the funny thing about your theory, is that some of the bigger titles get equally overlooked sometimes because everyone else has written about them too (2011 example: DRIVE).
Sometimes you just can’t win!
Haha, when I read the first paragraph, I’m thinking “I’m sooooo that girl.” Okay, so I still watch the mainstream stuff, but compared to all the other stuff I watch, my mainstream numbers are slowly dwindling. Most of the movies I watch these days everyone I know hasn’t even heard of. But it’s good that way.
Anyway, this year, I reckon my taste has changed a bit. I’ve grown more tolerant towards indies and foreign films, and less tolerant towards major blockbusters (even though you’d find me liking X-Men: First Class and Captain America). I keep thinking that had I been shown The Tree of Life or even Melancholia this time last year I would have severely disliked them.
Anyway, obviously, you should write about what you want to write about. I could never keep up with other bloggers because I don’t live in America, so we’re ten years behind everyone else with cinema releases and I also don’t go to the cinemas a lot. I mean, I wrote about The Tree of Life around three months after everyone else. Sometimes I decide to write about films like Leaving Las Vegas which some people forgot had existed. And I think my last review was on a French/Italian/English film called Certified Copy which very few people have seen. It’s all good!
Sorry for the rambling…but hey, your blog is one of my absolute favourites, so you’re obviously doing something right!
Stevee you ARE so that girl, and don’t ever change! In fifteen years, some guy will think back about the movies you are talking about and realize how far ahead of the curve your taste was.
I haven’t seen MELANCHOLIA just yet (just a few weeks away!), but if your taste has evolved in just one year that you were able to take a lot away from TREE OF LIFE, then you can colour me impressed. I can’t imagine there are too many other film enthusiasts your age who took to it as you did – hell, there are a boatload of people twice your age who didn’t take to it as you did!
I’ll keep writing ’em if you keep reading ’em. Deal? Let’s both try to stay open to those blockbusters though – just this year I was quite smitten with titles like CRAZY STUPID LOVE and RANGO.
And thanks for the reminder…I’ve been meaning to catch up with CERTIFIED COPY since the spring.
Thanks for
I do not think it is possible to be a hardcore movie fan and not have your taste change over the years. I think one of the major reasons the conversation stops short on many of the titles you mentioned is due to location. Many of these titles do not get a somewhat decent release until award season hits. People magically want to talk about films like Winter’s Bone only after it is nominated for best picture.
If anything, I find writing about foreign films is far worse in regards to being a conversation ender. Even in an age where so many people blog about movies, foreign films still seem like a niche market to many bloggers.
At the end of the day though, you have to write about what you feel passionate about. Your loyal readers will follow you regardless. They even take a chance on a few of the films you mention, even if it is only on video.
Actually i think I’ve come across a lot of hardcore movie fans whose tastes stopped evolving at 21. But I shouldn’t throw stones…
You’re right to bring up geography, and I have tried to keep that in mind. I got to thinking about that on the Saturday post when I mentioned watching films in 20 different venues this year. As I was typing it I thought “How lucky am I that I have 20 different venues within city limits to choose from?!”. So indeed – point taken.
It seems as though the overarching theme to the comments is “Speak Your Mind, Then Be Patient”. Certainly harkens to your point on foreign films, dvd, and release markets. This conversation has helped me clear up some questions about my watching and writing habits…so thanks for that, and likewise thanks to anyone else who has commented and/or read this far.
Stories are essentially explorations of the human condition. I think the reason most movie buffs progressively move toward artsier, more original work is that Hollywood mainstream movies become redundant. They usually tell the same variation of the same stories over and over again and are sometimes what we would describe as “empty”
I try not to focus on repetiveness, lest I become the old guy on the porch bitching about how movies were so much better back in my day…and then telling kids to get off my lawn.
There’s stuff to be gained by some of what Hollywood has to offer. It could just be that as I get older, life gets busier, and free time becomes more precious that I start to think about what will give me the most value for my time more than money.
Priorities, y’know?
As many of my counterparts have already stated my feelings towards your insightful article, I feel no need to regurgitate.
You’ll always have company my friend.
Lots of good discussion here, and others have already said many of the things I thought of while reading your post. But I think one big thing is that it’s kind of about what audience you want to have. This is something we’ve thought at Row Three a good bit on and off, though I’m not sure we all always agree (mostly we do) or that we do a good job of posting for the kind of audience we want. Heh. It’s always a work in progress, right? But the cool thing about blogging is there’s an audience for EVERYTHING here – you just have to find it and tap into it. If I want to write about Captain America, there’s an audience for that; if I want to write about pre-Code Jean Harlow movies, there’s an audience for that. And everything in between. 🙂 But yeah. Write about what you like and find other bloggers writing about those things – they’re out there.
On a personal note, I often find I don’t read reviews of mainstream films, both because I don’t usually find that much I want to say about it (or I’ve exhausted my thoughts on R3 already, sorry about that), and because there are reviews for them EVERYWHERE. I’m much more likely to read festival reviews or reviews for older films because my feedreader isn’t glutted with them.
A lot to chew on in that comment Jandy, thanks for that…I think what I’ll take away most is your point about knowing not just who I want to be talking to, but on sharpening up what I want to be saying to those people.
Many thanks.