Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Deciphering 15.10 at PVR

Some truths of life, though present in one’s subconscious, still have the power to shock when one is confronted with them up close. For instance, I’m constantly surprised by the reminder that there are people – in fact the vast majority of people – who don’t really think much about the movies they watch. I’m not talking critic-style overanalysis but even just taking a moment or so to mull over a recently seen film, maybe form an opinion or two? But that seems beyond most people. It takes me back to school days and the common refrain when we were making a plan to see a film: "Who cares what movie it is, dude? We’re going mainly for the outing." Well, I cared.

Now I know there’s no reason why everyone should be expected to be a film buff to even half the extent I am (or most of my current friends are). I know many intelligent people who just aren’t that much into movies, and fair enough. But the people I’m talking about are the large throngs who classify as frequent movie-watchers, queue up regularly at the PVR ticket windows and say things like "No yaar, not Million Dollar Baby, it is a boxing film". Or listen to Johnny Depp’s accent in Finding Neverland and go, "Hee hee, he sounds like a Chinese." These are true stories.

(Having said which, how fair is it to blame PVR throngers when even a leading "film critic" doesn’t think about what she wants to say before writing a review but merely vomits out a sequence of words that means nothing?)

But the point is that the scatterbrained approach of these people to movie-watching is indicative of a larger malaise - the inability to think deeply about anything at all. They drift through life, these zombies, with no real clue about anything that’s going on around them.

I don’t know how relevant this example is, but I was at the PVR ticket-window listening to many comments in the same league as the Million Dollar Baby one, and the people in front of me had just bought two tickets.

Boy, gaping fearfully at the tickets as if they’re going to paper-cut him to death, turns to girl, says "It is the 15:10 show."
Girl goes "Ummm, 15:10 is what?" and – oh yes – starts writing "12, 13, 14, 15" in sequence on a little piece of paper she has with her.

Now you tell me there’s no correlation between the 15:10 cluelessness and the comments these people are going to make about the movie they’ll watch. They are, therefore they don’t think?

26 comments:

  1. Funnily enough, rather than getting annoyed at stupid comments, I quite enjoy them. Yesterday's late night audience of Million Dollar Baby was terrible, but it gave me something to laugh about which the movie sure as hell didn't provide!

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  2. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy them too - being able to associate with lower life forms is the only reason I still go to the PVRs, the few times I do.
    Think I'll put up a list of inane comments I've overheard (unless you beat me to it.)

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  3. I'm not defending them Jai, but a lot of people go to the movies specifically because they don't *want* to think.

    "Oh passive altar of entertainement! Bestow on me thy images at such discordant speed as to render linear thought impossible!" - Calvin (kneeling before television set)

    Know that one? :)

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  4. what else can you expect when Raja Hindustani is among the top five grossing movies of all times ? Not to mention that Hum Aapke Hain Koun is on the top of the list.

    --atri

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  5. with reference to the film critic you mention (i agree with you, of course), i have always believed, very, very strongly, that only critics qualified to comment ought to be given the right to. how, for instance, can these 'film critics' across the country voice their opinions on an artform they know nothing about. which is also why journalists who haven't studied literature ought to be banned from writing book reviews. will indian journalism never learn? i'm on your side here, jai arjun :)

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  6. Umm, thanks, but I happen to be a journalist who hasn't studied literature but writes book reviews with a vengeance. In my defence though, I always maintain that if I HAD studied literature, I probably would've given up reading a long time ago. (Or is that just sour grapes? Questions, questions)

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  7. I am not against anyone criticising anything. However, one should be willing to have his / her critiques criticised by other people in turn.

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  8. lit reviews should only be written by eng lit students!
    thats rich, that is.
    me, i did eco.
    i have to say i enjoy stupid comments (going back to what this was originally about) and i see those making them not as lower life forms, but as beings from parallel universe. one of these days shall actually do the whole 'take me to your leader' routine

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  9. you misread my comments. when i say book reviews ought to be written by students of literature alone, i don't literally mean students with a degree in english literature. all i'm hoping for is a writer qualified -- if only by a long shot -- to say something sensible. my gripe is about editors who assign stories or reviews to journalists who haven't a clue about the subject. it's a little like asking a sports journo to cover 'citizen kane' and then have him deride the film saying 'how can it all hang upon one little word?' see what i mean?

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  11. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  12. Ooh.. I tried SO hard to resist posting a comment. I really did, but I'm sorry it can't be helped.
    I think that a sports journo would probably do a better job at the review than a film critic because he would be looking at it from an entertainment angle for the MASSES, y'know the guys who actually READ the paper? Which is something the film critics occasionally forget to do.
    Phew!
    And oh yeah, Go Eng Lit!!! :)

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  13. Ooh.. I tried SO hard to resist posting a comment. I really did, but I'm sorry it can't be helped.
    I think that a sports journo would probably do a better job at the review than a film critic because he would be looking at it from an entertainment angle for the MASSES, y'know the guys who actually READ the paper? Which is something the film critics occasionally forget to do.
    Phew!
    And oh yeah, Go Eng Lit!!! :)

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  14. Lots been said and heard about movie-going motivations and their IQ levels. Now, spare a thought for this:

    that poor li'l girl may just've been a victim of a rather sadistic (because of the education system in this country) malaise called 'dyscalculia' and hence, the conversation you quote.

    (and yes, I suffer from it too)

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  15. how abt this one, during maqbool, "that (pankaj kapoor) is Tabu's husband?" from a hysterical woman who screamed as if someone had puked on her face, and another one after she was asked to comment on the film "it was too slow yaaar, one should see it at home, you can atleast fast fwd it"

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  16. I think its probably best not to go into extremes on either side.Many of the most learned people I know (whether in literature, film or theatre) have never formally studied those subjects.And yes, I agree, not being steeped in theory might provide a fresher perspective in several cases.But Jabberwock, to say you'd have given up reading by now if you were a lit student...thing is, a step too far on either side and one's being prejudiced.That's what I think.

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  17. Ya well, I didn't mean that comment to be taken so seriously - it's a bit facetious by its very nature (and I did mention sour grapes, didn't I?). But I have to maintain, my personal preference is still firmly with book/film reviewers who haven't formally studied the subject. Apart from the fresh perspective, it's a question of being able to talk in a language that at least some casual readers/viewers can understand.
    Even though I haven't studied Eng Lit or film myself, I know I get a little over-smart with my reviews sometimes, simply by virtue of having read/watched a lot. Very difficult pitfall to avoid.

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  18. lotus blossom...we dont think you get oversmart.
    i suspect some of the reviewers we know and admire did study eng lit...but fortunately, have moved on in life, and dont lay down the jargon. probably studied the subject because they loved reading, maybe? which is hardly a disqualification.
    but theres nothing sadder to read than a lit review where the whole point is to show off the reviewers erudition. the good thing about non-eng-lit reviewers is they dont have to unlearn anything before getting down to reviewing.

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  19. erm...this is a country where, invariably, some idiot chooses a particularly melancholic moment in a movie to shout 'Itna sannata kyon hai bhai?'.

    And then there are other idiots in the theater who find it funny.

    Straight Curves: Y'know, in your case, it could be because of other factors. (runs away again) *grin*

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  20. I have been reading ur blog for quite a while now and find it very interesting...though am not sure about your sudden patronising attitude towards other movie-goers.The girl who couldnt fathom 15:10 might be competent in some other aspect.... why make a judgement call on somebody u dont know

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  21. on behalf of the jabberwock, i would like to present ms 1510 the Ornamental Platypus award for reaching the movie hall without drowning in a pool of her own dribble.

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  22. Anonymous: the patronising attitude to other movie-goers isn't "sudden", I've cheerfully had it for years. And I'm sure the girl IS competent in other respects - maybe as a call-centre executive? :)
    Okay, seriously, it wasn't meant to be some sort of blanket judgement call.
    (Incidentally, I've noticed that the most flippant blogs I write seem to attract the most comments. Very worrying. This one was never meant to be more than some quick spleen-venting with a dash of humour of the condescending-on-easy-targets variety.)

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  23. Well, brings one question to mind. I ask about this thing to everyone who mentions Black. It was a decent movie, it had its moments. But I am still not able to understand the dialog between Big B and Mrs.Nair in first half, where Debraj displays his frustration that his student were waving in wrong direction at his farewell. I felt he felt his life was wasted (Mrs. Nair's comment, "apni life to bana nahi sake, dusron ki kya banaoge", didn't help much either. But he was supposed to be dedicated towards this cause, wasn't he!

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  24. "And I'm sure the girl IS competent in other respects - maybe as a call-centre executive? :)"

    Y...ouch ! Very interesting, Jabberwock

    Anonymous #2

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  25. (Slightly) relevant quotation.
    R. K. Narayan, My Days:
    Nineteen-thirty, when I attained a belated graduation, became a year of problems. What should one do with oneself now? Different suggestions came in from different quarters. One could become a lawyer, or a minor civil servant, or what not. At first I toyed with the idea of studying for an M.A. degree in literature and becoming a college lecturer. While I was going up the stairs of the Maharaja's College with my application for a seat in the M.A. class, a friend met me half-way and turned me back, arguing that this would be a sure way to lose interest in literature. I accepted his advice and went downstairs, once for all turning my back on college studies.

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  26. 25 comments for a post that was written for no better reason than that I wanted to take a break from scratching behind my ears, and thought I'd insult somebody. Boy, I must be profound without knowing it.

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