"As I was saying ..."

Sorry for not having my usual twice-weekly ground-level writing offerings this week.  The time's been spent bidding on some writing gigs and doing some ghost writing for a friend. Then again, being busy is better than NOT being busy, right?

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Recent visits to the library leave me questioning my taste level.  I used to love going to movies.  When I moved from home, I used to see four or more films in a day, traveling around town via bus to make the next showing.  Sharing the experience of appreciating a good movie just made it even better. 

However, theater prices and rude patrons -- do people living far away really need your running commentary not just on the film but on life itself? -- drove me from the cinema.  So with the local library allowing film rentals, I've been catching up on some films that I would otherwise have missed and the result is I've been wondering about my taste level. 

Apparently the only taste I have is in my mouth.  I watched The Spirit and didn't find it the travesty a lot of the blogisphere did.  It wasn't at all what Will Eisner created over 70 years ago, aside from using some of the names.  Instead, I thought it was a stylish send-up of the noir/comic book/heroic film genres. 

Gosh, I hope it was a send-up ...

Battlefield Earth was no worse than some of the '50s sci-fi flicks that I grew up watching on midnight weekend TV.  At times, it was delightfully incomprehensible and filled with a few actors who were almost sweating from the strain of trying to act their way through the script.  Sorry to say, one of them wasn't John Travolta, but he's done enough great work to make up for it.  Shampoo and Phenomenon  make up for almost any acting sins committed elsewhere.

Heck, Catwoman's greatest asset, aside from Halle Berry who can make almost any role watchable, was a review by X-Play's Adam Sessler who pointed out the video game's screensaver function -- one that showed Catwoman stretching and swaying for the libidinous viewer's pleasure -- actually made pausing the game more fun than playing it.  Well, it wasn't the worst film ever ... not even close ... but it wasn't worth the venom expended by a lot of "reviewers," many of whom I'm not sure saw the same film I did.

In fact, one time I was in a local gaming store where a conversation broke out among the patrons about recent films.  One guy responded to every review with some snarky comment, belittling the film and anyone who was foolish enough to spend real cash on seeing it.  After a while, I noticed he'd made pronouncements on a couple of movies based on things that hadn't occurred and I asked, "Did you even see these films?"

Sneering and looking at me from over his nose, he proclaimed, "I don't have to.  I get my information off the Internet."

I replied, "Well, when you finally grow an opinion of your own, come back to talk to me," and left.  Being wrong is one thing.  Pride in willful ignoring is quite another matter.

So what movies did you enjoy that leaves your friends and family shaking their heads, doubting your sanity?