Is it just me or ?

Admittedly, I spend more time on ATS than I probably should. The trouble being, the usual fare has lost much of it's previous entertainment value.

It's probably an age thing. Harder to inspire. Harder to impress. Most of the time accurately predicting 'who did it' or here we go again. So I scrolled down the Netflix list a number of times recently as was struck by how similar they all were. Almost always a weapon of some sort. Most assuredly a huge fight...almost without end.

Don't get me wrong, I love the John Wick, Equalizer and Jack Reacher style movies. The sequels are well spaced out, however, and eating the same fare every meal is a fast lane to ruination of that item.

Yes, saying there's a shortage of good movies or shows is pretty subjective. So that's why I ask is it only me? It could be the 'old age' mechanism of pining for the old days. So I have to include the movies that reverberated over the years.

A quick short list would include Doctor Zhivago, Sea biscuit, Secondhand Lion. Those i could watch with interest any time. Second tier would those that moved, at the time, but have since worn out through the sheer number of times they've been seen. Rocky, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, so on.

Not much different with sports either.

Reading is limited to the favorite author genre. If one can't tell a book by it's cover....and you can't, I'm not buying it...

So is it just me???

'Originality' is all but dead. Everything's a rehash, remake reboot of some sort playing on our collective nostalgia... and that itself is nearly burnt out.

I canceled my Netflix subscription after nearly a decade last night, in part because I learned the guy who was behind the decision to cancel Rosanne is coincidentally married to Susan Rice, yeah that Susan Rice... who is now a board member of Netflix. Didn't mean to drag politics into this, but that's kind of the problem. The collective whole of entertainment is being infiltrated by politics with wicked intent.

The other reason I canceled my Netflix sub, was because I just don't watch anything on it anymore. Some old gems are great to watch every now and again, but I've got a decent dvd collection and youtube is pretty much the new cable, if you know how to use it.

The problem with modern entertainment, is that it's just not relatable anymore. We're just not seeing 'ourselves' in the stories like we used to and we're not seeing any honest portrayals representative of the times in relation to our collective awareness. And again, I can't help but think this is intentional and politically influenced.

I'm a hard one to please as far as entertainment goes. I can't stand the cookie-cutter crap they call music today, I fill up on good ol' Enya & Enigma, and mix in some Audiomachine & their composers' solo music.
I don't see anything really worthwhile in terms of movies of tv shows, I default to the oldies (Star Trek, Farscape, Stargate, even gave Firefly a try & understood what the fuss was about after so long) If I'm feeling a little more "juvenile punchline", Futurama.

I don't typically bother with the movies, especially if its not an actor/actress I've already been familiar with since childhood/late teens. Call me biased, but I think the current crop of them "fresh, young faces" blows and lacks the ability to pull of a believable portrayal, like it's a lost art. I've been unmoved enough by the flicks coming out that I haven't been to a theater since '13, when Walking With Dinosaurs came out & my dino nut kid begged to see it. Prior to that....When did Revenge of the Sith come out? '05? '06? Basically, in the last decade+, nothing has remotely interested me in terms of movies enough to hit up a theater to see it.

In other words, you're not alone. It's called getting older. Our tastes change, and some tastes do not and fall out of collective favor. That's the stuff that really resonates if it sticks that well. You know you found gold.
Either way, no skin off my nose, I'll take the proverbial rewind button over simply settling for today's crud.

a reply to: nwtrucker

Sea Biscuit is OLD.

But excellent ! 😎

It is that type of flick that gets you involved. Championing your hero ...

Our times demand these mindless distractions.

Oh ... just look at Mr. President.

Onya Donny boy !!

😎

Watching your back as well as mine ... 😶

originally posted by: rexsblues

The problem with modern entertainment, is that it's just not relatable anymore. We're just not seeing 'ourselves' in the stories like we used to and we're not seeing any honest portrayals representative of the times in relation to our collective awareness. And again, I can't help but think this is intentional and politically influenced.

I think it mostly comes down the bottom line. Proven formulas and cheap to produce.

I remember when it seemed like everything was cop shows and game shows, cheap to produce and brings in the revenue. Sci-Fi's were a bit more costly and a little risky, but special effects are cheaper now and there is a fan base. Dramas are still cheap, just people talking. Reboots are half written already. Reality and competition shows are super cheap. Imagine being on one of those chef shows. Your prize for winning? You get to work in the food service industry. You could have done that by dropping out of high school.

Imagination and creativity don't guarantee a profit.

Try This.... Back when there were greats..

www.youtube.com...

Try watching movies & tv shows from different countries and cultures (same with music). You'll quickly realize just how much you've been boxed in. One of my exes and I would make it as point to watch as many import movies as possible. We started with action movies but then switched over to many different genres. Definitely worth it.

I was always into anime & manga, but now I was watching random Bollywood movies and random Nigerian comedy series. (If you still want action films, some of the Bollywood action movies have such over the top action sequences that you'll either think they're absurdly stupid or absurdly awesome lol.)

And right now, I'm listening to a playlist in VLC that has artists from Ethiopia, the US, Angola, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and more. I can't understand half of it but it definitely breaks the monotony of hearing the same crap over & over again.

I always said to myself for years that if they tried to redo "The Wizard of Oz", I'm done. Well that happened and yes, it bombed.

Then they went after another one they shouldn't have touched, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". Well that happened and yes, it bombed.

Certain movies, music, and TV shows should never be rehashed because more often than not, the outcome is complete garbage. Filled with all the modern day societal degradation, belittling and mocking the wholesomeness of the original.

It's all drugs, sex, lies, betrayal at it's worse and served up as a virtue; an acceptable way to be, and to live.

You know what movie I cherish? "The Great Race".
Natalie Wood,
Tony Curtis,
Jack Lemmon,
Peter Falk,
Dorothy Provine and others...just a well rounded, fun, slapstick comedy with great actors and a wonderful storyline.

The pure sh# spewing from Hollywood these days is undigestible, soul souring, morally corrupt sewage.

Sub-Rant over.

originally posted by: EternalShadow
I always said to myself for years that if they tried to redo "The Wizard of Oz", I'm done. Well that happened and yes, it bombed.

Then they went after another one they shouldn't have touched, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". Well that happened and yes, it bombed.

Certain movies, music, and TV shows should never be rehashed because more often than not, the outcome is complete garbage. Filled with all the modern day societal degradation, belittling and mocking the wholesomeness of the original.

It's all drugs, sex, lies, betrayal at it's worse and served up as a virtue; an acceptable way to be, and to live.

You know what movie I cherish? "The Great Race".
Natalie Wood,
Tony Curtis,
Jack Lemmon,
Peter Falk,
Dorothy Provine and others...just a well rounded, fun, slapstick comedy with great actors and a wonderful storyline.

The pure sh# spewing from Hollywood these days is undigestible, soul souring, morally corrupt sewage.

Sub-Rant over.

Those classic TV shows and movies were the best. Pure comedy. No political agendas or secret message, just fun. - The Pink Panther with Inspector Closeau, spaghetti westerns (My Name Is Trinity), If a movie was made by the Rank Organization, then those movies were guaranteed to be high quality.

Now somehow, calling something rank means that it is really bad. The trendies even picked apart the Gongman intro sequence and called it fake.

en.wikipedia.org...

'Many of these stories were set in the past. "You have to go back in time to tell a story that doesn't have to face seventies problems", said Williams in 1978. "What people are nostalgic for isn't necessarily any particular period, but the happier values that are missing today.'

The trendies also attacked Sesame Street in the same way. Calling someone a muppet now means they are an idiot.

originally posted by: stormcell

originally posted by: EternalShadow
I always said to myself for years that if they tried to redo "The Wizard of Oz", I'm done. Well that happened and yes, it bombed.

Then they went after another one they shouldn't have touched, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". Well that happened and yes, it bombed.

Certain movies, music, and TV shows should never be rehashed because more often than not, the outcome is complete garbage. Filled with all the modern day societal degradation, belittling and mocking the wholesomeness of the original.

It's all drugs, sex, lies, betrayal at it's worse and served up as a virtue; an acceptable way to be, and to live.

You know what movie I cherish? "The Great Race".
Natalie Wood,
Tony Curtis,
Jack Lemmon,
Peter Falk,
Dorothy Provine and others...just a well rounded, fun, slapstick comedy with great actors and a wonderful storyline.

The pure sh# spewing from Hollywood these days is undigestible, soul souring, morally corrupt sewage.

Sub-Rant over.

Those classic TV shows and movies were the best. Pure comedy. No political agendas or secret message, just fun. - The Pink Panther with Inspector Closeau, spaghetti westerns (My Name Is Trinity), If a movie was made by the Rank Organization, then those movies were guaranteed to be high quality.

Now somehow, calling something rank means that it is really bad. The trendies even picked apart the Gongman intro sequence and called it fake.

en.wikipedia.org...

'Many of these stories were set in the past. "You have to go back in time to tell a story that doesn't have to face seventies problems", said Williams in 1978. "What people are nostalgic for isn't necessarily any particular period, but the happier values that are missing today.'

The trendies also attacked Sesame Street in the same way. Calling someone a muppet now means they are an idiot.

You don't know your etymology at all. Rank has been used since the 1300s as word describing something unpleasant.

Agreed. Today’s movies suck goat nipples. Last one I saw in the theater was arrival. So many great reviews. I thought it was terrible and threw the rest of my soda at the screen when it ended. I did like blade runner 2049. Watched it at home though. And, agreed about these new young actors and their lack of, well, good acting. But in their defense, 90% of their time is spent in front of a green screen so I’d imagine it’s harder to feel the scene. The good the bad and the ugly is my latest go to movie. No cgi, great characters played by great actors, and no love triangle. I’m sure they’ll remake that one too. And it will suck but make lots of money because people are getting dumber.

a reply to: Starhooker

I remember when going to the movies was an 'event'. They'd blow away TV. Now? The home systems at least flirt with movie quality.

The last movie I went to was 'Interstellar'. Enjoyable and there was obvious creativity, both conceptual and screen-wise. A few of the sci-fi lesser movies have been fairly decent, outside the Star Wars overkill, with new premises that were even funny.

Oh yeah, I miss BUTTERED pop-corn....

a reply to: Nyiah

Well said, sir. Good to know I'm not the only disgruntled soul out here. I was smitten when the original Star Trek series came out. Stargate made the hairs stand up.

It's about the only genre where there's any originality left.

A few 'based on a true story' types.

A random thought, perhaps the 'recreational drug' that is our entertainment is being 'watered' in preparation for virtual reality 'mainlining'....

originally posted by: enlightenedservant
Try watching movies & tv shows from different countries and cultures (same with music). You'll quickly realize just how much you've been boxed in. One of my exes and I would make it as point to watch as many import movies as possible. We started with action movies but then switched over to many different genres. Definitely worth it.

I was always into anime & manga, but now I was watching random Bollywood movies and random Nigerian comedy series. (If you still want action films, some of the Bollywood action movies have such over the top action sequences that you'll either think they're absurdly stupid or absurdly awesome lol.)

And right now, I'm listening to a playlist in VLC that has artists from Ethiopia, the US, Angola, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and more. I can't understand half of it but it definitely breaks the monotony of hearing the same crap over & over again.

this... i love watching british tv, reading japanese comics, listening to the spanish-speaking radio station, watching thai action flicks.

mining past eras can also be fruitful. read old books, get into classical music for a while.

and check out smaller artists, independent films, indie bands. probably that thing you love so much from the past is still there to be found, you're just not seeing it because it takes some digging to find it instead of expecting mainstream to serve it up to you.

we get in ruts, and we get too familiar with what our culture produces, what the narrative cues are. it just takes a little effort to look for something new.

originally posted by: fiverx313

originally posted by: enlightenedservant
Try watching movies & tv shows from different countries and cultures (same with music). You'll quickly realize just how much you've been boxed in. One of my exes and I would make it as point to watch as many import movies as possible. We started with action movies but then switched over to many different genres. Definitely worth it.

I was always into anime & manga, but now I was watching random Bollywood movies and random Nigerian comedy series. (If you still want action films, some of the Bollywood action movies have such over the top action sequences that you'll either think they're absurdly stupid or absurdly awesome lol.)

And right now, I'm listening to a playlist in VLC that has artists from Ethiopia, the US, Angola, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and more. I can't understand half of it but it definitely breaks the monotony of hearing the same crap over & over again.

and check out smaller artists, independent films, indie bands. probably that thing you love so much from the past is still there to be found, you're just not seeing it because it takes some digging to find it instead of expecting mainstream to serve it up to you.

Exactly this. If anything, there's almost too much innovation and creativity at the indie level. There are so many new styles and sub-genres being created that it's hard for me to keep up with the new trends. And so many new characters & plots are introduced that it can overload a reader/viewer/listener.

Everyone wants to be the next big thing, which can lead to fierce competition to create the next big trend (which can lead to so many new styles and twists that it often appears to be innovation just for the sake of being different as opposed to innovation to solve a problem).

And it sucks even more when some of these indie writers & artists don't have the funds to consistently put out their products, which means that promising artists can seemingly disappear overnight and great story lines may be left unfinished.

(For the record, I'm not actually saying any of this to put down indie works. Just trying to point out that following indie scenes often obliterates the boredom that the OP is talking about. It also puts some of the OP's problems in perspective, since at least the major studios can consistently put out their product. If you like a specific genre, you can spend days or months in a row quenching your appetite for that genre. But fall in love with a new indie writer/artst/director's innovative style and you may never see any other works that have it because that person had a kid, got a new 9 to 5 job, and no one else knows enough about the style to replicate it.)

Do you guys have Crave in the States?

www.cravetv.ca...

Loads of stuff there. Oldies. Showcase and HBO stuff. They've got shows like Billions, Bosch, Ray Donovan to go along with Star Trek stuff. Their originals are good too. Check out Letterkenny.

originally posted by: intrepid
Do you guys have Crave in the States?

www.cravetv.ca...

Loads of stuff there. Oldies. Showcase and HBO stuff. They've got shows like Billions, Bosch, Ray Donovan to go along with Star Trek stuff. Their originals are good too. Check out Letterkenny.

I will check it out. Thanks...