Untitled: (
I decided to name this thread "Untitled", because it was the only name I could think of at this moment.
I have written here on SwordsCrossed on numerous occasions about my favorite movies, including my alltime favorite movie, West Side Story.

I'll start by saying that I've always enjoyed action-packed films, as opposed to films that're very slow, super-gentle, super-funny, super-romantic, or super-anything, for that matter. I've admittedly never, ever been able to get into the typical, traditional "make 'em laugh" kind of comedy movie. Laughter, for me, is harder to obtain than it is for most people, probably, at least in part, because of the way in which I was originally hard-wired together. With rare exceptions, such as Charlie Chaplin's Goildrush, The Great Dictator, or Modern Times, for example, or even the Marx Brothers' Night At the Opera, I could never, ever really get into the nitty-gritty of comedy, and, even then, they've admittedly evoked little laughter from me, but I always get into watching the action unfold before me. So, I guess I inadvertantly turn off the funniness of these films and concentrate more on the action--what's happening.

Most comedy, I believe, especially slap-stick, imho, tends to reveal and accentuate the stupidity in people, as well as their vulnerabilities, that're often open to ridicule from the outside. Imho, comedy often tends to emphasize the fact that there are many people out there who're always finding something or other to ridicule in other people--to latch onto their vulnerabilities and lampoon them. Although I could never, ever really put a finger on it, that's probably why I could never, ever really get into it like most people.

Yet, at the same time, although I've always enjoyed action-packed films, movies that're super-violent, with an unnecessary and gratuitous amount of blood, gore and guts, imho, doesn't appeal to me either. The mass-produced films, with things that constantly explode on the screen, and overly graphic scenes, have never appealed to me, either, because they tend to reveal and accentuate the courseness and violence in people. Yet, it's a whole other matter if it's got a point to make, or is an integral part of the story. The same thing goes for movies with much explicit sex in them.

However, I've enjoyed many action-packed films that have various emotions rolled into them all at once to make a wonderfully dynamic package, not least of which is my alltime favorite movie, West Side Story. This wonderfully venerable golden oldie-but-goody movie/musical classic is about the only film that I can see over and over and over again and discover new things about it, and derive a new lesson or message from it every time. Again, it's hard for me to put a real finger on why WSS is my alltime favorite film, but...I figure I may as well sit back and enjoy it.

With other films, some messages come right away, while others take more time to absorb and to analyze. With some films, such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and even
Dirty Harry, or French Connection, or even a late-1950's film such as The Monster That Challenged the World that seemed to lay the grounds for and predict what the future would be in terms of film and life, generally, the message seems to take longer to absorb and to analyze.

While I'm here, West Side Story is a classic that depicts all emotions, especially through dance; I end up smiling, sitting tensely at the edge of my seat, misting up, and even laughing loud at the various parts. That's the way that this great musical is. Although my close friends and family have accepted and been amused by my love for WSS, others have considered me somewhat immature, or even retarded, for an adult. I guess it's because WSS was made in the latter part of the 20th century, and because it's supposedly about adolescents, but that's their opinion.

Some of these people who're somewhat derisive of the film WSS and my love for it are mental health counselors who work with troubled kids from low-income backgrounds, and they feel that WSS evokes negative stereotypes that depict all low-income kids, regardless of ethnic group or color, as being in gangs and prone to violence.
Others consider WSS to be too "white-bread", unrealistic and trivial for their tastes. Nothing could be farthur from the truth, imo.

West Side Story is a classic/musical that, imo, that is attractive to and watched by people from
all walks of life, and virtually all ages.
It tends to be very intergenerational in terms of its appeal, also. Yes, it's a different kind of musical.

The Sound of Music, although action-packed and enjoyable, to me, has a story that evokes ambivalent feelings for me. Yet, the song
Climb Every Mountain is extremely powerful and evokes feelings of "you can do it", or "go get'em", especially the last phrase "Follow every rainbow....'til you find your dream".

I tend to eschew (avoid) movies that seem mass produced and have excessive gore, but, as I said before, movies that're too slow-moving tend to turn me off also. Movies that're purely romantic or purely funny also don't appeal to me. Every kind of emotion must be present in a film for me to derive satisfaction and enjoyment from it. Action-packed films such as the James Bond movies, especially the ones with Sean Connery in them, are also movies that I've enjoyed, as well as Bonnie & Clyde and many others.

Although I occasionally enjoy a good stage play/musical, I'm admittedly more of a film person, although seeing something on stage can be more of a challenge, because, unlike with movies, which demand one's attention by looming larger than lifesize on the big screen, it takes much more effort to maintain the wave of communication between the actors and the audience, therefore requiring a much narrower focus. Even watching a favorite movie at home on TV evokes a narrower focus. Anyway, regarding stage productions vs. movies, I find them both very satisfying and rewarding, in their own ways. if they revolve around things that I'm interested in and enjoy