Monday, July 02, 2007
All films are too long
Watched The Last Picture Show last night for the first time since it came out. It's half an hour too long. In the extras Peter Bogdanovich justifies this by saying that if it weren't the audience would be left wanting to know more about the characters. I fear that's one of those self-serving illusions that directors like to labor under. Have you ever come out of a film wishing it had been a bit longer? I haven't. Anyway, Cybill Shepherd, who had done no acting before getting the part of Jacy, is sensational, proving once again that at least 50% of film making is casting.
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Relative length is more important than absolute length (as I tell the girls...). A good film leaves you with no recollection of how long it actually was.
ReplyDeleteCould I also humbly propose: all CDs are too long, and, all songs are too long. OK, I know it's not "all", and I know that, unlike films, we have the 'skip' button, and selective downloading. But, as has been said before, so many CDs are bloated these days, and so many songs fluff their shot at greatness by simply outstaying their welcome.
ReplyDeleteAre there many songs that you wish had been a bit longer? Even if there are, you can just whack it on again. I'd much prefer that response, than getting an itchy skip finger. I dunno, maybe I just have ADD.
Funnily enough, I came out of the historical movie To Kill A King wishing for another half hour to give the thing a bit more breadth.
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