Sunday 20 May 2012

Then and Now - Or how I like listening to older people

I've watched an interview with Bryan Cranston (lead actor of Breaking Bad) on the David Letterman Show (check out the video below) and something struck me. He was talking about the time he took with his brother in search of his vocation by riding a motorcylce through the US and only stopping when they needed cash. Once or twice he makes a comment like "Bear in mind this was in the 70s, so finding a job was fairly easy".



Now, I am one of those folks, who likes listening to the stories of people who grew up in a different era. I remember the time, I spoke with a friend of a friend of my brother's (yeah, I know, it is a bit convoluted) who lived in Northern Ireland during the IRA's heyday selling photocopiers to companies, because every time a bomb went off, the shockwave would shatter the glass of windows and the like in the area. These damages were payed for by the government and so all companies were fairly eager to buy them. Even if that story was not true (not sure, why it shouldn't be), it is still a fun story from a different time.

But back to my point, I have a bit of a romantic streak when I like to do something like breaking out and go somewhere where progress isn't as advanced but don't have the guts for really taking the step. I remembered wondering if times were really that different in the 70s, when I watched "The Motorcycle Diaries" (check trailer below), but I figured, then, that it is different, because that's South America. Well, judging by the interview above, it was different in the westernised world, too. 


Most people take all these stories with a pinch of salt thinking "another old fool ranting about the good old days", but I am starting to wonder if the young people of today are a bit more pressured into completing their apprenticeships, studies or whatever they are currently doing (I still call myself young, but that's probably just my opinion ;D). I still remember my University studies and they were happy and careless. I enjoyed them and the people I met and the studies I did, greatly affected the way, I approach situations. When I look at the students after the Bologna Process, there already is a stiff difference. They seem to have less time to do more and it feels to me as if they are herded through their student life just to get finished. Only to go on and find a job and live a streamlined life.

This brings me back to one specific point that Bryan Cranston mentioned. It was easier to find jobs in the 70s. My mother told me the same stories, when she tried to find a student job. I told my wife this and the people in their environment from that time all said the same. There were more jobs than people, willing to work, around apparently. I currently am myself in the job hunt, too, and I always assumed that I did fairly well in the career skills department, but I am finding myself in extreme difficulties actually finding a bleeping job. So it would seem that those old ranting fellas are right and it is harder to find a job nowadays.

I am not sure this constant development towards efficiency is a good thing. Efficiency is very good and I am mostly all in favour, but it should not hamper the personal development of the individual. My life has been everything, but straight forward and I am, for the most part, glad that it turned out that way. I was, however, unlike other people, able to combine my detours with things that can be written on a CV. Judging by the fact, that those flower-power loving 60s and 70s hippies (I jest, of course) actually formed their future, my and your present, I really wonder what the western world will look like in, say, another 20 years, with peeps like me being able to form their future. People that were already formed into efficient problem solving, out-of-the-box-thinking, maximised worker bees...

Wednesday 9 May 2012

I can live without the 3D-cinema experience

I just came home from watching the movie "The Avengers" (Check out the trailer below). I was really looking forward to the movie and it definitely delivered. Good all round evening cinema, I would say.


But there is one thing, that is occurring recently, that really puts me off going to the cinema: 3D-movies. They really do not add anything extra for me. I like watching a movie in a row that is fairly close to the silver screen, so that my entire vision is filled up by the screen. Frankly, if I do that in a 3D-movie, I feel like puking. I remember, by some random accident, my wife and I watched Avatar from a front row seat (yep, that's right; row "one"). While I thought, I felt rubbish and dizzy, I then looked over to my wife and believe you me, she looked like death warmed up and about to share her evening meal with the rest of the audience via regurgitatory means.

Additionally, where I am currently at, a 3D movie is in fact about €4 more expensive than a normal movie. Personally, I find that a bit steep. I still reminisce about my student times in the UK, where I could go and watch a movie for £3. Currently, because I am not a student anymore and most movies are in 3D, I pay a whopping €11,50 for a movie. I am sorry, but that is just not on.

What makes the entire thing even worse is, that I sometimes get the feeling that there are hardly any 3D effects. Avengers had some, but if I am honest, I could have happily lived without them. Sometimes, one of Iron Man's rays went the audience's direction and the big fight scene at the end (if anyone thinks I just spoilt the movie by saying there is a big fight at the end of it, is officially a moron) had some effects, but nothing major. When I watched Alice in Wonderland, I actually felt cheated out of four euros, simply because I saw Johnny Depp do something once in 3Dish. The rest was just a normal frickin' film! It drives me bonkers!

Since I am also one of those people with less than stellar eyesight, I have to rely on glasses. Contacts never worked out for me, which isn't a problem... in a 3D cinema, this is a different story. Having one pair of glasses on is fine, two pairs on the other hand, is plain silly. Until my first 3D movie, I never thought that running out of "nose space" would be an issue. As a laboratory chemist who has to wear additional safety specs in the lab, I know what I am talking about and these far too large, wanna-be futuristic looking 3D goggles are just a hassle.

All in all, I can really say that I can understand why true cinema is going downhill. the 3D technology has been around for a while, but never caught on in Europe. Now trying it again, I have to admit to myself, that it pushed me out of the cinema. I used to love going to the movies. It was one of those things that I would do on my own and I would go home, wholeheartedly satisfied. With the advent of 3D-cinema this unfortunately changed, because the higher production costs (or whatever causes the excessive increase in ticket price) are making cinemas come up with strange ways to get more money out of the viewers pockets. Where I am at, they always (yes always, not only in very long movies) take a half-time break, "to give us the chance to go to the toilet". More like the chance to buy half a litre of coke for what feels like 5 euros... I am getting carried away and so I shall stop here with this ;)

At the end of this, all I can say is. Avengers: fantastic movie. 3D-cinema: fantastically overrated, overpriced and just not worth it. Bring back old movie cinema and old prices.