TV and Movies

[travelin grandma]

My two biggest problems with Hallmark movies are the music is too loud and I have to use closed caption so I know what they're saying, and I wish they would put less lipstick on the men.

[Venezia]

I noticed with one of the new movies that they were constantly playing music (with vocals) in the background and I had to keep rewinding to hear what was being said.

I can't remember the name of the movie, because I turned it off after about 15 minutes of that.

If I want to listen to music, there's always the radio.

[stevieb]

I agree, the music is often annoying, and related, they also do too many movies where someone is or is trying to become a singer and the talent is usually marginal.

[Zernia Rose]

@stevieb I can't think of a single era in America filmmaking or television that was not message driven: silent films, Depression movies, WWII, and on and on.  It depends on what message captures your attention.  If I want great drama, there are few movies or television shows that have multifaceted characters, layered themes, or plots that are inventive or not formulaic.  NETFLIX, Amazon, HBO, PBS, etc. capture those characteristics in their offereings.

I'm going to skip GAC movies as I view their agenda  as retrogressive based on the articles I've read and comments by one of their actors..  It's great that choices exist that allow each of us to watch creative products that appeal to our individual tastes.

[stevieb]

@Zernia Rose  Personally, I don't think the fare offered by Hallmark, GAC, UPN or Lifetime is particularly 'creative', but at least some of it historically had a place in the marginally escapist entertainment industry. When, however, the agenda becomes primary and the entertainment and talent focus become incidental then I'll typically opt out, no matter the message. It might be that in the annals of American entertainment there have often been messages proffered, but they haven't always been so glaring, so redundant, so fast and furious or so in your face as they have recently become. Agreed though, ostensibly anyway, something for everyone.

[Zernia Rose]

@stevieb Sometimes the agendas are artistically presented in older  tv series and movies such as On the Waterfront, A Touch of Evil, Days of Wine and Roses, A Raisin in the Sun, Grapes of Wrath,  or melodramatically in Reefer Madmess, Cocaine Fiends, The Man with The Golden Arm, Madame X, and more subtlely in Auntie Mame (e.g. dinner party scenes).Some cultiural critics argue that the Perry Mason character wore a pinkie ring in homage to other gays.  These speculations do prompt discussion.

[stevieb]

@Zernia Rose  Agree, making a statement, sending a message or promoting an agenda can be done well, can be done with subtlety or it can be done in a way that's so in one's face that the message is lost when the viewer simply stops watching. Beating viewers over the head with concepts that might be of little interest to them, whether they should be or not, will hopefully soon lose traction, though once they target a missive both media and Madison Avenue are slow to change, no matter how disliked or out of touch they might become.

[Zernia Rose]

@stevieb Yes, I agree.  I tend not to like art as propaganda in literature, art, music, or in varied media

[Twins Mom]

I have not been as into Hallmark movies as I used to - guess its because of the redundancy.  Also am so tired of Mahogany movie promos.  I am going to have to watch because of hype.  It's going to be on every hallmark channel.

[stevieb]

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@Twins Mom wrote:

I have not been as into Hallmark movies as I used to - guess its because of the redundancy.  Also am so tired of Mahogany movie promos.  I am going to have to watch because of hype.  It's going to be on every hallmark channel.

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I'll pass. I might've at least checked it out too see how it unfolded but resent the force feeding. No reason for this to be 'across all channels' any more than any other of their productions. Their promos are always too frequent and annoying, which frankly discourages me from watching, and this one has been seriously over-hyped.