I like being surprised, most of the time

Most of us enjoy movies and/or books of one kind or another. They generally fall into a certain category or genre, like a western, horror flick, or a comedy. They also, unfortunately, tend to fall into a standard form, and if you think about it, you can usually figure out exactly what will happen in the movie, almost from the opening credits. So, the trick for the director and writer is to entertain you along the way. Titanic is a good example of this. You know the damn boat is going to sink, so it's what happens before that unfortunate event is what is important. How did James Cameron attempt to do this? Well, I was not really a big fan of the film but for me, it was with fascinating CGI of the ship and it's engines, and just the general day to day operation of the ship. For many others, it was the love story. Forbidden love that is, between a First Class aristocrat, and a Third Class poker player. But this is where the movie lost me, because not only did I know the ship was going to sink, I knew the romance was doomed as well. Wouldn't it have been a better story if they surprised us and Jack survived? Think for a moment where the story could have gone then.

Random house photo. It was flag day and Cindy got a
bunch of little flags.

I don't mind a good romantic comedy. I sure have seen plenty of them with my Cindy. I just like to be surprised. Unfortunately, most rom-com's are just the worst offenders of this rickety standard plot fault. They meet cute, they fall for each other despite barriers put in their way, there's a big misunderstanding, they break up, but then something forces them back together at the end and TA DA! they live happily ever after. Still, it can work, and be worth your time, if the director and writer keep you entertained along the way. Examples of rickety plot but entertaining rom-coms include the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan films and the classic, When Harry Met Sally. There are two, however, that threw the standard plot out the window, and really came up with something special.. Both are kind of sleepers. The first, Definitely, Maybe, turns the romance into a mystery. In the film, Will (Ryan Reynolds) is going through a divorce, his distraught daughter insists on hearing the story of how her parents met, perhaps in hope that the telling of the story will rekindle the romance and head off the divorce. Will tells her the story in a series of flashbacks and you are there with the daughter trying to figure out which of his romantic partners is her mother. There are plenty of big laughs and twists, along with some really heart tugging moments.

The best, however, is a more obscure Hanks-Ryan picture called Joe vs. the Volcano. In the very beginning, Joe is told by a doctor that he is dying. But this isn't a death sentence for him, it is a release from his mundane life, and horrific job (he sells rectal probes). I'll say no more about the film and just let you discover what happens as Joe meets his inevitable(?) fate.

Random cat photo. Natasha keeping Cindy warm at night.

Horror films follow a formula as well. Slasher films are generally not scary to me. They can startle me, make me jump, but they rarely scare me. An exception is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. That movie was so unsettling, I'll never watch it again. Same goes with The Exorcist. Got me once, good for you. Not again. Probably the most unsettling and scary film I've ever seen is Pan's Labyrinth.  It includes vicious murders, large intelligent insects, a brutal war, and a young girl that escapes into an underground fantasy world. Talk about not following a formula! I highly recommend it, and will never see it again. You should see it at least once.

My favorite film of all time is a horror film, that really doesn't follow the formula. In Silence of the Lambs a student FBI agent is sent to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter in the it takes one to know one theory to get insight on another serial killer, Buffalo Bill. As Clarice (Jody Foster), interviews Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) to gain that insight, a strange relationship grows between them. They are both fascinated, and competitive with each other. Most importantly, they respect each other and as Clarice finally reveals the tragic story of how she ended up in an orphanage, watch closely as tears fill Lecter's eyes as he realizes he is finally having a real relationship with a person, not another psychopathic episode. "Thank you Clarice, thank you", he says at the end. You know at this moment, Lecter would cut off his own arm, rather than harm Clarice, which he does, ironically, in the sequel. Most everyone has seen the film so I'm not really giving away a spoiler to write that Clarice does indeed catch Buffalo Bill, with Lecter's help, so in some way it does have the expected ending, but getting there was so much fun. Despite some of the gruesome scenes and twisted practices revealed in the movie, I can watch it endlessly and enjoy looking for the subtle clues and nuances as the brilliant Lecter toys with the investigators while giving Clarice what she needs to solve the case.

Random vacation photo.  Spring break in Wildwood

I could go on forever on movies, but considering that this blog is not even about movies, and this edition might be my longest so far, I should probably wrap this up. My ideas for this blog entry began as I thought about the novel I'm writing. Yes, you read that correctly. I've been working on a book on and off for many years and I just can't tell if it is any good. I am attempting to surprise readers, without employing a gratuitous plot twist. Hopefully, I can be clever enough and keep readers entertained without them realizing where the story is going. Perhaps some day I'll drop the opening paragraph here in the blog somewhere, if I have the nerve.