Silver Screen to Small Screen

I was home for the holiday's this past weekend as many people were. My parents have an HD tv from one of my dad's clients, Boz. Boz tried investing in an HD tv company overseas a couple years ago that never panned out. The upshot of it was we got a BOZCO HD tv. My parents also have a much more involved cable plan than do I so when I'm home I always try to catch up on things I've missed with their 'On Demand.' Also I'm a huge reader. Not to be self congratulatory or anything its just a fact and I would say that its more of an anti-social behavior than an intellectual practice. But even so. I read alot and when I read I like to have the TV on. Some people think thats really weird. Both my sister and Matt just this past week commented on how weird they thought that was. I can't comfortably read without some kind of outside stimuli. I don't know why. Anyway to my point.

I was scrolling through the HBO On Demand looking for a movie I hadn't seen recently to put on while I finished up 'The Game of Thrones.' I settled on 'Avatar' in HD. I began to read.

I've seen 'Avatar' in theaters three times, once in 3D. I didn't love it but I really enjoyed it. The genre very much appeals to me. As I was reading I got really distracted and then periodically put down my book to watch the movie. What I found was surprising. 'Avatar' is terrible. It's awful. Sam Worthington's narration is campy and trite and couldn't be more obvious or heavy handed. The effects are almost cartoonish. My experience bore no relation to the one I had in the movie theater. I exited out of the movie and tried to find something more agreeable to read to on cable. I settled on 'Lord of the Rings: Two Towers.' I began to read. After a while I was distracted by Elisha Wood acting with a cartoon. I finished TGOT and went to bed. I dreamt.

I dreamt of dark theaters, hushed voices, and raked seating. I dreamt of popcorn and nachos, holding hands and stolen kisses. I awoke. And realized.

Some movies just don't translate. Some movies aren't meant to be seen on a TV. Sam Worthington's narration in the theater is moving and adventurous and brings you in to the story, on TV its simple and stupid and childish. In a dark theater these sweeping effects create a world you would have never imagined, in a lit living room the same effects look cheap. Will I ever watch 'Avatar' on TV again? No.

It's all about context.