Two weeks ago I looked on the Internet for movies in my area.
Here are listings of the films at one particular cinema complex in my locale. The advertiser gave a one-line synopsis which I’ve reprinted under each film title.
TRAITOR
Violence, Disturbing content.
DISASTER
Language May Offend, Crude Content.
COLLEGE
Coarse Language, Substance Abuse, Crude Content.
THE LONGSHOTS
Not Recommended for Young Children.
THE HOUSE BUNNY
Not Recommended for Young Children, Crude Content, Language May Offend.
DEATH RACE
Coarse Language, Violence.
THE ROCKER
Not Recommended for Young Children, Nudity, Language May Offend.
MIRRORS
Gory Scenes, Violence, Disturbing Content.
TROPIC THUNDER
Violence, Crude Content, Coarse Language.
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS
Coarse Language, Violence, Substance Abuse
THE MUMMY. THE TOMB OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR
Not Recommended for Young Children, Violence.
Do you wonder where the good creative writers and film-makers have gone? The standards have been lowered in the classroom of literary excellence, grade passes are given, in order to keep a numeric quota for an institution to qualify for subsidies – ‘if we don’t pass enough students we won’t have the money to pay you.’ Poetry and classical writing are looked on as frivolous and inconsequential when in fact they teach depth of thought and bring some sensitivity to the psyche. Art does the same, but when it comes to education cuts this is where the cutting starts. So the above movies . . .
. . . look at the above movie descriptions – do you wonder why there is so much killing and violence in real life? Do you wonder why there is so much foul language in real life? Life imitates art, life imitates what is portrayed. In the movies people get killed and the killer, hero or villain, moves on to the next scene with no consequences. This is why we get so many shootings – the shooters just think they can move on to the next scene.
The responsibility lies with the writers, the creators. Most of the present-day writers are not up to the task.
Michael is a freelance writer in Toronto. 
