I don't know...perhaps its just because I'm growing older and more cynical, but it seems to me like Hollywood is going downhill. Every preview I see I can practically predict the movie's plot, what cliche's the writers and film-makers are playing off of, and sometimes I can even hear the production crew in conference saying, "Well do you think that having him be attacked by a rabbid squirrel in his underwear would be funny?" "Why yes I do think it would be funny." "Okay -- let's have it bite his genitals; scene three. Now what are we going to do for the wedding?" "What if the groom trips on the bride?" ...

It's not that Hollywood has ditched originality to appeal to an entrenched and capitalistic system of American values -- it's not that Hollywood has realized that it doesn't have to bother making new movies when sequels bring in the same amount of cash with less effort -- it's not that stardom has been elevated above sincerity and talent -- it's not that, if all else fails, they've decided they can just pick out some book at random and stick it on the screen, it' just that...

Sigh.

Oh, and what is it with all these romantic movies? Are we really living such boring and pathetic lives as a nation that the only thing that can capture our imagination is a love affair? And of course, everything is perfect after the wedding bells ring and the camera pans away from the pearly white teeth of the smiling groom and bride to sweep over the cavorting crowd.

Movies have very little to do, it seems, with actual life! Everything's either in crisis and some hero has to (and will) save the day or else someone is falling in love and despite all the antics of his inane and goofy sidekicks, he gets the girl anyway (while we are treated to two hours of eye candy and hip music by the latest pop-stars in the tightest shirts and the shortest skirts). Where's George Bernard Shaw when you need him? Hollywood!