Entertainment or Education? An Author's View on Movies and TV

[Echelon Press]

I am a visual person. Those of you who know me have heard me say this a million times. That is the key to a great book for me. I have to see it playing out in video in my mind. (Keep that in mind if you are submitting a book to me...LOL). If I can't see it as it's happening, I just won't enjoy it. Two of the best examples for me are Nancy Martin's Blackbird Sisters mysteries and James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux series. For me, their writing is so vivid that I can see all the details. Sometimes I swear I can smell the bayou in Burke's novels. This is so awesome for me because I get so much pleasure from the reading of the books.

Now, let's talk about movies and television. I love television. I am amazed I have not burned out my DVD player already...and I am on a first name basis with every shift at my library...anyway. I am finding myself more and more critical of movies and DVD's because the scriptwriters and producers, or whoever makes the final call on these things simply refuse to pay any attention to detail. More frequently I find myself looking for errors instead of enjoying the footage. Is this some kind of disease that afflicts the writer/editor? Are we doomed to a life of never enjoying anything because we are so determined to find perfection in all we read or watch?

Of course we want well-written books, and of course we want to be entertained...but at what cost I ask you? Want an example? While watching an episode of "Bones" on DVD (The Man in the Bear" episode) there are several scenes where an extremely beautiful woman is playing the role of a Fast delivery person. Okay, she is delivering bear scat...snort...the scene with her and Zach and whatshisname is highly charged with sexual tension and their is a huge amount of flirting going on...no big deal. So she is wearing a delivery girl Izod type shirt (like they do) and walking shorts. In each scene as she walks away, you hear the distinct clicking on heels. I am a woman, these are high heels clicking on the floor. We never see her feet, but she is a "Fast Delivery" person walking a LOT. Wouldn't she be wearing sneakers? Wouldn't they squeak and not click?

Am I overreacting? Have I lost my mind? Is it just me?

Yours in insanity,

Karen Syed

[Keith Snyder]

Another good one is tires squealing on dirt roads.