Pop culture is passing me by. At least when it comes to movies and TV.
Here goes: I just don't get all the hoopla over "Avengers: Endgame."
The film broke box office records on opening this weekend. It's all over social media. There are even stories of fights breaking out-online and physical-over spoilers.
I love movies. Always have. But I've never seen a Marvel superhero film. They just don't interest me and I don't know why for sure. Back when I was a teen I probably would have seen them all. Now? No interest.
I can say the same about the immensely popular HBO series "Game of Thrones," now a few episodes into its final season. Millions watch it. I have friends who love it. Devoted beyond belief. And it might be a great show for all I know.
But I've never been into sword and sorcery stuff. Throw sabers into the mix and I'll happily watch Errol Flynn battling Basil Rathbone or Flash Gordon going at it against Ming the Merciless. But dragons and the like? Leave me out.
"Harry Potter"? Nope. "Twilight"? Nope. Most of the "Star Wars" or "Star Trek" output? Again, nope.
This isn't some reverse snobbery. We all probably know someone who is happy to point out they are above some current pop culture happening. Repeatedly. But when I say I haven't seen any Marvel films or watched "Game of Thrones" it's not with either pride or regret. It's just fact.
And it's not like my tastes are all that sophisticated when it comes to the screen. I love great cinema that shows the artistry of the filmmaker. But truth be told my heart is with potboiler B-to-Z grade stuff. Detective series like "Charlie Chan" or "The Falcon," any kind of horror from Universal classics to 1980s slashers, lousy 1950s sci-fi, no-budget westerns and serials and exploitation from roadshow to grindhouse.
Maybe that's why I'm out of touch. They throw so much money at these superhero films. They create a fantasy world through CGI that can be spectacular. To most that's great entertainment. To me? Well, let's just say I like to see what a director can do with a small budget. I don't deny that $100 million and CGI demands creativity. But a nearly nonexistent budget and having to make the best you can out of what's at hand? That's creative filmmaking in my book.
Take a guy like Ed Wood. Are his movies great? Not really. Some aren't even good. But he wanted to make movies and movies he made. Even when he had to scrounge for a few bucks to do it. He might have used stock footage with no rhyme or reason and made flying saucers with models and strings (not the hubcaps or paper plates of legend), but he got the job done. His stuff may be incompetent, but it's never boring.
Producer/director Roger Corman's early films had more money behind them but none of it was wasted on expensive special effects. His monster costumes might be laughable, but the movies are fun. And I'll take the low-budget drive-in fare of regional independents like Texarkana's own Charles B. Pierce, Florida's William Grefé and Connecticut's Del Tenney over anything coming out of Hollywood today.
I saw some comic book adaptations back in the day. The old "Superman" films with Christopher Reeve and Batman with Michael Keaton. Enjoyed them, too. And with the advent of streaming I've watched a few like "The Dark Knight" with Christian Bale as Batman and Heath Ledger as the Joker. I wasn't impressed. To me it was way too long and didn't have enough story to fill in between the action. I thought "Suicide Squad" was fun, though no great shakes.
But none of that stuff gets me like an old-school B-movie. I would rather fire up a DVD or stream some obscure black-and-white film noir or big bug 1950s sci-film than brave the crowds at the latest blockbuster opening.
That's OK, though. One less person you true fans have to wait behind in line.