upstill@ucbvax.UUCP (Steve Upstill) (07/11/84)
I don't even know why I'm bothering to write this. How can you talk to someone who thinks "movies as literature" means adaptations of Shakespeare? Or who thinks that the purpose of literature is to tell him how to run his life (what an egotistic notion!)? How about a simple counting argument? Terms of Endearment, a film that Whitney denounces as "liberal, preachy..." was one of the most successful films in years. The SINGLE most successful film of all time, ET, had a number of serious films and was obviously, despite ones personal reaction, viewed as a serious effort by its maker, Steven Spielberg. In fact, it is a rare film indeed that has no serious overtones, thank god. Films are equally rare with no entertainment value. Come to think of it, if I were as insensitive to content as MrWhitney, I too would resent it if a film consisted of matter to which I was totally blind. Steve Upstill