Do you ever find yourself disappointed by the 'latest summer blockbuster'?
I find all the hype, 'good' reviews and ratings are an anti-climax when I finally watch it. You can easily get caught up in it all as you hope for the film to be as good as promised.
I'm not saying all big release films are not entertaining; there are many great films millions of people have seen and will watch again, some are timeless classics that win on Oscar night and do a superb job of telling the story through the art of film making
Finding a great film
The films I'm talking about are the ones you stumble upon late at night when channel surfing or catch your eye five minutes in and you watch the rest to find out what happens.
When I was studying for my HSC, in English we watched a great film in Russian (with subtitles); it was called 'The Return', a story of two brothers whose father comes back after a 12 year absence to take them camping.
'The Return' won a few international awards for best foreign film, but it was made on a budget of under $500,000—surprisingly little by today's multi-million dollar budgets.
Another film that caught my attention was a British teen film 'Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging', it would give most Hollywood teen films a run for their money! It has a simple storyline and a natural performance from the lead actor.
The main character is not the usual good-looking tall blonde, but is what a genuine teen should be shown as. She wants to have a good birthday bash and get the dream boy while trying to keep her parents happy.
Though you can be too old for the film, you can enjoy the world of these girls who want to be adults because they are, 'too old for toys, too young for boys'.
Don't judge a book by its cover
It important to remember the old adage of 'don't judge a book by its cover'—the same can be said for films.
Even though a film may not be well-known or the vast majority have not seen it, remember to be open-minded when you watch films and prepare for the unexpected good film.
Christopher Archibald lives in Sydney and is a Youth Leader at New Life Christian Church in Blacktown. A voracious reader, he ploughs through many books in a calendar year, with a bookcase that is constantly being rearranged to accommodate new additions.
Christopher Archibald's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/christopher-archibald.html