āThe Lone Rangerā (2013) and the Origins of This Blog
It was July, 2013. I was about to go into the eighth grade. Letās take a moment and let the āNam flashbacks pass.
Now that weāve done that, at this particular point in time, I was slowly but surely starting to cultivate my interest in movies. I was going to the theater more frequently with friends and family; even though it was only to see mainstream stuff like the next Mission: Impossible or Despicable Me or Marvel chapter, I was still going.
One movie I was particularly excited for that summer was the remake of The Lone Ranger. Yes, that remake. The one starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer (this movie was doomed to fail from the fucking start, wasnāt it?) that you forgot even happened.
I was excited for this movie because I liked Westerns. Iāve always had a special place in my heart for Westerns. In fact, if you track back to my early childhood, that was probably where my love for cinema actually started. Every time I went over to my grandparentsā house, my granddad would have a John Wayne or a Clint Eastwood movie on and he would watch them with such interest that I couldnāt help but do the same. To this day, whenever I find a good Western, I experience such strong feelings of delight and excitement. If you ask me, thereās still no more thrilling a trope for an action movie to do than a quickdraw shootout. That long moment of intense silence where both you and the characters know someone is going to die, and then finally the lightning-fast movements of both characters followed by gunfireā¦it captures my full attention every time.
We also had the first season of the old 1950s Lone Ranger show on DVD, so unlike a lot of people whom Disney no doubt wished would have seen this movie, I actually knew a little about who the Lone Ranger was as a character.
So, I went to the theater and I saw this movie. And then I saw it a second time. And then a third time. Three times in all. I think that was the first time Iād ever seen a single movie in the theater that many times.
I kid you not: when the credits rolled, there was a standing ovation every. Single. Time. That is completely true. Thereās pretty much no way for me to prove itā¦but itās true.
And I think that was it: I think that was the moment the seed for this blog was planted. Because I looked up at the screen and behold, I saw a movie reviled by critics both professional and not-professional. But those critics were faceless. Not to say they arenāt people existing in the same dimension as you and me, but nevertheless they werenāt there. But I was there in a theater full of people who enjoyed themselves so much they had to clap to let it all out even though no one who had anything to do with the making of the movie was in the room to hear it. And I didnāt have the words as a thirteen-year-old kid, but if I had, I would have asked myself, āHow is this not valid?ā
Obviously, this doesnāt just apply to The Lone Ranger. I wonāt die on that hill. You donāt have to like that movie. But how many dozens of other movies are out there whose tale of woe is exactly the same? And the chances that you would agree with the critics out there and despise all of them? Pretty much nonexistent. Everyone has missed out on a good movie at some point in their life because they took someone elseās review for granted. Why do we do that? Why do we let other people tell us what to like? Even worseā¦what to try to like? Thereās nothing wrong with sharing and comparing opinions. If I thought there was, I wouldnāt be writing this. But to take those opinions at their word justā¦because? That doesnāt sit right with me. Maybe because if weāre willing to take total strangers at their word when it comes to our entertainmentā¦what else might we be willing to take their word on?
You canāt ever put knowledge in a bottle and twist the cap closed. Knowledge is infinite. Youāll never know everything there is to know. Iāll never see every movie there is to see. Thatās why it doesnāt matter how little or greatly you choose to diversify your watchlist. Whether you only watch American-made movies or you throw a little French new wave in there doesnāt make a difference. Youāll never be an expert, itās not about that. Itās about why youāre watching what youāve chosen to watch.
Are you watching it because youāre interested in it or because someone told you that you should be? Are you not watching it because youāre disinterested in it, or because someone told you that you shouldnāt be?
If youāve never asked yourself those questions, I encourage you to begin now. Donāt miss out on good movies just because someone else doesnāt think theyāre good.















