I’ve been enjoying Real Life 101, but I wanted to comment on this post.

Why is it that people assume that enjoyment of movies like The Chronicles of Riddick (which I haven’t actually seen… Pitch Black is great, though, and Chronicles looks like my kind of movie) and movies like Garden State are mutually exclusive? Isn’t it possible for someone to enjoy a wide range of movies?

Personally, if the movie isn’t a “comedy” that gets most of its humor from potty jokes or people acting like complete morons, I’m usually okay with it. Freddy Vs. Jason? Great fun. Not a great movie, but great fun. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind? Great fun and a great movie (and as I’ve mentioned elsewhere, the only Jim Carrey movie I’ve ever watched and enjoyed without thinking, “This would be so much better with a real actor.”). Alien Vs. Predator? Like Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, an unremarkable movie made much, much better by the final fight scenes. (Xenomorph queen vs. Predator trumps lightsabers, for me, but YMMV.)

Movies don’t all have to be emotionally involving, but they shouldn’t all be “popcorn flicks”, either.

Now, go read Real Life 101. I’m going to watch 12 Monkeys.