Why I left Los Angeles

Everyone knows that I hate talking about movies. One of the main reasons I dropped out of film school was because I didn't like talking about movies. Which isn' t to say that I don't appreciate a good movie. Lost in Translation? Good. The Royal Tenenbaums? Fucking good. Rushmore? So very, very good. Being John Malkovich? I didn't know movies could be that good. Which is why I feel obligated to make sure everyone knows: this summer's "hit movie" Napoleon Dynamite? SO AWFUL. Not funny. It was, at best, a very shallow character sketch which I forgot as soon as the movie ended. Both the story and the characters had no depth, they were over dramatic - not to mention ripped straight from daytime talk shows. The reason anyone should like a movie is because they can relate to some aspect of it - not because it makes fun of "weird" people who are currently very hip. See Welcome to the Dollhouse as a very good example as to how to portray a 'loser' in a nostalgic yet empathetic manner. It is driving me crazy that this "film" is receiving any attention at all. I can just imagine the room full of hipsters in Silverlake or East Hollywood (sorry Nate and Ariel) laughing at the thought of a "poor" "dork" wearing moon boots and "learning hip-hop moves". Is this what passes for "cool" now"? It insults me as a person in my mid-20s. It insults me as a movie viewer. It insults me as a human being.

Note to producers: please don't finance these projects anymore. Your audiences may be dumb, but if you choose the smart, weird screenplay, it will be oh so much better. Thank you.