Unit Two The United States In-depth Reading Pre-reading Questions: 1.Do you like Hollywood movies?Use one of your favorite as an example to evince the merits of Hollywood movies. 2.How different are Hollywood movies from Chinese films? Hollywood's Poison Factory Michael Medved 1 1 America's long-running romance with Hollywood is over.For millions of people, the entertainment industry no longer represents a source of enchantment,of magical fantasy,of uplift,or even of harmless diversion.Popular culture is viewed now as an implacable enemy,a threat to their basic values and a menace to the raising of their children.The Hollywood dream factory has become the poison factory. 2 This disenchantment is reflected in poll after poll.An Associated Press Media General poll released in 1990 showed that 80 percent of Americans objected to the amount of foul language in motion pictures;82 percent objected to the amount of violence,72 percent objected to the amount of explicit sexuality,and by a ratio of 3 to 1 they felt that movies today are worse than ever. 3 Hollywood no longer reflects-or even respects-the values that most Americans cherish 4 Take a look,for example,at the most recent Oscars.Five very fine actors were nominated for best actor of the year.Three of them portrayed murderous psychos: Robert DeNiro in Cape Fear,Warren Beatty in Bugsy,and Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (this last a delightful family film about two serial killers-one eats and the other skins his victims).A fourth actor,Robin Williams,was nominated for playing a delusional homeless psycho in The Fisher King.The most wholesome character was Nick Nolte's,a good old fashioned manic-depressive-suicidal neurotic in The Prince of Tides. 5 These are all good actors,delivering splendid performances,compelling and technically accomplished.But isn't it sad when all this artistry is lavished on films that are so empty,so barren,so unfulfilling?Isn't it sad when at the Academy Awards-the annual event that celebrates the highest achievement of which the film industry is capable-the best we can come up with is movies that are so floridly,strangely whacked out? 6 I repeat:The fundamental problem with Hollywood has nothing at all to do with the brilliance of the performers,or the camera work,or the editing.In many ways, these things are better than ever before.Modern films are technically brilliant,but they are morally and spiritually empty.Unit Two The United States In-depth Reading Pre-reading Questions: 1. Do you like Hollywood movies? Use one of your favorite as an example to evince the merits of Hollywood movies. 2. How different are Hollywood movies from Chinese films? Hollywood’s Poison Factory Michael Medved 1 1 America’s long-running romance with Hollywood is over. For millions of people, the entertainment industry no longer represents a source of enchantment, of magical fantasy, of uplift, or even of harmless diversion. Popular culture is viewed now as an implacable enemy, a threat to their basic values and a menace to the raising of their children. The Hollywood dream factory has become the poison factory. 2 This disenchantment is reflected in poll after poll. An Associated Press Media General poll released in 1990 showed that 80 percent of Americans objected to the amount of foul language in motion pictures; 82 percent objected to the amount of violence, 72 percent objected to the amount of explicit sexuality, and by a ratio of 3 to 1 they felt that movies today are worse than ever. 3 Hollywood no longer reflects—or even respects—the values that most Americans cherish. 4 Take a look, for example, at the most recent Oscars. Five very fine actors were nominated for best actor of the year. Three of them portrayed murderous psychos: Robert DeNiro in Cape Fear, Warren Beatty in Bugsy, and Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs (this last a delightful family film about two serial killers—one eats and the other skins his victims). A fourth actor, Robin Williams, was nominated for playing a delusional homeless psycho in The Fisher King. The most wholesome character was Nick Nolte’s, a good old fashioned manic-depressive-suicidal neurotic in The Prince of Tides. 5 These are all good actors, delivering splendid performances, compelling and technically accomplished. But isn’t it sad when all this artistry is lavished on films that are so empty, so barren, so unfulfilling? Isn’t it sad when at the Academy Awards—the annual event that celebrates the highest achievement of which the film industry is capable—the best we can come up with is movies that are so floridly, strangely whacked out? 6 I repeat: The fundamental problem with Hollywood has nothing at all to do with the brilliance of the performers, or the camera work, or the editing. In many ways, these things are better than ever before. Modern films are technically brilliant, but they are morally and spiritually empty