REVEALING THE TABOO

A recent obit in the LA Times for the famed screenwriter and teacher John Michael Hayes highlighted everything that is wrong with Hollywood.

“Hayes became known as one of the best adapters of novels in Hollywood – someone who could bring what was taboo material to the screen and make it tasteful, mainstream entertainment,” writes Times writer Dennis McLellan.

Making the taboo tasteful?

Abounding with technical virtuosity and great talent from all over the world, Hollywood prides itself on turning tough material into pabulum.

Today, Hollywood creates according to surveys and opinion polls.

This may be a good way to make money…

But this is not the way to influence culture, to move America.

Some of the best movie makers don’t stray from the taboo. If the story contains too much love, lust, incest, murder, then so be it.

Streetcar Named Desire, Apocalypse Now, Serpico, Training Day and the movies of their ilk are good because the directors and writers produced according to a vision, not according to a survey.

Is it any wonder that some of the best movies of the past few years have been indie?