#TickingTheClock is my movie review theme/hashtag for the next month or two. It seems fitting in these turbulent times with an utterly moronic, barbaric bigot in the White House ticking the Doomsday Clock closer to midnight. Somehow I am just inspired to watch disaster movies by this. Maybe just for the simple reason that disaster movies represent a more pleasant end to us than what this country will suffer under an incompetent president and republican led congress followed by their army of bigots across this country who dream of a scorched earth America occupied by white supremacists.
But enough about the unfortunate comedy of errors taking place daily in Washington.
Disaster movies have a particular charm to them. They are often simple, well-paced, and provide entertainment for the 90+ minutes long they are. Certainly Syfy has had a successful run for years with cookie cutter low budget movies filling their schedule; and if there is nothing else to watch on TV, most people, whether they admit it or not, can fill the void with a cheesy disaster movie and enjoy it.
Tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or the world facing an eminent ice age, these are things that would frighten us in reality, but somehow watching it on TV entertains us, even puts us at ease. Maybe the reason for that is that we are insulated from a world of make-believe on the screen, and mentally overcome something that if it were real, well we probably wouldn't. Much is the same reason behind enjoying horror movies, and especially slasher flicks, where we imagine we would fare better against the source of the horror better than the characters onscreen.
One element of like 80% or better of disaster movies that has really caught my attention as of late is that at some point the president is contacted. Usually the president is represented as thoughtful, capable, and most of all concerned about the public at large. Could you just imagine, however, if the current president and his clown posse had to deal with such a disaster?
OH DEAR GOD!!!
Well, rather than think too long on that I would rather be entertained to the point of numbness by these disaster movies and will be providing reviews for your entertainment as well.
Toxic Fletch
Entertainment Magazine
