Having the house to my self last night made me realise how short my attention span has become . I watched a full film last night in one go instead of over two different nights which has somehow become my preferred method of film watching , and bizarrely I couldn't tell you when this trend started . I can tell you though after an hour of watching a film I get uneasy . Maybe films arent as good or well paced as they were , or maybe they are to quickly paced , giving everything away too fast ? Or maybe its the instant gratification of the Internet thats always calling in the background ; Ebay , blogger , Face book ect all give that feeling we constantly search for . They however do it in a flash and then what ? Well that dull sat in your chair feeling returns
We have all become short term seekers of stimulation , hence an hour and a half sat in your home feels like a life time to spend watching a film . This is more so with a family , as noise and disturbance intrude every few minutes . Of course this isnt a problem at a Cinema , but still I feel the need to eat in a film or drink . Again I think its that annoying little need for instant gratification . Its the spirit of the age. The time scale of effort for reward has changed . What may have taken weeks to get said to someone now can be relayed instantly . So then what ?
Then what ? Its a phrase I keep coming back to. The things I would spend a long while looking forward to are now the things that are over in a flash . Yes , the internet is much to blame for changing our perception of the time scale that's acceptable for seeking pleasure . Films for instance can be down loaded , but there goes a chance to get out for a night even if it did mean a fifty mile round journey ! Ebay means I can order anything I need instantly . Gone are those Saturday afternoons off shopping ! Again everything pleasure wise has speeded up.
For the generation that's grown up with online from day one its brought them their own particular problems , but they aren't even clued up enough to even acknowledge them . As for my generation we can remember a different age . We have had to adapt . We have seen great change . It takes its toll . This is not our natural state after all . In fact we were ambushed no less ...
Hmm, I have a similar problem at times, because I am restless, but I've always been that way. I find that I have to be in a sort of "trance" to watch a film, which is why I like movies like Herz Aus Glas by Werner Herzog, or any of his films, really. Dario Argento films also put me in a sort of trance like state. Most modern films though I cannot handle -- they make me even more restless. I think I understand your dilemma to some degree.
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