Tuesday, May 26, 2009

You Pokin' my Pet Peeve?



My biggest pet peeves are really bad stories. I know, that’s obvious coming from a writer, but hey, I wouldn’t be one if I hadn’t accidentally decided to judge books by their covers alone. (Big Mistake!)

Not just books, I’m talking about stories in general. Like movies. I absolutely despised “She’s So Lovely.” If it weren’t for the magnificent talent of Robin Wright Penn, hubby Sean Penn and John Travolta, I would have let my son use the DVD for target practice.



The way that movie ended made me want to write to all three actors and beg they never bring such an awful story to the big screen again. We had Ed Wood for that.

Great actors only make you pay attention in hopes the story actually turns out great. Sort of like listening to a long joke that ends on a craptacular punchline.

Legends of the Fall, Titanic and Million Dollar Baby are others I won’t watch again—all for a very different reason. The endings. Now, I don’t want to give any spoilers here, but I am a totally happily-ever-after kind of gal and those were five-hanky movies.

Then you’ve got the cop out ending that makes you wonder if they lost the last few pages of the script and decided just to wing it. I like movies that make you think, but gosh—save me from the ones that make me not know what to think! Give me some kind of closure. It’s like being robbed—only you don’t know what was taken.

Give me a great story, with a triumphant ending, and I’m a happy camper. Mess with my heroes and heroines, and watch out—you’ve just poked my pet in the peeve! Does it poke your pet peeve too? :)


J.R. Turner is the author of the Extreme Hauntings series. The first book, DFF: Dead Friends Forever is available at Amazon.com, Kindle, Fictionwise, and Echelon Press.com

3 comments:

Legendary Lights said...

I certainly agree. I *love* good movies. I feel so cheated if I waste my very precious time sitting through something not worthy of my attention. Thanks for the reminder of a really valid "pet peeve."

Pam
http://beaconstreetbooks.com

Anonymous said...

I agree with you on the movies with unfinished ending, where nothing is really resolved and you're left guessing what happens next. But I disagree with you on all movies having a "happy" ending. What a horribly predictable and unrealistic movie world that would make.

J.R. Turner said...

Pam--it's a pretty universal one, I bet!

Hydra--you're so right! It's the suspense of not knowing if a movie will have a happy ending or not that heightens the experience.

But, I do hate endings like in The Mist and bookwise, King's The Cell for that matter.

There's a difference between choosing to watch an unhappy ending, and being surprised by one too, I think. Like I know how movies about Native Americans will end because the history is so very familiar--but I watch anyway, even if any triumph will be bittersweet.

Warmly,
Jenny:)