Movies Are Adventure (1948) User Reviews (5)

Putting yourself in the driver's seat via a movie chair...

[Doylenf · 5/10 · 20 March 2008]

A movie chair is a magic carpet, according to this short feature, MOVIES ARE ADVENTURE, produced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in '48. Unfortunately, it's a compilation of tired clichés about the average movie-goer and his experience in putting himself in dangerous and exciting situations via the movie screen.

Another drawback is that this short hasn't been restored at all, which makes viewing it an uncomfortable experience--blotchy looking B&W photography that has a very flat effect.

The narrator (Gerald Mohr) talks about the "romance, mystery, danger and excitement" bought with a movie ticket and we view a family of three watching movies with rapt attention and putting themselves into the scenes shown from KING KONG, THE SHIEK, SAN FRANCISCO, STAGECOACH, THE THREE MUSKETEERS (Douglas Fairbanks), THE GOLD RUSH and CIMARRON, among others.

Mercifully, it's only 11 minutes long, but it's still only a bland filler. Considering that it was produced by the Academy, it's a shame to see it being shown in such terrible condition.

Oh no! You can't stop being a movie audience!

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 24 January 2018]

"No! Not in 1948! Not after the fabulous 50 years I've given you! You've been with me ever since you had to look through a box to see a minute of fat, middle aged people kissing! A moon with cheese dripping down it's face get a rocket in the eye! You've been through cowboys riding across the range, Valentino soaring over the sands and King Kong climbing up a skyscraper! Buildings collapse in 1906 San Francisco while blimps explode in mid air as a newsreel photographer films it! But because of a small box in your living room with a circular screen, you give up comfortable fluffy seats and fluffier popcorn for that uncomfortable old sofa. I've never felt so betrayed!"

So insinuates this one reel short subject which gives less information on the history of motion pictures than you'd find in an old encyclopedia Britannica. This is one of those shorts that if I saw for a second time, I'd slip out to the bathroom just to make sure. It's like those self congratulatory shorts at MGM where they showed 10 minutes of how certain products influenced film making then went into another 10 minutes of unofficial previews. By the late 1940's, TV was indeed a bit of a threat, but this is attempted sabotage of a not yet formed medium. Film could be better used elsewhere. Hardly even worth being seen as a brief introduction to movie history 101.

Don't be a traitor! Spend your quarter on a movie ticket and avoid that idiot box!

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 24 January 2018]

"We've been so good to you! We've given you thrills, excitement, action and adventure! Romance! Disaster! News as it happens! You've stuck with us from silent to sound, from childhood to adulthood. Now why would you need that on a tiny little screen in that unconformable living room chair?" Basically, this is a pleading act of desperation from the Academy of motion pictures arts and sciences to keep filling those comfortable movie chairs. Cowboys ride the range. Valentino soars over the sands of time, and a giant ape climbs a tall building. Meanwhile, buildings collapse in 1906 San Francisco while 30 years later, a blimp explodes as newsreels film the tragedy. It's a so-so look at Hollywood history and a rather smug attempt for filmgoers to keep going. I'd rather see full length documentaries on the history of individual movies than the extremely brief clips here. It's missing heart, although it's purpose is entirely obvious.

a great piece of cinematic ephemera

[dhakim-1 · 10/10 · 28 November 2010]

it's too bad that some cinemaphiles (if cinemaphiles they are in fact) have become so jaded by current production values that they cannot appreciate a wonderful piece of Hollywood history on its own merits, instead of judging it through their own skewed glasses.

yes, the print is in poor shape. yes, it should have been restored, but to expect the academy to have done it is like "having a discussion about salad with a cat" (to quote someone almost relevant to this post).

the beauty of this piece is its very naive outlook, its primitive development, and its seeming belief that the public could be fooled by its grandiose promises. kinda like today, huh? i personally get tired watching most American trailers, just from the pacing and face-smacking cutting/sound techniques. but the biggest fraction of the audience seems to actually enjoy (or at least not mind) the whole computer-game style that American movies seem to be embracing.

i really liked the opening tropes, with the great list of different chairs that all those walter and winifred mittys might fantasise about riding - then literally deconstructing those chairs (except for the bucking bull) and rebuilding a theater seat out of them: pilot's seat, train engineer's seat, racecar driver's seat, oval office chair, royal throne, etc. yah, it was corny, and some would even say cheesy, but we aren't looking for a sundance prize here - we're viewing a moment from 1948 in the long and varied history of Hollywood.

i immediately tried to buy this short online, but of course could not - i want it to use in my class. there is a wealth of references that my students could use to put together a nice creative paper on Hollywood up to that point in time (and even beyond - it's creative, right?).

so, yah, go ahead and blast the 'rookie' mistakes of this earnest attempt to reach *the audience of the day* - which tells us a lot about that audience and by extension life at that time, if only we can get by our own elitist disdain.

"Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." --Anonymous

Poor Promo

[Michael_Elliott · 7 January 2010]

Movies Are Adventure (1948)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Poorly made short from AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) tells people that they might be housewives, cooks, cleaners, construction workers and various other types but at times they might want to fantasize that they're something else. We then learn that they might wish to be the President, an action hero or some other type of role and that's why they should go to the movies where they can become these things. Okay, I understand the entire purpose of this short was to "sell" movies to people but having watched this thing it would make me want to stay away from them. The film is extremely poorly made without a hint of talent being involved. We get countless scenes from movies like SAFETY LAST!, BEN-HUR, KING KONG, SAN FRANCISCO, THE HURRICANE and STAGECOACH but even these classics seem rather boring when viewed in this short.