"The planet's turning but I cant stand still..."

After House last night, I start flipping channels, halfheartedly looking for something mindless to zone out to. Instead, I came across a "great couples on film" marathon on TMC. The film on deck was Adam's Rib (1949), AFI's 22nd Greatest Comedy of All Time. Being that I had hours of sleepless night ahead of me, I decided that it would be in my best interest to broaden my cinematic horizons. I was surprised at how sharp and modern the film still felt. Spencer and Tracy are absolutely electric, and their acid tongues cut through the tongue twisting dialogue with the ease of a champion fencer. However what surprised me most was how difficult it was for me to pay my full attention to the film. Unlike most of the product pumped out by studios and minimajors today, the films from the old school hollywood system relied heavily on dialogue and character to advance the story. More cutting meant more time in the editing room and more chance for mistake. There were no CGI effects, no cheap laughs and very few sight gags. To find the laugh you needed to follow the roadmap of dialogue.

The amount of concentration and single minded focus needed to enjoy this film meant that I couldnt be on my computer, the phone, or reading a book as I watched. I couldnt flip channels or grab a snack. In other words, I couldn't multi-task the film, a common occurrence for me and many of my peers these days, whether in the theater or at home. Consumption models have changed so drastically that its become nearly impossible for our minds to digest a single flow of information. Instead, we get fidgety, and mistaken this physical reaction for boredom.

Hopefully with practice this affliction will be reversible. It would be a shame to lose out on the beauty and charm of old celluloid hollywood because I can't sit still.