Published: April 29, 2008 03:06 pm            

ROOT: Those who were great

I was reading something that called Laurel And Hardy one of the greatest comedy teams that ever lived. They were put in the same list as Abbott And Costello, The Three Stooges, Lewis And Martin, and Monty Python. It occurred to me that the last thing any of those great teams did was Monty Python’s The Meaning Of Life in 1983. Then I got to thinking about famous movie tough guys. Clint Eastwood came immediately to mind. I go to a lot of movies but I could not think of one memorable tough guy today. I can name a lot of great actors that are working today, but no tough guys.

Then I got to thinking about music. Most of the bands that people would consider great today have been around a very long time. There are some very talented new groups out there today, and there are groups that can fill arenas, but there has not yet been a great revival of the stadium rock bands. There isn’t that stable of bands that could put 60,000 people into Ralph Wilson Stadium like they could in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Any of the bands that can do that now were doing it in the 1970s and 1980s.

So I got to thinking about why my generation has all of the “musically significant” acts and memorable screen tough guys and my son’s generation doesn’t seem to have that. Is it lack of talent? I don’t think so. Many of the artists I see emerging today are very talented. I think there are a few factors that come into play that affect someone’s perceived greatness and in many cases there is nothing they can do about it.

In the case of today’s movie stars I think it is simply the writing. I know it is shallow to try and boil all of Hollywood’s woes down into one thing but I think I qualify as someone with a somewhat educated opinion on movies that span the last 30 years. The movies that launched the career and reputation of Clint Eastwood were well written with interesting plots and memorable lines. Is there anything in the movies being put out today that deserves to be on its own T-shirt? Are there any “Make my day” kind of lines being put into today’s movies? No. Not really. If you see enough of today’s movies you begin to realize that most of the writers are out of ideas. Today’s movies are either remakes of older movies or plot devices from older movies woven together into a “new” movie. It would be difficult to launch any career, or any lasting reputation, on some of the horrible movies that have been released in the last five to 10 years. Comedy still has a long way to go in finding its groove again. Most of the comedy today is just plain bad.

The shame of it is that there are actors that could be iconic if given the chance. Christian Bale has the range of Jack Nicholson and the cold steel eyes of Clint Eastwood. But until recently he has been in some pretty bad movies. Aside from American Psycho Bale’s earlier material is forgettable. But in the last few years he has been able to show his talent and he is someone to keep an eye on for many years to come.

In music it is all about doing something for the first time. Today’s artists are faced with the sad fact that everything legal, and even slightly illegal, has already been done. Who are you going to be able to scare after everyone has already seen Marilyn Manson? With the great numbers of new artists releasing new material everyday it is too easy for real talent to get buried by the mindless recycled junk that record companies are still thrusting into the spotlight. Most music buyers are not going to dig that deep for new talent and most new talent do not have the resources to reach new audiences. It is truly a shame.

So what defines greatness? The days of anything in acting or music being something truly new and original are gone. We have seen it all before and now artists are judged by their ability to generate revenue. You have to do the digging and you have to uncover the greatness that is out there. The task can be tedious and difficult, and it gets worse with more artists entering the fray, but in the end it is worth it because every generation should be able to lay claim to something truly great to remember. My generation has Clint Eastwood, Pink Floyd, and Monty Python. I am very curious to see what my son’s generation comes up with.

George N. Root III is a Lockport resident. His column runs every Wednesday. Send comments to georgeroot@verizon.net.

        

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