The Shaky Screen Blues

Rating: 8/10 (8 August 2007)

There has been a new fad in movies such as Mission Impossible 3, Ocean's 12, and other big hits. Do you know what I'm talking about? I mean the style of filming that makes you think that the film had such a low budget that they couldn't even afford a tripod.
During the close-up scenes the screen wobbles and during the action scenes, the irregular camera motion mixed with the fast editing makes the scene unintelligible.
The only way that someone can capture everything that is going on is by loading up on a dozen Starbucks Venti Crapa-Frapas and sneaking in a couple boxes of Red Bull to keep their brain working as fast as the images that are flying by on screen.
Myself as well as several of my friends and relatives have discussed this filming technique to extreme measures, and we feel that it should be banned for the following reasons: 1: This type of filming induces dizzy spells and vomiting. I do NOT want to have to take a Dramamine before going to the movies: I am there to be entertained, not nauseated.
2: When the movie ends, I wan't to be able to have some sort of grasp of who kicked who's buttocks in this scene or that.
3: Halfway through the movie, when I need to take my regular bathroom break, I would appreciate being able to walk to the bathroom without looking drunk or sick.
and finally 4: It's cheating. The film makers only use the shaky screen because they know that they aren't very good film makers and they are trying to hide all the errors in their film that would be seen if the film were filmed in a traditional fashion.
Well, there you go.
The Bourne Ultimatum had a terrific storyline, acting, editing, and everything, but that shaky screen is a real deal breaker for several of my cousins who said "Now that I know it's a shaky-screen movie" I will wait until it goes to the cheap theater."