Today S Films

Regarding "Combat Game Meets German Resistance," March 22: Predictably, Electronic Arts lays the blame for restrictions on its video game "Command & Conquer: Generals" on Germany's opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. EA just doesn't get it. The message is that Germany -- and Europeans in general -- don't share Americans' obsession with the use of violence to solve conflict. Unlike traditional myths and fairy tales, whose imaginary characters and settings help to prevent a direct personal identification in the child's mind, the virtual reality of today's films and video games confronts the child with violence in real-life settings, telling him or her that violence is the thing that really counts when there is conflict.

Regarding "Combat Game Meets German Resistance," March 22: Predictably, Electronic Arts lays the blame for restrictions on its video game "Command & Conquer: Generals" on Germany's opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. EA just doesn't get it. The message is that Germany -- and Europeans in general -- don't share Americans' obsession with the use of violence to solve conflict. Unlike traditional myths and fairy tales, whose imaginary characters and settings help to prevent a direct personal identification in the child's mind, the virtual reality of today's films and video games confronts the child with violence in real-life settings, telling him or her that violence is the thing that really counts when there is conflict.

After reading "Screen-to-Screen Selling: The Show Must Be Sold" (by Charles Teitel, April 13), I was shocked. I thought the '50s were a time of innocence. Never in my life did I think the '50s would have movies with names like: "Marijuana," "Chained for Life," "Flesh Merchant" or "Poor White Trash." Women complain about sexual exploitation in today's films. There may be more nudity in today's films, but at least they don't treat women as sex slaves without brains. Even in the movie "Porky's," the women had some feelings.

After reading Kevin Thomas' review of "Million Dollar Mystery" ("Treasure Quest Spoofs the Genre," July 12), I decided to see the movie. At least, I thought I was going to see a movie. As it turned out, I paid $5.50 to see a commercial. You may have seen Tom Bosley advertising trash bags on television. He does the same thing in the movie, except we aren't supposed to notice. It's hard not to notice, though, when the official entry form for the million-dollar sweepstakes says "Glad" all over it. One of the questions even refers to Bosley's character, Preston.

I'm ecstatic about the American Medical Assn. calling for a ban on cigarette advertising, and I sincerely hope the doctors have enough clout to stop cigarette companies from sponsoring sports tournaments as well. Another area they might address--smoking on the screen. Just as Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis et al, convinced thousands of earlier moviegoers that smoking was sophisticated and glamorous, today's films, too, depict smoking in a positive light. And there's no excuse for it in the 1980s, knowing what we now know about tobacco's addictive, health-destroying capabilities.

After reading Kevin Thomas' review of "Million Dollar Mystery" ("Treasure Quest Spoofs the Genre," July 12), I decided to see the movie. At least, I thought I was going to see a movie. As it turned out, I paid $5.50 to see a commercial. You may have seen Tom Bosley advertising trash bags on television. He does the same thing in the movie, except we aren't supposed to notice. It's hard not to notice, though, when the official entry form for the million-dollar sweepstakes says "Glad" all over it. One of the questions even refers to Bosley's character, Preston.

I don't think we are scared of our imaginations. Maybe we're sick of film directors telling us our lives are worthless or that goodness is a superficial veneer over man's inherent evil. We want heroes in cinema because we want the best in man, rather than the worst. Goldstein never mentioned "The Name of the Rose." This neglected film showed the cultural results of the "Blue Velvet" philosophy . . . destruction of the human intellect while fear and darkness prevailed. Since Sean Connery and his young companion overcome these dark elements and ultimately use reason against irrationality, I can see why this film was ignored.

I don't think we are scared of our imaginations. Maybe we're sick of film directors telling us our lives are worthless or that goodness is a superficial veneer over man's inherent evil. We want heroes in cinema because we want the best in man, rather than the worst. Goldstein never mentioned "The Name of the Rose." This neglected film showed the cultural results of the "Blue Velvet" philosophy . . . destruction of the human intellect while fear and darkness prevailed. Since Sean Connery and his young companion overcome these dark elements and ultimately use reason against irrationality, I can see why this film was ignored.

After reading "Screen-to-Screen Selling: The Show Must Be Sold" (by Charles Teitel, April 13), I was shocked. I thought the '50s were a time of innocence. Never in my life did I think the '50s would have movies with names like: "Marijuana," "Chained for Life," "Flesh Merchant" or "Poor White Trash." Women complain about sexual exploitation in today's films. There may be more nudity in today's films, but at least they don't treat women as sex slaves without brains. Even in the movie "Porky's," the women had some feelings.

I'm ecstatic about the American Medical Assn. calling for a ban on cigarette advertising, and I sincerely hope the doctors have enough clout to stop cigarette companies from sponsoring sports tournaments as well. Another area they might address--smoking on the screen. Just as Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis et al, convinced thousands of earlier moviegoers that smoking was sophisticated and glamorous, today's films, too, depict smoking in a positive light. And there's no excuse for it in the 1980s, knowing what we now know about tobacco's addictive, health-destroying capabilities.