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I agree with John Bleasdale. To be given a choice means to be given responsibility and I think that is definitely something the majority of today's movie going doesn't want. After all most of us just go to the cinema or rent out a video/dvd in order to relax, escape from thing and be entertained. I think the number of people that will actually want to have to create their own version of any given work of art is extremely minimal, say about equal to the number of people who like Godard. So happens that I'm one such person, but I'm not optimistic for the majority. -----Original Message----- From: Film-Philosophy Salon [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of John Bleasdale Sent: 08 February 2001 13:27 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: film & DVD & who knows what else I'm very unsure about this whole line. Games give you an illusion of choice but generally they have just as strong narrative lines as novels. Usually you just have different entry exit points (you're dead, continue?). Books have been doing this rearranging the order thing for years but I think the failure of any book short of perhaps the bible (and other suitably large religious tomes) to really pull it off perhaps tells us something interesting about the audience. What about the novel mentioned which comes loose bound allowing us the 'freedom' to read the book in any which way we liked. This version is possibly for those to do a William S Burroughs and get a pair of scissors from the kitchen drawer. I recall reading Fantasy novels in my youth which allowed you to choose between corridor left or corridor right. Was I writing my own book each time as the hype suggested? I don't think so I was just reading ina very conventional way. In fact the leap towards freedom always seemed to leave me feeling far more constrained. The books were based on the most binary idea of winning or losing. Again I came up against the illusion of choice. So will people really be sitting down and re-editting Gone with the Wind or allowing Bogie to get on the plane with Ingrid? I find it very unlikely. A. because we are lazy and we want film makers to make our films for us B. we don't want choice. It is arts independence from us which pulls us along as much as its applicability to our lives. It's discretion. The stories that fascinate us are tragedies where death is inevitable or comedies where life is irrepressible. Both hint at and sometimes demand a lack of control. best wishes john __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/