Derry, Northern Ireland

Derry, Northern Ireland
A book I'm working on is set in this town.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Is it just me?

On the Chicago to Seattle leg of my trip, the airline played "Captain America." It was pan-and-scan so I decided not to watch it...but they had these very 1990s TV screens that pop down from the overhead bins so I couldn't turn it off...and I caught a glimpse of Chris Evans pre-Captain. Man...they did a damn good job of making him seem very small and slim. The rest of it's the usual crap of last-minute saves and near-death moments and on and on...so I only half noticed the rest of the movie. I'll watch it sometime on DVD in letterbox to get a better idea of what it's like.

But here's the weird part. Now I already think Chris Evans is gorgeous, especially when he hasn't shaved his chest (like he did in this movie). What startled me was how attractive he was even as the scrawny guy who gets sand kicked in his face. Yes, he's got a great body...but he has that something more that is needed to make it on film -- the camera likes him.

It's funny how unforgiving and absolute that is. I've seen people who are just plain gorgeous in person -- both male and female -- but you seen them in a movie and they all but do not exist as a real person. Whereas people like Ben Affleck and Matt Damon (I saw both of them at Heritage Book Shop years ago) look like nothing in person but the camera makes them beautiful. An even better example? Me and my brother, Kelly. In my photos I look 10 years older and suddenly have an extra 20 pounds. Kelly (when he's cleaned up) looks sharp and intense.

I don't get it...but having seen these other people who did or didn't work in front of the lens helped me accept it's just the way the camera wants to see you. And sometimes all it likes is one angle of you. I've seen both male and female models who look beautiful from the left and just plain wrong from the right.

Dunno why this is rattling around in my head, except I'm back to working on a script and I'm thinking about things like that, again. Guess the camera also can make you superficial.

Yeah, like I need help for that.

No comments: