One of the very different things between the US and other places I’ve visited is the insistence of TV advertising, that sometimes produces a spectacular counter-effect, at least in me. Take Taken, for example, the Liam Neeson action thriller that opens this weekend. By now I know everything about this movie: they kidnap his daughters, he rescues them and kills all the bad guys. I heard over and over again about his “particular set of skills”, including the sexy tone he uses on the phone; skills that he’s “acquired in years and years” of better movies and now deploys in very predictable Hollywood flicks. “Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you”: you’re right Liam, they do, also thanks to a publicity budget that probably exceeds production costs.
I know that I’ve been watching way too much television here (always a good way to understand the local Pop culture), but I’ll keep doing that: compared to Taken, Bonanza reruns feel like Nouvelle Vague films.