Am I just getting older and can’t hear as well, or has the sound in movies gotten bipolar?

Tell me something, doesn’t it seem that for as technically advanced moviemaking has evolved over the years, the soundtrack is erratic? One minute you can barely hear it, but then the next it’s BLASTING thorough your TV speakers so that your neighbors, three apartment doors down, can hear what you’re watching.

I literally have to sit there with the remote in my hand; constantly adjusting the sound.

UP, DOWN…UP, DOWN…UP, DOWN.

Watching a movie has turned into such a multitasking event.

And god help you if there’s music in a scene or some kind of violent bomb explosion, because then the volume of the movie suddenly goes up so high, you FLY off the couch. But then during a dialogue scene, you have to STRAIN your ears to hear what the actors are saying. I’ve gotten to the point where if I’m watching a DVD, I’m tempted to use the English subtitle feature so that I can READ what they’re saying.

But do you know what I find totally ironic?

I have a lot of old movies on VHS tape, which I’ve noticed that the sound is much more consistent.

I even have more of these.

Yup…it certainly is. And if you don’t believe me, watch a movie on VHS (if you still have one) and you’ll see what I mean.

In fact, the other day I was watching the Neil Simon film, The Goodbye Girl on a VHS tape, and once I started the movie I NEVER had to adjust the volume – not once. And that movie was made back in the 1970’s!

Sorry, but for all the phenomenal advancements we’ve made in moviemaking when it comes to special effects and HD picture quality, the sound department lacks greatly because it’s frustratingly inconsistent.

It’s either really, really low….or really, really high.

It’s like you have to invest in both a hearing aid and a set of ear plugs to watch a movie nowadays.

Nope…give me the old movies any day.

The effects may not have been as technically dramatic, but the sound was SPOT ON.

Excuse me now while I pop in a DVD and watch a movie…

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!
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