So, someone brought up “adult mainstream movies” the other day, and it got me thinking. Sounds like a clear category, doesn’t it? You know, movies for grown-ups, the ones that make a lot of noise, big box office stuff. You’d figure it’s easy to pin down.
Well, let me tell ya, it ain’t always that simple. I found that out the hard way a while back. I was roped into helping my uncle – he’s a character, that one – try to sort out his massive movie collection. He was finally deciding to get with the times and digitize all his old DVDs. And I mean, hundreds of them. Felt like thousands, to be honest.
The Great Movie Sorting Saga
Now, he’s a bit fussy, my uncle. Wanted everything just so, all neatly categorized. “No problem,” I thought, like a real rookie. I started off with the basics: “Kids Flicks,” “Action Packed,” “Funny Stuff,” “Space Adventures.” You get the picture, standard fare. But then, oh boy, then he throws this at me: “Alright, genius, where do we stick the adult mainstream movies?”
And I just stood there, blinking. “Uh, what exactly are we talking about here?” Because, let’s be real, “adult” can mean a few things, right? But he wasn’t talking about that kind of adult. He meant those big, serious dramas or the gritty thrillers that everyone and their dog talks about. The kind that rake in awards but you definitely wouldn’t plop your kid down to watch. Stuff like, I don’t know, “The Godfather” or maybe even some of those heavy R-rated blockbusters. Mainstream for sure, and definitely for adults, but just calling them “Drama” or “Crime” wasn’t cutting it for him. He had this idea they were their own special breed.
- We went back and forth on whether a movie like “Pulp Fiction” was just a “Crime Flick” or if it landed in this special “Adult Mainstream” pile he was imagining.
- Then there was “Schindler’s List” – clearly mainstream, absolutely adult, but was it just “Historical Drama”? He thought it was bigger than that.
- And what about those big-budget comedies that are full of adult humor? Mainstream? Yep. Adult? You bet. But just “Comedy” didn’t quite capture the vibe he was after.
It spiraled into this whole big discussion, almost like a philosophy class. What even makes a movie “mainstream”? Is it just how much money it makes? Or what the critics say? And “adult” – are we talking about the themes, the language, the violence, or just something that generally isn’t for the little ones? It was a proper headache, I tell you.
My Attempt at a System (Sort Of)
I tried to be clever and suggested a custom tag, something like “Uncle’s Top Shelf” or whatever, but no dice. He was stuck on “Adult Mainstream.” So, fine, I made the tag. And then we wasted what felt like days arguing over which movies actually belonged there. One day a movie was in, the next day he’d be second-guessing it. Honestly, I think it had more to do with his mood than any actual system.
So, what did I get out of all this classification chaos?
Mostly, I learned that labels are a real pain. What looks all neat and tidy on paper can get incredibly blurry when you’re dealing with real things, and especially when you’re dealing with someone else’s very specific, and sometimes changing, ideas. One man’s “adult mainstream” is another’s “just a movie.” And trying to get two people, let alone the whole world, to agree on these things? Good luck with that mission.
It’s kind of like a lot of things in life, isn’t it? You think you’ve got a handle on it, a nice, clear plan, and then reality – or in my case, my uncle and his movie collection – comes along and messes it all up. So yeah, “adult mainstream movies.” It’s a phrase people use. But nailing down what it really means? That’s a whole other can of worms. I just nod and agree now when he starts talking about it. Saves a whole lot of breath.