I just saw a preview for a totally unremarkable fantasy film. So unremarkable in fact that I can’t tell you five seconds after watching it, what the name of the film was. It started… “In a world…” With that standard male voice-over that’s trying to sound important. It included phrases like: “Where good…and evil…” And it may have finished that sentence with “collide.” Is there any movie anymore where “good and evil” don’t “collide?” Why can’t good and evil “tangle” or get into a “rumble?” Why must they always collide now?

For once I’d love to see a preview where the voice-over says something like: “Where good…and evil…join together to fight an even worse foe…” Then at least I’m semi-intrigued by the vagueness and I’m thinking: “Well damn, what’s worse than evil? Isn’t that pretty all inclusive?”

And of course there is that rousing epic background music we’ve heard so many times it’s no longer epic. It’s almost intentionally vague like either we aren’t worthy to hear the actual plot up front without paying $10 to go see the movie, or it’s so bad, they have to be vague to get us to pay $10 to go see the movie.

And I’m sitting here thinking, how is it that anyone is going to see this movie with this kind of preview? Aren’t we all jaded by the “In a world” voice-over movie preview yet? Why are marketers acting like we’re all morons with a drool cup? Or people with short term memory loss who can’t remember that last summer’s blockbusters had these exact same previews with different images and maybe, though not necessarily, different background music.

It’s not like I expect a totally original move preview. I mean we live in such an information rich society almost nothing is novel to anyone. We’re all pretty jaded. But what I expect is, at the very least emotional honesty. But that seems to be too much to ask.

I really think we’re undergoing a business and entertainment revolution. Where wal-mart is slightly less glossy and shiny. And we no longer ooooh and aaaah over every blockbuster anymore. There are still a few mainstream movies, TV shows, songs, etc. that overdeliver. LOST comes to mind. But a lot of what we’re seeing is really bad and uninspired.

The playing field is leveling where our options are not just to be entertained by the few people well-funded enough to provide us with entertainment. The independent guy gets a chance. Indie movies, indie music, tiny businesses where customer service and dealing with real people is king.

I absolutely believe Earl Newton is the next Joss Whedon. Though hopefully he won’t make some of the same business mistakes.

I hesitate to include writers in the indie revolution, but maybe that’s true too. Scott Sigler was a complete unknown before he started his podcast. Not everybody knows him yet. But this guy is the next Stephen King almost guaranteed and it’s because he can write, and he knows how to connect with people and get his message to the people. And when the people get the message it sure as hell doesn’t start with the words: “In a world…”