Santa Cruz Made Me Love Movies

Four Downtown Theaters Within a Square Mile of Each Other Showed Me How Films Can Bring People Together

I only made it through the first few minutes of The Great Gatsby before I knew something about the film was off. The 1920s world it portrayed looked glossy and chic, and the music sounded snappy and fresh. But watching it felt jarring. Annoyed, I began to count how long each scene lasted. I realized the camera hardly ever spent more than two seconds on a shot. This onslaught of quick cuts seemed intended to add energy and excitement, but left my brain gasping for air.

Counting the seconds in …