Editorial February 26, 1990 Issue

"Real time," real experience

Allison W. Phinney, Jr.

One of the phrases coined in the past few decades is real time. It means the actual time during which something takes place. For example, a historical film saga might cover half a century yet last only ninety minutes of real time in the theater.

Some experimental films have been made in real time. They've been pretty wearing. Everything in the film takes exactly as long as it actually would in real life. Imagine watching the key character, in the kitchen, boiling an egg.

I've also been to more than one historical epic in which I was sure I would emerge from the theater in a different century, since the film felt as though it had been produced in real time!

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

Good is catching, but not disease