Chapter 3
Watching the Stars Come Out: Film Stars, and Why We Love Them
In This Chapter
Considering stars as commodities, actors, sex symbols and celebrities
Star-gazing in Bollywood and across Europe
Entering the scary world of the celebrity
Films tell stories, and stories are about people … or sometimes aliens … or talking dogs … but generally people. And because humans are social creatures, as a viewer you can’t help but respond in some way to the enormous figures on the cinema screen. Yes, some of your responses to movies are about the characters – their noble victories and heart-breaking tragedies – but while these events are being played out you’re basically spending two hours in the dark looking at people (which sounds creepier than it really is).
Although watching ordinary folk can be interesting for a bit, you really want to gaze at the most beautiful, charismatic and captivating people on Earth: film stars. But after a while, as I discuss in this chapter, even on-screen charisma isn’t enough and you begin to want more. You want to reach out to these unearthly creatures, to understand them, or at least to buy the products they endorse in order to become a little bit more ...
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