Saturday, December 22, 2007

Everything I needed to know about New Mexico I learned from the movies, part II

Remember this post?

It was about how whenever my home state of New Mexico is featured in a movie, it's featured as some freaky, backwards place full of mutant murderous freaks? (I have to say that "Little Miss Sunshine" was successful at treating us as normal people, even if the movie's geography was on crack). See, the thing about being a New Mexican is that most of the country doesn't know you exist. The ones who do usually think we're part of Mexico and are surprised at how well we speak English. People in other countries know where N.M. is, but other Americans don't seem to. Then, when we finally get noticed, it's always for something bad, like teen pregnancy or kids who don't get enough to eat. But even those things are better than the movies make us out to be.

I wonder how things will change now that New Mexico is becoming a big player in the film industry. With the new Albuquerque Studios at Mesa Del Sol, south of Albuquerque, and the Rio Rancho Lions Gate location, along with all the state incentives, maybe filmmakers will start playing nice.

But until then, I'd like to complain about "The Hills Have Eyes." You see, if you've never been here, you need to know: All of N.M. is a desert with a couple of broken down gas stations with creepy toothless workers who are bound to set up a trap with the other creepy people in the area. They will kill you and eat you. Also, much of New Mexico is a nuclear test site wasteland, and therefore we are all mutant freaks. I, for one, am proud of my three eyes, so please stop making fun of me.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I would like to comment on your statement about people out of the country knowing where NM is. When I was in Rome, one of our cab drivers had brought his wife to the US for their honeymoon. Albuquerque was one of their highlights...go figure. When I was in Mazetlan (who can spell that?) another cab driver said. Oh, Albuquerque...the tram and Coronado Mall. He had the real low down on the hot spots. So you are right. Travel the world and talk about New Mexico. Go across country and forget it. Keep telling it like it is Roady Jane's Mom.