Constant fast pacing isn’t important to me in fiction. Fiction needs variation to tell a proper story. That doesn’t mean things should be dull. “I couldn’t put it down” for me means that I was allowed time to understand the characters and the situation, not that Indiana Jones’ boulders are constantly rolling toward the main character.
I rewatched part of the first Avengers movie Monday night, the one where Loki and a bunch of aliens attack NYC, and that movie and its pacing always impresses the heck out of me. A flawless use of characters, backstory, pace, high stakes, light and dark moments, and exploding stuff.
Even though I’m not a fan of killer pacing because it makes me so tense, I enjoy watching “Edge of Tomorrow,” “Inception,” and “The Dark Knight.”
Those movies all have killer pacing IMHO. Thanks for mentioning them, Michelle.
And I just remembered… any of the “Back to the Future” movies… not as fast-paced as the others I mentioned, but they’re fun to watch.
Very fun movies.
Constant fast pacing isn’t important to me in fiction. Fiction needs variation to tell a proper story. That doesn’t mean things should be dull. “I couldn’t put it down” for me means that I was allowed time to understand the characters and the situation, not that Indiana Jones’ boulders are constantly rolling toward the main character.
I rewatched part of the first Avengers movie Monday night, the one where Loki and a bunch of aliens attack NYC, and that movie and its pacing always impresses the heck out of me. A flawless use of characters, backstory, pace, high stakes, light and dark moments, and exploding stuff.
Great point about needing to balance pacing with getting to know and understand the characters, Marilynn.
I agree–the first Avengers movie has terrific pacing.
John Gilstrap’s Jonathan Grave/Irene Rivers series.
Mission Impossible movies.
The Mission Impossible movies have such intense pacing.
So many great novels and movies with killer pacing. I’ll throw in my two cents, because I can’t stop with one.
Novels: James Scott Bell’s “Romeo’s Rules” and Dean Koontz’s “The Good Guy.”
Movies: “North By Northwest” and “The Terminator.”
Good ones, Dale!