Everything still rubbish

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

A while ago, I posted here complaining about the general state of cinema. Nothing's changed, really, has it?

 

I have the choice of:

 

Barnyard

Click

The Departed

The Devil Wears Prada

The Guardian

History Boys

Hoodwinked

Open Season

The Queen

Texas Chainsaw: The Beginning (Are they serious? Oh, yes, apparently they are.)

World Trade Center

 

The reason for the drop in cinema attendance is not because of piracy or home theatre or any of the other things that the MPAA would like us to believe it's about.

 

It's because all the movies are poop.

 

Phil

[Adam Frisch FSF]

I must say it has been a terrible year for cinema, in my view. There's just nothing to get excited about.

 

I can't stand superhero movies since I was brought up on Tintin and Asterix, not Marvel. Besides, I have still to see the dramatics in stories where the lead can't be killed, has x-ray vision, uses super human powers, has high morals, can fly and gets all the girls. Doesn't leave much room, does it?

 

Also these endless re-makes of films that were either so brilliant that you can't touch them, or so bad that they should have stayed buried forever. I mean, what's next - a remake of The Godfather?

 

That said, the end of the summer season always gives me a bit of relief, because then comes the movies that are slightly interesting. And on your list The Departed isn't bad, and I wouldn't mind seeing Meryl Streep playing a bitch (she's underused in comedy). Later this year we have Zodiac from Fincher, which I'm looking forward to.

[Guest]

The incredible victory of Jack Ass II (I think 26M in the opening weekend) over big budget movies like "All The Kings Men" demonstrates who rules the box office. Teenage males have time and money to blow, in this universe "low budget, low brow" movies like Jack Ass II will do very well. Why spend huge amounts of money on big stars and a huge crew when Jack Ass II can be made so cheaply and make so much money?

 

Some how I doubt the producers will care if they are not nominated for best picture of the year. They're too busy planning Jack Ass III, and what they'll spend the millions it will earn on.

 

R,

[Jason Debus]

I tend to agree with you Phil. This article last year from the NY Times seemed to indicate that the studios were getting the message, only time will tell. I thought this quote from Sony Entertainment chairman Michael Lynton was interesting: "Part of this is the fact that the movies may not have lived up to the expectations of the audience, not just in this year, but in years prior". Well put out some better movies then!

 

There are some potentially great movies coming out later this year that I'm really looking forward to:

 

Children of Men (already out in Europe)

Apocalypto

The Fountain

Pan's Labyrinth

Marie Antoinette

Flags of our Fathers

The Prestige

 

Richard makes a great point too, the majority of theater goers are in a certain age group so a majority of movies are going to be in the Jackass variety. I usually pass on these kinds of movies but admit that I'm really looking forward to Grindhouse (from Rodriguez and Tarantino) that is a bad movie on purpose!!!

 

Grindhouse trailer

 

I think the best movie I've seen this year so far is The Illusionist.

[Matthew Buick]

Bloody Hell, is that this year's line up, how depressing. :(

[David Sweetman]

Besides, I have still to see the dramatics in stories where the lead can't be killed, has x-ray vision, uses super human powers, has high morals, can fly and gets all the girls. Doesn't leave much room, does it?

There's huge conflict there. The element that a person even with all that still has human weakness. For example, Batman cannot feel love. That's the biggest inner-conflict he has; it was taken from him when his parents were killed right in front of him. But Batman Begins ruined that part! Read the "Hush" series, it's amazing, Jeph Loeb is a very talented writer and understands the required element of human weakness and that essential aspect of Batman's character.

 

Jackass II, though I refuse to see it myself, you can't fault for it's business and market savvy. It does exactly what it sets out to do, it thoroughly entertains the market (my roommates came back raving about it) and produces mounds of cash for minimal investment. Everybody involved wins.

 

I remember when the previews were rolling before Miami Vice, and literally every trailer was for a story of exactly the same archetype - the "man against all odds." It got kind of ridiculous after a while. It's equally depressing to see how many films are jumping on the whole "Lord of the Rings" bandwagon - once they see that type of film makes money, they rush to do exactly the same thing.

[Adam Frisch FSF]

Well, I used to go to all those superhero movies, but I've given up on them now. I'm clueless to why so many people rave about Spider-Man, Batman Begins and Superman Returns. Strip all the dressing away, and they're always extremely badly written movies with simpleton characters. But I won't judge, I'll just avoid them from now on. Hellboy wasn't very good either, but at least it had Ron Perlman, who's a genius in my book (look at his debut performance in Quest For Fire - amazing stuff).

[Matt Workman]

I have found it harder and harder to find good movies that are worth the theater ticket. We have a Dollar Theater in NY so that lessens the blow, I just saw Superman Returns.

 

Lately I have been getting a lot of scripts that are anti-war. One director told me that he has been shopping around his script and that production companies are being flooded with anti-war scripts. But I haven't heard about any being funded.

 

I'll be interested to see if any studio films come out with a conscious and a message. It seems unlikely but perhaps a good indie will make it through.

 

The Departed shouldn't be on the same list as Click.

 

IMHO.

 

Matt

[Galen Carter-Jeffrey]

Well, I used to go to all those superhero movies, but I've given up on them now. I'm clueless to why so many people rave about Spider-Man, Batman Begins and Superman Returns. Strip all the dressing away, and they're always extremely badly written movies with simpleton characters. But I won't judge, I'll just avoid them from now on. Hellboy wasn't very good either, but at least it had Ron Perlman, who's a genius in my book (look at his debut performance in Quest For Fire - amazing stuff).

 

Uhh, Batman begins was a fantastic movie, let alone a perfect super hero movie. Not sure what you are smoking.

[Max Jacoby]

If you have time to attend the London Film Festivla from this week onwards, there are some terrific films being shown there:

 

The Bothersome Man

Requiem

Taxidermia

 

'The Bothersome Man' is simply the best film I have seen this year, an amazing achievement.

 

'Requiem' is a German film based on a true story. In the 1970s a girl was having mental problems and her very religious family, pushed by a local priest, were convinced that she was possessed. Apparently this is the same story that 'The Exorcist' and 'The Excorcism of Emily Rose' was based on, only this film treats it in a very realistic way, as there is no doubt that the girl has mental problems, which are being interpreted wrongly and with deadly consequences. The main actress is extraordinary, she achieves what no Hollywood actor ever could: a terrific performance that feels entierly real and you are never aware of the technique of acting.

 

'Taxidermia' is the one film of the above that I haven't seen yet, excpet for some 10 minutes. It's a very odd film that got great reviews in Cannes this year.

[Alex Haspel]

the in my opinion best movie i've seen this year was "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"..

 

not cinematography wise of course.

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

> Uhh, Batman begins was a fantastic movie, let alone a perfect super hero movie. Not sure what you are

> smoking.

 

I heartily disagree. Christian Bale has never been so wasted - I enjoyed "Equilibrium" more, fer chrissake.

 

I found the plotline awkward and hackneyed - genesis stories are nothing new, and they managed to try and pack both that and a badly bolted-on superhero-saves-day sub/proto/supporting plotline too. Giving a character like that an identifiable origin weakens it anyway. It was tiresomely predictable and utterly disheartening.

 

Like the vast, vast majority of anything else that's currently out.

 

Phil

[Daniel Smith]

Maybe it's just the new generation of film.

[gustavius smith]

Hi,

 

A while ago, I posted here complaining about the general state of cinema. Nothing's changed, really, has it?

 

I have the choice of:

 

Barnyard

Click

The Departed

The Devil Wears Prada

The Guardian

History Boys

Hoodwinked

Open Season

The Queen

Texas Chainsaw: The Beginning (Are they serious? Oh, yes, apparently they are.)

World Trade Center

 

The reason for the drop in cinema attendance is not because of piracy or home theatre or any of the other things that the MPAA would like us to believe it's about.

 

It's because all the movies are poop.

 

Phil

 

What about:

 

Little Children

Heading South

Little Miss Sunshine

House of Sand

Last King of Scotland

The King

Man Push Cart

 

If you are judging cinema on those movies you are right. Almost all those movies you listed were made under formulas driven by equity risk analyses not what makes a great movie. Having the opportunity to watch the blockbusters and the indies here in New York city on a weekly basis I would say cinema right now is breathtaking and artistic thanks to the indies.

 

Gustavius Smith

NYNY

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

Yes, well, that's New York.

 

This is London, unfortunately.

 

Phil

[Rod Otaviano]

'Taxidermia' is the one film of the above that I haven't seen yet, excpet for some 10 minutes. It's a very odd film that got great reviews in Cannes this year.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing this one. I saw "Hukkle", Gyorgy Palfi's first movie, and loved it. Very different by the way.

 

Of all these movies listed on the first post the only one I'm planning to watch is "The Departed" but just because it was directed by Scorsese, although by the trailer it doesn't look that appealing to me.

 

Other movies I want to watch: "The Science of Sleep", "Little Children", "The Fountain", "Babel", "The Lives of Others" and ... "Monster House" (seriously, I'm past 30 but I like watching this kind of movie).

Edited October 16, 2006 by Rodrigo Otaviano

[David Sweetman]

Uhh, Batman begins was a fantastic movie, let alone a perfect super hero movie. Not sure what you are smoking.

Well, it was a decent movie, certainly not fantastic, and a far cry from perfect. I felt Nolan really let down - "fast-action bluckbusters" aren't where he thrives, and the last half just went completely flat.

 

The main problem with contemporary moviegoers is their remarkably shot-term memory. Any given "myspace" "favorite movies section" reads exactly the same: LOTR, Batman Begins, - and then of course the real classics, The Matrix and Dumb and Dumber.

[Chad Stockfleth]

Hey, easy on Dumb and Dumber! ;-)

[Andy_Alderslade]

Barnyard

Click

The Departed

The Devil Wears Prada

The Guardian

History Boys

Hoodwinked

Open Season

The Queen

Texas Chainsaw: The Beginning (Are they serious? Oh, yes, apparently they are.)

World Trade Center

 

It's because all the movies are poop.

 

Phil

 

Just out of curiocity Phil, have you seen The Queen or History Boys?

[Phil Rhodes]

Hi,

 

No and no.

 

Play adaptations - Closer - need I say more. Almost always tedious.

 

The Queen - I have foresworn to kill the next person who mentions Diana Spencer to me.

 

So no.

 

Phil

[Stuart Brereton]

Also these endless re-makes of films that were either so brilliant that you can't touch them, or so bad that they should have stayed buried forever. I mean, what's next - a remake of The Godfather?

 

Adam,

 

Please, don't even joke about it... You'll give them ideas...

[Micah Fernandez]

What do you guys think- is it a derth of good material or a derth of interest in good cinema? Because I've certainly had heard my fair share of (mostly young American) opinions that are absolutely closed to the idea of going beyond Hollywood (I have absolutely nothing against Hollywood, just its current state) for movies. Then again, studios surely don't pick up crap scripts and say "Aha! I think we need another bad and formulaic movie. Get me Adam Sandler on the phone." Maybe this (the lineup of movies) really is the best that writers have to offer.

 

I feel there's a deeper socio-cultural reason behind it, but I'm interested in other opinions.. :)

[Josh Bass]

I thought it was just a greed thing?

 

 

Studios want to make the most money they can, so they focus group everything, and their research tells them that the crap we mostly see is what people WANT to see, and therefore what'll make 'em the most money.

[Adam White]

I thought it was just a greed thing?

Studios want to make the most money they can, so they focus group everything, and their research tells them that the crap we mostly see is what people WANT to see, and therefore what'll make 'em the most money.

 

Overheard outside a cinema recently,

 

"its got to be good, its got that Martin Lawrence in it"

 

sigh, roll eyes, hope for a better world. . . . .

[Andy_Alderslade]

Hi,

 

No and no.

 

Play adaptations - Closer - need I say more. Almost always tedious.

 

The Queen - I have foresworn to kill the next person who mentions Diana Spencer to me.

 

So no.

 

Phil

 

I haven't seen Closer, but I doubt I could find a film with Natlie Portman playing a striper tedious.

 

Well The Queen - yes it is a 'frightfully intellegent' film and not to mention a little boring, but I can barely sit through a British TV drama episode so its perhaps not quite as bad as it could be. Though I think I may kill someone if I see another review praising this film over The Children of Men.

 

The situsation has reminded me of the Francoise Truffaut quote:

 

"...An idiotic but energetic film can be better cinema than an intelligent but flabby film;"