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Thread: Movies Today!

  1. #1
    madmaxine
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    Default Movies Today!

    This is kind of a gripe, but I'm sure people can add to it. I have a hard time watching major studio movies released today because they're so dumb, and the product placement is annoying. It extends especially to music- I hear songs pasted into scenes, and it's like, Uh, what's up with this tune? Worse yet is the advertising- you can't help but notice brand named products in a scene, so you're staring at objects instead of the actors...
    I'm not an indie film snob, I think different genres have perfectly appropriate methods and styles. But I get irritated when I hear that movies get re-written and re-edited after focus groups are consulted. It's like the studios are afraid of honesty, or making a statement. I guess it's all about money. But then why do so many big films lose money? When I took the tram tour at Universal Studios, the guide helpfully pointed out that a big part of movie production is cost-cutting- so why do so many bad movies get made? Don't they lose money on a flop? How does that system work?

  2. #2
    God/dess onlythebest's Avatar
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    Default Re:Movies Today!

    I don't even rent DVD's anymore.Movies do suck nowadays.It's all about product placement and hyping up certain actors(over and over and over again).As far as editing,I think it was a shame how they editted certain scenes from E.T. to make it more user friendly in today's sissyfied, sue happy society.As far as originality goes,there isn't any anymore.The studios have redone older movies so many times and practically ruined the original.What happened to the good ones like ,"Fast Times At Ridgemont High","The Breakfast Club",or action like "Die Hard","Predator","Full Metal Jacket" and tear jerkers like,"Terms Of Endearment","Stepmom" and "The Green Mile".They don't make movies that make you think,cry or laugh anymore.Ah,do I miss the yesteryears.
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  3. #3
    Banned Madcap's Avatar
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    Default Re:Movies Today!

    Hey, Spiderman 2 rocked the house. I walked out of that movie with a big grin! I've seen it five times since it opened, LOL!

    I'll have to se I, Robot, since i'm an Asimov fan, but since it's not actually based on anything Asimov ever wrote i bet i'll be dissappointed.

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    Default Re:Movies Today!

    Madcap Ive read that its nothing like the book. Asimovs writing are too intellectual and thought provoking for commercial comsumption. Gotta star Will Smith to make money I suppose.

    I loved the Foundation series too. Its been many many years since Ive read them. I need to dig out the copies and read again.

    FBR
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    God/dess montythegeek's Avatar
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    Default Re:Movies Today!

    An original idea would die of loneliness in Hollywood. To start 45% are "adaptations" of books(usually best sellers). 35% are sequels/remakes, 5% are parodies stealing their ideas from the original, 10% are "star vehicles" where the sole purpose is to get people to pay to see actor XYZ.

    When was the last time you had actually seen the "best original screenplay" OSCAR winner and it also won best picture? Probably 1 year in 10 at best. As Mel Gibson's movie proves they are still ripping of the Bible for fodder.

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    Featured Member The_Oceans's Avatar
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    Default Re:Movies Today!

    I haven't been to the movies in the States for a long time, but over here in the UK the thing that gripes me is they now show commercials in the theatre, in addition to the coming attractions. (And that doesn't even count the slideshow of ads between shows - those I don't mind as much because those tend to be for local business as opposed to the megacorporation.)

    And besides, I don't know how impressed I should be at the box-office receipts for major movies these days, given that theatres in most metro areas are charging $9 and more for general admission. E.T. was the box-office champ for a long time, but that was back when general admission was $5. These days a movie would only have to sell half as many tickets to match the box-office take of a 20-year champion.
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  7. #7
    madmaxine
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    Default Re:Movies Today!

    I saw "Spiderman 2" and liked it a lot- it's rare to see a major movie encourage people to do the right thing and be unselfish (it's easier to pair that massage with Comic Book Superhero stuff!) I guess that angle is for kids. (I wish a lot of the NBA felt the same....spare a lot of parents having to explain embarrassing things ; P)
    "E.T." was re-edited? Wow. That was pretty tame in the first place.

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    Featured Member polecat's Avatar
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    Default Re:Movies Today!

    I tend to be in 100% agreement that cinema has been losing it's flair for expression and artistry in favor of commercialized and more "mass consumption" values.

    Focus groups that incite changes in movies are very disconcerting. It's especially bad when you discover the focus groups they select might be like some group of college students in Colorado, or some sort of fall off from a wine faire in Missouri or whatnot. I always wait for the foreign versions for these since the original versions are usually so much better with the 'focus group' editing taken out.

    I like old arthouse style cinema, and anything with evolving characters, rich story and involving plot elements. So many movies today just aren't trying to involve the audience in any way, but instead simply tingle senses in a 1-way form, with little emphasis on expression. To me, movies should be an emotional and involving escape versus a simple linear presentation/exhibition of stars, sets and effects.

    That being said, I enjoy movies from the past like Lost in Translation, and funny mentioning Spiderman/Spiderman2 since the Sargent, Raimi and Elfman trio is pretty hard to go wrong with. I think the more emphasis on characters, as in the living breathing kind, with faults, issues, problems and conflicts the better. These stir our minds and allow us to relate to them, as well as find empathy with what's going on in the story. Good story telling always includes this and it's a shame so many movies don't take the effort to hone on these simple elements.
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