interestrateripoff Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/movies/2...mp;ref=business The spring and summer box office has murdered megawatt stars like Denzel Washington, Julia Roberts, Eddie Murphy, John Travolta, Russell Crowe, Tom Hanks, Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell.Can Brad Pitt escape? A-list movie stars have long been measured by their ability to fill theaters on opening weekend. But never have so many failed to deliver, resulting in some rare soul-searching by motion picture studios about why the old formula isn’t working — and a great deal of anxiety among stars (and agents) about the potential vaporization of their $20 million paychecks. “The cratering of films with big stars is astounding,†said Peter Guber, the former chairman of Sony Pictures who is now a producer and industry elder statesman. “These supertalented people are failing to aggregate a large audience, and everybody is looking for answers.†Mr. Guber added, “Even Johnny Depp†— starring in the drama “Public Enemies†— “didn’t exactly deliver a phenomenal result.†(The A-list results may be damped partly because Will Smith, a regular summer powerhouse, had no movie open this season.) Mr. Ferrell bombed in “Land of the Lost,†a $100 million comedy that sold only $49 million in tickets in North America. Ms. Roberts missed with “Duplicity,†a $60 million thriller that attracted $40.6 million. “Angels & Demons†(Mr. Hanks) was soft. The same for “The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3†(Mr. Washington and Mr. Travolta). “Imagine That,†starring Mr. Murphy, was such a disaster that Paramount Pictures had to take a write-down. Mr. Sandler? His “Funny People†limped out of the gate and then collapsed. Some of these may simply have not been very good, but an A-list star is supposed to overcome that. The gradual trend away from big-star vehicles in the summer has been under way for years. Why is an A list star going to overcome a crap script? Perhaps hiring people to write better films and stop rehashing old movies might improve things. Also just perhaps Americans need to spend there money elsewhere other than in the cinema, unlike the last depression there are entertainment alternatives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1929crash Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/movies/2...mp;ref=businessWhy is an A list star going to overcome a crap script? Perhaps hiring people to write better films and stop rehashing old movies might improve things. Also just perhaps Americans need to spend there money elsewhere other than in the cinema, unlike the last depression there are entertainment alternatives. We concentrate too much on the stars and pay too little attention to the stories IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tokyo_Expat Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 We concentrate too much on the stars and pay too little attention to the stories IMO. +1. (Fvckin 'ell, I've actually agreed with one of your posts ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dryrot Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 We concentrate too much on the stars and pay too little attention to the stories IMO. + 1 Check out troma. Their latest, "Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead" cost $500k all-in. http://www.poultrygeistmovie.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_ichikawa Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I remember a quote from that Eric Cantona who once said: American films tell a thin story with massive amounts of money French films tell a story with tiny amounts of money... Anyway , the film studios are just lazy just look at the sheer number of sequels to flog the well dead horse , ie terminator 4 ? , spiderman 3 , matrix 2+3 , etc its almost formulaic like porn with check boxes: Oral check DT check V check A check DV check DA check ATM check Facial check very formulaic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DissipatedYouthIsValuable Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I remember a quote from that Eric Cantona who once said:American films tell a thin story with massive amounts of money French films tell a story with tiny amounts of money... Anyway , the film studios are just lazy just look at the sheer number of sequels to flog the well dead horse , ie terminator 4 ? , spiderman 3 , matrix 2+3 , etc its almost formulaic like porn with check boxes: Oral check DT check V check A check DV check DA check ATM check Facial check very formulaic. Thanks for spoiling porn films for me, now the ending won't be a surprise. Bloody inconsiderate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IwantaHome Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I'm glad I steal all my films. Most are so rubbish that I would be terribly offended if I had actually paid to see it.... As an interesting aside (?), I understand cinemas don't make much money from the ticket price.. they make most of their money from candy, popcorn, and drinks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old_Traveller Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 A list stars fail to generate revenues....... A list, Alt-A, A list, Alt-A... hmmm... i think somewhere herein lies a powerfull message... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_ichikawa Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Oh I dunno you never know where the $ shot is going to go.... so that might be a small surprise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 If anyone wants to see a great Science Fiction film at the moment, District 9 comes highly recommended. Unknown actors, shoestring bugdet, great special effects, genuinely original plot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DissipatedYouthIsValuable Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Oh I dunno you never know where the $ shot is going to go.... so that might be a small surprise. Thank God for Ron Jeremy, ad lib cinematic genius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IwantaHome Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Also, Hollywood still tries to sell us this idea of apple pie, of the all-American life. A lot of films have just become showcases for CGI. I'd rather watch a film pre 1990's... when CGI wasn't the be all and end all. I mean, Night at The mUseum 2.... what a crock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markie6 Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 +1. (Fvckin 'ell, I've actually agreed with one of your posts ) yep, must have left himself logged in at the internet cafe and now somebody else is posting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbird 900 Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I see now the Hollywood media machine is pumping out 3D as the next big thing...Yawn. Watch that die a very quick death...without wearing special glasses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
no-way Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 i love watching films but i am very disapointed with whats being released at the monent, and it has been steadily getting worse in quality over the last few years I have pretty much given up watching new ones and am finding great enjoyment in catching up on the oldies but goodies from yesteryear. recent films i have seen that i missed/was too young first time around They Live, Scanners, Videodrome, Lifeforce, The quiet earth, Emperor of the North, The day after A famous Actor is not always neccesary to make a good movie, some of the best films have been low budget and not mainstream Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
douggggy Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I remember a quote from that Eric Cantona who once said:American films tell a thin story with massive amounts of money French films tell a story with tiny amounts of money... Anyway , the film studios are just lazy just look at the sheer number of sequels to flog the well dead horse , ie terminator 4 ? , spiderman 3 , matrix 2+3 , etc its almost formulaic like porn with check boxes: Oral check DT check V check A check DV check DA check ATM check Facial check ATM, I thought was an automated telling machine?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markie6 Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Great films that "fail" at the box office show how un-sophisticated the average film goer is, there are of course exceptions to this rule. I am a big film fan and looking back I cannot understand how some films, now considered all time classics were ignored at the box office when released. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sceptacled Bear Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 If anyone wants to see a great Science Fiction film at the moment, District 9 comes highly recommended.Unknown actors, shoestring bugdet, great special effects, genuinely original plot. cheers for that, I'll add it to my list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedude Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I find it quite satisfying to download a film I suspect of being shit, find out it is shit and then bask in the feeling of warmth for not blowing £12 at the cinema. I do get caught out occasionally though, Johnny Depp managed to get his hand in my pocket with his new one and Transformers 2 was quite an ordeal. I agree about the lesser known stuff being better, I'd recommend the king of kong to anyone, it's a real life version of rocky but in donkey kong, trust me, it rocks. Another thing, I always seem to be in the car on Fridays when Mark Commode is ranting on his reviews on 5Live, as a rule of thumb I just go the opposite of what he says and I do ok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The General Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I find it quite satisfying to download a film I suspect of being shit, find out it is shit and then bask in the feeling of warmth for not blowing £12 at the cinema. I do get caught out occasionally though, Johnny Depp managed to get his hand in my pocket with his new one and Transformers 2 was quite an ordeal. I agree about the lesser known stuff being better, I'd recommend the king of kong to anyone, it's a real life version of rocky but in donkey kong, trust me, it rocks. Another thing, I always seem to be in the car on Fridays when Mark Commode is ranting on his reviews on 5Live, as a rule of thumb I just go the opposite of what he says and I do ok I actually paid for me and the other half to watch the Knowing recently, utter utter tripe so your comment gets a +1 from me. :angry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feed Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Metacritic, Green scores, (although realistically 80+) cross referenced with IMDB. May take a while to find something, but worth the effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
@contradevian Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I actually paid for me and the other half to watch the Knowing recently, utter utter tripe so your comment gets a +1 from me. :angry: You mean "Knowing?" Quite a few bloopers in that. Filmed in Oz for some reason. Enjoyed the Star Trek "reboot" and Quantum of Solace this year. That was about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest theboltonfury Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Thank God for Ron Jeremy, ad lib cinematic genius. I always thought his acting was a bit wooden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DissipatedYouthIsValuable Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I always thought his acting was a bit wooden. He's played Hamlet, you know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/movies/2...mp;ref=businessWhy is an A list star going to overcome a crap script? Perhaps hiring people to write better films and stop rehashing old movies might improve things. Also just perhaps Americans need to spend there money elsewhere other than in the cinema, unlike the last depression there are entertainment alternatives. Why do so many A list stars star in such crap films is more to the point? If you look atthe majority of A list stars their early work is the best. Why, because they have to listen to writers, directors, producers about what is best for them? Also, when starting out they are desperate for work so they usually end up in good 'ideas' for a film. But once they become A list then Ego takes over they become convinced that they know better than top directors, writers, etc, and begin to choose the stuff they wish to be in - vanity porjects they are called in Hollywood - or develop vanity projects because they have done comedies but now want to be in a drama, or vice versa, or they want to make that vitally important film about the man who lives with a polar bear and learns to become one deep inside.... you know, the usual rubbish! So they end up making dire vanity projects that none of us bother to go and see in the cinema but which, come a dark winter night, we will rent out on DVD... The celebs know this and often many of them make huge sums from DVD sales of films that we often edn up saying "Gee, wish we had not bothered!". Also, gaming is biting into Hollywood bigtime. Why watch a film about WW2 when you can play Call of Duty or you can go zap aliens! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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