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Re: Most Recent Movie You've Seen
There's this great interview clip of Matt Damon explaining why this happened to movies from the Hot Ones interview show.
Tl;dr streaming killed dvd sales and that killed creativity in the movie industry.
Honestly it's now at the point where if you want good drama and high quality acting - prestige tv is where you've got to look for it now, because studios will still greenlight new ideas in that space.
Re: Most Recent Movie You've Seen
I think that is a minor issue. They spent 100 million on Damon's Ford vs. Ferrari in 2019. Original story with no particular action sequences. Obviously they are still willing to take risk. The problem is they aren't making good movies for the most part. And that all goes back to the advent of realistic special effects and the "theme parkization" of movies. Look at all the upcoming directors today. All of them are Super Hero directors. In a sense, the only reason they exist is because the studios need somebody to direct these movies. In the old days you couldn't get a real director to touch that type of movie with a flag pole. And really, if we're counting the old school directors that are still working, that is still the case. Nolan, Fincher, they have no interest in that crap.
So if all the big money directors are not really doing any real direction, where is anybody going to learn the craft? Knowing how to make a 5 million indie movie doesn't teach you how to make a big, expensive studio movie. This used to be the decisive factor that separated American movies from the rest of the world. They were the only place that could do artistry on a grand scale.
Now, they know how to make a Captain America part 10, but they don't know how to make a Die Hard. Except for the few old timers still going, nobody does anymore. It's like a medieval skill that has simply fallen out of use. If you can sell 100 million tickets with some CGI and a brand name, why make a real movie? There's no need.
Re: Most Recent Movie You've Seen
While streaming certainly plays some role in it, the industry was already in the process of being ruined long before streaming took over.
It's a cop out.
They don't want to take any of the blame or hold themselves responsible.
It's a combination of things...all of which can be blamed on the studios....
Reality TV - This was one of the big steps in the ruination of our culture. They realized they could market everything to the lowest common denominator.
China - The industry was ruined the moment they pivoted to China. Everything had to be catered to them...and this is why so many new films feel sterile. Can't risk pissing off the Chinese.
This helped ruin film communities.... because so many users became obsessed with talking about the Chinese box office gross....as if it were a good thing.
The elite laugh at our stupidity. I'd love to be a fly on the wall during their meetings.
All anyone cares about is superhero shit....directors want to do them for the clout and actors want them for the money. Everything else was sacrificed on this altar.
Disney gobbling up everything to squeeze every nickel out of their franchises is almost as bad as the superhero shit.
Actor salaries are way out of control. If these people can make 30-40 million per superhero movie, why would they settle for something like a few million to be in a drama/suspense film?
I don't see why they get paid that much anyways. The era of the movie star is over...just throw some generic actor into the role...they're all the same anyways....at a fraction of the cost and the movie still makes the same amount.
Streaming is a blessing and a curse. These platforms are being flooded with garbage. The industry hates it for one of the reasons I like it....they can't spend as much on their mindless superhero crap if people only want to stream it. Good....let's get those budgets down....maybe they can spend some of that money on a big budget drama or suspense film. Are there any writers with talent still available to do one?
While the world waits for the next Batman or whatever....I'll be on the lookout for the next Watcher or Nesting Dolls.
This is why I'm all in on AI eventually dominating the industry. It might be the only thing that can save it.
I miss the day when you could walk by a theater and see a list of 10 films...all completely different from one another. Now they're all the same....and all made by 2 companies.
Something else besides superheroes that needs to be boycotted are sequels and remakes. After I watch the final two Cruise MI films, I'll join the boycott.
Re: Most Recent Movie You've Seen
some of those directors from the 70s-90s are getting old and may die off or just stop making movies. Scorscese is 80. And after they are gone, who the hell is going to be taking up that baton?
Scorsese has one or two movies left in him...Killers of the Flower Moon and possibly Devil in the White City.
Eastwood may have one more film in him....Juror #2.
Quentin Tarantino claims his next movie is his last.
None of our iconic directors, actors, etc are being replaced. It's why we're gonna need AI to save it. If Hollywood refuses to get the industry out of the hole they dug it into, just give us new Dirty Harrys, new Die Hards, new Grisham courtroom dramas, etc til we're all dead.
Re: Most Recent Movie You've Seen
Reality TV - This was one of the big steps in the ruination of our culture. They realized they could market everything to the lowest common denominator.
China - The industry was ruined the moment they pivoted to China. Everything had to be catered to them...and this is why so many new films feel sterile. Can't risk pissing off the Chinese.
This helped ruin film communities.... because so many users became obsessed with talking about the Chinese box office gross....as if it were a good thing.
The elite laugh at our stupidity. I'd love to be a fly on the wall during their meetings.
I'll go through a lot of this but there is a lot to unpack. Yeah, reality tv was basically the point where networks on cable (NOT HBO, SHOWTIME ETC) realized they could just dump some shit on tv that involved really pathetic people and people would tune it. You didn't have to hire script writers or bother to think. And really, some of these tv stars got famous for the dumbest things (like being superfat or having 19 kids or whatever.
On the China stuff, it's not the US that has been ruined by them. I'd argue that the World Cinema has been ruined. I think it's sad that creativity is stifled just for money and greed purposes. I do laugh at Chinese special effects whenever they try to make one of those action films, though. They look like dogshit when compared to a country like South Korea.
Oh here's a really good article about Hollywood selling out to China:
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/arc … na/620021/
All anyone cares about is superhero shit....directors want to do them for the clout and actors want them for the money. Everything else was sacrificed on this altar.
Disney gobbling up everything to squeeze every nickel out of their franchises is almost as bad as the superhero shit.
Actor salaries are way out of control. If these people can make 30-40 million per superhero movie, why would they settle for something like a few million to be in a drama/suspense film?
I don't see why they get paid that much anyways. The era of the movie star is over...just throw some generic actor into the role...they're all the same anyways....at a fraction of the cost and the movie still makes the same amount.
Disney is evil, seriously. Those superhero films are all just one big mad lib or whatever where you could just pick stuff predictably. At some point in the past, I'd argue that one actor could elevate a franchise or film and be worth the money they demanded. Now, all you really need is someone who looks good and can execute some sort of action poses or whatever. Does anyone really think the Rock is worth that high salary based soley on his actiing "ability"?
Also, as noted earlier. TV is where the creative outlet is and that's why a bunch of A-list actors have migrated there.
Where the audience loses out is that there are no smart films anymore opening at the theater anymore. Or intense, creative etc (use any positive adjective, it all applies). You're not getting Tom Cruise playing some weird or different role. Or some director like Altman, Lumet latest film. I mean yeah, those types might play for a week or two but that's it. It's all franchise and stuff that makes money. And not stuff that is interesting or weird.
Re: Most Recent Movie You've Seen
Regarding the next big actor and/or director, I'm sure these people are out there. But you would never know given what's being plugged or pushed.
Anyway:
Hypnotic. Hey a new movie! This isn't bad. I was intrigued by the concept. I think it gets too smart in the second half. But it's perfectly fine as summer entertainment.
The Italian Job (1969 original). I've seen this before 20 years ago or so. Didn't really get the big fuss. And still don't. Maybe because I'm not British but I didn't really get the appeal of this movie outside of the last 15-20 mins and the car scenes. Michael Caine is fine here as the lead but the rest just seems like a waste of time. It doesn't help that the main antagonist is pretty non descript and boring. This is one film where I definitely prefer the updated remake. The original is dated. The same goes for the Ocean's series. The Pitt/Clooney film is better than the Sinatra 60s one.
Prime Cut--rewatched this again. Loved it even more/picked up on more stuff. There's a lot of stuff that's unsaid. I liked that they didn't bash the viewer over the head with the meat grinding stuff in the beginning. Plus I did like the contrast of the big city (Chicago) vs small town Americana (that is now lost). There's also a dark underbelly of American life that this explores. Kinda goes in with a changing America from the wholesome 40-50s to a more experimental 1970s. This movie really should be better known. Oh this features great chase scenes set in a wheat field and a dandelion field as well. I thought that was kind of cool.
Re: Most Recent Movie You've Seen
As if on cue, Disney has started to edit out scenes in older films with scenes they find offensive.
https://screenrant.com/the-french-conne … ed-disney/
Totally ridiculous. You don't edit it out that out that scene/line just because there is an offensive word. If anything you leave it in to show how society has grown over the years and how that term isn't used now.
Re: Most Recent Movie You've Seen
As if on cue, Disney has started to edit out scenes in older films with scenes they find offensive.
https://screenrant.com/the-french-conne … ed-disney/
Totally ridiculous. You don't edit it out that out that scene/line just because there is an offensive word. If anything you leave it in to show how society has grown over the years and how that term isn't used now.
This is more obscene than anything they'll ever remove from films.
This is why you need to buy physical copies of your favorite films...even movies that appear innocent now. The lunatic fringe pretend to be outraged over everything
I'm still waiting for Cheech and Chong to be censored....not because of the drug element...but the jokes about illegal aliens.
Hell....Genesis couldn't play Illegal Alien on their tour due to everyone being offended by it.
There's nothing wrong with it....
I guarantee that song is never allowed on another compilation again...and will be removed from future pressings of previous compilations.
In the near future...these tv shows will be canceled....
All In The Family
Sanford and Son
Maude
Three's Company
I need to buy the Maude series on DVD before its too late.
On the China stuff, it's not the US that has been ruined by them. I'd argue that the World Cinema has been ruined
I need to watch some more foreign films like I used to back in the day. They were miles above what Hollywood was doing in the 2000s.
I'm not surprised though....the whole world is up China's ass.
Where the audience loses out is that there are no smart films anymore opening at the theater anymore.
Any time I watch something like Silence of the Lambs, The Sixth Sense, Quiz Show, Pulp Fiction, etc I immediately think..... Well, we'll never get anything like that again.
Speaking of The Rock....
He's so famous and has so many social media followers he makes like a million dollars per tweet. Companies will actually pay him that much to promote something for them.
It's obscene. The whole system needs to implode...and never allow these types to rise to the top again.
I really do need to watch a bunch of the TV shows I've missed the past 20 years....
Dexter
Mad Men
The Walking Dead
The Wire
Etc
It is crazy how old movie stars started doing TV...in the 20th century they all looked down on it.
Re: Most Recent Movie You've Seen
The Gauntlet - This movie is awesome. Watched it last year and was shocked by how good it is. It's moved way up my list of favorite Clint films. Is it realistic? Of course not. It's just fun...like a thrill ride.
It's' also the best Eastwood-Locke film IMO.
I love the film poster....it just screams 70s...
12 Monkeys - I watched this before going to bed. Great cast...and hands down the best time travel movie I've ever watched.
Re: Most Recent Movie You've Seen
I think Frank Frazetta did the poster for “The Gauntlet.” If not it definitely drew inspiration from his work and delivered a classic.
They stole the bad guys shooting up a building scene for an episode of “The Mandalorian” but did not do as good a job. The original is still the best.
