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randall 
"I like to watch."
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 Posted - 02/14/2008 : 11:15:10
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quote:
Originally posted by wildhartlivie
Having said that, Disney has a game which annoys the crap out of me. Has anyone else noticed that they market a film excessively, let it max out on sales and then announces it's withdrawal from the market? How arrogant!
That's a nice post, and yep, the reason you have FOOL'S GOLD and the like is that you can sell tickets to them. The studios are not in business to win awards.
Disney's been pulling this same stunt for decades, especially with their classic animated films. But it springs from very sound marketing: re-release them every seven years or so, and you'll find a whole new batch of customers has been created. Theatrical releases, home video -- this philosophy has been quite successful for them, so from their point of view I can't see a reason to stop. |
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chazbo 
"Outta This Fuckin' Place"
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Posted - 02/14/2008 : 17:58:21
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quote:
Originally posted by wildhartlivie
But anyway, typical downtown USA tastes are far different than, apparently, ours. Your typical Hoosier waits in anticipation for the next action film, thus the success of a Rambo, Die Hard, Bourne Identity, etc.
I study and teach in a U.S. university, and the film that I overhear most students talking about is Rambo. It's both surprising and unfortunate (though this is a rather subjective and uninformed comment since I haven't seen the film and am just assuming it's bad). I would expect to hear more about There Will Be Blood or No Country for Old Men. But maybe a lot of people on campus, like me, never have time to see movies anymore.
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Montgomery 
"F**k!"
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Posted - 02/14/2008 : 18:12:58
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quote:
Originally posted by chazbo
quote:
Originally posted by wildhartlivie
But anyway, typical downtown USA tastes are far different than, apparently, ours. Your typical Hoosier waits in anticipation for the next action film, thus the success of a Rambo, Die Hard, Bourne Identity, etc.
I study and teach in a U.S. university, and the film that I overhear most students talking about is Rambo. It's both surprising and unfortunate (though this is a rather subjective and uninformed comment since I haven't seen the film and am just assuming it's bad). I would expect to hear more about There Will Be Blood or No Country for Old Men. But maybe a lot of people on campus, like me, never have time to see movies anymore.
Make time for those two. They're both excellent. Rambo is a rental, if that. And I haven't seen it, but, come on, Stallone is 70 (?), how good can it be, even for that type of movie?
EM :) |
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silly 
"That rabbit's DYNAMITE."
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Posted - 02/14/2008 : 20:03:47
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I saw Cloverfield on Friday (No Country and There Will be Blood not playing here, to keep it relevant to the discussion)
There were maybe 20 people in the theater at 7:00 pm on a Friday. After it was over, a group of a half-dozen loudly proclaimed it the worst movie they had ever seen and lamented that they would not get the two hours of their life back.
Yet, they had seen it, and it counted toward box office totals.
I've seen reviews where it is deemed "brilliant" and "adding life to the monster-move genre," etc.
I dunno, I had a headache, and we were in the back row. I've seen worse (Alvin comes to mind).
Anyway, movies now aren't like movies when I was a kid. I remember Star Wars playing for months at a single theater in Dallas, the only movie playing there (both screens). Now if a movie lasts a month it's a blockbuster hit, it seems. All the marketing is geared to the Next Big Thing or Opening This Week, no matter how good or bad the movie actually is.
Smilie  cuz the sun is shining today. |
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Conan The Westy
"Father, Faithful Friend, Fwiffer"
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Posted - 02/14/2008 : 20:12:22
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It also depends on your mood. Sometimes "Oscar-worthy" will send me running away from the theatre; all I needed was some fluff to distract me from the more serious issues. Earnest, worthy films (not "Ernest" films which are a whole other category) can be fantastic but some get too preachy. I mostly shell out my hard-earned cash to be entertained. Pass the popcorn.
I also went into school teaching so I don't have to make excuses for seeing kids' movies.  |
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w22dheartlivie
"Kitty Lover"
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Posted - 02/14/2008 : 20:14:19
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quote:
Originally posted by chazbo
quote:
Originally posted by wildhartlivie
But anyway, typical downtown USA tastes are far different than, apparently, ours. Your typical Hoosier waits in anticipation for the next action film, thus the success of a Rambo, Die Hard, Bourne Identity, etc.
I study and teach in a U.S. university, and the film that I overhear most students talking about is Rambo. It's both surprising and unfortunate (though this is a rather subjective and uninformed comment since I haven't seen the film and am just assuming it's bad). I would expect to hear more about There Will Be Blood or No Country for Old Men. But maybe a lot of people on campus, like me, never have time to see movies anymore.
I'm fairly certain I didn't see a film for the 6 total years I attended college and grad school, between working full time and completing Bachelor and Masters degrees. I also remember turning down a Billy Joel concert in favor of finishing a paper. 
I believe Stallone was born in 46, along with a plethora of musicians and actors (Sarandon, Cher, Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, Alan Rickman, Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, Cheech Marin, Danny Glover, Bon Scott, Keith Moon, Freddie Mercury, Tommy Lee Jones, most of Pink Floyd, Stephen Rea, Sally Field, Jimmy Buffett, Candice Bergen, Donovan, yada yada. Hmm, isn't that interesting? Wonder if there's a study buried in there - all of those lauded performers born directly following WW2?). |
Edited by - w22dheartlivie on 02/14/2008 20:25:18 |
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chazbo
"Outta This Fuckin' Place"
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Posted - 02/14/2008 : 20:16:28
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quote:
Originally posted by Montgomery
Make time for those two. They're both excellent. Rambo is a rental, if that. And I haven't seen it, but, come on, Stallone is 70 (?), how good can it be, even for that type of movie?
EM :)
They are both tops on my to-see list, though it will likely be summer before I have a chance to watch them.
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MisterBadIdea 
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 02/14/2008 : 21:24:41
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| I long ago stopped worrying about why people flock to shitty movies like Fool's Gold (an early contender for worst movie of the year). Most people are only casual filmgoers. I'm a casual reader; I've never read Madame Bovary, Little Women, 1984, The Lovely Bones, etc. Don't plan to either. I have read the Da Vinci code prequel though. What a terrible book. In any case, most film viewers are undemanding. I'm not bothered by it. I'm more bothered by people who actually do think about the movies they watch and still like outright crap. |
Edited by - MisterBadIdea on 02/14/2008 21:36:31 |
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 02/15/2008 : 12:47:50
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| You know, I wouldn't care one way or another about crap movies, but what bothers me is that here in Israel the people who run the movie houses seem to think that everyone here will adore the same things that US audiences have flocked to see, despite the fact that they've been proven wrong so many times it isn't funny. |
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aahaa, muahaha
"Optimistic altruist, incurable romantic"
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Posted - 02/15/2008 : 13:08:56
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quote:
Originally posted by ChocolateLady
You know, I wouldn't care one way or another about crap movies, but what bothers me is that here in Israel the people who run the movie houses seem to think that everyone here will adore the same things that US audiences have flocked to see, despite the fact that they've been proven wrong so many times it isn't funny.
Probably because that is the only heuristic that works for them, at least sometimes? |
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Salopian
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 02/17/2008 : 08:02:21
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quote:
Originally posted by R o � k G 0 1 f
Hannah Montana is a Disney TV tween comedy series in which a teenager who is a music superstar in a blonde wig with the stage name "Hannah Montana" also tries to live a normal life under her (and the actress's) real name of Miley Cyrus. Hijinks ensue.
Cyrus is the real-life daughter of country singer turned actor Billy Ray Cyrus - remember "Achy Breaky Heart"? And for a kid singer, she seems to have her head on straight in real life. Hopefully she doesn't pull a Lohan or either of the Spears.
The film is a 3D-concert where Cyrus performs both as herself and Montana. No plot, just a concert. Until the TV series is as ensteeped in the UK public's imagination as High School Musical was, I don't think you'll see the film open in the UK.
It's even more complicated than that. (Strangely, I know all about it, since it was the first of one set of 1,000 trivia questions I am sub-editing.) Miley Cyrus plays Miley Stewart plays Hannah Montana, and Billy Ray Cyrus plays Robbie Ray Stewart. I assume that Miley Stewart looks like Miley Cyrus, so surely the audience is going to find it very confusing, as presumably Miley doesn't perform in the T.V. show. And how will the performances vary other than the outfits/wig, unless Miley has a natural singing style and another was developed for Hannah Montana. All quite bizarre.
I've seen a trailer for it, though, so presumably it will get released here. The programme must get broadcast here. |
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ChocolateLady
"500 Chocolate Delights"
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Posted - 02/17/2008 : 08:36:13
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I asked my daughter, who at 15 would know, and no, this show isn't on TV here, but the film was released here last week. Go figure.
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silly
"That rabbit's DYNAMITE."
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Posted - 02/17/2008 : 17:50:33
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Isn't Hannah / Miley a Disney Channel thing? Only way to see it here is with cable or satellite.
My kids don't watch it, much, they like similar shows though on Disney and Nickelodeon. |
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randall
"I like to watch."
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Posted - 02/17/2008 : 21:36:45
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quote:
Originally posted by MisterBadIdea
I long ago stopped worrying about why people flock to shitty movies like Fool's Gold (an early contender for worst movie of the year). Most people are only casual filmgoers. I'm a casual reader; I've never read Madame Bovary, Little Women, 1984, The Lovely Bones, etc. Don't plan to either. I have read the Da Vinci code prequel though. What a terrible book. In any case, most film viewers are undemanding. I'm not bothered by it. I'm more bothered by people who actually do think about the movies they watch and still like outright crap.
I trust you flocked to FOOL'S GOLD as well, since you've already put it on your ten-worst list, and we don't do that without actually seeing the movie, right? Q.E.D.
As a 13-year veteran of the book business, I understand your reluctance to read the classics, and I'm just as righteously indignant about the shit you choose to read as I am about dumbass movies, which means not at all. Don't get me wrong: you represent the overwhelming majority of the public. But books are meant to demand some effort; we remaining book fans do think about them. It's a crying shame, but I've long since quit crying, as you have about dumbass movies.
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MisterBadIdea
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 02/18/2008 : 01:37:10
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quote:
Originally posted by Randall
I trust you flocked to FOOL'S GOLD as well, since you've already put it on your ten-worst list, and we don't do that without actually seeing the movie, right? Q.E.D.
For the record, I flocked to it because I'm the critic for my local paper and I had to watch something for that issue. But I don't begrudge anyone for watching any movie -- I'm of the opinion that any movie is worth watching once.
I don't usually read because I'm too busy watching movies. I just knocked out Chuck Palahniuk's "Invisible Monsters" though, so I'm not completely illiterate. |
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What Is Wrong With America?
