Mark Vader Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Appreciate the list and all you do for movies on this board in general. I'm a huge movie fan myself, love them and go to pretty much all of them. I'm jaundiced though from seeing the strings I guess and alarmed about what the future holds for the art form. There are still wonderful films being made every year, some even from the studios (I'm a popcorn guy so I naturally lean that way), but the business model that used to at least pretend to balance artistic creativity with the financial bottom line is broken. It could be remedied and I hope that eventually it will, but from the inside it doesn't seem like the powers that be care all that much about saving it. Rather they'd like to get as much out of what they know is a dying system. Kids and teenagers just aren't going to movies in the same numbers, despite the overwhelming trend of comic book adaptations and existing IP. It's not necessarily because the films themselves are bad, many are terrific, but going to the cinemas doesn't have the same draw that it did in the years before smartphones and streaming video to your personal screens. The writing is on the wall, the audience is changing with the technology. The response has been to go bigger, promise things that you cannot get on your home screen. Stunning 3D, astronomical budgets for VFX wizards to ply their trade, and a doubling down on tent-poles has inflated the average ticket price for audiences and the technical price tags for exhibitors. The model now is to roll 200 million into 4 pictures a year, knowing statistically two will likely not be hits and cost you money, and praying for the other two to be big earners to cover your losses. And since American audiences are dwindling while foreign markets are booming, there isn't a financial incentive to take risks on original tent poles (the ones whose names populate many of lists in this thread). So instead of Alien or Raiders -- the sort of original properties that make execs gun-shy today due to the now manditory price tags -- we get Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, something based on a per-existing property that is recognizable at home and abroad. That's not to knock Nolan, he did wonders with that trilogy. In fact, he did it so well that everyone has been scrambling to catch up. Marvel executed their plan to perfection by coping the dark and brooding tone and serious nature which Nolan used to tap into Gotham. But it's been over a decade now of brooding super heroes and dark anti-hero riddled landscapes. There's obvious fatigue creatively out there as the same formula is being used and abused and despite Nolan and Marvel's success, the other studios haven't been as lucky. Still, that's all those other studios continue to lust for and that takes its toll. The audience has seen it all by now, ten times over. They've seen the bells and whistles of the new technology and digital formats -- what they aren't seeing and are asking for is something fresh. Marvel has been fresh. They took bold risks with their creative property and the talent they bankrolled. Joss was no guarantee but they stood by him and what they've accomplished so far has been nothing short of stunning from a business perspective -- and some would say critical perspective. But with the news of Edgar Wright walking away from Ant-Man, and the pretty inflammatory things he had to say about the creative environment that drove him away, cast some shadows over what will happen during phase 2 and 3 of Marvel's, now Disney's, plan. Can they stay fresh or will they succumb to the inevitable fatigue that accompanies all over saturated genres? Many grumblers fear that Wright's departure hints at Marvel's unease with Guardians of the Galaxy's chances of being a hit (Guardians is their most obscure and least star driven movie to date) and are steering the company towards a more Disney-fied / bottom line approach. No idea if there's any truth to that, but I've read it in more than one place. I believe the audience is there. I still believe the studio system can make good films. But it does get more and more difficult to say that with any conviction as the years go by. /just my musings. Thank you for the compliments. I understand your feelings as to how and why movies are being made today, but there are still good things coming out of Hollywood. I think one problem is that so many movies are made these days, and it's impossible for the majority to be "good" movies. Yes the movie going experience has been changing. With all the gadgets and toys that people have, experiencing a movie in it's full glory on the silver screen has become lost to many people, especially young people. Just two months ago, the theaters I grew up at and eventually worked for, came to a close. Century 21, Century 22 & Century 23's lease was up and a new company bought the new lease and will more likely bulldoze these theaters. Century 21 is 50 years old, is a domed shape theater that holds a capacity of nearly 1000 and has one of the largest screens in the entire state of California. Seeing a movie there was a grand experience. Nowadays, all theaters are cookie cutter box shaped rooms that are all packed into a mall. It just kills me to see those theaters just sitting there with no business. However, people in this country are still going to the megaplexes to see movies, because, even though ticket prices have become absurdly expensive, it is still one of the cheaper forms of entertainment around. You raise a good point about just what exactly are moviegoers looking for these days. Do they care about substance of story, or do they just want to be dazzled by special effects and thrilled with watching so much violence? Who knows? That is interesting stuff you bring up about "Ant-Man" & "Guardians of the Galaxy". I believe Guardians can become a hit with fans, despite how obscure it is to non-Marvel fans. Although, I do not buy into the fears of the "Disney-fied" aspect to these movies. Many people are sharing those same fears with what Disney will do with Star Wars. Disney has done nothing but make the most recent Marvel adaptations outstanding pieces of work, and their continued work with Pixar still brings the most top quality animated stories around. Honestly all I see is Disney putting their name on the picture, and giving all the talented folk the freedom to bring the best quality big budget films they can make. I have confidence that J.J. Abrams will deliver a good if not great Star Wars film to us. I share many of your hopes for what the future holds for movies. I personally don't think the experience will ever go away, no matter how much people get distracted. There will always be a demand for this art form. Still, it's going to be interesting to watch how it unfolds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y_EMkLj4ko&app=desktop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y_EMkLj4ko&app=desktop That's pretty great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 That's pretty great! Thank you. Buster is the best! That scene is like everytime I leave my place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooderson Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 (edited) Man, went on vacation last week and just saw this thread now. So many movies to choose from, I don't know if I could pick only one. Dazed and Confused, Rear Window, Dial M for Murder, A Clockwork Orange, Matrix, The Dark Knight, Casablanca, Spirited Away, M, Pulp Fiction are all very high on my list. I think my favorite would be Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. I like all three just as well, but being a teenager and seeing the first movie got me into it so much that it's tough to beat. As a teenager, those movies blew everything else out of the water. Edited June 4, 2014 by Wooderson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBud Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Not sure if it has been mentioned in the thread, but this was on TCM (I think) last night - 2001: A Space Odyssey. Other favs are The Searchers, Schnidler's List, and Field of Dreams. The modern trilogy / project movies just have not captured my attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooderson Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Not sure if it has been mentioned in the thread, but this was on TCM (I think) last night - 2001: A Space Odyssey. Other favs are The Searchers, Schnidler's List, and Field of Dreams. The modern trilogy / project movies just have not captured my attention. Yes, I turned it on towards the end. Another great film, Kubrick was definitely ahead of his time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Not sure if it has been mentioned in the thread, but this was on TCM (I think) last night - 2001: A Space Odyssey. Other favs are The Searchers, Schnidler's List, and Field of Dreams. The modern trilogy / project movies just have not captured my attention. You might want to re-think that. You could be surprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBud Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 I tried, believe me I tried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Ok, this kept popping up in my head, so I had to come up with a partial list of favorites, in no particular order: Third Man Rosemary's Baby Box of Moonlight High Noon Wreck It Ralph Amelie Night of the Living Dead Return of the Living Dead Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf Eyes Without a Face Annie Hall Crimes and Misdemeanors Broadway Danny Rose Manhattan Murder Mystery Hannah and her Sisters Glengarry Glen Ross Ferris Beuller's Day Off La Strada Nosferatu (1979) Hugo Pool Memento Pulp Fiction A Tale of Two Sisters Wild Strawberries It's a Wonderful Life Seven Samurai Sean of the Dead Rear Window Strangers on a Train Notorious Dial M for Murder The 39 Steps The Hangover 12 Angry Men The Godfather Airplane Gaslight Poltergeist Roman Holiday The Shining Broken Flowers Down by Law Short Cuts McCabe and Mrs. Miller Cache Election Sideways Blue Velvet Lost Highway Mullholland Drive Young Frankenstein Harold & Maude Dancer in the Dark Three Amigos The Jerk Murder on the Orient Express Office Space And Then There Were None There's Something About Mary Solaris Fight Club The Celebration The Science of Sleep Life is Beautiful Dumb & Dumber Three Colors: Red Planes Trains & Automobiles National Lampoon's Vacation Tommy Boy To Kill a Mockingbird Groundhog Day Goodfellas Caddyshack Little Miss Sunshine Ghost World Blood Simple Fargo The Big Lebowski Bottle Rocket Rushmore The Royal Tenenbaums Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou The Grand Budapest Hotel Casablanca Bucket of Blood Animal House Tree's Lounge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 I think you missed the subject line - all time favorite movie. Singular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibs Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 I think you missed the subject line - all time favorite movie. Singular. Not everyone can decide on an ultimate favourite. I have 3 movies that I can't choose between.......others have 87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Not everyone can decide on an ultimate favourite. I have 3 movies that I can't choose between.......others have 87 That would be me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Yeah, sorry for the cumbersome post. I like movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Vader Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Yeah, sorry for the cumbersome post. I like movies. No need to apologize, I see a lot of movies on your list that I have never heard of. I'll have to take a closer look at some of those. Another recent movie I forgot to add in a post a made a little while ago was "Hugo". I loved that movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Yeah, sorry for the cumbersome post. I like movies. Haha - I was just kidding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Yeah, sorry for the cumbersome post. I like movies. You should check out The General, M, The Great Dictator if you haven't already. If you have, I am surprised they did not make your cumbersome list Barton Fink is my favorite film that no one else I have ever met has seen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cugalabanza Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 You should check out The General, M, The Great Dictator if you haven't already. If you have, I am surprised they did not make your cumbersome list I have seen The General and M, but it's been a very long time. I enjoyed them both, but I don't remember them very well. I might go back and revisit some of these very old classics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I have to give Honorable Mention to Paul Newman's "The Verdict"....perhaps one of the most emotional closing arguments ever given in a courtroom movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deranged Rhino Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 You should check out The General, M, The Great Dictator if you haven't already. If you have, I am surprised they did not make your cumbersome list Barton Fink is my favorite film that no one else I have ever met has seen I wrote a 25 page paper on that flick in grad school. Love it. "Do you act?" "Huh? No, I'm--." "We need Indians for the Normal Steel western." "I'm a writer." "Think about it, Fink. Writers come and go; we always need Indians." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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