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Author Topic: Movies in the Theater  (Read 106605 times)

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Bongo Bill

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #980 on: November 05, 2012, 11:18:16 PM »

I guess the point is "contemporary audiences like sequels."
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Büge

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #981 on: November 06, 2012, 05:24:55 AM »

I guess the point is "corporate media conglomerates like sequels."
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Ocksi

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #982 on: November 06, 2012, 06:03:00 AM »

 And there's Bongo Bill to patronize. This last string of posts really has it all.
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Royal☭

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #983 on: November 06, 2012, 07:14:53 AM »

Well, the thing is, he's got a point. The original point of that poorly made image seems to be "Hollywood is out of ideas and just makes sequels", but it's not like original films weren't released in 2011.

The larger point, though, is that the information is meaningless. Whether a film is a franchise or licensed character is irrelevant to the overall quality of the film. If you go with the list of highest grossing films adjusted for inflation, then you get 4 films adapted from books or plays, 1 based on a folk tale, and 5 originals. And since the inflation adjustment amount seems to imply higher ticket sales, suggesting more people actually wanted to see those films.

Thad

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #984 on: November 06, 2012, 10:25:35 AM »

Well, the thing is, he's got a point. The original point of that poorly made image seems to be "Hollywood is out of ideas and just makes sequels", but it's not like original films weren't released in 2011.

Well, but it's not JUST that audiences only go with known quantities -- it's also that studios are more comfortable putting marketing dollars into them.  (And other kinds of dollars.)  It's both.

The larger point, though, is that the information is meaningless. Whether a film is a franchise or licensed character is irrelevant to the overall quality of the film.

Well, hypothetically.  But the CW that sequels make for diminishing returns is, to my mind, usually correct.

Not always -- the last Harry Potter movie is quite a bit better than the first, for my money -- but Harry Potter's a pretty damn unique experiment in modern film.  More often you get middling-to-lousy cash-ins.

If you go with the list of highest grossing films adjusted for inflation, then you get 4 films adapted from books or plays, 1 based on a folk tale, and 5 originals.

Wait, which one is The Ten Commandments?  We're counting that as a book adaptation, right?

Because Gone with the Wind, Doctor Zhivago, and Jaws are books and Sound of Music is a stage musical.

And since the inflation adjustment amount seems to imply higher ticket sales

I'm skeptical of that.  I think "inflation-adjusted" means just what it says, and this isn't a list of top films by number of tickets sold.  I find it very hard to believe Avatar would be that high on the list without the 3D Tax.

suggesting more people actually wanted to see those films.

Had a conversation with a friend once about Gone with the Wind as the all-time highest-grossing film, adjusting for ticket price.  She noted that there were no multiplexes back then and therefore fewer choices at the local theater.  I responded that while that's true, 1939 is largely regarded as the greatest year in the history of film, and even if Gone with the Wind and Wizard of Oz weren't running simultaneously, lots and lots of people would have gone to both (and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and Goodbye Mr. Chips, and Of Mice and Men, and...hey, wait a minute...)

The top 12 movies of 1939 -- regarded as the greatest year in film history:

Quote
1.    Gone with the Wind
Book

Quote
2.    The Wizard of Oz
Book

Quote
3.    Ninotchka
Original

Quote
4.    Dodge City
Original

Quote
5.    Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Gray area -- based on an unpublished book.  Let's call it Original.

Quote
6.    Jesse James
Original

Quote
7.    The Old Maid
Play

Quote
8.    The Women
Play

Quote
9.    The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
Books

Quote
10.    Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Book

Quote
11.    Another Thin Man
Book, Sequel

Quote
12.    The Little Princess
Book
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Brentai

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #985 on: November 06, 2012, 11:35:46 AM »

Probably reaching here, but I think the perceived glut of sequels is largely based on the recession.  When both the budget of the studios and the disposable income of the audience are effectively limited, audiences are more likely to spend their hard-earned cash on "The sequel to that other movie I liked" than something new and unknown, and studios just follow suit.

The glut of film adaptations in the 90s is a little harder to quantify - maybe during boom years there's more money for directors to work on their pet projects, which tend to gravitate towards "movie version of this thing I liked"?

Just for fun, here's the #1 for every year that I give a fuck about doing this for:

2012 - The Avengers - Sequel and/or Adaptation
2011 - Harry Potter VII-2 - Adaptation and/or Sequel
2010 - Toy Story 3 - Sequel
2009 - Avatar - "Original"
2008 - The Dark Knight - Sequel and/or Adaptation
2007 - Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End - Sequel and/or Animatronic Nightmare Made Flesh
2006 - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - Sequel and/or Jesus Christ These Movies Made a Shitload of Cash
2005 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Adaptation and/or Wait no THESE movies made a shitload of cash
2004 - Shrek 2 - Sequel and/or Some Sort of Adaptation I Guess
2003 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - Adaptation and/or MORE CASH
2002 - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - Adaptation and/or Four-Hour CGI Wankoff based on a minor chapter
2001 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Adaptation and/or ...oh.
2000 - Mission: Impossible II - Sequel and/or Adaptation
1999 - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Se... er, Prequel
1998 - Armageddon - "Original"
1997 - Titanic - Original based on a historic event
1996 - Independence Day - "Original"
1995 - Die Hard with a Vengeance - Sequel
1994 - The Lion King - Blatant Plagiarism
1993 - Jurassic Park - Adapted from the back cover of a book
1992 - Aladdin - Adaptation
1991 - Terminator 2: Judgement Day - Sequel
1990 - Ghost - Original
1989 - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - Sequel
1988 - Rain Man - Original
1987 - Three Men and a Baby - Original
1986 - Top Gun - Original, unless you count a magazine article
1985 - Back to the Future - Original
1984 - Ghostbusters - Original
1983 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi - Sequel
1982 - E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial - Original
1981 - Raiders of the Lost Ark - Original
1980 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - Sequel
1979 - Kramer vs. Kramer - Adaptation
1978 - Grease - Adaptation
1977 - Star Wars - Original
1976 - Rocky - Original
1975 - Jaws - Adaptation
1974 - Blazing Saddles - Original
1973 - The Exorcist - Adaptation
1972 - The Godfather - Adaptation
1971 - Fiddler on the Roof - Adaptation
1970 - Love Story - Adaptation
1969 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Original based on a historic event
1968 - 2001: A Space Odyssey - Adapted from the back cover of a book while dropping acid
1967 - The Graduate - Adaptation
1966 - The Bible: In the Beginning - Original based on a historic event
1965 - The Sound of Music - Adaptation
1964 - My Fair Lady - Double-Adaptation
1963 - Cleopatra - Adaptation from a book from a play from a historic event based on Elizabeth Taylor's tits
1962 - Lawrence of Arabia - Original based on a historic event
1961 - One Hundred and One Dalmations - Adaptation
1960 - Spartacus - Adaptation of a book based on a historic event
1959 - Ben-Hur - Adaptation of an adaptation of a book based on a historic event
1958 - South Pacific - Adaptation
1957 - The Bridge of the River Kwai - Adaptation
1956 - The Ten Commandments - Original based on a historic event
1955 - Lady and the Tramp - Original
1954 - Uh... one's original, one's an adaptation.
1953 - Peter Pan - Adaptation
1952 - The Greatest Show on Earth - Original
1951 - Quo Vadis - Adaptation

So yeah, if I HAD to give an opinion, I'd say that the obsession with originality in film is largely a thing of Gen-Xers who grew up in the sort of "Golden Age" of the 80s.  Most of the rest of the time things seem to be more often based on books and such, and the "recent" (since at least 2001) trend of everything being an adaptation, sequel or both is probably due more to the fact that it's much more common for books to be written in a series these days.  Probably so that more movies can be made from them.  As long as it keeps working...
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Frocto

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #986 on: November 06, 2012, 12:02:55 PM »

I'd say you guys have already put 1,000 times more effort and thought into this than the person who made the image or Mongrel, but 1,000 times 0 is still 0.
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Thad

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #987 on: November 06, 2012, 04:39:01 PM »

1968 - 2001: A Space Odyssey - Adapted from the back cover of a book while dropping acid

I don't think 2001 qualifies as an adaptation -- the book was based on an early version of the screenplay.
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Lottel

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #988 on: November 11, 2012, 10:03:07 PM »

Saw Wreck-it Ralph for the second time.

It's a new, more polished Toy Story. So fantastic. Music, art direction, game design. All top notch.
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Misha

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #989 on: November 11, 2012, 11:05:26 PM »

More like a new more crappy toy story. Unlovable cliched characters, no examination of the ramifications of game characters being sentient in the same way Toy Story did, pathetic dialogue writing, insanely obvious plot twists, RAMPANT over-use of lame puns and wink/nod game references. Moral of the story? Stay in your goddamn place.

I have no idea why the world loves this terrible movie. Do you just go "lol sonic! Haha there's a QBert! Oh wow a pun about candy!" while giggling the whole time?
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Lottel

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #990 on: November 11, 2012, 11:31:09 PM »

1. Rampant overuse of bad puns isn't a negative.
2. I've heard everyone complain about the moral. Ralph's story just had him talk to everyone and tell them he feels bad about how he's treated. And watch the anger.
At the very least, Venelope's moral is the exact opposite of know your place.

Your writing complaints are a matter of opinion so I won't argue about those.

As for the cameos, they are in the first few minutes of the movie and with a few notable exceptions, are just flashed across the screen.

The ramifications thing doesn't bother me because kids aren't really important to the story. Characters show up and do their jobs. If they act out of line, they get unplugged.
If there were an Andy character or something for the games to bond with, then maybe.
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Misha

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #991 on: November 12, 2012, 01:01:45 AM »

Venelope's moral is EXACTLY THE SAME. Everyone would've been happy if [spoiler]Turbo hadn't left his game and ousted her. She was a princess all along, and was sad because she was temporarily not in her proper place. Going turbo, ie the worst thing you can do, is literally just not knowing your place. Or possibly not wanting to die?[/spoiler]
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Lottel

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #992 on: November 12, 2012, 01:35:25 AM »

But she [spoiler]didn't want to be a princess. She wanted to be a racer. And when made all poofy and princessy, she ditched all that to be the kiddy-foul-mouthed racer. If she stayed a princess because she was supposed to, sure. But she rejected it.[/spoiler]

And "know your place" is pretty harsh. [spoiler]It's more of him not being happy with his job and finding friends inside and outside of the workplace made him happier overall.
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Catloaf

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #993 on: November 12, 2012, 09:14:22 AM »

Vanelope's [spoiler]assigned role wasn't 'Princess', it was '[eccentric] Racer'.  The Princess bit was just a sub-role.  And accepting it outright would've conflicted with her primary role, but she did hold the basic trait of the role she "rejected,"[/spoiler] so she really just was "Knowing her place."  In fact, she knew her place better at the end of the story than she did before!

The moral of the story is old school dharma.
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Ted Belmont

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #994 on: November 12, 2012, 10:24:29 AM »

I just thought it was amusing that she [spoiler]declared they would have a constitutional democracy, then immediately appointed herself President.[/spoiler]
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Friday

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #995 on: November 12, 2012, 07:54:36 PM »

Hi, Friday here, bringing you another exciting installment of "How to serve babyLets Movie Talk!"

In this episode, we have two exciting new releases, fresh from their mother's wombs in theatres now!

As always, minor spoilers follow!

Skyfall

James Bond fights a man on a train and gets shot. He falls into the water and loses his memory, eventually meeting a feisty german girl whom he must protect as the agency who trained him seeks to eliminate him as a threat takes a vacation.

Meanwhile, Anton Chigurh has been up to no good on them there internets. He has hacked the mainframe and penetrated the firewalls. Using his magic movie hacking powers he explodes MI6 HQ and steals the name of every agent which MI6 decided would be a good idea to keep all on one drive for some reason.

Bond sees his old HQ exploding on the telly and decides to break into M's house for like the millionth time. M has him arrested and fired because she is tired of his shit makes him take tests for return to active field duty. He fails these tests because he is old. A bunch of other characters come up to him and talk to him about being old because that is the theme of this movie I guess.

[spoiler]Later, some shit happens and Bond ends up winning. Voldemort takes over MI6 using the imperious curse.[/spoiler]

THE END

I give this movie eight Sean Connery's out of SUCK IT TREBEKs.

Wreck it Ralph

An exciting candy adventure board game featuring all your favorite flavors for ages 5 and up! But watch out for some confusing areas of the board that pretend this is a game about video games!

The Director's Cut includes an extended scene where Sarah Silverman makes poop jokes for over thirteen hours straight! You'll die laughing!

I give this movie six hundred million cybugs out of ten hundred trillion overt product placements.
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Ted Belmont

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #996 on: December 14, 2012, 09:28:50 AM »




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Thad

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #997 on: December 25, 2012, 09:57:45 AM »

I liked The Hobbit quite a lot.

I understand the complaints -- it's a lot of stuff we've seen before, and they've padded a fairly short book out by adding in a bunch of tonally-inconsistent stuff from other books -- but I don't really give a damn.  I'm a Tolkien geek and enjoyed the hell out of it.

Especially Sylvester McCoy as Radagast.

(Can't comment on the HFR version; my mom and brother-in-law voted to see it at the local IMAX, which uses an actual film projector, not a digital one.  So no HFR, no Star Trek preview, no trailers at all.  I've heard reviews of the HFR version range from "Eh, didn't make much difference" to "Gave me a headache; the CG characters looked good but all the actual humans looked terrible".  Don't know; would be willing to see it again.)

Will probably hammer out a more thorough, spoilery review on my blog at a later date, but I've got shit to do 'n' places to be today.  Happy Xmas.
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Brentai

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #998 on: December 25, 2012, 12:00:45 PM »

You mean no entire free Star Trek showing.

Haven't seen the HFR version either but will this week.  Probably will this week.  Seems like a experiment more than an actual improvement, which is fine except it's a 3-hour long experimnt.
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Disposable Ninja

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Re: Movies in the Theater
« Reply #999 on: December 25, 2012, 02:52:02 PM »

Saw Close-Up: The Musical, today. You may also know it as Les Miserables.

Seriously, the camera man needed to back the fuck up.
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