8 stars whose box office draw is nose diving

NY Post ^ | June 14, 2014 | Kyle Smith

[Straight Vermonter]

The industry moved away from strong writing and acting, into weak story, weak acting and computer generation.

Hollywood is obsessed with making money in the global marketplace. They only want to make a movie that can be marketable anywhere. That means the script has to be simple enough to be understood even by those with a tenuous understanding of English and/or American culture.

[Straight Vermonter]

CGI has in many ways ruined Hollywood action movies as they tend to over rely on them...I have to say that the best shows are not in the movies any longer. T.V. and especially cable T.V. has some of the most ground breaking stuff out there today.

So true there is typically no subtlety at all. CGI like any other tool will take time for people to figure out (I remember the over abundance of synthesized music in the 80s as one example). Some on cable are figuring it out though. If you watch at Game of Thrones they have used a LOT of CGI to provide the locations but it is nearly undetectable unless you are looking for it. Most importantly the producers understand that it should aid the story and not be the focus.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Depp is best in quirky roles like Ed Wood.

[Haiku Guy]

It was interesting that the pre-release trailers made it look like a serious-minded sci-fi thriller. The post release TV ads emphasize light-hearted aspects of the movie, like confusion over temporal paradoxes and that sort of thing.

[Charles Martel]

CGI has in many ways ruined Hollywood action movies as they tend to over rely on them. The story is not as important, it’s how much action can we pack into it. In the last few years, there were really only two movies (IMO) that I think were really good. That is “The Book Thief” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. They were good stories and the biggest actor in either of them is Ralph Fiennes who is not a top tier actor.

I've seen "The Book Thief" and agree that it's very good. I've not yet seen "The Grand Budapest Hotel", but I'll take a look soon. I thought "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" was fairly well done (and it had an excellent British cast). Just yesterday I saw "Chef" and couldn't help but notice that despite the lack of gratuitous sex and violence, excessive computerized graphics and so on, it was a pretty darned good movie. Too bad Tom Cruise's latest effort was playing right next door, with its intrusive thumping explosions.

Learned something else yesterday - there's a smartphone app that tells you what times during any given movies are best for bathroom breaks. Finally, all this technology pays off. :-/

[John O]

None of these guys do movies that I would pay to see. No superhero or giant mosnter in any of them. LOL

I do understand that Godzilla’s career is taking a nose dive also. After so well in his last incarnation this one has not received good reviews.

[dangus]

Hey, there’s no agreeing allowed on FR! ;-)

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"I thought "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" was fairly well done"

I have not seen that but I believe it's on HBO right now. I'll have to take a look.

[Williams]

I saw edge of tomorrow and “waste” was not what came to mind when Emily Blunt was looking buff.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"If you watch at Game of Thrones they have used a LOT of CGI to provide the locations but it is nearly undetectable unless you are looking for it."

I do watch the Game of Thrones and outside of the gratiutious sex in the first two seasons I think it's been brilliant. It has all the dynamics that used to be in movies. A good plot, good character development and character arcs. I think the one main thing about characters now days in movies is most of them are one dimensional and so predictable.

[Polyxene]

I don’t go to movies. I won’t support these commie-liberal Hollyweirdos.

[faucetman]

I don’t know about their “box office draw”, but as actors, a lot of them are some of the BEST current actors.

1. Tom Cruise is a good actor most of the time. I enjoy most of his movies. Most are not “great”, but well worth watching.

2. Russell Crowe is a GREAT actor. I won’t watch Noah, but I have loved all his other movies.

3. George Clooney is hit and miss. In some movies he is very good, but in others he just sucks! I’m not a big fan.

4. Colin Farrell can be a very good actor. In several movies of his that I have seen, I was impressed by him.

5. Adam Sandler is not for me. I am not a big fan of comedy so I typically don’t watch his movies. Of the ones I have seen, I am not impressed.

6. Johnny Depp is one of the best actors of our time. I’m serious! I’m not talking about just his “Pirate movies” although in the first one he was great!
Benny & Joon, The Ninth Gate, Blow, Finding Neverland, Public Enemies, The Tourist, Dark Shadows, and even The Lone Ranger, although a lousy movie, he played a great Tonto (in the Jack Sparrow tradition). I haven’t yet seen Transcendence, but I will.

7. Vince Vaughn, again comedy, but what I have seen of him, he doesn’t rate to be in this list of actors. He’s a nobody.

8. Matt Damon was great in the 3 Bourne movies, especially the first one. Other than that, he sucks. Particularly terrible in True Grit. If you can’t put in a better performance than Glen Campbell, you really suck! His vile political views and stances are just another turn off for me. I agree here, this guy is washed up.

[faucetman]

Tom Cruise: I liked “Oblivion”, very much! I haven’t seen “Edge of Tomorrow” yet, but I definitely will soon.

Russell Crowe: R U kidding me? Gladiator is an epic film on par with “The Ten Commandments”, due in large part to the performances of the lead actor.

[Haiku Guy]

If you like that sort of thing...

[Oatka]

Watch it in my own home when ever I want. Always have the best seat. No obnoxious people to spoil the movie. I can pause the movie if I get a phone call or need a bathroom break. And the popcorn and soda is just as good and costs MUCH less :)

But, but, you're missing the "movie experience". (cough)

[dangerdoc]

bump

[upchuck]

But, but, you're missing the "movie experience". (cough)

That's very true. My favs are:

• People having a conversation about everything but the movie.
• Folks yackking on their cell phone.
• Kids running everywhere

Just can't wait to go see another movie.

[Flag_This]

"Johnny Depp is one of the best actors of our time. I’m serious!"

The guy definitely doesn't play the same character over and over again. I think he's taken some big chances in his career and he's played some great characters. I wish he'd kept his politics to himself however.

[goat granny]

last movie I saw was either ET or romancing the stone possiblilty Star Wars.....decades ago. Two cheap to pay the price and nothing seems to be good when you read reviews from several different sources...