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Andrew Sullivan: Money bleeds Hollywood of its movie magic
The Sunday Times ^ | July 24, 2005 | Andrew Sullivan

Posted on 07/23/2005 4:31:17 PM PDT by MadIvan

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Andrew, try this - Hollywood is insulting its audience, and they're not willing to pay for it.

Simple.

Regards, Ivan


1 posted on 07/23/2005 4:31:18 PM PDT by MadIvan
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To: Laurita; Semper911; lutz; Deetes; Barset; fanfan; LadyofShalott; Tolik; mtngrl@vrwc; ...

Ping!


2 posted on 07/23/2005 4:31:47 PM PDT by MadIvan (You underestimate the power of the Dark Side - http://www.sithorder.com/)
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To: MadIvan

And you said it in one sentence. Effective, but hard to fill twenty column inches. :)


3 posted on 07/23/2005 4:34:15 PM PDT by Colonel_Flagg (Skol Vikings.)
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To: MadIvan

‘You can take Hollywood for granted like I did,” says a character in F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Last Tycoon. “Or you can dismiss it with the contempt we reserve for what we don’t understand. It can be understood too, but only dimly and in flashes. Not half a dozen men have ever been able to keep the whole equation of pictures in their heads.”

If that was true decades ago, it is truer today. I have yet to find any American grown-up who disagrees with the notion that Hollywood movies today are unprecedentedly bad. But nobody quite understands why.
__________________________________________________________

Everybody but wHolyWeird knows why... your movies suck and are full of left wing agenda! lol


4 posted on 07/23/2005 4:35:44 PM PDT by El Laton Caliente (NRA Member & GUNSNET.NET Moderator)
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To: MadIvan

FYI..there was a story in the WSJ a few days ago..abotu the big hits that media stocks have taken if late..mainly because of terrible sales numbers for DVDs..As DVD players gained critical mass, people bought lots of DVDs..not they realize that it's stupid to do so...aso, the big looming battle over which format for the next generation..comsumers will sit on their hands and wallets, until it's resolved.


5 posted on 07/23/2005 4:37:23 PM PDT by ken5050 (Ann Coulter needs to have children ASAP to pass on her gene pool....any volunteers?)
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To: MadIvan
Thanks for the ping!

the effects are amazing (but no better any more than most state-of-the-art video games) . . .
This is why plot and characterizations will have to get better. The special effects
are too easy to replicate. If every movie has the same CG effects, somebody is
going to have to reintroduce literature. Indy films are already surpassing
Hollywood's remakes of remakes. A few bold directors wouldn't hurt either. Too
much of the good stuff gets left on the cutting room floor.

6 posted on 07/23/2005 4:39:56 PM PDT by Laurita (Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before. -- Mae West)
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To: MadIvan

Well, at least The Incredibles was good.

The oldest kid walked out on WOTW, so I didn't bother to go.


7 posted on 07/23/2005 4:41:23 PM PDT by OpusatFR (Try permaculture and get back to the Founders intent. Mr. Jom/ors on ives!)
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Comment #8 Removed by Moderator

To: MadIvan

War of the Worlds should of been more about the monsters and less about the bratty insufferable kids. I think the movie went way out of it's way trying to relate to the kids.


9 posted on 07/23/2005 4:44:18 PM PDT by Mark was here (My tag line was about to be censored.)
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To: MadIvan
It has been a long time since I saw a first run movie; "Cedar House Rules" I believe.

Nowadays I mostly go to the "second run" $2.00 places. Popcorn is way cheaper too.

If I see a movie I like I may buy the DVD when it comes out. A shame. Trite but, they don't make 'em like they used to.

10 posted on 07/23/2005 4:44:54 PM PDT by upchuck ("If our nation be destroyed, it would be from the judiciary." ~ Thomas Jefferson)
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To: MadIvan

My wife and I stopped going to see movies at the theaters after they added the advertisments to the 5 or six previews. Some genius sold the idea of ads as a stroke of genius, too bad for him.


11 posted on 07/23/2005 4:57:58 PM PDT by UB355
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To: MadIvan
...Hollywood movies today are unprecedentedly bad. But nobody quite understands why.

The answer is obvious. Keyword: Remakes.

This year and last year had a dozen remakes. This year was so awful that 2 (and someone else said 3) different remakes of War of the Worlds were released.

Remakes and renditions have included:

Bewitched
War of the Worlds (2 or 3 different releases)
Honeymooners
Odd Couple
Dukes of Hazzard
Bad News Bears
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

and someone else posted this question: is "The Island" a remake/ripoff/whatever of "Parts: The Clonus Horror"?

Hollow-wood is so devoid of ideas that all they seem to have is a rehash of old ideas. Perhaps they should try for 2 or 3 good movies that may be more costly than throwing some money at dead-horse ideas and follow-ups.
12 posted on 07/23/2005 5:00:59 PM PDT by TomGuy
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To: MadIvan

You know what? Voting with your feet does have its privileges, and TCM does show some great old films. You can even watch some rented ones or buy the ones you want.

When those who make movies, including the very spoiled and very rich stars, make films instead of flicks you want to flick off your shoulder, I'll go. Patriotism, down-home, dignified, well-written, maybe even not so politically correct flag-waving religious themes that portray the best of American values, instead of glorifying American dreck, would be worth seeing.

Only one star makes these films now consistently: Mel Gibson.

Any future film studios that care to take on Desert Storm or Afghanistan or Iraq or Fallujah are on notice that there is a market out there for this.


13 posted on 07/23/2005 5:04:07 PM PDT by combat_boots (Dug in and not budging an inch. NOT to be schiavoed, greered, or felosed as a patient)
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To: MadIvan
Money Bleeds Hollywood of its Magic

The magic is gone, that's for sure.

My wife and I can't find anything worth going to tonight.

14 posted on 07/23/2005 5:04:27 PM PDT by cookcounty (Army Vet, Army Dad.)
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To: MadIvan

when americans stop going to hollywood movies, buying them, and renting them,

they might regain their republic.


15 posted on 07/23/2005 5:05:44 PM PDT by ken21 (it takes a village to brainwash your child + to steal your property! /s)
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To: MadIvan; All

Simple explanation: In the nineteen-forties 90% of Hollywood revenue came from USA consumers. Now, 70% comes from non-USA consumers. Hollywood makes films that appeal to Asian teenagers. If they like it, it's a hit. If not, not.


16 posted on 07/23/2005 5:15:28 PM PDT by aculeus (Ceci n'est pas une tag line.)
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To: Mrs Mark

There is a British company who just completed War of the World where it takes place in 1889 (just like the novel). I think the name of the company is Pendrageon. It was suppose to come out in 2005 but Hollywood killed that prospect this summer. I heard that the British version stuck to the novel, and was interesting because mankind did not have the modern weapons to confront the Martian tripods. I think it will come out in Britain and DVD. I always hoped Masterpiece Theater would do War of the World. I think the future for good films will come when film making is low cost and decentralized. I think when animation becomes life like, a group of artists can come out with a human like animated actor/actress that will never age and will not demand huge salaries from studios. I think it is concievable within 10 years to use 3-D animation to produce life like films (all subjects, eras, genre) for less than $ 25M. I think this is possible, just look at the 3-D graphics on video games and how it is driving software, computer graphics, memory and speed. There are software for creating still 3-D human figures with skin texture, lifelike eyes and hair for $ 300. Using reference point photography, it can reproduce a 3-D image of your face and you can add it to the lifelike human figure created. Add another $5000 animated software program and $ 10 000 computer workstation, you can animate the figure where the clothes swirl naturally and the hair waves naturally. I would say if you spend less than 10 seconds glancing at the animation, you will think that was a live person on tape. Give it another ten years, and the actors of today will be looking for another line of work.


17 posted on 07/23/2005 5:16:30 PM PDT by Fee (Great powers never let minor allies dictate who, where and when they must fight.)
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To: ken21

these people in hollywood are supposed to be the foremost authority on making movies yet, I could go to the library today and pick out a book that would make a wonderful movie in five minutes. in the last few decades movie makers have raised the bar and the viewing public EXPECTS excellent stories and special effects when they plunk down 50$ to see their movie. And honestly, for the kind of money the actors, directors and producers are making, they SHOULD be expected to hit the mark every time.


18 posted on 07/23/2005 5:22:55 PM PDT by annelizly
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To: TomGuy

While despising most remakes, and while loving Gene Wilder as the original Wonka, I have to admit I liked Charlie and the Chocolate Factory a lot. Luckily they've bypassed remaking my favorite shows of the 1960's (The Prisoner and Man From UNCLE although those have been discussed). TV show remakes have always turned out to be awful (even going back a few years to big-screen versions of My Favorite Martian, Dragnet, Beverly Hillbillies, etc.)


19 posted on 07/23/2005 5:22:56 PM PDT by Moonmad27
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To: MadIvan


.

"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Starring MEL GIBSON

http://www.WeWereSoldiers.com
(The Paramount Pictures website)

http://www.lzxray.com/guyer_collection.htm
(The Photos)

.


20 posted on 07/23/2005 5:24:26 PM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com)
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