Talk of movie slump dominates Hollywood's summer

Reuters ^ | 8/11/05 | Bob Tourtellotte

[billnaz]

I'll probably go see "The Great Raid" this weekend, and then that will be it for the next three years or so.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

That's it. They keep reeling off left wing tripe and wonder why no one's buying...

[IronJack]

What should conservatives do about this? Buy cameras. The proper ’response’ for this sort of thing is simple, if complex in execution. At some point conservatives need to raise capital, pick up cameras and start making movies of their own - much like Mel Gibson did with "The Passion." And conservatives should do this not simply to ’rebut’ the other side, but to add depth and imagination to what has become a wasteland of popular entertainment. Most Hollywood insiders - even liberals - agree that Hollywood is in a creative depression. More conservative voices can only help what has become a bleak situation for the town, both artistically and financially.

I agree with this assessment. But it is grossly oversimplified. "Picking up a camera" is not even particularly easy, if you consider that a used Arriflex can run $20K, and that's without any additional lenses, a tripod, or film mags. Then there's the sound deck; you probably don't want to use your KMart tape recorder for production sound, so be prepared to shell out for tape deck, mics, booms, tape, and editing gear.

Let's not talk about lights, sets, costumes, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses. And that just gets the film in the can.

Then there are the post-production expenses: editing, sound sync, special effects, copying, distribution. Then there are the marketing costs: advertising, insurance, promos, posters, etc..

All this means that someone with deep pockets has to be willing to step up and take a risk with a conservative filmaker. I've never met such a critter.

Oh, and by the way, Hollywood -- which owns most of the distribution apparatus -- will be fighting you all the way. And their whores in the media will skewer the movie before it's even on the projector.

The moon landing was easier. And cheaper.

[vetvetdoug]

Many times my little girl and I would just like to go to a movie on a Saturday but the last three weeks has had only one suitable for a seven year old. This weekend debuts three R rated movies and some trashy PG 13. You'd think Hollywierd would get the message that children's movies will cultivate a following and lead to profits in the future if they were able to capitalize on that phenomenon by making some decent G rated movies.

[RoseofTexas]

Some folk seemed to have enjoyed Shrek 2, but some of the material in the movie like the gay bartender bothered me a bit. I really didn't care much for the second movie, though I really enjoyed Shrek 1.

[sharkhawk]

Wedding Crashers was a good summer comedy. Definately for Adults, but I laughed harder than I had at the theater for a long time.

[Snoopers-868th]

Stay home and read about it in the book--Ghost Soldiers instead. Screw Hollyweird!

[Señor Zorro]

People get tired of left wing politics being rammed down their throats.

My own thoughts are that is is overrated. As horrible a candidate as John F. Kerry almost got elected to the presidency, so people can't hate insipid liberalism that much. More likely, the problem with Hollywood really is that the movies are just not that good. They have perfected the special effects, the technique, of moviemaking (just look at any of the last three Star Wars movies), but have last lost the art of storytelling. The ability to tell a good story, even on a low budget with mediocre to poor effects, will by and far trump the ability to make good effects. You add this to the fact that most of their recent movies try to sell either sex or violence or both rather than tell a good story, and you have a recipe for the slump Hollywood is in. My own prediction: if/when Hollywood discovers this, you will find a Rennaissance in their fortunes, regardless of the fact that they are, as a group, a bunch of Reds.

[George W. Bush]

Good grief. I read that list and was certain that it was some kind of humorous jab at Hollywood, a sarcastic send-up of their political tendencies.

Now it seems the list is legit.

I'm just amazed that the studios think we want to watch that anti-American propaganda. I'm very surprised to see Spielberg associate his name with the film Munich.

[wireplay]

I think you can get away a lot cheaper. I have THX, 120" screen, and leather couches. Plus I can pause it and have a cockatil and a cigar if I want to.

The technology moves so fast that you can do an excellent home theater for a lot less than $100K. $10-25K is closer imo and it gets cheaper every year.

[DoughtyOne]

Yes I agree. Even the feature animations for kids have really bad character traits introduced to the kids. I guess that's okay as long as the character is played off as bad, but all too frequently they aren't. And then there's the cheap shot stuff that chldren don't need to be exposed to anyway. It's really too bad.

[DoughtyOne]

I don't remember all the particulars, but I was disappointed in the overall story. The parents of Shrek's girlfriend didn't like her because she wasn't pretty anymore. I really didn't like that.

Sometimes you really have to wonder if the people writing these story lines have ever been exposed to kids, or have been responsible for the upbringing of one, ever.

[Plutarch]

The films...will feature sophisticated, expensive marketing campaigns.

That will pretend to be patriotic, and thus sucker people in to then get the leftist propaganda shoved down their throats.

[traumer]

Make ticket prices $5 !!

[Shqipo]

It has been a ONE movie summer for me: Cinderella Man, which was outstanding and reflective of good American conservative values. I am still amazed it made out so poorly at the box office.

[supercat]

Some folk seemed to have enjoyed Shrek 2, but some of the material in the movie like the gay bartender bothered me a bit.

The Ugly Stepsister voiced by Larry King was straight. True, men voice women's roles less often than women voice boys' (IIRC all the regular-cast boys on the Simpsons are voiced by women) but the character was definitely female.

[TXBubba]

No, but from what I've read here I'm intrigued. My parents friends went and saw it. Don't know what they thought though. Also, interesting to get more info. on Hotel Rwanda. Now I may have to rent that one.

[kcvl]

have Hollywood studios looking for new ways to win fans

Fat chance after having their left wing lunatic actors lecture us on everything from politics to the environment to child rearing. Why would I pay to have my intelligence insulted?

[Artemis Webb]

"When Hollywood only produces three or four decent movies all summer, AND everyone knows that even those will be out on DVD by the end of the year, box office sales are bound to drop."

Decent? Buddy SIN CITY is coming out on dvd next week. Marv is my hero. Women wearing almost nothing! Gunfire! Cannibalism! Frodo having a bad day!

If that doesn't qualify as decent I don't know what does. :o)

[beaversmom]

A couple of FReepers have said the penguin movie is very good. I probably would have seen it without their recommendation since #2 boy really likes penguins.