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Are Movies Getting Lamer?


I've been to the theatre maybe three times this year. Once to see Sherlock Holmes, a second time for Clash of the Titans and then the wife and I recently checked out The Losers.

Given the slate of upcoming releases, I will likely screen The A-Team because a buddy wants to bring his kids and I will tag along for the ride. The next film I can see myself dragging my ass to is The Expendables because I don't see how any male who calls himself a movie fan will want to pass up seeing that cast (Stallone, Ah-nold and Willis in the same scene together? Hello!) on the big screen. I might check out Tron 2.0, but we'll see what my mood is like at the time.

That's it. Six films worth slapping down $10 to see. Otherwise, I'll wait and watch them on the system at home. Hi-def picture, 5.1 digital surround, no crowds and beer outweigh my need to see Iron Man 2 any day.

But it wasn't that long ago that the wife and I would head out once a week and catch all the big releases. When I was single it was two or three films a week. I loved movies. Everything look worth seeing at least once. Now, not so much.

Everything is a remake, reboot, sequel or adaptation nowadays and little of it is worth the effort of a trip to the theatre. It's been a long time since any piece of movie news has even peaked my interest. People once talked about the magic of movies, but that magic seems gone to me these days.

That's why Shawn and I have turned to the weird, offbeat and the obscure for our reviews. Hollywood is becoming a vapid wasteland of crap. It's the independent releases that are worth the look. Even then, you've got to watch a lot of junk to find that gem.

That said, I still need to find two films to review for Episode XIV. Better stop mussing and start searching.

What are your thoughts on movies? Are they getting better, worse or have they stayed just as entertaining as ever?

Good night, and good luck.

Comments

  1. I would say they're getting... worse. I've complained quite clearly about how it's been a decade of "Remakes and Reboots", with very few of them actually bringing anything new to the franchises they're remaking or rebooting.

    Of course, there ARE exceptions: Star Trek was an excellent reboot, as was Rob Zombie's Halloween, and Batman Begins.

    But even some of the "original" movies are rather lackluster... and seem to rely on the extravagance or novelty of their special effects to act as the movie's saving grace.

    Maybe there are two reasons for this: The "classic" directors (James Cameron of Avatar, and George Lucas of the ill executed Star Wars Prequals), are losing their edge and falling into the eye candy trap to appeal to the young crowd. The "upcoming" new A-list directors are simply too zombified by the slowly degrading quality of film making to realize that they're not really pushing the edge of the story-telling envelope.

    But that's just my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good comment.

    I think part of the problem is studios are also trying to play it safe. They want to make as much money as possible (film is a business after all) so they are trying to make movies that appeal to the masses. In order to do that, the execs are probably afraid to take chances because they don't want to shut out any one demographic.

    Most R-rated pictures doesn't make as much as a PG ones. A film that takes the time to develop and tell a story with great characters doesn't attract as young an audience as a quickly edited piece of razzle dazzle. Teenagers make up the biggest audience these days, so Hollywood caters to them.

    As you said, just an opinion.

    ReplyDelete

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