MovieChat Forums > Mallrats (1995) Discussion > For me this was when I realized Hollywoo...

For me this was when I realized Hollywood was out of ideas

posted 6 years ago by ebhaynz (3724)
14 replies | jump to latest

Movies made a huge comeback in the 70's, the 80's were literally off the charts with blockbusters after blockbusters but when we hit 95 it was like hitting a brick wall. Mallrats.

[–] Ticket41 (68) 5 years ago

Are you implying the mid 90's didn't have any movies of value? Literally one year before this (1994) had some classics. The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump, Clerks, The Professional, Four Weddings and a Funeral.. I could keep going.

Also Mallrats wasn't intended to be a "Blockbuster" type movie when it came it. Budget was 6 million..The movie did underperform at the box office grossing only 2 million.. But the movie found it's audience when it hit VHS/DVD. It's probably my favorite Kevin Smith Movie after Dogma.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

This was a low point in your mind for American movies?

I can see how someone might not like it, but that seems pretty harsh.

[–] tonganprince (611) 5 years ago

1994 might be the greatest year ever in regards to movies.

[–] ebhaynz (3724) 5 years ago

I just can't think of many really big hits(that were truly great movies) after 1994-1999. Yes, we had Toy Story, Saving Private Ryan, Leaving Las Vegas, Toy Story, Matrix..but we seemed to dig deeper and deeper into mostly lame big hit movies like Independence Day, Twister, The Rock, Die Hard 3, Armageddon, Godzilla, Snake Eyes, Phantom Menace. Definitely made money but mostly crap.

[–] mitzibishi (1952) 5 years ago

A lot of the 50', 60's and 70's had terrible made for the masses or demographic.

You just dont remember them compared to recent years or dig deep enough. Only the good ones are remembered.

Most years and decades are filled with trash with the odd cherry on top.

[–] Burk48917 (11434) 5 years ago

Yup, you nailed it.

[–] HelpMeRhonda (1158) 5 years ago

I'd say that from the late 90s to early 2000s, some blockbuster movies were duds. But Mallrats, even though it failed to make money at the box office, did serve as a precursor to the new era of teen comedy. After 1995 came American Pie, Can't Hardly Wait, She's All That, etc. Those are all decent teen movies.

[–] BillySlater (4252) 5 years ago

Posts like this are super dumb.

[–] mitzibishi (1952) 5 years ago

"THE GOOD OLD DAYS"

The 60's had a ton of beach party films.
The 70's were filled with disaster movies, people sat on a plane for an hour and a half and it almost crashes, more lame comedies, terrible action and sci-fi films.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 5 years ago

This was nowhere near as good as Clerks.

[–] Stratego (30784) 3 years ago

Lol, are you serious? This movie may stink, but 1995 was a great movie year. The latter half of the 90s had a lot of great movies, blockbusters as well.

[–] MovieChatUser497 (18943) 3 years ago

Heck the one that came before this was great. Mallrats had a few funny moments but it pales in comparison to Clerks

[–] moviechatterer (15976) 3 years ago

Kevin Smith correctly points out when "Hollywood was out of ideas" in the subsequent film J&SBSB

"When X-man hit at the box office, the studios began buying up any comic book property they could lay their grubby hands on"

And its been downhill ever since with a torrent of comic book super hero shit .