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This topic is its own idiocracy...
shareAnd you are the number 1 follower.
shareBlockbusters need to look good and feel good with big effects, and story quality is almost incidental. Recycling is popular, old is made new with little effort. Technology has made this easier and helps obfuscate the differences between quantity and quality.
On the other hand, shiny new packaging can make the new seem suspiciously skin deep compared to established things. We know old Star Wars and feel they are unique and cannot be repeated, the actors seemed perfect and the stories rich tapestries. By contrast the new seem clumsy and not befitting the tradition - who are they to tread on cherished ground, these young actors whose characters are poorly drawn (we think)?
The problem is that people cant confess to themselves that they making mistakes. Paying money for supertrash like TLJ is simply a mistake. But many people today prefer not to confess that mistake to themselves. Instead they sugarcoat even the most obvious pile of sh*t. So that they dont have to face the fact that they were tricked by the hype train.
Back then when we went into a movie that was plain sh*t (yep, that happened at the 80s too :) ) we spreaded the word so that others were warned. But that could ony happen when you are able too confess that you made an mistake (and dont have such a weak personality that you have to be part of the hype train - no matter what). Something many people dont have the guts anymore. Its some kind of Stockholm syndrome :) .
It's just out of ignorance, the cultural collapse is entirely out of control. In my ignorance I too used to think that the 80's and 90's had the best movies in history. Now I can't even stomach them. 90% of them were mediocre films about mediocre people dealing with mediocre subject matter. And it just got worse since then because the people making films today are of my generation and they got stuck on those movies and know nothing else. Their Citizen Kane is "Jaws" and "E.T.". If one is to really know what filmmaking is about then the golden age of hollywood, 1930's to 1960's is where its at. Believe me, one knows what good cinema is after delving into that, there's just no mistaking it again. In other words, you will never consider something like "As Good As It Gets" or "Ghost" or gimmicks like "Se7en" as good filmmaking ever again.
One thing I will say about today's filmmaking is that thank god spectacle is back in. Badly, but at least it's back in. We will never see films about schmucks like Rain Man ever again, thank god.
Maybe it can all be summarised symbolically in the scene where Yoda is struggling with R2D2 for an electronic lamp in Empire? The old ways (Yoda) would like to come back but they can't because the new (R2D2) doesn't believe those ways have a right to "the light of cinema" to project their creations on screen. Like Yoda in the swamp, the old methods/styles are underestimated and are sometimes relegated to the past by newer generations who lack a frame of reference.
The scene: :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYaM90YQmqI
lol I dislike Yoda but I get your point. Classic movies have all but disappeared from everywhere. I grew up with films like The Poseidon Adventure and Cleopatra next to the new films, this was back in the 90's. Of course, I then learned it on my own later on, but people need to be reminded of good cinema, not of this crap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx1K7ynF1JM
I mean what is that shit? Where is the style? artistry? In a way, Star Wars the original ones gave what films like Poseidon Adventure and Cleopatra gave to others and still give today, spectacle.
I'd put JAWS above Citizen Kane (and I love Citizen Kane)
I think it's the internet (ironically, the medium WE are now conversing on) that's the main culprit?
Years ago, if you were a film buff, they was more excitement with new releases (primarily, because despite buying trade magazines/watching the odd movie show) the information was not very forthcoming. You had to put a certain amount of effort into your passion for cinema (pre-internet)
Nowadays, of course.....the information is at the click of a button (*EDIT* touch screen) and everyone (and his naughty uncle) can have the same access as a seasoned film fanatic (but *without* the genuine passion for the medium) This explains why Hollywood seems to target the internet demographic (with everything cost effective to make maximum profit)
Big Movies still flop.....usually when so much is lavished on the next big actor....due to a couple of previous hits.......but the studios still keep one beady eye on the cost-effectiveness of home media revenue......once again all worked out (probably to the last dime) by the computer.
Studios would never think about making another 'Heavens Gate' (for example) without first doing all their sums.
The double edged sword of the internet, is that (thankfuly) likeminded cinema fans can tip each other off about bad reviews. Hollywood (realising such) have now made 'Simultanious' worldwide releases commonplace. Given that Hollywood is obviously bankrolling IMDB to plug actors and movies that no one really wanted or asked for....is probably the reason the IMDB message Boards shut down?
Disney are lucky that 'Star Wars' is such a huge cash-cow.....that quality isn't an issue right now (although it might be in a few movies time) Star Wars will make more money from McDonalds Happy Meal tie-ins.....than most blockbusters will make at the actual box-office. Cinemagoers need to vote with their wallets....but don't (as the OP said) for fear of keeping up with the Jones' (or 'Throneses')
I don't think the internet is the problem, it is through the internet that I have learned about film, it's all about what you look for.
They are still pouring huge amounts of money into productions like the did with Heaven's Gate, but that's a terrible example, I haven't seen that film but looking at clips and previous it looks horrific in every way, plus there was a huge amount of animal abuse, so I'm glad it's forgotten about.
First off (and no offence intended) but it's obvious that that you're a lot younger than I?
Back in the day, a black-and-white screenshot/still in some grotty magazine was the equivilent of a trailer (that you can now download in seconds) that shows you all the 'money-shots'
And when you say Heavens Gate is a (quote) "terrible example to give" but *THEN* follow it up with (quote) "I haven't seen that film but looking at clips"....sort of proves my point about the 'microwave' generation I'm talking/gloating about. This explains why more people rave about hacks like Tarantino, than the endless source material he (obviously) plagiarises. No need to waste time watching endless movies....When QT will release a 'Greatest Hits' package every few years. Disney are doing the exact same thing now with the SW franchise.
It's great that you're learning about Cinema through the internet....But sadly, it's a medium designed (first and foremost) to sell you stuff.....which is why 99% of platforms are full of adverts, demand personal information and/or are monetized to the hilt.....so it obviously has agendas. Fine if you're using it as a resource/guide to make your own choices......but pretty useless if you're following up recomendations....because of the aforementioned reasons I've given.
Most of the people are so afraid of being wrong, they heavily invest in the lie that what they do is right. It's called "cognitive dissonance". Just look how rich powerful people hate the powerless poor. It's totally irrational, but they fear them, because they can't stand the thought of being the bad guy, since they see wealth and power as a proof of being good. So, they imagine the poor being lazy bad guys, in order to feel good about themselves.
shareI agree 100%.
Having said that - you really need to consider the fact that most critics on imdb and RT are largely being paid off (on imdb, critic scores are the largest part of the overall scores, regardless of how many negative scores the film gets from the viewers), so the 'ratings' are not necessarily a good reflection of how the general populace actually consumes some of the crappiest high scored films. Like someone else said, this is why the imdb message board was shut down - it's bad enough for the movie studios to pay off the critics, but also hiring message board trolls? It wasn't worth it.
"Having said that - you really need to consider the fact that most critics on imdb and RT are largely being paid off. . ."
If you mean that some user scores and reviews on those two sites come from people who are paid, sure. If you mean professional critics are paid off by the studios, you are just out of your mind.
How about the fact that RT is part owned by Warner Brothers? The other part? The ticketmaster corporation - which also has an interest in selling as many tickets as possible.
And you've never wondered why imdb message board was shut down?
Amazon is another party which has an interest in selling as much movie/game crap as possible.
Those are interesting facts. They also have absolutely no merit as evidence that professional critics are paid off by studios.
shareWow this topic has so many examples of people who are full of themselves and worship at the altar of their own views. Either that or trolls, but it's hard to tell because there really are people who are dumb enough to believe that everyone actually agrees with them deep inside, that no one actually thinks this movie is good, etc.
share"Wow this topic has so many examples of people who are full of themselves and worship at the altar of their own views." Ironic.
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