This past summer was one full of malaise for me. If memory serves me correctly, the only films I bothered seeing in the theatre were: Iron Man 2, Shrek Forever After, Toy Story 3, Inception, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. There were several that I intended to see, but after missing them on opening weekend, I opted to wait for Netflix. Films that met this fate included Machete, The Expendables, Predators, and Get Him to the Greek. None of those films seemed to offer anything that couldn't wait five months for the DVD.
And yet here in the first week of October, I already find have seen three films in the last five days (The Social Network, The Town and Easy A) and can easily point to Red, Buried, Catfish, My Soul to Take, Paranormal Activity 2 as films I'd probably plunk down cash for in first run. And that's just taking us up through October. November brings Megamind and Harry Potter & the Deathly Hollows, along with about four other films I could go either way on.
So am I the only one who feels like the year in movies just got started? Does it seem like the fall's offerings are far more interesting than the summer fare? Weigh in in the comments.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
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We can't afford to hit up the theater very often anymore. There's a lot of risk vs. reward debate over every outing. We'll probably see Thor next.
ReplyDeleteThanks to Netflix and redbox...my summer movie season just began.
Of the 5 movies you saw this summer, three of them were franchise films. The two stand-alone films you saw were both films that we're well known to be both oozing originality from every pore.
ReplyDeleteThe three movies you've seen in the past week have similar buzz surrounding them.
What does this tell me? That it all starts in the screenplay. It tells me that people inherently know the movies they've 'seen' before.
I know there are 'no original ideas' but have you ever even HEARD of a movie like 'Inception' before. I haven't. I saw that show six times.
I saw and loved The Social Network. Who wrote it? Aaron Sorkin, the same guy who wrote 'A Few Good Men'. I think of Sorkin before of Fincher and Reiner when those films are mentioned.
People can smell good writing coming their way. I saw Resident Evil a few weeks ago. And it was awful,I knew it would be. I don't know how I did, I just knew.
It all starts in the Screenplay. Audiences want something that doesn't treat them like they're morons. Short of that, they want to be entertained. And crappy writing always, always, always turns an audience off. Even before they reach the theater.
Different strokes!
ReplyDeleteSummer fare is written/made/shown for wide appeal (franchise, action, etc) with few exceptions (and Inception was a unique crossover).
Fall films are generally written/made/shown for the Awards season (not necessarily in order: Golden Globes, BAFTA, Directors and Screen Actors Guilds, Independent Spirit, all leading up to Oscar). As writers, we're much more likely to want to see (and presumably, write) films from the second group.
Since I started (recently) writing I found my interest in going to Summer films waning year by year, however, I still like to see the tent-pole, franchise, (hoped for by the studio) blockbusters since I'll consider writing anything. If I can sell it and get it made, and maybe make some decent money in the bargain, then Oscar-be-damned!
Just watched "Crazy Heart". The acting was good.
ReplyDeleteBought Iron Man II the other night. Mainly because I own Iron Man and wanted the set.
ReplyDeleteEh? Not "G.I. Joe-TRoC", but not "The Dark Knight" either. I tell ya...I'm like the rest of America...expecting miracles every time.
I usually have little patience for summer 'blockbusters' and most major studio releases, anymore. Like it's been said, you just know what to expect before you even get there. If the trailer isn't even funny/entertaining/interesting, how good can the movie be?
ReplyDeleteAnd they don't call it cucumber season (or silly season, depending on where you're at) for nothing.