I'm working on a conspiracy theory that the film 2012 was actually a movie produced by big Hollywood execs to see how shitty they can make a film, put a ton of ridiculous special effects into, and still have it be successful. This movie was like a two and half hour bad joke. What little story there was sucked and I just wanted the characters to hurry up and die. Even the Mrs, who has a higher tolerance for terrible films than I do, made no complaints when I "accidentally" started fast forwarding what I can only imagine was intended to the suspenseful parts.
Folks I think we can safely say we are in a drought as far as quality films are concerned.
Want proof? Look at the Academy Awards. The Movie Hurt Locker cleaned up and it wasn't a great movie. Now it wasn't a bad movie either, but to win Best Picture it should have to be a great movie. I kind of wish the Academy would just say, "Uh, sorry guys. No Best Picture this year... nothing worth awarding."
Now I'm not going to be one of those doom and gloom people who say that good movies as we know them are over because I don't believe that. These droughts happen from time to time but they end eventually. Until then we'll just have to walk softly through the minefield and avoid movies like Cop Out.
Though I am not predicting the downfall of the movie industry as we know it I will say that I agree with those who believe that Hollywood is starting to lean too heavily on special effects. They seem to believe that the stunning visuals they can create with computers will cover up the deficiencies of a bad script, terrible directing, and awful acting. George Lucas once said, "Special Effects are just a tool, a means of telling a story. People have a tenancy to confuse them as an ends themselves. A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing." Now obviously George forgot lost sight of this when creating Episodes I-III, but he isn't alone. I think the whole industry has lost site of the fact that special effects alone do not make a great movie. I do think they'll come around eventually though. How many Adventures of Pluto Nashs do you have to create before you realize what you are doing wrong?
3 comments:
Sherlock Holmes was good, even though I thought it would be terrible from the trailer. I also enjoyed the Wolfman, so not all the films that have been out recently are bad ones.
But on a wider point, Hollywood sure is in love with its special effects. I think its a lot easier for them to throw a bucket of money around and get some decent effects than it is to get a decent story by throwing money at a bad writer... heh heh
I believe Hollywood did that same experiment a few times. Battlefield Earth never had a shot that was level, was full of effects, and had huge plot holes.
I still have yet to see Sherlock Holmes. I am actually a huge fan and the trailer scared the hell out of me. I'll see it when it comes out on video, but I'm not sure how much I'll like it.
As for Battlefield Earth... wow. That makes 2012 look almost watchable.
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