Hollywood and the Damage Done

[Danny No-Shame]

Okeeday,

Considering when I bemoan the state of the American movie industry, I get told off by anyone who disagrees with me, I have to ask how, if any way, does one affect change in an area where my only say , is in the purchase or non-purchase of a ticket?

I can’t be the only person here who believes that there is a steady decline in quality and moral attitude in Hollyweird. And I’m not talking about sex, drugs and violence here (although you may have your own opinions on such matters), just that I’m sick and tired of being treated like a child every time I go to the cinema.
Why can’t we watch a F.F movie for example, that’s just as intelligent and mature as the comics that currently exist. Entertainment is no excuse for insulting an audience with bad acting, lacklustre dialogue and an MTV friendly soundtrack.

I recently posted a thread lamenting the decision to make movies based on toy lines like GI Joe, Thundercats, He-Man etc. and was advised that if I didn’t like them then I shouldn’t watch ‘em. Fair enough, but what if eventually there are no challenging, well-crafted, well-acted movies put out there, because the majors are too pre-occupied with money spinners like Trans-Bloody-Formers.

I admit that not every film can be an artistic masterpiece. Most action movies are made just to see stuff blowing up and fighting in unusual locations, and such works benefit from “leaving one’s brain at the door”. Most Bond movies have been made in this manner, but eventually someone made the wise decision to do away with the invisible cars and laser guns to produce a film that seriously studied character and plot as well as entertaining the masses. Recent efforts like Batman Begins and Rocky Balboa have also showed you don’t have to compromise integrity to make a buck and this is the example the studios should follow.

I’m opening a discussion here, not ranting, and my questions to you all are as follows:

• Given that most of us have no clout with Hollyweird studios, how can we most affect change in an industry that we finance?
• Do you believe that film-makers and writers have compromised themselves for the chance to make a quick buck?
• Am I taking the whole thing too seriously? If so how do we have the right to complain after the event? E.g . the amount of complaints that are generated about casting, story, script etc after the film’s release is surely just us blowing smoke when a lot of the time such discrepancies could be avoided.

Discuss, orate, but please don’t hate. I am a film fan who simply believes that not watching a film isn’t the only way to tell Hollywood that they’re making crappy produce.

 

[Cyrusbales]

Good post my friend, I agree with most of it.

We as an audience need to be more critical of what we see, show a more rounded understanding of film, unfortuantely, most of the people who watch these things are used to it and percieve them as good due to not being exposed to the wider world and superior quality of cinema. Hollywood produces less than 0.001% of the films released each year, people should adjust their tastes accordingly.

Boycot these films would help, spend that money on the DVD's instead, and get quality films, unfortuantely, the masses will never do anything to deal with this growing problem.

 

[cookiva]

I would agree with this, but you have to go back to the 80's to find big budget action films that arent only mindless action. Its not something that has just happened.

That said, its not like there are no good quality films coming out into the theaters. Dont see movies you dont want to see, and go see the better made films.

 

[Figs]

Your taking things too seriously like most of the whiners. You guys don't realize that this is how it's always been(if you look at the past decades of film) and your just seeing all the "leave your brain at the door" films. There has been and always will be a great amount of movies that make you think, have good characters/developement and so on.

The problem is a lot of you just glance at the summer where it's heavy on action and spectacle films and forget that they are in Fact not the only type of films being made.

Personally, I like all types of films minus Rom Com's and regular Romance films.

 

[Galactus]

I don't think the number of good movies each year is less than, say, twenty, thirty years ago. The difference is that the total number of movies released today is higher. Which means that there are more medicocre and crap movies betweeen the good ones.

 

[Danny No-Shame]

I don't think the number of good movies each year is less than, say, twenty, thirty years ago. The difference is that the total number of movies released today is higher. Which means that there are more medicocre and crap movies betweeen the good ones.

This is a good point. Perhaps it's just the shear volume of stuff coming out make it harder to spot the good work.