Sci-Fi original movies, WTF?

[ChickenScratch]

A friend and I were having this conversation the other day and I thought I might bring it up here to get some more input.

Why is it the Sci-Fi Channel's original movies pretty much uniformly suck across the board? Special effects, acting, directing, costumes, the whole thing is just so bad why do they even bother? Dune and Tin Man being among the notable exceptions.

I brought up that the channel that has BSG, SG, Eureka, Sanctuary and a bunch of other really decent shows that actually look nice can't do a single movie that's passable.

Why don't they invite people from the creative teams of their own shows to do their movies? Give up and coming film makers a shot, or those already working in TV on other networks and even i other countries a shot at their crap stories ... can't be any worse right.

Sorry, just had to get that out. Caught sight of the "dragon" on tonight's Robin Hood thing they are doing and laughed pretty hard at it.

 

[deathshead2]

A friend and I were having this conversation the other day and I thought I might bring it up here to get some more input.

Why is it the Sci-Fi Channel's original movies pretty much uniformly suck across the board? Special effects, acting, directing, costumes, the whole thing is just so bad why do they even bother? Dune and Tin Man being among the notable exceptions.

I brought up that the channel that has BSG, SG, Eureka, Sanctuary and a bunch of other really decent shows that actually look nice can't do a single movie that's passable.

Why don't they invite people from the creative teams of their own shows to do their movies? Give up and coming film makers a shot, or those already working in TV on other networks and even i other countries a shot at their crap stories ... can't be any worse right.

Sorry, just had to get that out. Caught sight of the "dragon" on tonight's Robin Hood thing they are doing and laughed pretty hard at it.

Who do you think makes the movies? They hire cheap up in coming film makers who then go no where. And they hire tv people all the time.

Oh, and why don't they hire the people who work on there great shows. Ugh...because they're busy working on great shows. They don't have the time to juggle several projects.

And its a cable network. The movies can't cost more than a few million. If they had more money they'd have more time to make something really good but they can't cus that would kill the network. Besides they're tv movies they always suck look at Duel.

And Dune and Tin Man were mini series. They are one time a year big promoted events that take months to make. Thats why there better than tv movies.

 

[Gilpesh]

I think the movies suck because they are cheap crap that Sci-fi can afford to just grab up and call it an 'original movie'.

 

[deathshead2]

I think the movies suck because they are cheap crap that Sci-fi can afford to just grab up and call it an 'original movie'.

They pay the Asylum now to make movies, and they call Corman everynow and then asking what hes got.

 

[Gilpesh]

They pay the Asylum now to make movies, and they call Corman everynow and then asking what hes got.

Exactly. Cheap crap they can just pick up and slap a label on it.

 

[ChickenScratch]

Oh, and why don't they hire the people who work on there great shows. Ugh...because they're busy working on great shows. They don't have the time to juggle several projects.

Between seasons?

 

[deathshead2]

Between seasons?

They write the next seasons and take a much needed break after working months on said season. That and shop around other projects to other places cus no one wants to be stuck at the SyFy channel. The SyFy channel is somewhere you go when no one else will hire you. Moore couldn't get anything started after ST:TNG and the Pretender guys are stuck there.

 

[hitmanyr2k]

A friend and I were having this conversation the other day and I thought I might bring it up here to get some more input.

Why is it the Sci-Fi Channel's original movies pretty much uniformly suck across the board? Special effects, acting, directing, costumes, the whole thing is just so bad why do they even bother? Dune and Tin Man being among the notable exceptions.

I brought up that the channel that has BSG, SG, Eureka, Sanctuary and a bunch of other really decent shows that actually look nice can't do a single movie that's passable.

Why don't they invite people from the creative teams of their own shows to do their movies? Give up and coming film makers a shot, or those already working in TV on other networks and even i other countries a shot at their crap stories ... can't be any worse right.

Sorry, just had to get that out. Caught sight of the "dragon" on tonight's Robin Hood thing they are doing and laughed pretty hard at it.

That's the only reason to watch sci-fi channel movies...to laugh at the horrible effects and the acting Sometimes me and my wife will catch one of these movies on late at night and just crack up...especially the man vs (insert beast/insect) films.

When a big budget Hollywood sci-fi movie is really awful my favorite insult is to say it's worthy of a Sci-fi world channel premiere.

 

[ChickenScratch]

That's the only reason to watch sci-fi channel movies...to laugh at the horrible effects and the acting Sometimes me and my wife will catch one of these movies on late at night and just crack up...especially the man vs (insert beast/insect) films.
When a big budget Hollywood sci-fi movie is really awful my favorite insult is to say it's worthy of a Sci-fi world channel premiere.

I guess that is a reason. My buds and I always joke about it because there's this one dude in our group, the only stoner, who never misses one of these movies. It's appointment viewing for him. I was hearing about Knights Of Bloodsteel for months!

 

[Project862006]

i was watching that sci fi film Soldier on starz the other day never seen it before it was'nt bad but i think Kurt Russell had like 3 lines lol

 

[redhawk23]

sometimes they end up just buying out movies, like Mutant Chronicles didn't start out as theres, man i was disapointed in that, there were sweet parts but I really hated Ron Pearlman in it, which is strange because I love Ron Pearlman

 

[Nightmare]

The Terminators Is probably one of the worst movies Ive ever seen.


Along with It Waits.

 

[ChickenScratch]

sometimes they end up just buying out movies, like Mutant Chronicles didn't start out as theres, man i was disapointed in that, there were sweet parts but I really hated Ron Pearlman in it, which is strange because I love Ron Pearlman

Funny thing about Mutant Chronicles is I actually got the DVD of it. It's got 2 things I dig, digital backlot and Tom Jane.

What can I say, gimmie a movie where everything but the actors are fake and I'm hooked.

 

[CelticPredator]

i was watching that sci fi film Soldier on starz the other day never seen it before it was'nt bad but i think Kurt Russell had like 3 lines lol

Thats a real movie fyi. Not a good movie...but an actual hollywood production.

 

[Project862006]

^ LOL looked straight to dvd quality even tho it was 98

anyone could of played Russel's character

 

[cronosred]

I think my mother has seen about every movie on that channel. If it's a horror/monster movie she has to watch it.

 

[CelticPredator]

^ LOL looked straight to dvd quality even tho it was 98

anyone could of played Russel's character

Its from Paul Anderson....

 

[enterthemadness]

Its from Paul Anderson....

I actually think that movie is underrated. Kurt Russel did a excellent job in it. Yeah, hardly any lines...but his character was like a machine. Trained to kill....not trained to talk or anything else.

That being said...on the Sci-Fi issue...I like some of their movies. (Like cheesy b-movie Ice Spiders..Mansquito...The Black Hole) All of which...were made by Tibor Takacs. He directed the classic The Gate. And his new film was DTV with Slater...Lies & Illusions.

 

[Maximus One]

I dont give a **** but DarkLight was tha ****!!!

 

[danoyse]

I think my mother has seen about every movie on that channel. If it's a horror/monster movie she has to watch it.

My dad's the same way - any disaster movie, he doesn't care, he needs to watch it.

I've always said the 4 words that can kill any movie are: Sci-Fi Channel Original Movie. I have yet to see them make a decent film.

 

[Mace Dolex]

Right now on Scyfy there showing some kind of Thor movie, looks like Marvel's attempt will be hampered by it.

 

[Heretic]

I was under the impression that they didnt so much make their own movies, but buy crap films that werent getting distributed.

 

[deathshead2]

I was under the impression that they didnt so much make their own movies, but buy crap films that werent getting distributed.

They do sometimes. Like every channel they pay to get the rights to air a movie for a few years(Splinter, Dungen and Dragons), and sometimes people come to them with movies(RHI productions) and other times they pay people to make movies(The Asylum made Megafault for them)

 

[Nightmare]

Its from Paul Anderson....

oh, him?

 

[AndThePickles]

I think that they're hilarious. When I'm bored I enjoy watching them.