Scot1458

...crap there are that is being labled as "movies/film" for us to consume.

My God....

I haven't been to Blockbuster for some time, but we are moving and only have a VCR.

Besides the countless box office dudes like LXG, Legally Blonde 2, Daddy day Care, there were countless straight to video horror/sci-fi/big monster/bug/inner sanctum type skin murder flics out there. The covers looked cool, but you can tell they are all stinkers.

Who in the hell is making/watching this ****?

Tarnower

I know what you mean. It seems like half of all new releases are straight-to-video. But someone is obviously renting these crapfests.

Scot1458

But who is making these things? The $ involved! I'm dying for good quality horror/sci-fi/noir films..I'm lucky if I get a few a year and yet these things are comming off the shelves like flies on ****.

All the great stories yet to be put to film, and I saw like three versions of a new Dracula that I'm sure are nowhere near the level of past incarnations.

Most of the box office stuff is memory fleeting (try going through the actual isles and trying to remember these films from 5 years ago when they came out) and it's compounded by this straight to video funk.

FantasticVSDoom

They do have a purpose however. One, they give young filmmakers and actors a chance to work and learn,two, there may actually be some hidden gems in those movies, and three, they may make it possible for some really good movies to be made in the future, since they do make money.

devilshalo

Um.. Daddy Day Care was not a box office dud ($104M). DDC only cost $60M to make and did surprisingly well. Especially against other Sony/Revolution films like Gigli, Hollywood Homicide, Bad Boys 2, & Charlies Angels 2.

Jackskeleton

You do realize that the money it takes to make one of those direct to blockbuster vidoes is about the same budget for the craft services of one big studio production. they are very low budget. You get what you pay for.

They cost pennies on the dollar to make and they bring in cash. they might not make hundreds of millions. hell they might not make ten thousand in it's entire time being out, but if it only cost a few thousand to make and it makes double that, then shit, it was well worth it as a small investiment film. You get a couple of those small films profit and your small time studio can risk doing a bigger production and landing a name for themselves or just be bought out by a bigger company.. either way, it's foot steps in the right direction.

It offers new comers a foot in the door and hell, might aswell not bitch and moan about it and just ignore them if you are about to be snobby about it. Hell, I have seen some very crappy titles in those Direct to videos, but then again I have every so often seen something that beats the shit out of any big studio production.

DonnachaOne

It gets worse.

Apparently, there's an absolutely fantastic script, note-perfect, called "Sherlock Holmes & The Revenge Of Dracula".

The young gentleman who wrote it died soon after selling it.

The studios know about this script. They know how good it apparently is.

And it will never get made.

But hey, we get plenty of dreck like "Dracula 2000"! Hey, Wes Craven EXECUTIVE PRODUCED! Must be fantastic then.

talemyn

Well, there are also a lot of "hidden gem" indie's in there too. When I go into BBV I always try to get 1 indie for every 1 or 2 regular movies. I find some really good ones from time-to-time (anyone ever seen Shooting Fish?) and I get a chance to support the "little guys".

Considering that they cater to the big name movie crowd, I'm just happy that they carry the "unknowns" at all . . . don't know where I'd see them otherwise.

Darren Garrison

"Box office dudes"?

RyoHazuki

What makes it crap?

Jackskeleton

the fact that it doesn't have a 20 million star or created by some over blown hollywood director. A lot of potentially great films aren't made every year for other reasons. you can't just stay on the "what could have been" idea or life will pass you by.

cruzness

There is nothing wrong with cheap low budget drek. I remember my best friends dad had a gift for finding the low budget turkeys. Any time he'd go get a movie he'd come back with a movie that would turn into a home made session of MST3K. I've never had a better time watching movies in my life. It brings a smile to my face just thinking about my friends dad would say in his New York accent. My Gawd this is awwful!!! How do I find this crap!!!!!
Good Times.

Kumar J

Thats how I found Pitch Black,in Japan it's a straight to video release

necros

Like some other folks have said, those slasher/gore/monster flicks that are all over Blockbuster are there because they make money. they're made usually by independant actors and filmmakers who in most cases are just getting started. There are actually quite a few people out there that LOVE the stuff. Me personally, I don't care for it much but I can appreciate it because they are doing the same thing I am! A lot of the gore movies are actually really funny too, but for me personally the over the top gore just takes away from the comedy parts.

Anyway, I have nothing but respect for anyone who can put any film together and get it on shelves anywhere but a local mom & pop video store. It takes a LOT of hard work and dedication to make even the simplest of movies, which is one thing that not too many people realize. Check out the DVD of "American Movie" and you'll see

Jeremy517

zero

Word, thats what Im talkin' about!

wm lopez

I always wondered about who rents those straight to video crap ever since I was renting movies on VHS back in the 1980's.
I would have to say it's people in the urban neighborhoods.
They not knowing too much of what is good go just by the covers on the box.
I noticed in the 80's there were a few movies with big sharks on the cover, I'm sure to lure people thinking that this movie must be as good as JAWS.

Jackskeleton

Wow, you make a big assumption about urban america. After working at blockbuster I found out who rents them. people who like to do exactly what cruzness does. rent them to have a good time. there is a HUGE market for cult like films that are so bad, people rent them to see which one is worse.

Oh yeah, and I did. I rented them a lot since I got free rentals and well.. how the hell can you tell me what a bad blockbuster film is if you haven't seen these turky's? you should give it a try sometime and just have a good time watching bad films..

ArchibaldTuttle

I enjoy watching crap personally, there is some really good bad movies out there, the low budgets are what give them their charm

check out

www.badmovies.org

its a great site

Scot1458

Jack

I wasn't making an argument about making indie/cheap low budget films. (I personally love the old Corman low budget types) but my beef is on the quality. I was stating how bad these are, and how MANY there are!

I personally don't believe $ is an indication on wether or not a film will be good or bad. But I've rented a few of these, even saw a few on cable (Sci-Fi Channel anybody) and it really hurts to see my favoirte niches Sci-Fi and Horror be flooded with this crap.

We're not talking of a few films here....half the shelves were on filled with this turkeys.

You say that it gives up and comming stars/writers and directors a chance to get expereince. If this is what they are capable of, I hope they don't get any further.

Scot1458

This is what I'm refering too.

zero

Then I hope your first film is a crappy movie on the Blockbuster shelf that I wont rent, but post about on a internet forum. Look, not every director/write/producer can get a lucky break and hope a large studio thinks there film is original. Sure these "turkeys" flood an already large genre of film, but someone enjoys them right? Just because you dont doesnt mean that whoever worked on them didint put there best foot forward and give it there all. Ever stop to think that maybe the quality sucks because they ran out of money? Or couldnt work well enough with what they got? This is a case where I have to say, unless you can do better keep quiet, and let these folks keep learning about the business of making movies. oh wait here "movies" that better?

Pants

Well Sci-Fi and Horror have been NOTORIOUSLY mired in low budget schlock for 70 years so your feelings are nothing new.

DodgingCars

I guess you didn't like Lord of the Rings then, eh? Jackson started out making low budget b-"horror" movies.

So did Sam Raimi (Spider-man, The Gift, etc.).

Michael Corvin

I don't understand how a movie like DDC can cost so damn much. There are no million dollar effects shots, and it isn't like Eddie Murphy is a $20 million dollar actor. (and if he is he shouldn't be). Where the hell does all that money go?