I know this discussion has been done before, but I tried doing a search and I couldn't find it.

Just thought we'd reignite the discussion, for those who are interested.

Thanks!

Here's one I started...

And THIS was the inspiration for my thread..

Might not be the same...but these are the most recent examples that I know of that discuss Hollywood & today's moviegoing public...

As for your topic...i'm a naysayer, so your first question's simple -- not much.

Right: Hilary Duff
Wrong: The PG-13 demograph.

Wrong:
-Under emphasis on scripts and story as a whole
-over reliance on the opening weekend
-constantly looking for blockbusters instead of looking for projects that could be profitable, albeit with smaller margins

-pricing themsevles out of the theaters with ever sprialing tickets costs for a diminished theater experience these days

Right:
-Hopefully, a shift back to directors, looking like the best crop since the 70's with PTA, Shamaylan, Fincher, Tarantino, K. Smith, Lyman, Richard Kelly, Spike Jonze, Peter Jackson, Soderbergh all doing consistently interesting stuff and old standards like Spielberg, Scorsese, Coppola, Zemeckis, still churning out product.

-giving selected release to certain smaller films like "My big Fat Greek..." and "Bend it..." and having success, hopefully growing an audience for smaller films.

- respecting the DVD market(for the most part) and providing what the audience wants: OAR, DTS, plenty of extras and relevant commentary

nice, Nature Boy.

okay, the next i'm going to share is all opinion.
so please don't read it, if you don't want to.

still makes the best movies in the world...

still makes the worst movies in the world...

they have pioneered new technologies which make it possible to take visual storytelling to levels never imaged

but they forget the story in storytelling too often

also, many people think that public demand drives what films get made, but i think hollywood has learned to manipulate that through very shewd psychology and advetising.

What is right....

Occasionally make a decent film every year or so.

What is wrong...

Besides the obvious...

Doesn't greenlight excessively violent and sexual films anymore.

The MPAA.

Writers don't get enough credit.

Studio executives are too stupid.

And finally Hollywood sucks because they do not make films in Technicolor anymore!

saw The Italian Job recently, and that's exactly it, Hollywood is playing TOO safe. all re-makes and sequels and re-makes of comics. nothing really original coming to the screen. where is the Star Wars of today. In might have been the Matrix, but that is not coming up too speed. LOTR? but that's a book adaptation, just like Harry Potter. (not that book adaptations are bad, it's just, well, the books were better than those 2 series of movies) where are the glorious movies made for movies sake? where is the Lawrence of Arabia's? Planet of the Apes? 2001 Space Odyssey's? Godfather's? heck, even The Raiders of the Lost Ark? Movies that take us to another place, another time. Movies that inspire. Even a good Lethal Weapon (yes, i know that is a series, but that was a series worth watching, in my opinion.)

maybe it's coz there are no more big wars to make movies about (that's a good thing). or people have run out of ideas. but i don't think that's possible. take Spy Kids for example, that came out of nowhere. indeed a repeat of old concepts, but done with a freshness that almost seems new. when Star Wars came out, it was a modern day swashbuckler, but look how it revolutionized everything. Jaws was a monster movie. Arnold was just another muscle-bound action hero, but no one has come close to his 80's movies since. i am not simply being nostalgic, but summer movies seem to be missing that extra oomph.

it's like Hollywood studios are so clever. they make so many movies that are self-aware and referential to movies of the past. okay, that was funny and postmodern, but it's getting lame. come up with a new culture already.

directors like aronofsky, jonze, anderson are coming up with new sensibilities, but none are bringing in the box office big bucks. they make money, but they are still fringe. the mainstream is dry. i want popcorn movies. but i want them great!

please note, these are all personal opinions, don't take em too personally, it's just how i feel.

Hollywood needs to stop giving actors salaries over $5 million.

One big negative is that seemingly all studios are owned by corporations, and the only thing corporations exist for is to make money. When you only want to make money, it seems to clash with the idea of the artisitic side of movie making.

Also, I would fault the general unoriginality of the studios. Not in the normal sense that people moan about remakes and stuff, but more to the point that they copy each other. A certain movie (i.e. a Pirate movie - Cutthroat Island) fails, and then they all are too scared too make another one for years. A certain movie (i.e. Fast and the Furious) succeeds, and cheap knock offs are made.

I do wish studios would take more risks. It seems they just do things all the same, that way it shifts the blame some. If they do something the old way and fail, well that's okay. But if they try something different and fail, well they get blamed for bing idiots basically.

The good of course is that there still is plenty of enjoyable stuff.

Can Hollywood still produce good movies? It's come out with a lot of duds, especially this year, but Pirates of the Carribean came out of the studio system...so it can still surprise.

Pirates of the Carribean is finally coming out over here this week. can't wait! also Spy Kids 3 and Talk to Her by Almodovar. weeks, if not months late. but better late than nevah! we just saw City of God weeks back and I saw Swimming Pool today. great stuff! it's nice to see indie and art films getting bigger distribution over here. might watch Dogville next or Man Without A Past, Divine Intervention or Whale Rider, if i'm lucky. Am trying very hard to get Lost In Translation shown in this country.

Quote:

Originally posted by joeydaninja
Pirates of the Carribean is finally coming out over here this week. can't wait!

Prepare to have a GREAT time! Best movie of the summer...

cool!

Pirates of the Carribean rocked!

THANKS EVERYBODY