OT – Stupid movies

[admin]

Some friends talked me into going to watch Mission Impossible.

It was so stupid. A Senate committee doesn’t have the power to end a program, then restart it. And they don’t have the power to appoint a Secretary.

Plus why is a critical computer system accessible only through the cooling system? Also wouldn’t water rushing in short-circuit the computer?

You really have to suspend reality to watch those movies. The writers/producers must think the audience is stupid.

[XBoxBoy]

Seems to me one of the more interesting aspects about the entertainment business is how stories in TV and movies have changed in the last twenty years. When I was in High School (early 1970’s) I would go to movies and the stories would be intelligent and well thought out. At that time, tv shows usually had thin to non-existent stories. What stories they did have were very formulaic.

Nowadays, it’s the reverse. TV shows can be very involved stories that challenge the viewer just to follow the plot. (Game of Thrones, Homeland, etc) While movies now are based on comic books or over the top hero stories. Most movies I’ve seen in the last 5 years have stories that are so thin that it’s shocking they got made into movies.

[all]

I thought Avengers are really dumb movie, while I liked Interstellar a lot. My kids on the other hand think Interstellar is boring and Avengers are fun. I am not a customer for any McConaughey paraphernalia while my kids want to dress up as Thor, Flash and that other equally silly character for Halloween.

Kip Thorne as a consultant on the movie did nothing for my kids.

[poorgradstudent]

MI films have always been “just enjoy the ride and don’t think too hard about it” films. Their market is also the international market, even more than most Blockbusters these days. So a plot that doesn’t make coherant sense to US audiences doesn’t really matter.

As for the Golden Age of Prestige Television, although Game of Thrones is quite a phenomenon now, remember that two of the most popular shows are 2 and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory, both of which are pretty “stupid” shows.

NCIS is the highest rated drama, and it’s pretty dull.

[zk]

I watched the Roman Polanski movie, “The Ghost Writer” the other day. A fine movie willing to stand on its merits without any “action.” I liked it a lot. It generally got good to very-good reviews, and the few critics who gave it mediocre marks commented on the lack of action as a downfall of the movie. I suppose your average viewer needs some action, but I really liked this move, and ones like it, because they don’t throw gratuitous “action” in there to spice things up. I frequently find myself waiting for the action to end so the movie can get moving again.

I’d love to hear any recommendations for good, solid films that are more realistic than the ubiquitous action movies out there. Old or new, American or Foreign.

[flyer]

Since my wife is in the film business, I asked her opinion on this, and she suggested taking a look at the stats might help to explain the current climate of the industry.

http://www.mpaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/MPAA-Theatrical-Market-Statistics-2014.pdf

[no_such_reality]

Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing how they butchered “The Martian.”

[flyer]

Andy Weir’s book was great, and with Ridley Scott directing, hopefully it will do well.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=flyer]Since my wife is in the film business, I asked her opinion on this, and she suggested taking a look at the stats might help to explain the current climate of the industry.

http://www.mpaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/MPAA-Theatrical-Market-Statistics-2014.pdf
[/quote]

I didn’t know that African-Americans contribute that much to tickets sold. I guess they need escapism.

[FlyerInHi]

[quote=poorgradstudent]MI films have always been “just enjoy the ride and don’t think too hard about it” films. Their market is also the international market, even more than most Blockbusters these days. So a plot that doesn’t make coherant sense to US audiences doesn’t really matter.
[/quote]

I noticed that MI was produced in cooperation with Alibaba Pictures and China TV or something like that.

[La Jolla Renter]

[quote=FlyerInHi]
The writers/producers must think the audience is stupid.[/quote]

They don’t think, they know, because Average America is stupid.

I have not been to a movie theater in 10 years. Why pay the price, fight the crowd, etc. when you can put that money into a nice bottle of wine and enjoy it better on a big tv in your living room.

The biggest turn off of all is all the prima donna hollywood muckety mucks trying to sell me on their non real word political opinions. Please shut up! And say your prayers that average america doesn’t wise up to your BS.

[flyer]

It’s very true the film industry and many other businesses sell BS in one form or another–but as long as the world is buying–there will be a market–via theaters, streaming, or otherwise.

Most Hollywood types don’t take it all too seriously. They know escapism, in its many forms, will always be in demand as long as there are human beings on earth, and they are simply enjoying the ride for however long it lasts. Right now, that’s 100 years and counting.

[FlyerInHi]

Scary thought but I’m getting old and boring. I like European/foreign dramas that deal with real human life.

I don’t need special effects, car chases, gun battles, sci-fi, hero worship, etc… to be entertained.

I also agree that TV shows are better than movies these days. Movies are mostly recycled stuff. I would never suggest going to the movies because it’s a waste of time and money. But when friends want to go, you kinda have to go along.

[flyer]

We search for and enjoy those type of films and TV shows as well, FIH.

For better or worse, the nature of the film business, as it stands today, caters to premises of extreme escapism which sell worldwide, so, of course, they are the ones that dominate the box office.

Imo, in order to see a huge genre shift to mass reality-based projects, a societal mindset shift will need to occur. Until then, it seems the demand for escapism will continue to rule the day.

[Coronita]

I think the only movie I saw with the past year was the minions movie at the cinopolis in carmelv.. Yeah, I had to bring my kid along so people.didn’t think I was creepy by going alone.

[Author]

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