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The issue is that the ratio of mindless, popcorn movies to well-written, thought provoking ones is staggeringly unbalanced. Films are less and less about art and more about making money. Whereas films were once a collaborative, artistic effort to tell a story that was meaningful and iconic, they're now dedicated to shoving as much flashy bullshit their computers can produce down your throat.
There are those rare cases where the special fx aren't there purely to make up for the lack of story/substance, I'll cite Bladerunner as a good example. The movie wasn't made purely to try out new movie-making technology or to squeeze the hapless masses for every penny they're worth. Even if it totally flopped at the box office, it would still be worth just as much as a movie. It tells a meaningful story with artful effectiveness through metaphor and skilled acting, it makes you think, and it just happens to take place in a cool, cyberpunk neo-futuristic environment. The story is what carries the film, not the fx. The core of a film can survive in any environment if it's done right, the eye candy is just a bonus. When a movie relies entirely on what little story there is to be embedded in eye-raping visuals, then it's no better than a pop-up book is it? At least a pop-up book is cheaper and knows it's fucking place. Avatar is a prime example considering it's essentially just Dances with Wolves. The story is still just as interesting (and a bit better imo) without the indians being blue giants, and the colonialists being war-mongers with gunships and robot suits. In this way, Avatar isn't necessarily a bad movie, just an unoriginal one. |
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No really, I haven't seen it. |
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If anything, I think our ratio of "good" to "bad" movies is much better than it was from the 50's to the 70's. Or at least, what actually makes it to theaters. |
Let's just agree to disagree.
As to the video, every decade had it's shitty films. Though that one looks like a winner. |
Yeah, I'll be honest, I miss the days when someone could just grab a lizard, film it, and there's your movie.
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To answer your question, the original was a well written decently acted low budget movie. The plot was great. Why they changed it at all in the remake is beyond me. |
The original was a fucking stinker and you know it, don't try to have any uber-elite pride about it. The only reputable thing about it was Harryhausen's definitive stopmotion for it (I met the guy when I was about 10 btw, he has a lovely teddy-bear esque voice and disposition).
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Original Clash of the Titans is a very important part of my childhood and you fuck off how about that?
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But it wasn't. The first time I saw the Kraken I thought it was going to be the best fucking part of the movie. It wasn't. When I realized it was Sam Worthington playing Perseus I figured he would be average-pretty okay. He wasn't. While Ghost is entitled to like it (hell, I liked it), it was a fucking terrible movie. I was so, so looking forward to the Kraken, but it was a fucking pussy. |
I actually have seen Harryhausen's great stop-motion before (7 Voyages of Sinbad), plus I like Godzilla movies, so I can enjoy a movie even if the effects suck.
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:hobo:
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I was too much of a lazy arsehole to go to the cinema to see Avatar. So i just bought the DVD. Watched it today.
It was a brilliant film, great special affects, and was very emotionally stirring (from my point of view anyway) i'm just astounded that after all that work the only name they could think of for the "Really rare metal" was "unobtainiam"... EDIT: I mean for christ sake, ten years could have produced a far better and cooler name for this illusive, priceless substance. |
They didn't come up with it. "Unobtainium" is sciency slang for a dream material, like one that could make interstellar travel as easy as it's portrayed in movies. They were being witty.
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Unobtanium is actually a nerdy reference joke, it was used in aerospace engineering a lot to refer to non-existent but otherwise perfect materials, and it was referenced in everyones favourite soft sci-fi movie The Core, where it was the name of the alloy that the drill was made of.
EDIT: Damn that Gay-buh |
God, not you now. Your explanation was better, btw. Let's have nerd make-up sex.
I saw Woody Allen's Sleeper not too long ago. Good ol' bizarre, cynical, hilarious Woody Allen. |
As an aside, Avatar's DVD sales have broken all the records, and it's selling Blu-Rays like a mad thing.
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Solid film.
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Damn that Cameron.... He must be rich now. Filthy rich.
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You know, they're re-releasing Avatar this summer with a whopping 6 minutes of extra footage.
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Good. I missed it in 3D.
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James Cameron is still trying to spend the money he made on Titanic.
He should donate the money to the many organizations dedicated to saving the rain forest. You know, actually give to the cause he shoved down our throats with Avatar. |
Just finished Virus from 1980.There are way too many movies with that title. Not too bad as far as end of the world movies go (and at least it doesn't have zombies, thankfully). Even though I saw it before, this being a slightly different cut made it worthwhile, even if this one didn't have as happy an ending as the first version I saw. Shame movies like this don't get made anymore, unless they happen to have zombies or crazies or living infected people.
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The Amazing Screw on Head. It was funny. Animation was kinda meh, though.
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Just watched Orphan. One of the best plot twists ever.
The first scene is how I imagine a period. |
I thought Orphan was stupid, and the plot twist was predictable. It has been done several times before with slight variation. You wanna see a decent movie about scary, murderous children? Watch The Good Son.
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