Is Hollywood doomed? Do you go to the cinema?

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  • I don't mind a few superheroes here and there, but cinema is dominated by such films now, plus most of them are sequels.

    Modern films have incredible special effects. Things smashing into buildings and collapsing, car chases on an enormous scale, space battles, the list goes on, but where are the stories?

    Game of Thrones, I believe, shows the direction where things are heading, in that if you want to watch a good story, it'll be on TV. If a TV show is given the kind of budget that GoT has, in combination with excellent writing, acting and direction, then anything is possible.

    It's been known for a long time that the best tv shows are found on America's cable channels as opposed to the more standard fare found on American network tv as these tend to show the same kind of stuff as Hollywood with many superhero shows. Even Netflix has made several superheroes shows from the Marvel comics stable.

    Mad Men, Breaking Bad, GoT etc all on American cable tv.

    Is Hollywood in danger of shooting itself in the head with producing so much of the same kind of films? Their takings are way down this summer.

    Do you still go to the cinema, or are you bored with it?

  • I don't go to the cinema but do watch films on Sky etc. when they come out. I think the yanks have gone into overdrive with all these series - it is typical of them, when they stumble across something half decent they tend to milk it until it is totally spent. Personally I don't have the time to invest in any of them but I think I'm bucking the trend. Even when I did e.g. ones that everyone raved about like Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Lost, Heroes they drew the plots out so slowly I forgot what had gone on before and just got bored with it all. I suppose GoT is the same so won't repeat my past mistakes! I think you can only get into them if you watch them all in one go which is pretty much impossible for me to do.

    There have been too many sequels and tie-in films though, that's definitely true. But if takings are down this will only encourage Hollywood to change, that's how the free market works. There's a middle ground. Star Wars seems to have got it right, X-Men is teetering on the edge of over doing it and the Marvel films for me have totally lost it. Hollywood, like most businesses, won't take a punt if it doesn't need to, it is up to customers to encourage them. I think enough cinema goers have been OK with what has been produced but there is a limit...

  • I don't go to the cinema.

    Films, or rather "the movies" have become inane, their scripts nonexistent and their special effects over the top and vanished into a concatenation of fireballs and explosions. Evil forces have become too large, so humans are always these puny little creatures with robots the size of skyscrapers looming over them. It's enough to put any insomniac to sleep, provided they turn down the sound. The sound is one long cacophony of horrors.

    GOT is based on a book series and that is possibly why it's so good. It's full of wisecracks, excellent English, and English actors, and doesn't know the meaning of political correctness. It has all the inner tension of family feuds and battles for power that make it a Dark Age epic and it is well filmed and hasn't left out the human aspect. In fact it is the human aspect that makes human folly stand out and human courage shine like little gems along the way of our brutal endeavours to survive, both one another and Nature.

    I'm only on season 3, so will reserve final judgment till I get to the end of the series. But so far it has sustained itself and I have to presume this is because of the fact that it's based on the books. This is how the Tolkien films were made, with a few digressions to keep the masses happy on certain issues. They mostly stuck to Tolkien's script because the director loved his subject.

  • I don't go to the cinema but do watch films on Sky etc. when they come out. I think the yanks have gone into overdrive with all these series - it is typical of them, when they stumble across something half decent they tend to milk it until it is totally spent. Personally I don't have the time to invest in any of them but I think I'm bucking the trend. Even when I did e.g. ones that everyone raved about like Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Lost, Heroes they drew the plots out so slowly I forgot what had gone on before and just got bored with it all. I suppose GoT is the same so won't repeat my past mistakes! I think you can only get into them if you watch them all in one go which is pretty much impossible for me to do.

    There have been too many sequels and tie-in films though, that's definitely true. But if takings are down this will only encourage Hollywood to change, that's how the free market works. There's a middle ground. Star Wars seems to have got it right, X-Men is teetering on the edge of over doing it and the Marvel films for me have totally lost it. Hollywood, like most businesses, won't take a punt if it doesn't need to, it is up to customers to encourage them. I think enough cinema goers have been OK with what has been produced but there is a limit...

    Their takings are down, so the limit maybe getting close now.

    It's a bit like out tv with reality and celebrity chefs, there is no variety. Hollywood seems to be the same and as you say they go into overdrive and just milk it.

    I think you're right about Hollywood's appetite for risk, but considering the money they spend each of these superheroes films, they could support many more "independent" films if they cut out a few of their superheroes films.

    I know you've mentioned before about watching American tv and the length of time required to "invest" in them to watch them.

    The Walking Dead has had moments of brilliance, I've stuck with it, I'm glad I did, but boy, there has been padding..! As for GoT, I highly recommend it! At 10 episodes for each season, as the yanks call them, it's not too long. Although some parts of the story are drawn out, the characters had to evolve and simply time was needed to show this. Give it try, Hox. Come back here and moan at me, if you don't like it.:)

  • Films, or rather "the movies" have become inane, their scripts nonexistent and their special effects over the top and vanished into a concatenation of fireballs and explosions. Evil forces have become too large, so humans are always these puny little creatures with robots the size of skyscrapers looming over them. It's enough to put any insomniac to sleep, provided they turn down the sound. The sound is one long cacophony of horrors.

    Fully agree, LW. Everything in Hollywood films is skyscrapers exploding, or "people" being thrown at buildings at 100 mph making dents all over the place, it's all the same. The sound is awful. I like a good tune and background melodies to set mood.

    GOT is based on a book series and that is possibly why it's so good. It's full of wisecracks, excellent English, and English actors, and doesn't know the meaning of political correctness. It has all the inner tension of family feuds and battles for power that make it a Dark Age epic and it is well filmed and hasn't left out the human aspect. In fact it is the human aspect that makes human folly stand out and human courage shine like little gems along the way of our brutal endeavours to survive, both one another and Nature.


    I'm only on season 3, so will reserve final judgment till I get to the end of the series. But so far it has sustained itself and I have to presume this is because of the fact that it's based on the books. This is how the Tolkien films were made, with a few digressions to keep the masses happy on certain issues. They mostly stuck to Tolkien's script because the director loved his subject.

    GoT is fab.:)

  • The last time I went to the cinema was about 16 years ago to see a version of Nicholas Nickleby which turned out to be American made, bore no resemblance to the original and was a total waste of time and money.

    The time before that was when one of the neighbours thought it would be a good idea for us all to go and see 'Mrs.Doubtfire' in about 1995 :rolleyes:.

    And the time before that we went to see 'The Towering Inferno in the seventies. I don't know whose paying these actors and actresses millions of dollars but it isn't me. ;)

  • And then you have the annoying people sitting round you, rustling sweet papers and scoffing junk food with often demonic offspring that bounce up and down like bloody yo-yos for two hours.

  • Central London is especially bad for that, because you get all tourists too.

    I once tried to watch one of the Star Treks films on the giant Leicester Square screens and a load of French students came in and sat behind me..... They couldn't understand the film, so sat there talking and fighting the whole time in French, and you always get Japanese tourists in London cinemas and theatres too...

    If I go to the cinema at all, it tends to be one of the "out of town" screens to avoid all kids, but as I don't drive, I am reliant on others, or just one other now, for that.

  • I can't remember the last time I went to the flicks. I guess it was before they knocked down our Odeon and we only had a small cinema left. I think it might have been to see Starwars IV.

    As LW notes audiences don't stay quiet and actually watch, with mobile phones and unruly brats being a constant irritation. I'd rather see a film on our big TV in the lounge with all the home comforts to hand and be able to pause the action to take a pee, get a snack etc.

    Having said that there are a few (very few) good films coming out of Hollywood these days but shedloads of "me to", sequels, prequels and just trash. I'm sure Hollywood will survive but probably in a much reduced form.

    I want to see what they've done to "Ghost in the shell" The animé is a classic and the trailer I've seen looks pretty good for a live action. However I'm content to wait for the DVD or preferably 1080P download to be available.

  • The "feel" of watching a film with loads of people around you and actually watching the film is a great shared experience, if people actually watch the film.

    Last time I had that kind of experience was with another Star Trek film in Leicester Square. The atmosphere was electric and on that occasion, everyone was watching the film. So much so, that I needed to go the toilet while the film was on, but had a load of bags with me and I was on my own. So, left all my bags in the cinema. No one noticed, everyone was watching the film. I wonder if I could get away with that today.

    Also, you get the usual nonsense now of people talking on mobiles and giving continual updates to their Facebook friends on what a "good" time they're having.

  • I don't go to the cinema.

    Films, or rather "the movies" have become inane, their scripts nonexistent and their special effects over the top and vanished into a concatenation of fireballs and explosions. Evil forces have become too large, so humans are always these puny little creatures with robots the size of skyscrapers looming over them. It's enough to put any insomniac to sleep, provided they turn down the sound. The sound is one long cacophony of horrors.

    GOT is based on a book series and that is possibly why it's so good. It's full of wisecracks, excellent English, and English actors, and doesn't know the meaning of political correctness. It has all the inner tension of family feuds and battles for power that make it a Dark Age epic and it is well filmed and hasn't left out the human aspect. In fact it is the human aspect that makes human folly stand out and human courage shine like little gems along the way of our brutal endeavours to survive, both one another and Nature.

    I'm only on season 3, so will reserve final judgment till I get to the end of the series. But so far it has sustained itself and I have to presume this is because of the fact that it's based on the books. This is how the Tolkien films were made, with a few digressions to keep the masses happy on certain issues. They mostly stuck to Tolkien's script because the director loved his subject.

    The thing is I only watch a film at home to wind down to. It's great if it's an amazing film but one that provides a couple of hours entertainment will do.

    I think my mind is just not tuned into these series people rave about. I got into Lost but they just milked it with no clue where it was going, and even when it was good you had to watch a few together or you got fed up waiting for the thing to progress. People raved about Breaking Bad so I gave it a go but found it utterly tedious, similar with Walking Dead but that wasn't quite as dull so took a bit longer to lose interest.

    Just not my thing which is fine, I won't watch them, but if that's what is affecting the lack of creativity from Hollywood then I'll be bloody annoyed!

  • People raved about Breaking Bad so I gave it a go but found it utterly tedious

    Ooopps. I've got a pre-created thread on a certain tv show coming next week.... sorry.:whistling:

    Give GoT a try.

    I got into Lost but they just milked it with no clue where it was going, and even when it was good you had to watch a few together or you got fed up waiting for the thing to progress.

    Lost was superb, the whole idea was very inventive, but by the middle of it I was.... lost. I stuck with it, though. At least you missed the shitty ending!

  • The thing is I only watch a film at home to wind down to. It's great if it's an amazing film but one that provides a couple of hours entertainment will do.

    I think my mind is just not tuned into these series people rave about. I got into Lost but they just milked it with no clue where it was going, and even when it was good you had to watch a few together or you got fed up waiting for the thing to progress. People raved about Breaking Bad so I gave it a go but found it utterly tedious, similar with Walking Dead but that wasn't quite as dull so took a bit longer to lose interest.

    Just not my thing which is fine, I won't watch them, but if that's what is affecting the lack of creativity from Hollywood then I'll be bloody annoyed!

    Can't watch Breaking Bad either. It's cackadoo.

  • Ooopps. I've got a pre-created thread on a certain tv show coming next week.... sorry.:whistling:

    Give GoT a try.

    Lost was superb, the whole idea was very inventive, but by the middle of it I was.... lost. I stuck with it, though. At least you missed the shitty ending!

    Yes I agree about Lost but they really dragged it out and seemed to have run out of ideas in the middle whilst milking it for all they could.

  • Oh dear, I've picked the wrong tv shows to start off my relaunched tv section with....:)

    Perhaps the next pre-thread I'll do will be Mrs Marple.8o

    No, you haven't, as the rest of our species seems to love it. Mr Wing hates it but the guys in his office all think it's brill.

  • I am in the middle of creating a thread about new US tv shows, so I'll have that ready for publishing next week some time, but although Breaking Bad is not a new show now, in fact its ended, I do think it is very good. But my tastes are wide, probably my favourite show of the last twenty years is a little known show called Everwood. I think you'd love it, LW. But it is soapy and preachy.

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