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[apocalypsos]

U.S. Box Office Hits Longest Modern Slump -- All those not surprised, considering the quality of the movies, please raise your hands. *raises both as far as they'll go*

Seriously, I paid specific attention when I went to see Batman Begins to the trailers. I had eight trailers, only three of which were not directly based on a TV show, a comic book, a book, or another movie. Of the three that were original, one was that Disney ripoff of the X-Men (Sky High, which I'll probably go see, but mostly for Bruce Campbell and Kurt Russell and with the specific understanding that the Disney Channel shows original movies of equal quality all the damn time), a sequel to a Rob Zombie movie (The Devil's Rejects, the followup to pretty much the worst movie I've ever seen in my life), and the Michael Bey movie (The Island, which the IMDb claims is a remake of The Clonus Horror, and I'd like to argue it because I can pretty much guarantee it's not true, but I can't because I've actually seen The Clonus Horror).

Comments

[gruyere.livejournal.com]

The Island, which the IMDb claims is a remake of The Clonus Horror, and I'd like to argue it because I can pretty much guarantee it's not true, but I can't because I've actually seen The Clonus Horror

It is, however, disturbingly similar to the new Kazuo Ishiguro novel, Never Let Me Go.

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

It's The Clonus Horror with just a teeny bit of Logan's Run thrown in for flavoring.

[elessar.livejournal.com]

*raises hand*

As a Star Wars fan, I even am sorry about the new Star Wars :\

[channonyarrow.livejournal.com]

"Overall business tumbled despite a rush of familiar new titles..." I wonder if perhaps that's part of the problem?

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Seriously. Did I want to see an adaptation of Bewitched or The Dukes of Hazzard for the big screen? No. If I want to see Nicole Kidman as a witch, I own Practical Magic, and as much as it pains me to say it, the only thing amusing me about the DoH trailer is Jessica Simpson. Jessica Simpson, for Christ's sake.

Did I really need to see another version of Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory? I love Johnny Depp and Tim Burton and orgasm just thinking about them working together, but no, I didn't actually need that movie, thanks. (The same goes for War of the Worlds. Jesus, Orson Welles fucked up the entire country in one night. Congratulations on trying to improve on a version of a story that was already done so perfectly by a guy that he convinced people aliens were really landing.)

I keep trying to come up with movies that I can't wait to see on the screen and honestly, after Batman Begins, there's nothing I really want to race to the movie theater to see until Serenity. I can't remember the last time there was a movie that I got up early to go see at the movie theater for the very first showing where I waited at the theater before it opened. (No, you know what? I checked IMDb and the last one I distinctly remember doing that for was Spider-Man 2, which came out a year ago this week. A year ago, for crying out loud.)

[anne-jumps.livejournal.com]

Don't forget the damn Herbie movie.

[channonyarrow.livejournal.com]

Why not? It's not like it's going to be worth remembering.

[rosetapestry.livejournal.com]

I actually found it entertaining. Not good, exactly, but also not a complete waste of my time.

[teenygozer.livejournal.com]

If you're all about the visuals and you need to see a very good WotW movie, there's the nifty one they made in 1953 that can still scare the crap out of you! Good special effects, too. Those ships convinced *me* they were real, and what a great, creepy noise they made! It's aged quite well, and I love the implied insult to religious institutions they managed to get away with.

[channonyarrow.livejournal.com]

When it's all remakes, bad adaptations (because you're right about War of the Worlds, and casting Tom Cruise in it doesn't convince me it'll be good) or general Hollywood crap that someone's managed to get made because they know who to blow, there's nothing that I want to see at all. My next must-see Hollywood supermegaweownyoursoulsblockbuster is Harry Potter, and that's only because I'm afraid that if I wait the reviews will kill me. Or the comments because of the director change.

Honestly, it should tell the studios something when a thing like the Seattle Film Festival gets bigger and better attended every year and box office drops off. A lot of the movies I want to see (which for me means making the effort to go see them) were playing at SIFF and are smaller movies. Maybe we're not all nostalgia-ridden baby boomers who feel that they really would like to see big-screen adaptations of their favourite television shows.

Not that this explains a Herbie the Love Bug remake. But that might only be explained by a pact with the devil.

[jedilora.livejournal.com]

I think I'll have a heart attack and die of not surprise. Seriously, I don't even have to PAY for movies (yay for siblings who work for the theater) and I don't see many movies.

I am, however, abusing it terribly to see Howl's Moving Castle about a million times. Also Batman. (Both of these star Christian Bale. Both are awesome. Coincidence?)

(Well yeah, one came out in Japan first and was still awesome.)

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

I really need to go see Batman about a billion more times. Oh, yes. I'm going to encourage the good movies, see. That's my cunning plan. :)

[foreverrogue.livejournal.com]

I'd go see F4. I plan to, actually. I want to see Mr. & Mrs. Smith as well, thought that'll likely wait till it comes on the movie channel.

But Batman Begins? Many, many more viewings.

I personally thing the issue is the price more than the quality of movies. I mean, it's $9.25 at my theater for an adult ticket. I forget how much for kids. Something like $6.50 or so (don't pay that much mind since I have no offspring). So when you do the math, for a family of 4 to go to the theatre? $31.50, plus our 15% tax totals $36.23. And that's before you and the kidlets hit the snack bar, where every damned combo is about $10.00.

If it wasn't so expensive, I'd go more. But the price is perverse and the theatre isn't even very clean and the seats are worn something nasty.

[callmesyd.livejournal.com]

Ticket prices at our AMC are $8.50 for adults, $6.50 with a student ID (or a matinee showing), $5.50 for children and seniors. So if I want to go to a movie, I'm paying $13 - $17 on a budget of $60 a week for groceries and entertainment. So we're a big Blockbuster and bargain bin household. *pout*

[foreverrogue.livejournal.com]

When the price was $11.50 to get in for an adult ticket, we used to have Cheap Tuesdays when it was $8.00 for the evening showings. Only problem was the theaters were packed.to.the.ceiling. and people talked through the movie. Grr. I abhhor that.

But since prices went down, there's no Cheap Tuesdays anymore.

Yeah, I have a nice DVD collection. Pushing 75 movies, I think. And it keeps growing. I need another shelf...

[apocalypsos.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's another problem right there. Stupid movie theaters.

[smallship1.livejournal.com]

Hmm, maybe some phenomenon (or phenomena?) over the last three years raised people's expectations...wonder what it (or they) could be?

We've been meaning to go see Lucas's Sith movie (goes back and spellchecks) since it came out, but haven't yet. I don't think Howl has made it over here, but Batman has, and Serenity is a foregone conclusion. That for us is actually a reasonably good year filmwise.

I have the Welles broadcast on LP (must upgrade at some point) and it amazes me that people fell for it. We were more naïve in those days...imagine an audio version done like that to today's standards, and how sceptical we would be if we came on it unexpectedly. But George Pal's movie didn't seem redundant. I think this one will be worth a look. (hee...we saw an actor on Andromeda the other night who was so trying to be Tom Cruise, with the voice and the mannerisms and the whole nine yards. It's a shame when someone can't find their own identity...)

[akacat]

I'll definately go see Willy Wonka. (I adore anything by Roald Dahl. Tim Burton nearly always does a great job. And I adore Johnny Depp.)

I'll almost certainly go see Serenity, unless it gets awful reviews.

And a few weeks ago I saw a preview for Dark Water, if it has good reviews I'll probably put it on my Netflix queue. (Because I rarely see horror movies in the theater.)

Of course, I haven't gone to see a movie in the evening in ten years or more. Those prices are ridiculous.

[cyprinella]

I'll almost certainly go see Serenity, unless it gets awful reviews.

Unless Joss and the studio suddenly have their brains drip out their ears and completely change the film I saw, you will not have to worry about that. :)

[akacat]

I wouldn't put it past the studio to be that stupid. Fortunately, Joss is generally pretty bright.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't get me onto this soap box.

Let's see - one movie in 20 is actually amusing. Adding to that problem are the multiple problems associated with theaters in general. I have to pay a great deal of money and travel to a not-too-convenient place, where I usually have my choices of Sequel City, Kiddie Kuteathon, or Blood, Gore, and Guts for Guys, since few theaters will play anything else. And I have to do all of this on their schedule. The sound is quite often too loud, the house too cold, and the people around me usually feel free to talk out loud, make noise, kick chairs, or let their kids run around. (I even had one parent go nuclear when I asked, politely, that their munchkin stop kicking my chair. She was all "WHAT DID YOU ASK MY CHILD?" complete with high, hissed voice and furious expression and when I stayed polite and didn't give her the fight she wanted, she made a huge production of switching seats and loudly telling her little darling that she could kick all she wanted in her new location.)

Yeah, I want to pay the price of a thick paperback book to have experiences like that. Uh-huh.

Or, I can "save" movies in my Netflix queue, see 'em in the comfort of my own home on my own schedule, for about $3 a shot, and see exactly what I want to see with complete climate and volume control and without having to deal with the Entitlement Generation.

Ever since I got netflix, I dropped to seeing about 4 movies a year because it's just more convenient to skip the theaters. That said, Batman Begins kicked booty and I don't regret going to see it in the theater one little bit.

[teenygozer.livejournal.com]

I have freebie movie tickets for Loews that I get every time I donate blood, and I am sad to say, I have wasted them in the past (they have a use-by date.)

The problem for me isn't so much a lack of good movies to see, there are several I'm looking forward to seeing on DVD. I find the problem is the audience. The talkers. The people who bring wee ones, from babies to shrieking six year olds, into grown-up movies. The people who chat on cellphones.

And the fact is, movie theaters let people get away with bad behaviour... how hard would it be for a ticket seller to say to someone holding a toddler, "Sorry, but we don't allow babies and toddlers in adult-oriented movies like Batman Begins... would you like a ticket to Madagascar?" Because that toddler's going to yell at the top of her lungs at regular intervals during a movie like Batman Begins, and mommy's going to be chattering soothing words to baby in an attempt to get her to stop screaming (rather than taking her out of the theater), and the whole thing is not something you can easily ignore.

[catystorm.livejournal.com]

Wow, when we went to see Batman Begins, there were... three trailers on it. One was Serenity though, so it was all good. :D

[hereticorp.livejournal.com]

On top of all this mess, they're probably going to try to blame downloading and P2P for the lack of box office sales.

The morons in hollywood just need to get the concept of making original movies through their heads. Then we'll work on making good ones too.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_redpanda_/]

*giggles* My husband, who barely even knows what MST3K IS, calls "The Island" the new Clonus Horror. It's THAT OBVIOUS. (And yet I want to seeee it...)