Has Hollywood Got Any Imagination Left??

[Sebastion Steel]

With the huge slew of remakes and reloads of classic movies that seem to be coming out of the movies machine of late does anyone think that they just cannot find any original ideas anymore!!

Just have a look at some of the stuff coming up...

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/4502...the_works.html

[codemonkey]

It's a sad state of affairs to be sure. But I'd argue it's not a lack of imagination that's the problem. More like a risk aversion.

If one bad movie can bankrupt your studio, are you going to take a risk with the edgy indie flick or are you going to bank on proven IP that you know is safe?

Game development studios tend to suffer from the same problem. When the cost of production is so astronomically high it only takes one clanger to put you in the red.

[system7]

It's been going on for years in lots of areas.

Beethoven No.1, Beethoven No.2...Beethoven No.9...

crysis, crysis 2...

I rest my case.

I was amazed that Hollywood recently felt the need to remake the Swedish Classics "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "Let the Right One In" for American audiences. What's wrong with subtitles? Oh, right, 25% of people are functionally illiterate.

[Dano]

It's sad too, there are so many great books out there that would make awesome films too and all we get is remakes and sequels half the time.

[Wrex]

They keep remaking foreign films do you know the korean movie Oldboy? a couple of years ago they wanted to make an American version and staring Will Smith!

[Mandlebrot]

I'm never impressed when they make a film out of a classic series as well. Somehow hollywood manages to destroy the very thing that made the series what it was.
Mission Impossible is a good one. Kill off the IMF team and turn it into a Tom Cruise action film yeh, right!
As far as remakes of films go, only a few ever surpass the original anyway. I was interested to hear they were remaking 'Forbidden Planet', though it's not on the list. Whether it will be any good is another matter altogether.

[Mr Grapes]

this just about sums it up...
http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movi...ed-mark-harris

With that in mind, let's look ahead to what's on the menu for this year: four adaptations of comic books. One prequel to an adaptation of a comic book. One sequel to a sequel to a movie based on a toy. One sequel to a sequel to a sequel to a movie based on an amusement-park ride. One prequel to a remake. Two sequels to cartoons. One sequel to a comedy. An adaptation of a children's book. An adaptation of a Saturday-morning cartoon. One sequel with a 4 in the title. Two sequels with a 5 in the title. One sequel that, if it were inclined to use numbers, would have to have a 7 1/2 in the title

[system7]

Let me say that I have had many wonderful nights at the cinema! I love it for the total absorption it can provide.

Zorba the Greek, Lawrence of Arabia, Babette's Feast, The Last Temptation of Christ, Zulu, Casablanca.

Sadly Hollywood is concentrating on opening night blockbusters like Predator 6 or whatever.

Or Avatar 2:



Big movie cinema is now a teenage phenomenen, helped by profitable coke and popcorn sales. Some people say cinema is in trouble, like Adrion Hon:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technol...ovie-industry/

Personally, I still think repertory or arthouse cinema can be good. But I'd rather watch TV in general.

[Mr Grapes]

after watching heston's thing the other night....

the popcorn in the bag costs less than the bag itself... (less than a penny per serving - which i can understand, a half kilo bag costs less than £1 in the supermarket, so even less in bulk and a small scoop full unpopped makes a bucketfull popped.)
heston broke a bag and the manager was more concerned about the waste of the bag than the contents of it

and for this they charge £4.00 odd
how many other products have > 400% markup!
no wonder they want you in the cinema!

[Peeej]

AAARRRGGGHHHH noo they are going to franchise Blade Runner!

[system7]

AAARRRGGGHHHH noo they are going to franchise Blade Runner!

Ew, but there's good news too! A couple of other Philip K D1ck books made into films in the offing.

Dick’s life and work, which began to resemble and blend into each other during his years in Southern California, are the subject of a new film, “Radio Free Albemuth,” starring Alanis Morissette and currently seeking distribution. (The novel, published after his death, and film both offer a character named Philip K. ****.) “The Adjustment Bureau,” an adaptation of an early **** story starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, is due in the fall, and several other projects — as well as lawsuits over his ever-growing estate — are cooking.

The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt looks rather good. Trailer here: http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/...unusual-movie/

[Mr Grapes]

Ooohhh!

didn't know the adjustment bureau was a PKD story.

wonder if it was in the compendium i had from the library (and hence don't have anymore - but included minority report)
I read all the stories in it so might have read this one unwittingly

orig story:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjustment_Team

[Dano]

Hoping to go see the Adjustment Bureau this weekend

[Charlotte]

I kinda wanna see 'Battle: Los Angeles'. Not sure if it will be any good....

[codemonkey]

Ew, but there's good news too! A couple of other Philip K D1ck books made into films in the offing.

<snip>

I recently managed to get hold of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" on my kindle. It bears almost no resemblance to Blade Runner. Thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking book; provided you keep the book and the film seperate in your mind that is.

[Mr Grapes]

most PKD based movies bear no resemblance to to the original stories.

total recall was 'similar', minority report was kind of close with a wildly different ending.

not sure about the others.
but then how many times are film translations of ANY books faithful

[Deanster]

It's such as shame as good cinema doesn't need to cost that much. It's usually better if films are made with hardly any budget, no cgi and just let the acting and script take over.....

[Musthaveittoday]

I hardly watch a film these days, it's got so predictable how things are going to end, I still enjoy the Mi3 etc, bit of unrealistic blood and guts doesn't do any harm, I prefer docs these days.

[Deanster]

Yeah, i'd have to agree with you on that, I re watched Band of Brothers recently. So good. I'm glad they made it into a mini series instead of just jamming it into one film!!!

[dex22]

Absolutely agree with this thread, plunging to new depths these days...

Personally made me particularly furious was there is to be another short circuit movie, and a remake of the dirty dozen. Was devastated