The Victorious Opposition

Allow me to geek out for a minute.

I disagree that 2009 was a bad year for cinema. I think mainly it was a year that the Hollywood marketing machine told us all to watch the wrong films. And it is utterly depressing that Transformers 2 made so much money. I basically waited for the Megan Fox shot, and then couldn’t watch any more. There were a lot of good movies, but most of them flew under the radar.

Firstly – Avatar was great, but if you can’t see it in IMAX 3D, then don’t bother. It looks absolutely stunning, and is a great cinematic experience, but if you think about it for more than 2 seconds, it is in essence a really really terrible film. (The maguffin is a mineral that is hard to mine. They called it unobtanium. )

Up in the air might turn you back onto Clooney. A really refreshing film that doesn’t tell you what to think, and allows you to draw your own conclusions. (Reitman for best director Oscar. I’m calling it now.)

In The Loop was my favourite film of the year – I am a huge fan on Armando Ianucci, and it has some of the best swearing ever captured on film. Knowing the sensibilities of the VO – I’d definitely recommend it to everyone here.

Another hilarious film (if you like your comedy awkward) is Humpday. Saw it yesterday, and haven’t laughed so much in ages.

And in the “it cost hardly anything compared to the clusterfuck that was Transformers” category, you have the awesome Moon and District 9. 2 incredible lead performances.

500 Days Of Summer gave us a romcom that blokes could enjoy, and Zombieland gave us the best Zombie movie since Shaun of the Dead.

Try and check out Worlds Greatest Dad – It stars Robin Williams, it is a comedy, and it’s directed by the guy with the funny voice from Police Academy. But trust me. It will surprise you.

And in the “I wonder what the VO will make of it” category – the Coen Brothers A Serious Man. I would be particularly interested in Dwex thoughts on this.

As for 2010 movies – Christopher Nolans Inception looks interesting, and we finally get that A-Team movie. We can rely on Pixar for a great Toy Story 3, and I personally can’t wait for Kick Ass.

I finally saw Transformers 2 on DVD this weekend and I would apply the exact same filter as you did for avatar:

It looks absolutely stunning, and is a great cinematic experience, but if you think about it for more than 2 seconds, it is in essence a really really terrible film.

So Sam Worthington’s Clash Of The Titans and Russell Crowe’s Robin Hood look to me like winners. Worthington is probably the new Crowe, and another Aussie (between these two and Eric Bana), they grow some badass dudes down under.

James Woods did an interview with Maxim a few years ago where he made the snarky observation that American men are so pussified now that whenever the movie studios want to cast a no nonsense butt-kicker in role, they cast an Australian. 

Firstly – Avatar was great, but if you can’t see it in IMAX 3D, then don’t bother. It looks absolutely stunning, and is a great cinematic experience, but if you think about it for more than 2 seconds, it is in essence a really really terrible film.

A friend of mine saw it in IMAX 3D, and the result was a splitting headache for the next 24 hours before it finally subsided, so I won’t be taking any chances there.  The opportunity to be dazzled visually isn’t worth the risk of a migraine, and if I want to watch a re-hash of the “outsider discovers his soul after roughing it with the noble savages” storyline, I’ve got Dances with Wolves on DVD, which at least shows my favorite period in American history as part of the setting.

500 Days Of Summer gave us a romcom that blokes could enjoy

I submitted to seeing this on a date last year, and I was surprised that I liked the film as much as I did, probably because I thought it was a lot darker than the promotions implied.  The film underscores just how delusional and manipulative young people can be when it comes to romantic relationships, although I’m not sure if that was the intent of the its creators.

The Transformers movies make a lot more sense if you look at them as 2-2.5 hour recruiting commercials for the US military rather than movies.

The Hangover was the best movie that was released in 2009 that I saw in the theater, hands down, although I thought it kind of got ruined at the end when they showed the pictures from the camera.  Part of what made it so funny was not knowing everything that went on and wondering just how much screwed up-shit the characters pulled.  However, it wasn’t the best movie I saw in the theater in 2009.  That would be The Wrestler, and I’m still convinced Mickey Rourke didn’t get the Oscar because the Academy was afraid he’d pull off some crazy stunt on stage. 

I’m looking forward to seeing Iron Man 2 (hopefully the War Machine angle doesn’t get screwed up) and the Clash of the Titans remake.

Gene Rodenberry’s ghost will forever haunt those clowns for their shameless abandon of the original story line

That’s funny because this is exactly why I liked the movie.

I disagree that 2009 was a bad year for cinema

The standard I used was the threshold of what would get my butt into a seat at the theaters, and there was precious little that met that criteria in ‘09. There were a few that I enjoyed that I netflixed:

District 9, nice premise but a bit obvious im feeding into a sequel
Taken, Liam Neeson goes Jack Bauer on some bad guys who stole his daughter, any parent can relate
The Univited, nice twist in the end
State Of Play, Afleck really can act, another Russel Crowe gem
The Hurt Locker, war movie on par with any in history
The Blind Side, see the post I wrote on this, the movie did not disappoint
Taking of Pellem 123, Denzel is “the man”, but somebody please teach Travolta how to swear like a man, his character was terribly written

James Woods did an interview with Maxim a few years ago where he made the snarky observation that American men are so pussified now that whenever the movie studios want to cast a no nonsense butt-kicker in role, they cast an Australian. 

Now that makes sense, and the Aussie actresses can kick some ass as well.  Another in line of sissified momma’s boys is that Matthew McConaughey.

and if I want to watch a re-hash of the “outsider discovers his soul after roughing it with the noble savages” storyline

A few months ago I rented Terra (basically for my kid), it is a nauseating morality play about the evils of American imperialism (Terra is a peace loving planet that is invaded by barbaric earthlings who have destroyed/polluted their planet and need Terra’s air) and I was wondering why the makers did not sue the pants off of Cameron, substituting Pandora for Terra, and Unobtainium for air.

although I thought it kind of got ruined at the end when they showed the pictures from the camera

See, I was glad they did that. There was still enough mystery and deviancy left to the imagination, those photos just tied a few things together and made the journey even sweeter. And what guy can’t say ,“been there, done that” to some degree? This movie was terrific.

That’s funny because this is exactly why I liked the movie.

You would feel differently if you were older. For about 10 years after the original series ended, they ran reruns and this is when I got into the series. To put Kirk in the same age category and the rest of the crew and make them his contemporary was just plain sacrilegious. It would be like making Spiderman and having him and Mary Jane brother and sister, and him being gay. It would be like making a new Potter movie where Voldemort is really Harry’s dad. It would be like making a movie based on that great TV show Wild Wild West, and putting some skinny Obama like black guy as the protagonist…....oh, wait!!

The standard I used was the threshold of what would get my butt into a seat at the theaters, and there was precious little that met that criteria in ‘09.

I never cross that threshold - I have a Home Theater that gets all my business.  I don’t mind being behind everyone else - the comfort and flexibility is worth it.  I hate going to real movie theaters anymore…

and I personally can’t wait for Kick Ass.

We should probably make this a separate post, but check this out.

I think I need a smack upside the head.

I never cross that threshold - I have a Home Theater that gets all my business.  I don’t mind being behind everyone else - the comfort and flexibility is worth it.  I hate going to real movie theaters anymore…

I’m with you every step of the way.

So what do you think of the new crop of movies coming out? No doubt MW can’t wait for the new Sex And The City movie (I bet his Carrie Bradshaw lunchbox is all the rave with the other animators)

We don’t have lunchboxes, we’d just puke lunch up to preserve our figures.

Avatar was great, but if you can’t see it in IMAX 3D, then don’t bother. It looks absolutely stunning, and is a great cinematic experience, but if you think about it for more than 2 seconds, it is in essence a really really terrible film. (The maguffin is a mineral that is hard to mine. They called it unobtanium. )

Yes, Avatar completely falls apart if you think about it too much. The entire concept of the Avatar is a tough pill to swallow. However, as another person who works in entertaining people, I am sometimes dumb founded as to what the measure of success is. It’s not a yes or no answer, its more of philosophy.

Without calling in the bunker busters into my home, let me just say this. How much pleading, influence, compromise, and creativity do you think it would take to get your dream film out there while spending a half billion dollars of other people’s money? This isn’t some state film about the dangers of speeding, it’s the entire future of a studio, it’s heads, stocks, employees, and an industry (would there ever be another film this expensive made, they asked).

I’d also like to add in that it must be tough to walk into a meeting of studio execs and explain away your use of a(n) American peace symbol in your gut wrenching Viet Nam movie because it might be insensitive to a potential British/Aussie/Kiwi audience.

That’s just how global the entertainment game got.

How much pleading, influence, compromise, and creativity do you think it would take to get your dream film out there while spending a half billion dollars of other people’s money?

I find it amazing how, in the current age of film (if not prior), every large budget film is a gamble that could potentially bankrupt a major studio.  Is it any wonder, then, that they so often opt for the safe bet?

Theres a pretty good Zombie movie I saw the other day (and I think is hitting the US later this year?) called Colin, that reportedly cost £40 to make….

Theres a pretty good Zombie movie I saw the other day (and I think is hitting the US later this year?) called Colin, that reportedly cost £40 to make….

You’re going to have to be a little more specific, please. If you mean to infer a great story doesn’t need a huge budget, that’s a debate. If you’re trying to say that Cameron didn’t need the budget to accomplish his story, or used all the money to cover a mediocre story, you’re missing the scope of what has been accomplished with Cameron’s piece.

My post was actually in response to Kevins post about the budgets of movies.

But I think it might turn out to be an interesting year as far as the risks that studios take in the future – perhaps not with the franchises, but definitely with comedy and horror. Tentpole comedies didn’t really perform – traditional summer bankers like Will Ferrell’s Land of the Lost and Jack Blacks year One didn’t break 50 million, whilst the Hangover (with no real stars and a director that was pretty much shut out of Hollywood) took half a billion worldwide against a budget of £35 million. Then you have Paranormal Activity, the Mumblecore films and even District 9.

Paramount are set to open a new ‘micro-budget’ division, so I do wonder if the thinking on risks is changing. You only need one Paranormal Activity a year to make it worthwhile.

As for Avatar…well I am sure that Cameron didn’t need to spend that much to accomplish that story – Dances with Wolves and Pocahontas did just fine on less. But I don’t think it was about the story (which is what I think you are getting at). What Cameron has made is a piece of pure Theatre, and experience, and I would absolutely recommend anyone sees it in Cinemas just as you should have seen Star Wars when it first came out.

Also, many people forget that a huge chunk of the budget is a sunken cost into the technology itself – from which other movies will benefit.