The Movies This Summer

[Phantom]

Is it me or have the majority of the movies this summer been horrible? I would say that this summer has been one of the worst for movies.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well CMJ could answer this question better but I bet 1990 was the worst summer ever. I can't think of one film from that year that was memorable. This year you had Revenge of the Sith, Batman Begins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, War of the Worlds and Wedding Crashers, which are all big hits. Also my top three from this summer would pass all but Harry Potter and Spiderman 2 from last year (though ROTS passes both of them and I liked Batman Begins a lot better than SM2).

[Phantom]

I haven't seen Wedding Crashers yet, but the other four movies you listed were great. Isn't there usually more then just four or five big movies during the summer?

[JMK]

Aside from what JMC just highlighted, 2005 has been pretty close to horrific IMO.

[Jedi Master Carr]

It depends usually Hollywood will have tentpole movies and there are only a few of them. Honestly it is about the same as last year. Last year the big movies of the Summer were Shrek 2, Spiderman 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and The Bourne Identity. The rest of the summer had disapointing movies like The Day after Tomorrow, Aliens vs Predator, The Chronicles of Riddick, and The Stepford Wives. I might be missing some movies which did better but I think it was about the same as last year.

[Tear]

I thought this summer was pretty awesome for me actually. I've seen War of the worlds(good), Batman Begins (good), Mr and Mrs.Smith(good), Dark Water(bad...), Wedding Crashers(good), Charley and the Chocolate Factory (good), and Star wars 3 (also good. Better then the last two anyway).

I love movies..

[Rutabaga]

It's been a good summer for me as well, with ROTS, Batman Begins, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Sky High (hey, don't laugh, it was fun!). But I also experienced a great disappointment with War of the Worlds, I guess I'm pretty much in a minority here, but I didn't like it.

Then again, this summer has produced some major duds that are pretty embarrassing and do help to explain why there's been a slump at the BO office. What really scares me is that, since Dukes of Hazzard did decently on its opening weekend (although it's going to dive badly this weekend), studio execs will still take it as a sign that it's okay to turn out more stoopid TV show adaptaions, as long as it gets butts in the seats on opening weekend :(.

[Shawn]

I loved both ROTS and Batman Begins, so that's better than average for me. I usually only see maybe 4-5 movies a year.

The other two I saw were Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Land of the Dead, both of which I found underwhelming. :\

I know people have been talking about "Hollywood running out of ideas" for years now, but I think it really is starting to sink in. It's difficult to find a movie released recently that isn't built off an existing franchise.

[Jedi Master Carr]

well almost nothing is originally, something has to be based off of something. I hate it when you hear critics saying we need more original ideas. Originality is rare it is something that almost never comes. It is that way in fiction, heck the greatest writer in the world William Shakespear borrowed from others sources and other people for just about everyone of his plays. Its how you tell the story not the originality of the material, IMO.

[Shawn]

It's one thing to take inspiration for your ideas. What I'm talking about is just an endless streams of sequels, remakes, and comicbook adaptations.

[Daiquiri]

^ Amen!!

[Tear]

In a way this sort of relates to the gaming industry as well. Its basically all about franchises. In the gaming industry theres basically two types of games.

Franchises, sequals, stuff like that.

and Original ideas, new gameplay.

Franchises are based off of succesful titles or other brand names that have hit it big. These are 90% of the time products that will make money.

In the gaming industry theres really no inbetween for successful games. There either a success or they arent. Thousands of titles are put out each year but the population only heres about maybe..20?

Basically the developers want a sure way to make money so they arent willing to back original ideas. Because of the risk factor.

I think this is the same way it is in the movie business. Producers want a cash cow so they pick up on already successful franchises that they know should make money.

Look at the Island one of the more Original titles that came out this summer. Obviously not totally original since theres been tons of stuff Like it but close enough. It didnt do near as well at the box office as say Batman or Charley and the chocolate factory.

Obviously these arent the only reasons movies dont do well there are tons of factors tied into it actors, directors, release dates etc but i think one main reason we dont see Original movies that often is because they can be a risky investment.

[Phantom]

I dunno, I don't really consider May a summer month, which is when RotS and I think Batman Begins came out. So that leaves really only a few good movies this summer. Does Hollywood consider May a summer month?

[JMK]

Good point.

But I think they consider RotS as the kick off for summer blockbusters. Don't quote me though.

[Droo]

To be honest, I think the opposite: I think this year has been awesome for movies, personally.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
War of the Worlds
Batman Begins
Constantine
Hitch
Revenge of the Sith
Sin City
Sky High

And we have Goblet of Fire, King Kong, Narnia and Corpse Bride to look forward to as well.

[Sanis Prent]

That and Four Brothers looks to be a cut above the mix, and I'm actually pretty interested in seeing it.

[CMJ]

It's really a pretty average summer movie wise for me. I haven't been uber impressed with a summer slate for about 10 years. Always some gems, always some duds and always most movies in the middle somewhere.

(oh and May has been considered a "summer" month by Hollywood since Twister in 1996)

[Shawn]

Originally posted by Droo
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - remake/adaptation
War of the Worlds - remake
Batman Begins - adaptation
Constantine - adaptation
Hitch - Hadn't even heard of this?
Revenge of the Sith - Sequel
Sin City - adaptation
Sky High - "Original", but I use the term tentatively

I'm not saying that any of them are bad movies, but that just proves my point.

[Droo]

I've personally no huge problem with that. The trend hasn't begun to annoy me just yet but I do see what you mean. Those films listed have been immense fun and entertaining - although I'm not the biggest fan of Spielberg's War of the Worlds to say the least.

Hitch was just a light-heated fun Will Smith feel-good film.

[CMJ]

Originally posted by Shawn
War of the Worlds - remake


Actually it's more of an adaptation of the original novel.

[Jedi Master Carr]

To me adaptations aren't a big deal. There is nothing wrong with making movies off books, Hollywood has been doing that for ever (Ben-Hur, Gone with the Wind, and The Wizard of Oz come to mind) also Hollywood hasn't changed, people forget the 30-60's when there were tons of sequels, Dracula, Frankestein, The Mummy, the Wolfman, all those god awful Gidget movies, etc. So really it is no different the only difference is Hollywood makes less movies now.