The Blockbuster Oscar Bait Movie Thread

[Skarpen]

 

[Gfted1]

1 hour ago, Gorgon said:

So the highest grossing movie of all time is Avengers Endgame.

An they had to cheat to get it by re-releasing it again with "bonus footage" in the credits. That said, I still haven't seen it and want to.

[LadyCrimson]

1 hour ago, Gorgon said:

So the highest grossing movie of all time is Avengers Endgame. It's pretty garbage. Why are movies garbage these days. I honestly remember a time with a better percentage of decent movies. 

It's probably going to get all the Oscars because it made all the money. Logic that is. 

At some point, the Summer Blockbuster became not just for Summer anymore. Also, just like with gaming, it becomes more and more about spectacle vs. substance. That said, I remember plenty of mediocre to terrible films from every decade vs. those few that I worshipped every year. One of the differences perhaps is that there are just so many movies being made per year these days - the (total) releases per year has gone up a lot, since it's a lot easier to make a basic movie (not talking about finances, just the tech). Heck you can make a decent looking digital movie on your DLSR if you wanted to and try to get it released as an indie/festival film or whatnot. But not even counting those (or direct to dvd/streaming), while the major studios (the "big 6", I think) hasn't really increased per-year releases, the total is massively higher (6 or 7 times since the 80's, I think, for wider or middling theater releases).

It's the same with TV. Nostalgia has us remembering a better percentage of TV shows, but you had like 3 channels and little choice (numbers wise) to have to sift through to find something interesting - now we have hundreds of choices and all of them are trying to make shows but that doesn't mean there is really a higher percentage of quality. it just means we all have to sift through ever more choices in order to find something that maybe might fit our personal tastes. I hardly bother anymore, too much effort.

 

Edit: Also, the film/video industry has become too obsessed with reaction-shots vs. dialogue. It's like the joke that the Twilight series running time is made up of 1/3 reaction shots of the couple staring at each other. I sometimes try to watch something and feel like nothing is happening because the characters spend a whole lot of time just staring/reacting.

Edited August 9, 2019 by LadyCrimson

[Hurlshort]

I'm not sure about Endgame being garbage. I watched it at home recently, and it was an enjoyable bit of action. I mean, they were tying up a bunch of loose threads from multiple franchises that are all connected, so I think it deserves a fair bit of credit for not being a train wreck.

[algroth]

31 minutes ago, Gfted1 said:

An they had to cheat to get it by re-releasing it again with "bonus footage" in the credits. That said, I still haven't seen it and want to.

So did Avatar, to be fair. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(2009_film)#Extended_theatrical_re-release

[InsaneCommander]

I really liked Endgame. But I have not watched Spiderman Far From Home yet and I'm not really interested in seeing it in theathers. Maybe even I am getting tired of these movies.

[injurai]

End Game is hardly garbage. Though Infinity War was much better. It's not a deep masterpieces, Just solid fun imo. The narrative capital of a decade makes it better than most films. I think that is a large reason they sell so well too. Avatar was mostly just James Cameron's name and fancy new production techniques (CGI + 3D) that earned all the money. I feel the sequels won't be as commanding.

I remember the escapism aspect was cited as a reason for people going back to the theatre. Wanting to be blue luminescent semi-nude cat elves that commune with nature while sharing an organic VR dreamscape with some sort of gaia incarnate really seemed to appeal to the modern displaced dysphoric godless urbanites. It even had an in-universe way to realize an escape into such an existence. However, I'm ot sure that dream will sell for another 4 movies though. I just want to see how Cameron does when returning for all those alleged under-water sequences that he has apparently concocted for Avatar 2 & 3.

[ShadySands]

I thought Avatar was just ok and even though I don't like time travel I liked End Game much, much more.

[Gorgon]

12 hours ago, LadyCrimson said:

At some point, the Summer Blockbuster became not just for Summer anymore. Also, just like with gaming, it becomes more and more about spectacle vs. substance. That said, I remember plenty of mediocre to terrible films from every decade vs. those few that I worshipped every year. One of the differences perhaps is that there are just so many movies being made per year these days - the (total) releases per year has gone up a lot, since it's a lot easier to make a basic movie (not talking about finances, just the tech). Heck you can make a decent looking digital movie on your DLSR if you wanted to and try to get it released as an indie/festival film or whatnot. But not even counting those (or direct to dvd/streaming), while the major studios (the "big 6", I think) hasn't really increased per-year releases, the total is massively higher (6 or 7 times since the 80's, I think, for wider or middling theater releases).

It's the same with TV. Nostalgia has us remembering a better percentage of TV shows, but you had like 3 channels and little choice (numbers wise) to have to sift through to find something interesting - now we have hundreds of choices and all of them are trying to make shows but that doesn't mean there is really a higher percentage of quality. it just means we all have to sift through ever more choices in order to find something that maybe might fit our personal tastes. I hardly bother anymore, too much effort.

 

Edit: Also, the film/video industry has become too obsessed with reaction-shots vs. dialogue. It's like the joke that the Twilight series running time is made up of 1/3 reaction shots of the couple staring at each other. I sometimes try to watch something and feel like nothing is happening because the characters spend a whole lot of time just staring/reacting.

Ohh I definitely think TV is better now than it has ever been, as for going to a theater, I mean it's all kids movies and your furious 5 and John Wicks.   

[InsaneCommander]

On 8/9/2019 at 9:42 PM, injurai said:

End Game is hardly garbage. Though Infinity War was much better. It's not a deep masterpieces, Just solid fun imo. The narrative capital of a decade makes it better than most films. I think that is a large reason they sell so well too. Avatar was mostly just James Cameron's name and fancy new production techniques (CGI + 3D) that earned all the money. I feel the sequels won't be as commanding.

I remember the escapism aspect was cited as a reason for people going back to the theatre. Wanting to be blue luminescent semi-nude cat elves that commune with nature while sharing an organic VR dreamscape with some sort of gaia incarnate really seemed to appeal to the modern displaced dysphoric godless urbanites. It even had an in-universe way to realize an escape into such an existence. However, I'm ot sure that dream will sell for another 4 movies though. I just want to see how Cameron does when returning for all those alleged under-water sequences that he has apparently concocted for Avatar 2 & 3.

4 Avatar movies in 6 years? Doesn't look like a good idea to me.

[Zoraptor]

Have they even started shooting the Avatar sequels yet? I'm halfway convinced the whole thing is a scam so Jim Cameron could buy a house next to Sir Peter Jackson and visit Weta Workshop whenever he wants.

[213374U]

On 8/9/2019 at 9:09 PM, Gorgon said:

Why are movies garbage these days. I honestly remember a time with a better percentage of decent movies. 

 

I find I'm for the most part not very interested in movies nowadays. Mass-marketed stuff seems to be taking over, and I guess that what isn't that just flies under my radar. And then once every ten years or so Tom Cruise does something like Collateral or Edge of Tomorrow and I feel stupid for not giving more movies the benefit of doubt.

[Amentep]

4 hours ago, Zoraptor said:

Have they even started shooting the Avatar sequels yet? I'm halfway convinced the whole thing is a scam so Jim Cameron could buy a house next to Sir Peter Jackson and visit Weta Workshop whenever he wants.

Principal photography began Sept 2017, was still shooting in May 2018.  I think there was a break in filming, not sure if they restarted.

[algroth]

Looking forward to this. Really like Malick in general, even what I've seen of the latter half of his output. This seems more reminiscent of The New World than any of his post-Tree of Life work.

[Gfted1]

Wanted

Wow, that was pretty bad. It was precisely this scene where my wife exclaimed "COME ON!" and then stared at me until I changed the channel :

 

[LadyCrimson]

On 8/11/2019 at 3:08 PM, 213374U said:

And then once every ten years or so Tom Cruise does something like Collateral

Still one of my fave action-y movies and just about the only Tom Cruise movie where I really liked Cruise. He should play baddies more often. I did like Minority Report a fair bit too although I can't really say why. Just the bleakness of it perhaps.

Feeling like Disney has taken over a huge part of the film market doesn't help re: "kiddie" movies.
I also feel like the PG-13 rating, over many years, has not helped at all in terms of production of interesting films for adults. Edit: remember when NC-17 was introduced? It almost feels like R has become that, now, at least in terms of the studio head's minds.

Edited August 14, 2019 by LadyCrimson

[Amentep]

NC-17 just existed because the X rating had been rendered meaningless.

The big problem with the R rating is that studios don't tend to make as much profit on R film hits as PG 13 hits, and the studios don't want to spend 10 million to make 20 million, they want to spend 150 million to make 300 million.

[algroth]

For what it's worth, I do think the dearth of R-rated "A movies" was a greater problem a few years back than it is today, in great part thanks to Deadpool's success and the subsequent string of mid-budget R-rated successes and so on, what with Logan, John Wick, It, the Jordan Peele films et al. A24 is also progressively pushing its way into wider releases whilst always offering some interesting alternative to the all-too-familiar mainstream landscape. Whilst I wouldn't suggest the mainstream has sufficient diversity in the films they offer, I do hope the upwards trend of these continues.

[majestic]

On 8/13/2019 at 7:50 PM, Gfted1 said:

Wanted

Wow, that was pretty bad. It was precisely this scene where my wife exclaimed "COME ON!" and then stared at me until I changed the channel :

Eh, honestly, we're talking about a comic adapation that has assassins killing targets because of errors in the fabric of the Loom of Fate(tm) who can curve bullets. With that as frame of reference Acid Burn picking up Professor X like that makes perfect sense.

[algroth]

Looks very good!

[algroth]

 

[kirottu]

Shouldn't it be called "Stereo" instead of "Monos"?

[Blarghagh]

On urging of friends, I decided to watch all the Fast & Furious movies over the past 2 weeks and while the first few were bad, they do get entertaining big dumb action movies once they switch from the racing aspect to more heist movie stuff. Good way to turn your brain off.

[LadyCrimson]

On 8/15/2019 at 6:15 PM, algroth said:

Looks very good!

It does look decent and I recognize some faces. It's funny, I watch a lot of the Korean drama series, but I don't watch very many films. Although this is in part because TV series get all the website attention and it's often hard for me to even have access to Korean/Asian films. If it's not on Netflix, Viki, or Amazon rentals I won't ever see it and there have been Korean films I wanted to see because of the people starring in them.   Occasionally they probably show up in "arthouse"/smaller theaters in the big cities but I'm not driving to San Fran. or SJ just to see one. I'm lazy.

[Bartimaeus]

Viridiana (1961). That was really bizarre, different, and pretty good. Got it a while back but held off until I was in the mood for it as I often do for odder/more random movie picks. Usually works pretty well. Probably my favorite foreign film out of what I've watched so far (which isn't a great amount yet, admittedly, but hey, I'm trying).

Edited August 20, 2019 by Bartimaeus