"Raising Helen" and the decline of American cinema

[Stormymystic]

Originally posted by Illumina Drathiran'ar: I mean, my God. I wouldn't be able to see that movie. I would be forcibly removed from the theatre because I would be sitting in my seat, whispering things like "There's no legal precedent for this" and "Are they suggesting that the principal is the one who grades students? Or that he just intervene personally to give them all A's? That's awfully corrupt of him. Is that the kind of man who she wants to date?" and "My God, she's stupid" to whatever poor soul might be sitting next to me. Or my friend who would come along to help me make fun of it. Either way.

remind me to never go to the theater with you [img]tongue.gif[/img] , seriously though, I know excactly where you are coming from, and as much as I hate to say this, but I could not go to the theater to see movies like this, I would probably fall asleep trying to watch it, maybe they will some how figure out we are not crazy enough to belive the movie, and will start making better one?

[Gangrell]

Originally posted by Mellagar: The problem I've seen with movies recently is unlike the old classic black and white films, where the actor had to be able to 'act,' these walking twists have special effects to help smooth the rough edges. Take the Star Wars: Clone Wars film as a prime example.

The biggest reason I didn't like the Clone Wars (at all) was that it had too many cheesy lines, and the guy playing Anakin isn't the best actor either.

Hollywood is running out of ideas alright, I really do hate it when they come out with movies with a storyline so lame it makes the best actor look like crap. I do have a prediction though, that when ideas and scripts become minimum, they'll start making more movies off of games, or spin-offs anyway.

[uss]

That's the very reason I love Anime, Drathiran'ar. Very many Anime series use its own way to approach the subject and then use all sorts of nice ways to develop it. Many series are practically worshipped by quite a few fans, and that is because the directors do their hardest to make the creation not fall into a stereotype. Of course, there are exceptions(a few very long shows) but very, very few, considering that so many American movies are like that. Many Anime series also have great soundtracks(I can give you a list of 'Many Animes,' if anyone doesn't believe me).

Also, I am absolutely fed up with hearing the American English. Nowadays, I NEVER watch television, since so much of it is just junk rating-manipulated shows. (Whereas Japanese sounds so very beautiful(but that's a more personal thought). I *always* insist on taking subtitled Anime, since dubtitled stuff always ruins the voice of at least one character.

I think that Anime(Hellsing, all from Miyazaki, Shinkai Makoto, many more) has such beautiful and cool images that aren't possible to do live-action. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Ilander]

I haven't been to see a movie since Return of the King, and I really don't regret it...although sometimes Gloria goes without me... ...Anyway, there have been good movies to come out...the industry has just realized that more profit can be made from constantly having a movie in theaters as opposed to having only the good ones. The teenage demographic (at least in the US) will aaaaaalways spend it's parents' money on movie tickets, whether they REALLY want to see them or not.

[Jerome]

The problem is not a lack of creativity: two thousand years ago there were stories being made, poems written, plays acted - and today there are thousands more original ideas in the same mediums produced every single year.

What do exist are archetypal story structures - but there are always exceptions to the rule, which because of the entrenched pattern of narrative that the audience has come to expect ("cultivation theory"), anything that tries to differ from it is often seen as alien and has a huge problem of getting over that barrier.

There are thousands of scripts written with brilliant dialogue, moving stories, deep and introspective observation... the list goes on. What, however, is produced on the big screen is a culmination of the need for profit and the assurance that certain styles of film will get the said profits.

How you go about solving that is beyond me. There isn't any sort of lack of talented actors, writers or directors, but they'll never rise to the top due to the economic factors which control the entire industry - save for notable exceptions.

When you remember that even the most common, down to earth people used to go and watch Shakespeare's (and his contemporaries') plays, and more than that - enjoy them - then the situation seems somehow very sad.

And what I just contributed to the discussion I have no idea. But I felt like a rant.