Who else thinks Hollywood is creatively bankrupt?

I'm telling you, I think Hollywood has hit ROCK BOTTOM in the creativity department. For every original film that comes out (Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean), there's at least 10 sub-par clones or crappy remakes. Every horror film is a remake of a Japanese horror flick (The Ring, The Grudge) and the WW2 films either suck or simply fall short of Saving Private Ryan (The Greatest Raid, Pearl Harbor, Hart's War). As for the comic book movies, they're either hit or miss.

Pink Panther - What the hell was wrong with Peter Sellers' classic? This remake is a travesty. For one thing, Steve Martin hasn't been funny since Three Amigos. On top of all that, they just threw in some random rap star as a supporting actress.

Dukes of Hazzard - Okay, so I suppose that casting Jessica Simpson makes it all better, right?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Again, it ain't broke so don't fix it. Gene Wilder was funny, but Johnny Depp is just creepy as Willy Wonka.

The Longest Yard, Taxi... I can go on and on with these remakes. I'm coming to the conclusion that the better films tend to be from independent studios or from foreign countries now. The last good WW2 movies I've seen were Tae Guk Gi (from South Korea) and Saints & Soldiers (independent film).

No, definately not true. There are as many good movies coming out these days as there ever have been (has been? grammer blows) People just think that movies from the past are better because only the good films are remembered, while the bad ones forgotten. Comparing the great older movies, making up maybe 5% of major hollywood productions, to all the current movies is unfair.

And the same applies to foreign and independent films. Yes there definately really good ones, but also really bad ones. Guess what happens to those? They stay foreign and independent.

Horror movies, at least a large number of them today, are terrible. Practically every one that has come out is so obnoxious it makes me want to laugh (When a stranger calls), or as you've commented, have the exact same premise, with bimbos who are hired to act scared. Then there are ones like SAW or Hostel, which are just like tuning in to watch a torture tape from some third world nation. Honestly, can someone explain to me why people get off on watching purely gut films like that? It honestly just strikes me as pure sadism. The difference between a fan of the violent Saving Private ryan and a fan of the violence in Hostel is like the Roman watching a gladiator fight another gladiator and the Roman watching someone tied to a post getting torn apart by a lion.

Ranting aside, it really depends on your view of movies. To me, all these Date movies, Horror movies, and pissant comedies that my agegroup flock to are a sign of Holywood's pitiful nature. But we have Brokeback Mountain (never saw it), Walk the Line (never saw it), and a bunch of other movies I'm forgetting off the top of my head.

Mango brings up a good point with the good movies being remembered and the bad ones being forgotten.

Moved to the Bibliotheca

Tae Guk Gi (from South Korea) is a fine film, but it's set during the Korean war. I think the film industry in America is getting far far behind, I've seen good movies coming out of China, France and the UK though.

"Pink Panther - What the hell was wrong with Peter Sellers' classic? This remake is a travesty. For one thing, Steve Martin hasn't been funny since Three Amigos. On top of all that, they just threw in some random rap star as a supporting actress."

What does Beyonce Knowles have to do with rap? I dont know how anyone can confuse what she does with rap, it doesnt even sound alike.

Everything else I agree with you on pretty much, especially the Depp as Willy Wonka thing being creepy...man that remake sucked donkey balls, I dont know why people would prefer it over the original.

Originally Posted by Honeohvovohaestse

Tae Guk Gi (from South Korea) is a fine film, but it's set during the Korean war. I think the film industry in America is getting far far behind, I've seen good movies coming out of China, France and the UK though.

Yeah, I know it's set in the Korean War. But I just see their uniforms, BAR's, M-1's, and F4U Corsairs and think "WW2."

And yes, I'll agree that we only remember the good films. I can just picture our kids or grandkids saying, "Man, today's movies suck. Hollywood has really gone downhill since the 00's. They had Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter."

I know that defense of Beyonce is for the boob factor, however the vocal harmonys are identical to rap, the "instrumental" parts created electronically. It's quite simular. She should stick to that though, she can't act.

Originally Posted by Honeohvovohaestse

I know that defense of Beyonce is for the boob factor, however the vocal harmonys are identical to rap, the "instrumental" parts created electronically. It's quite simular. She should stick to that though, she can't act.

That has nothing to do with rap. House music and electronica and trance music also has electronically generated production, does that mean they are like rap too?

Beyonce does pop and R&B...thats it. She might date and hang around rappers, but she doesnt know how to rap. If you want to see what a real female M.C. looks and sounds like, check out Lauryn Hill in her Fugee days.

Willy Wonka? I loved Johnny Depp's scariness, personally. In the new one Wonka was actually a character with some sort of depth (well, not really). Gene Wilder just recited crazy rhymes and said "sorry, what did you say?". Don't get me wrong, I loved the sheer randomness, but I preferred the Depp randomness.

And the kids in the new one were better - especially Mike Teeve (how can you not know a kid like that? Hell, I used to be one) and Violet Beauregarde.

Thanks for totally ignoring the vocal harmonys. :laughing:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is an awesome movie.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is an awesome movie.

And the fact that it has Michael Jackson in it makes it even better.

Wtf is a vocal harmony? I listen to rap man, I dont know what that is. You mean like...Bone thugs N Harmony, or something like that? They probably got this "vocal harmony" that you speak of.

And Michael Jackson was in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Stop lying man, no he wasnt. Was he? I watch that movie all the time, theres the German fat kid, the snobby rich girl, the loud cowboy kid...and I don't remember seeing a black kid with an afro in there.

Originally Posted by RZZZA

Wtf is a vocal harmony? I listen to rap man, I dont know what that is. You mean like...Bone thugs N Harmony, or something like that? They probably got this "vocal harmony" that you speak of.

And Michael Jackson was in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Stop lying man, no he wasnt. Was he? I watch that movie all the time, theres the German fat kid, the snobby rich girl, the loud cowboy kid...and I don't remember seeing a black kid with an afro in there.

The vocal harmony is everything from the Bone thugs thing who try to do it with more....taste? If that's possible in rap, to the non-sensical "HUH WHAT, YO!" in the "gangsta" genre.

i would say that hollywood is creatively bankrupt
there have been no good movies for about a year, except star wars and king kong

the rest are ALL cookie cutter movies or movies with messages that would aim to recruit people to the unpopular military (ie: annapolis, stealth, etc.)

but I will change all that
look for my movie in 20 years, go see it
I'll be laughing all the way to the bank and to the oscars

hahahahahah

*no seriously*

Too many movies made by Hollywood these days think this equation will always pay off: tons of CGI + lackluster story - character development - any type of plot = big blockbuster! That equation used to pay off when no one paid much attention to foreign films. Now, foreign films are getting more recognition and American films are becoming stale and unoriginal.

I think that Hollywood's best bet was an era of Epics. That era has come and people have attempted to tap into it, they have utterly wasted it IMO, I think Ridley Scott made the best go if it, with Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven, however, even those left quite a bit to be desired.

Look at Troy, all the characters were so damn flimsy or just unbelievable, Eric Bana as Prince Hector is what carried that movie. How does a bowel weak lover boy (Bloom) become an ace bowman within a few weeks???? Longbowmen took close to two decades to train FFS! Gladiator, I didn't mind the semi-faction storyline, and it was gustsy of Scott to kill off certain characters when he did, however I think there needed to be anotehr battle or two to REALLY emphasis what being a Roman Soldier is, a bit more the Germanic campaign would REALLY reflected how pragmatic that average Roman was, plus they didn't even use their pilums FFS, that was a bit of a faux pas.

Kingdom of Heaven, again I didn't mind Scotts play on characters here, however, I just can't see why Scott had to make Balian's father Godfrey when he really was Barisan of Ibelin. I mean... why? That is like saying Commodus' father in Gladiator would be Gnaeus Septimus Trajanus or something like that...

King Arthur, really, I don't want to go their, half a dozen warriors beating a few thousand Saxons. Sry, not today... Can someone also tell me when on Earth did the Roman invade Sarmatia, I mean tehy would have to cross the Rhine, Esser, Oder and Vistula just to pass through Germania Magna... Umm yeah, plus with Rome's capacity to wage a DEFENSIVE war in the 300's is evidence enough that a Rome venture into Sarmatia is a load of turd under my boot.

Alexander, I haven't seen it, and I don't think I will, i've heard enough about it....

I bet now that people have seen Alexander, the new 300 Spartans will introduce a gay love triangle between two Spartan warriors and an endeared Helot (OMFG!!!! *angry*). What is the bet the Immortals will defeat the Spartans head on insted of being the force that goes along the goat trail to flank them, oh, and what is the bet it is gonna be a sunday stroll there too, they won't include the skirmishes between the Immortals and the Phocian 1,000 man guard that was there.....

Lets see, how many WWI and WWII movies are there, half the movies are about the Yanks saving the World at D-Day, the other half are about how the War turned when the brave 101st Paratroop div held the ENTIRE Wehrmacht out od Bastogne and saved the World... Again.... Nothing about Russia, exept one movie WHICH OMFG! Has to include some pathetic love triangle, i'm sure the Russkies were worrying about a lot more than when they were gonna get their next shag. Oh, and Germans, they are protrayed as semi-robotic demonic minions of herr Hitler himself, oh no, GERMANS DON'T have feelings, not to mention it is as if they were the only members of the Axis. With exeption to a few John Wayne movies and Pearl Harbour, Germany took on the world alone. Don't worry, ITALY, HUNGARY, ROMANIA, FINLAND and BULGARIA DIDN'T SEND THEIR SONS TO DIE, NO WAY HOSE`!

Meh, i've made my point...

Three Amigos. On top of all that, they just threw in some random rap star as a supporting actress.

R and b singer and shes not random maybe you need to watch more tv

I would say yes, they have gone bankrupt.
Very few movies are actually orginal or special and those movies either fail at the box office or gets bashed beyond repair by close-minded people.
But there are still a few good movies out there. Last one I saw that was good was "munich".
Last horror movie I saw that was very good and actually scary even to me was "The Descent" made by the guy that did Dog soldiers.
But I do hope they will stop remaking the old classics(King kong is an exception).
Like I know Raimi is gonna re-make the Evil dead film.
Why ??
The old one is good, leave it alone.