The Decline of Hollywood Movies

[Joe Washington]

As I go through trailers and news of upcoming movies, I see a lot of disturbing things. A sequel to Cats and Dogs. A sequel to Jackie Chan’s The Tuxedo without the Tuxedo. Another Spiderman movie. An unoriginal remake of Death at a Funeral. Another tasteless comedy this time starring John Cusack, Chevy Chase, and the black guy from the Office. A remake of the Karate Kid. Is this what Hollywood movies have been reduced into? An endless train of garbage driven more by a hunger for cash than the simple desire to tell a good story?

The only good movies out there are the ones that are indie produced, haven’t gotten so much press coverage as the big movies, or have been made years ago before the decline started.

What do you think?

 

[CaptainCanada]

driven more by a hunger for cash than the simple desire to tell a good story?

I don't think the former was ever not the case, in the big picture; industries like that don't run on artistic intent.

Anyway, I think that's a rather one-sided view of current output. I've been several good big studio films this year.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Hollywood is doing just fine, as far as I'm concerned. Indie films get more exposure now than at any time in the past, while the blockbusters keep getting bigger. It's the best of both worlds, I think.

 

[T'Baio]

The Maltese Falcon was a remake.

The Godfather Part II, arguably one of the greatest films of all time, was, obviously, a sequel.

 

[Joe Washington]

I didn't say I had anything against remakes and sequels such as those. I just haven't been liking the remakes of movies that Hollywood have been making these days.

 

[The Evil Dead]

There's been lots of fantastic films this year. The Hurt Locker, (500) Days of Summer, Away We Go, The Disappearance of Alice Creed, District 9, IngloriousBasterds, Star Trek, Avatar, Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans, Soloman Kane. Yeah, there's been a lot of junk, I'm not very keen on the impending remakes of Death at a Funeral or Let the Right One In, but you have to take the good with the bad.

And vote with your dollars people, if a movie doesn't float your boat, DON'T SEE IT, don't rent it, don't even download it.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I didn't say I had anything against remakes and sequels such as those. I just haven't been liking the remakes of movies that Hollywood have been making these days.

Problem is, people have short memories. You think the Hollywood of yesteryear was producing films of higher quality, when the truth is that they've always made a whole lot of crap. You just forget about the crap as time goes on and remember the good stuff.

Bad sequels are such a pop culture staple there's a whole meme about them: the Electric Boogaloo.

 

[JonathonWally]

The only good movies out there are the ones that are indie produced, haven’t gotten so much press coverage as the big movies, or have been made years ago before the decline started.

What do you think?

The giant blockbusters that rake in the big bucks from mindless entertainment keep in business so that they can fund and distribute those indie flicks.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

As I go through trailers and news of upcoming movies, I see a lot of disturbing things. A sequel to Cats and Dogs. A sequel to Jackie Chan’s The Tuxedo without the Tuxedo. Another Spiderman movie. An unoriginal remake of Death at a Funeral. Another tasteless comedy this time starring John Cusack, Chevy Chase, and the black guy from the Office. A remake of the Karate Kid. Is this what Hollywood movies have been reduced into? An endless train of garbage driven more by a hunger for cash than the simple desire to tell a good story?

The only good movies out there are the ones that are indie produced, haven’t gotten so much press coverage as the big movies, or have been made years ago before the decline started.

What do you think?

I think it's been a great decade for independent films. The distribution is so much better now than ever before. So for me that makes Hollywood's bullshit a little more tolerable.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

The only good movies out there are the ones that are indie produced, haven’t gotten so much press coverage as the big movies, or have been made years ago before the decline started.

What do you think?

The giant blockbusters that rake in the big bucks from mindless entertainment keep in business so that they can fund and distribute those indie flicks.

 

[sojourner]

I didn't say I had anything against remakes and sequels such as those. I just haven't been liking the remakes of movies that Hollywood have been making these days.

Problem is, people have short memories. You think the Hollywood of yesteryear was producing films of higher quality, when the truth is that they've always made a whole lot of crap. You just forget about the crap as time goes on and remember the good stuff.

Bad sequels are such a pop culture staple there's a whole meme about them: the Electric Boogaloo.

It's funny, I have been using "the Electric Boogaloo" to make fun of sequels since the mid 80's. Now it's a meme? I'm honored.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I didn't say I had anything against remakes and sequels such as those. I just haven't been liking the remakes of movies that Hollywood have been making these days.

Problem is, people have short memories. You think the Hollywood of yesteryear was producing films of higher quality, when the truth is that they've always made a whole lot of crap. You just forget about the crap as time goes on and remember the good stuff.

Bad sequels are such a pop culture staple there's a whole meme about them: the Electric Boogaloo.

It's funny, I have been using "the Electric Boogaloo" to make fun of sequels since the mid 80's. Now it's a meme? I'm honored.

Yep, whenever people are skeptical of an upcoming sequel, sooner or later someone will call it [Movie] 2: Electric Boogaloo.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Problem is, people have short memories. You think the Hollywood of yesteryear was producing films of higher quality, when the truth is that they've always made a whole lot of crap. You just forget about the crap as time goes on and remember the good stuff.

Bad sequels are such a pop culture staple there's a whole meme about them: the Electric Boogaloo.

It's funny, I have been using "the Electric Boogaloo" to make fun of sequels since the mid 80's. Now it's a meme? I'm honored.

Yep, whenever people are skeptical of an upcoming sequel, sooner or later someone will call it [Movie] 2: Electric Boogaloo.

I prefer to call it Movie 2: The Quickening.

 

[sojourner]

I use Boogaloo if it has a bad marketing campaign/stupid title and Quickening if the movie just plain sucks.

 

[JonathonWally]

I'm partial to "Movie 2: The Search for More Money"

 

[23skidoo]

Although it seems like Hollywood has gone to the Cats and Dogs (heh), there is absolutely nothing new about what's going on. Look back at the 1930s, 40s and 50s when the overwhelming majority of films made were b-pictures, serials, and the umpteenth Frankenstein sequel. Go further back and look at the stuff Mack Sennett did.

Bottom line is, if people want to buy it, it will be made, pure and simple. That's the principle on how Hollywood was founded 100 years ago.

Alex

 

[Gaith]

As I go through trailers and news of upcoming movies, I see a lot of disturbing things. A sequel to Cats and Dogs. A sequel to Jackie Chan’s The Tuxedo without the Tuxedo. Another Spiderman movie. An unoriginal remake of Death at a Funeral. Another tasteless comedy this time starring John Cusack, Chevy Chase, and the black guy from the Office. A remake of the Karate Kid. Is this what Hollywood movies have been reduced into? An endless train of garbage driven more by a hunger for cash than the simple desire to tell a good story?

The only good movies out there are the ones that are indie produced, haven’t gotten so much press coverage as the big movies, or have been made years ago before the decline started.

What do you think?

When the dog bites...
When the bee stings...
When I'm feeling sad -
I only remember my favorite things, and
Then I don't feel... so... bad.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I think you shouldn't depend on trailers or any other marketing vehicle that studios shove at you to make your decisions about the movies to watch. Just like TV, there are plenty of watchable movies to choose from, but you have to seek them out.

For instance, how did Solomon Kane, starring the hothothot James Purfoy, get past my radar? Thanks to this very thread, it's now safely ensconced in my Netflix queue.

 

[Kegg]

I think it's a dire age for internet discourse.

No matter how many times they're challenged, sooner or later the age-old baloney about Hollywood having lost its way and no longer interested in making artistic cinema will show up, coupled with some moaning about how Hollywood now sucks. I don't know, is this just hardwired into the brain of a few billion commentators by some nefarious alien race determined to fluoridate our water?

Forgive the bitterness, but aber, honestly. Since the dawn of film Hollywood has always (note: always) been about the benjamins, peddling to the audience and producing en masse whatever it is they figured would sell. As far as that goes nothing's changed except strategies.

And we just tend to forget all the awful movies that come out every year. Nobody talks about terrible movies from the 1920s because, outside of enthusiasts of that sort of thing, nobody's seen 'em.

Now, all that said, can we criticise Hollywood now as compared to previous days? Absolutely, but we'd need to do so with these salient preconceptions done dusted and disposed of.

Besides, all things are relative. Avatar is being touted as having one of the most successful opening weekends for a film that is not a sequel nor based on a previous property - in essence, an original film. There may not be a single other blockbuster this year, however, so wildly criticised specifically for its lack of originality.

So it goes.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

My favorite movies (in no particular order) of the last couple of years:

The Dark Knight
Star Trek
Zombieland
Up
Iron Man
Avatar
Harry Potter 6

Hmm. Avatar may well have been a Dances remake (yes i've jumped on that cliche bandwagon, cripes, even the supporting indian-tribe characters were the same). Other than that, Up and Zombieland are the only non sequels or remakes on the list.

Yeahhh I'm generally fine with the massive amounts of sequels/adaptations/remakes.