Last night, I spent quite some time with my boyfriend trying to find some movie to watch (we ended up with this Lithuanian production - pretty good). I have noticed that, nowadays, it seems to take me ages to choose a film. And, also, I do not enjoy most of the films I watch - maybe only 30% of them. The other 70% seems really dull. However, I remember that a few years ago (OK, maybe a bit more ), there were tons of films I enjoyed. I was less picky, but still, I liked most of the films I would end up watching. Is it only me? Am I just getting older and harder to please or has the film industry reached a point where there is nothing original and/or interesting being produced?
It perhaps depends on your tastes? There is a lot more action films and comedies made these days, with the comedies in particular quite repetitive. I've found the Hobbit films to be amazing soI haven't found this problem myself.
It could just be a side effect of getting older. Most movies don't stray from the paint by numbers formula, so after a while, you just know what's going to happen before the movie even starts. Then there's the current crop of blink-and-you-miss-it-shaky-cam style films, and it just adds up to a headache. I don't know, that's just my two bits, because I feel the same way. Out of the hundreds, thousands, of movies that come out each year, I'm usually interested in maybe 2 or 3 at most. I commented, a few weeks ago, that many films don't seem to have intelligent dialogue. Now, I'm not saying an action film should have characters quoting Proust (though that would be pretty awesome), but so many films seem to have characters speaking as if they're addressing Mrs. Tutemire's 2nd grade history class. I don't think it's asking too much for action and intelligence. That applies to comedies, romances, dramas, and every other genre. There's no reason it can't be fun and engaging. I don't know, maybe I'm just getting old.
People speak in meme-talk in movies I gave up on movies other than doggedly watching sci fi ones years ago. I vastly prefer television which is MUCH more intelligent than it used to be. I like story arcs over months, not the cramming of the whole saga into two hours. It's just not my preferred story telling vehicle. My expectations have dropped and I kind of enjoy the odd movie more now because of that. But I don't know if they are less interesting. I haven't seen enough movies in the last ten years to really say. I just know there is some great tv now and that's where I spend my entertainment time.
Most films and TV shows are just variations of the same basic set of story themes (I'm think I read that there were just 7 basic story themes). So half the time you know where the story is going, this isn't a bad thing if the story is engaging you on some level.
This is true. I often get the feeling of watching a mini-film when watching certain TV shows (e.g. House of Cards or True Detective). I also prefer TV over films these days.
While it's true that, as we get older and more experienced, it gets harder to surprise us, I do agree that we're going through a phase where movies (and pop culture in general) are less interesting. One of the big reasons for that, I think, is the fashion for realism-- or at least a kind of faux realism that passes for realism. There is a certain sameness and blandness that results from attempting to make "grounded" movies. Photorealistic special effects in genre movies are technically impressive, but they lack the artistry of older movies. Add this to throwaway characterizations designed to appeal to the widest Joe Six-Pack audience, and an emphasis on explosions and lotsa running around and there's not much to hold the interest.
I was going to counter with three movies I enjoyed over the past 2 years, Dredd, Captan America: The Winter Soldier, and Guardians of the Galaxy, but, then I thought about them a bit more. Dredd I enjoyed because it reminded me of the original Die Hard, as well as the fact that it didn't engage in a useless romantic subplot, nor did it try to be a funny movie. Though Die Hard did have a lot of quips, that Dredd lacked, the action was very reminiscent of Die Hard, as was the overall tone. The Winter Solider was compared to the 70's political thrillers and Guardians reminded me of the crazy, fun action movies I grew up with in the 80's. The only other movie to come to mind was Maleificent, but that might be because I went in with such lowered expectations (I took my youngest daughter, since I usually end up going to the movies with her brothers to see the sci-fi/comic book movies). Yes, I do think it might have a little to do with growing up, but I also think it has to do with the fact that most movies are geared towards the lowest-common denominator. I mean, I honestly feel like throwing something at my TV every time a commercial for Let's Be Cops comes on. There is nothing about that movie or its concept that entices me. It seems to be there to pander to the lowest-common denominator. I, personally, am tired of spending my hard earned money on a movie ticket to these movies. As for rental/Netflix, it's not even worth my time to consider watching it, even if I am looking for a "brain-dead" movie.
There have been far more films the last few years that I'm interested in than say 10 years ago, whereas television is getting far too dumbed down and annoying to me so I practically never watch it now.
Movies these days try to win you over with spectacle, not character. I still like spectacle now and then, but I don't want that to be the only thing I get out of going to the theater.
Speaking only for myself, I think you have a point. I see maybe one new movie a year, if that. The rest of the time, the movies I see are on DVD, and usually, ones that I enjoyed when I was younger.
I feel the same way . Was just at the movie rental store yesterday and it took awhile just to find some good movies. It seems as if a lot that's put out these days are B Horror films, Slasher films and the like.
I think that as you get older you do tend to get more selective. But I feel that there has been trend towards more and more vulgarity in movies, as well as becoming more formulaic. With fewer and fewer movies offering food for thought. With television there has been a trend towards so called "reality shows," which are cheap to produce. Some of these are mildly entertaining. On another forum someone pointed out a trend towards "crapification." Forget about quality. Just depict a bunch of rednecks doing whatever, and spend as little money/effort as possible.
Oh, yes. I find myself getting far, far more enjoyment out of obscure and even unreleased (on VHS/DVD) TV movies on Youtube than any joy I have gotten from the theater since "Signs". It's been THAT LONG. In the last five years I've seen two movies (maybe three): "Gravity": certainly worth watching and not a waste of money, but I still feel empty long after watching it; meanwhile I still think about scenes from an obscure based on a real story TV movie with Nemoy. On a seperate note: I can't even watch "Gravity" again, because of that fucking awful score. "Lone Survivor": certainly worth it, too (but also a boring barely servicable score), but again a little empty long after, plus the re-watch value isn't very high unless you're into watching a real life story of SEAL's being murdered one-by-one on a mission gone horrible wrong, more often than once a year. I've gotten far more enjoyment out of watching a TV series called "Mysterious Ways" (2000) than all the movies I have seen in twelve years in the theater (Which isn't a lot, admittedly).
I think there's just more movies. More good movies, more bad movies. Bad movies have always outnumbered good movies, it's just more noticeable now. Professional looking movies are much cheaper to make now, so there's a glut of cheap horror movies being made because they offer a good return on investment, but by the same token talented film makers are also able to achieve their visions on a lower budget. It's all out there, you just have to look, and the local multiplex or rental store is not the place to do it.
Yeah, this is exactly how I feel too. I've been feeling rather disillusioned with films for a while now, but my complete lack of interest in Guardians of the Galaxy sealed the deal. A few years ago I would have loved that movie, but when I saw it earlier this month I could barely force myself to pay attention. The only film that I really enjoyed this year was The Grand Budapest Hotel.
I go with the people change as they grow older and so do their tastes. I know myself that things I liked just ten years ago, I don't so much anymore. I also think that if you see a lot of the same kind of things, you'll get bored with them too after awhile.
I lament the loss of Roger Ebert and the AT The Movies. His wife tried to keep it on the air for a while, but I think funding ran out. Ebert's reviews were thoughtful and came from some one who genuinely loved the story form. His show, even when he was only peripherally involved, was a venue for a variety of types of movies that were off the current beaten path of formula comedy and formula action.
There's never been a time in my life where I didn't have a hard time picking out a movie to watch. Most movies range from mediocre to total trash. Good movies are always harder to find. But my tastes really have changed all that much since I was a teenager/early 20's (I'll be 47 in a few months). If your tastes have changed then it makes it harder to choose because the movie industry is leaving you behind.