Universal exec apologizes, admits Cowboys & Aliens, The Wolfman sucked

[Shurik]

Re: Universal exec apologizes, admits Cowboys & Aliens, The Wolfman su

I dare any Hollywood executive to come out and say that Transformers movies are total crap despite earning approximately several gazillion dollars.

Serenity, Scott Pilgrim, Paul, Kick Ass, Inglorious Bastards, Hott Fuzz, Children of Men, Slither, Shaun of the Dea

I own 4 of those on DVD (Scott Pilgrim, Kick Ass, Hot Fuzz and Shaun Of The Dead) and will someday buy the rest too.

 

[JarodRussell]

Re: Universal exec apologizes, admits Cowboys & Aliens, The Wolfman su

If he was being honest he should be resigning as the person who is ultimately responsible for greenlighting these failures.

That's always the great thing: fire the guy who actually recognizes his own failures. And replace him with someone who hasn't.

 

[Derishton]

Re: Universal exec apologizes, admits Cowboys & Aliens, The Wolfman su

But he hasn't recognized his own failures. He pissed on the talent, and never seems to have mentioned studio interference as one of the biggest problems movie-makers face in Hollywood.

 

[xortex]

Re: Universal exec apologizes, admits Cowboys & Aliens, The Wolfman su

What's he gonna say? The people who sign my check are the real problem? They must be following the example set by Berman for 18 years. Override and cut out the middle man and Money+power=glory and success (more money and power). Meanwhile he might have known better all along, or not.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Re: Universal exec apologizes, admits Cowboys & Aliens, The Wolfman su

So apparently people think it better that Hollywood is stupid and clueless? I guess it might be "classless" to call out some of the personnel directly but I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to say a film has failed to work in the end.

You've clearly missed the entire point of what's being said here, as well as misunderstanding what Meyer's posture was to begin with.

Nothing that Meyer said represents an alternative or proposed solution to "stupid and clueless" or even a valid critique of Hollywood. It's just a business guy trashing people for the sake of attention.

As I said, fanboys may be impressed by this but there's nothing respectable or smart about it.

You're absolutely right about the options. I had meant to say "stupid and clueless" or "complicit and silent". Not that it makes a big difference in your response probably. It's not that I thought this was some first class move but given his job position I saw it as owning up more than assigning blame but I get your point.

 

[hyzmarca]

Re: Universal exec apologizes, admits Cowboys & Aliens, The Wolfman su

He'll talk trash like this, but he'd soil himself at the chance to hire Michael Bay tomorrow to direct Slinky: The Uncoiling.

Ooh...An expose* on all of Slinky's Deep Dark Secrets

*Sorry, don't know how to put the Accent on expose

No, a horror movie about slinky that's possessed by the ghost of a serial killer.


Anyway, I've got to agree about Land of the Lost. The entire concept is shitty. Remaking Land of the Lost as a wacky comedy staring Will Farrel is almost as bad an idea as remaking Bewitched as a wacky comedy staring Will Farrel.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Re: Universal exec apologizes, admits Cowboys & Aliens, The Wolfman su

I actually enjoyed Land of the Lost for what it was though I think it would've done better as a serious adaptation and would probably had more legs in the video marketplace.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Re: Universal exec apologizes, admits Cowboys & Aliens, The Wolfman su

If he was being honest he should be resigning as the person who is ultimately responsible for greenlighting these failures.

That's always the great thing: fire the guy who actually recognizes his own failures. And replace him with someone who hasn't.

I guess you missed the part where he rattled off a list of actors and directors who he felt screwed up yet conveniently left his name off the list of those responsible, despite being the one in charge of the studio. You could say the article and the use of "we" implies his responsibility indirectly, but if he's willing to call out others by name, he should point out his failures directly as well.

If you want to take personal responsibility for the failures at your studio, that's one thing, and something worthy of praise. If you want to use it as an opportunity to sidestep that responsibility and heap blame in hindsight on a bunch of people who you thought were quite talented and working on a quality project at the time, that just comes off as petty and unprofessional.

Also, potentially alienating the talent you need to work on future projects by singling them out for past failures doesn't strike me as the actions of someone who has the best interests of his studio at heart. It's just one more misstep in a long series of missteps by his own account that should probably bring his reign at Universal to a close if executives were held to the same standards as everyone else.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Re: Universal exec apologizes, admits Cowboys & Aliens, The Wolfman su

The Wolfman wasn't as good as if should have been, but it's not even close to being one of the worst movies Unversal has made. Heck, I think it was the best of the three movies he mentioned.