Rating High on Hollywood's List: Immature Audiences (cinema, films, theater)

[OC Investor2]

washingtonpost.com

If 2009 is remembered for anything in American cinema, it might be as the year grown-ups and Hollywood finally agreed to call it quits.

This is the year when such slick, star-driven, adult-oriented movies as "State of Play," "Duplicity," "The International" and "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" underperformed at the box office. And when talking-toy movies like "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and "G.I. Joe" raked in millions.

This is frustrating on a number of levels. First off, most of the "Mature" movies this summer have been dreck. So they bomb and hollywood concludes there is no market for these movies? No. There's no market for Bad, Crappy, Fomulaic movies, but plenty of people eager to see smart, creative films that offer well told stories and interesting charachters.

My wife and I have set out to do the classic "Dinner & a Movie" date night several times this year. Each time we choose some other activity because the movies out do not interest us.

Adults to Hollywood: Catch a clue!

[LaoTzuMindFu]

This pretty much follows the formula that Hollywood has held to within the past 10-15 years. Moviemaking is no longer an art form but big business so exec producers are really only looking to capture the desired 18-35 year old demographic. How do they do this? By looking at everything in dollars instead of art. They put rappers who cant act in movies because they hope/think that the million plus people who bought the rappers music would also be willing to pay to see them in a movie. They put the ZERO talented chick in a movie who cant act but looks stunningly beautiful because "people want to see beautiful women on the screen".

Also, blame it on the writers as well because most of them (I say most because I know a LOT of successful writers) never finished school so they lack the ability to pen a clever script. Besides, they are just looking for their big break as well so they write what they think will sell.

I fall into the desired demographic of what the movie making studios want. I go to the movies to be entertained not to be enlightened or intellectually stimulated. I read books for that. Movies are for pure fun, entertainment and excitement. I would rather not see a movie based on the writings of Milton, Keats or Tennyson as I rather READ them, and not see some junior college dropout writers screenplay "based" on their writings.

[fleetiebelle]

There are a lot of great smaller, independent films to see, though. Unless you're in an area without a good arthouse theater.

[Ninjahedge]

The problem is that this formula works.

If people did NOT see the stupid fliks like GI Joe, they would not MAKE them.

Also, it is a lot easier to take a ho-hum movie and CGI it to timbuktu than it is to find a good script, good actors, good director and good editing/production. Sometimes it isn't even the sheer $$ that is made on these films moreso than how easy it is.


BTW, be sure to make your movie come with its own video game, action figures and clothing line.

[Coolhand68]

Hollywood has admitted to cashing in on remakes, sequals and the use of CGI in an effort to cut costs and not have to pay writer's for new material. So long as the public is willing to accept that and spend their money it won't change. Notice there is also a huge decline in films that are given an "R" rating. They didn't want to price themselves out of the teen market which spends a lot on movies, so they've watered down adult themed films to meet the PG standards. Filmmakers aren't going to leave ten of millions of dollars on the table for artistic integity for that R rating. Not saying a film has to be R rated to be good, but when Hollywood sets it's priorities on making money and mass marketing, you get what you have today.

[OC Investor2]

Originally Posted by Ninjahedge

The problem is that this formula works.

If people did NOT see the stupid fliks like GI Joe, they would not MAKE them.

Also, it is a lot easier to take a ho-hum movie and CGI it to timbuktu than it is to find a good script, good actors, good director and good editing/production. Sometimes it isn't even the sheer $$ that is made on these films moreso than how easy it is.


BTW, be sure to make your movie come with its own video game, action figures and clothing line.

I would agree with you up to a point. But Teens can only go to so many "Tentpole" CGI movies. If they made something for adults, they would generate incremental box office sales by drawing new or lapsed patrons back to the movies.

[OC Investor2]

Originally Posted by Coolhand68

Hollywood has admitted to cashing in on remakes, sequals and the use of CGI in an effort to cut costs and not have to pay writer's for new material. So long as the public is willing to accept that and spend their money it won't change. Notice there is also a huge decline in films that are given an "R" rating. They didn't want to price themselves out of the teen market which spends a lot on movies, so they've watered down adult themed films to meet the PG standards. Filmmakers aren't going to leave ten of millions of dollars on the table for artistic integity for that R rating. Not saying a film has to be R rated to be good, but when Hollywood sets it's priorities on making money and mass marketing, you get what you have today.

I see where you re going with this and agree. It just seems to me they should be able to make a movie for a cost that would allow them to make a good ROI with a $30 or $40M gross. Look at films like Passion of the Christ (economics only, not trying to start anything else here), My Big Fat Greek Wedding, even Fahrenheit 9/11. All made for a pittance yet had huge returns. There's a whole unserved audience for these films. Can't they take the production budget from one of their $150M CGI explosion laden teen shoot'em ups and make a dozen or so good mature films that would generate a beter ROI?

[Ninjahedge]

Originally Posted by OC Investor2

I would agree with you up to a point. But Teens can only go to so many "Tentpole" CGI movies. If they made something for adults, they would generate incremental box office sales by drawing new or lapsed patrons back to the movies.

That takes too much time. Everything in todays buisness is about here and now, no matter how much it makes in the long run.

By that time most have divested and gone somewhere else, so making money for 20 years on a classic like Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket or Dr Strangelove does not mean anything to them.

Star wars is the exception, but only because it did BOTH. It was a box office smash AND it went on for 30 years, prompting a so-so prequel trilogy, several old and new TV series (cartoons), a toyline that is considered collectable, and a strange bearded guy with grey hair that thinks he can write storylines with as many wacky costumes as the screen can bear in 2 hours.

Acting be daamned.

Anywhoo..... I know what you are saying, but convincing hollywood that this is something they should persue is very difficult.

"Record breaking opening day" will always get more attension than most tickets sold over its lifetime...

[Visvaldis]

Originally Posted by OC Investor2

I would agree with you up to a point. But Teens can only go to so many "Tentpole" CGI movies. If they made something for adults, they would generate incremental box office sales by drawing new or lapsed patrons back to the movies.

Each generation of teens gets older, but they don't mature. Just take a look at the average middle aged person.

[eevee]

one problem w/ a lot of these adult dramas is that they rely heavily on star power. they assume that because so-and-so are starring in the film, people will come running. that hasn't worked out so well in many cases. people didn't go run to see Robert Downey Jr in The Soloist; people didn't run to see Judd Apatow and Co. in Funny People; people didn't go running ot see Denzel and John Travolta in Pelham 123. I typically don't care who's in a movie and don't go running to a movie b/c a certain actor is in it. funny, the three highest grossing "adult" films this summer may be 500 Days of Summer, The Hangover, and District 9, three films w/ a lot of relative unknowns. and of course, w/ big name actors come big paychecks and oversized budgets, which adds more issues and one reason why low budget indie flicks do relatively well