This is what it has come to

It has been months since my last rant about Hollywood, so I was thinking this morning that it’s time to rail against something Hollywood. No sooner had I thought that than I noticed how Transformers: Age of Extinction is simply making a killing at the box office. What’s more interesting about that is the fact that the critics hate it – hate it! – and have called the movie every negative thing under the Sun. And people are still flocking to go see it. I guess it’s best that I’m not some big shot in Hollywood because I would be doing things all differently, and most likely, as a result, I would go broke and be driven out in mere months…but at least in those months Hollywood would be putting out quality Science Fiction. So ends my rant.

Sci-fi Movies: A look ahead

I found this article totally by accident and thought that I would share. It is basically a list of movies that are scheduled to be released next year (2015). I won’t go off on any rants about Hollywood (again), because the truth is that I’m looking forward to seeing some of the movies. Included in the list are Terminator 5, Jurassic World (Jurassic Park IV), Batman & Superman, and Independence Day 2.

I also came across a list of movies that have, apparently, been stuck in development for…forever. Surprisingly, on this list is Rendezvous with Rama which I didn’t even know was being made into a movie.

O-M-G

Continuing on about Hollywood and their complete lack of any original ideas, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Old Man’s War by John Scalzi, along with the other books in the series, have also been optioned to be made into major motion pictures. Maybe Hollywood is starting to understand that a movie can only be re-made so many times before something new has to be done in order for it to be re-made fifteen years down the road in order to continue the tradition. In any event, Old Man’s War was a great read and a book written by an awesome author, hopefully Hollywood doesn’t screw this up!

Further Reading

Here we go again…

As if Hollywood wasn’t scrapping the bottom of the barrel by producing sequels and prequels alike for almost every movie that came out in the first decade of the twenty-first century, and even many from the 90’s, now the powers that be are going back to the 80’s. I guess this isn’t news, Hollywood did remake The Karate Kid after all, but some movies held their own and can be considered great leaps in cinematic entertainment, which doesn’t necessarily mean that the story should be expanded upon or even re-maid. In short, leave it alone.

What am I ranting about this time, you may be asking yourself? Upon a chance reading of an article on Wikipedia, I have discovered that a sequel to The Last Starfighter is in the works.

Now don’t get me wrong, The Last Starfighter is in my top five of all-time great science fiction movies, but that’s not to say that I am looking forward to the sequel. You see, Hollywood has a long history of making movie after movie that is graphic strong and plot thin, and if you ask me, for the ever ready movie critic that is ready to criticize or applaud, this is a disastrous formula that has, over the years, driven me out of the movie theaters and paying an arm and a leg to watch what I have already seen, and into my comfy couch waiting for me at home. Even worst, not have I only seen it, it is usually the same old story, which is to say that there usually isn’t one.

I guess I can’t stress this point home enough. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with making a sequel and/or prequels, but when that is all you do with nothing original coming out of Hollywood, it tends to have a jading effect for the average movie goer. What I am trying to say is that I love The Last Starfighter, and I will probably want to see the sequel, but I will wait for it to come out on DVD rather then spending good money on a film that is likely to be just ok in the end.

And another thing, until I see a movie that is completely original, I don’t foresee myself in going back to the theaters anytime soon. Hollywood needs new blood and needs it bad.

Further reading

Sequels, Prequels, and everything in between

I have made it no secret that I believe Hollywood makes to many sequels, and in general, turns out movies that are based on themes and ideas that have already been done, and to some extent over and over again. But that is not to say that I wouldn’t like to see certain movies and their sequels (still waiting for the Spaceballs sequel. You’re not getting any younger Mel, you’re not getting any younger. . .). Having said that I have come across a list of movies that are slated to be coming out in the next couple of years or on the schedule to be made. Some I would like to see, some not so much. In any case here you go, and you decide if it will be worth the effort. Alien Prequels, Independence Day 2 & 3, Universal Soldier, Planet of the Apes prequel, Mission Impossible 4, The Dark Crystal 2.

Shame on you Hollywood

I don’t imagine I will ever do this again but I felt compelled to speak up. Yesterday the Oscars released their Worst Actor and Worst Movie of the Year list. On the list of Worst Actor of the Year is Will Ferrell for his role in Land of the Lost, which also appears on the Worst Movie of the Year list. Now, the reason I say ‘I don’t imagine I will ever do this again’ is because I am not a Will Ferrell fan. Some things that he has done have been amusing, but most of it has been crap, most with the exception of Land of the Lost which I did a review on a few months before and found it to be a pleasant shocker in terms that it was both funny and entertaining, the latter of which has been lacking in many, many – wait for it – many Hollywood movies as of late. The fact that Land of the Lost appears on these lists proves to me that the critics in Hollywood and especially those that hand out the awards are out of touch with what it means for a movie to be entertaining and enjoyable.

This Hollywood trend started around 1997 when The Postman won Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Actor, Worst Director, Worst Picture, Worst Original Song and Worst Screenplay for a movie that was not only well done, but was just a good movie all around. It is a shame that such a good piece of fiction such as The Postman, which was written by the great David Brin, would be dissed in such a way.

Shame on you Hollywood.

While I’m At It. . .

Upon looking at the list of horror films slated for release in 2010 we have. . . you guessed it, mostly remakes: Wolfman, The Crazies, Nightmare on Elm Street, Predators, Friday the 13th pt. 2, Resident Evil, Saw VII, Cold Prey III (I didn’t even know there was a I or II), Poltergeist, Scream 4, Blaire Witch Project 3, Creepshow 3D, BloodRayne 2, Cloverfield 2, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Ghostbusters 3, Hatchett II, Hostel 3, Jurassic Park IV, Night of the Living Dead: Origins 3D, Riddick 3 (nope not done yet), Saw 3D, The Strangers 2, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre 3D, The Thing (again), as well as other movies that I’m not sure are sequels/re-makes/what have you, like Hellraiser and Halloween. Also, above and beyond the remakes is a plethora of Zombies movies coming. For a complete list, go here. I’m sure there are some that I missed.

Predators

Just came across this article on wikipedia about a new Predator film coming out in July – just another example of how Hollywood is recycling, but, hey, if it’s good I won’t complain.