2008 Woodie Awards
Movies no longer quality
Benjamin Harris
Issue date: 3/10/08 Section: Opinions
The writer's strike has ended in time for the Academy Awards to avoid the fate that befell the Golden Globes ceremony. Does anyone care?
It is well known that the motion picture industry is struggling. What insiders do not seem to want to acknowledge is that the quality of the product is on the downswing. Note to studio executives: focus-group driven remakes, prequels and sequels, regardless of production extravagances, are not likely to become classics. Cookie-cutter plot scenarios quickly wear thin as well.
What makes a motion picture compelling? It has to give the audience a reason to care about what is happening to the people on the screen. Fifty explosions won't hold my attention if the film has not sold me on a connection with those who are portrayed as being in the midst of the chaos.
In order to accomplish this, a movie must bring something new to the table. For example, I left Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" disappointed. In spite of all its pizzazz, it had nothing to say that was not put just as effectively in the classic 1953 version.
"Rollerball" is another example of Hollywood turning a sublime work of art into a putrid remake. See the 1975 original.
I would like to discuss some films that were successful in this regard. I am partial to science- fiction, but the basic quality criteria can be applied to whatever flavor you favor.
It is difficult for today's consumers to relate to the colossal impact "Star Wars" made at the time. It may seem quaint today, but make no mistake: in one fell swoop George Lucas revolutionized cinematic storytelling. "Star Wars" did establish science-fiction as a mainstream genre, but it also stretched beyond those boundaries in the way it influenced moviegoers' expectations overall.
For many viewers the experience went something like this: You arrived at the theatre and got in a line that stretched around the block. You bought your ticket. You bought your popcorn. You sat down. You watched the trailers. You watched the feature. You left the theatre. Then, you immediately got back in line again, no matter how long it was, maybe more than once. Of course not everyone did this, but many did, enough to redefine the concept of "blockbuster." Audience reaction of that nature would be virtually unthinkable in today's market. Bear in mind that the VCR had not yet even made its way into a majority of households at that time. Be that as it may, "Star Wars" was phenomenal.
It is well known that the motion picture industry is struggling. What insiders do not seem to want to acknowledge is that the quality of the product is on the downswing. Note to studio executives: focus-group driven remakes, prequels and sequels, regardless of production extravagances, are not likely to become classics. Cookie-cutter plot scenarios quickly wear thin as well.
What makes a motion picture compelling? It has to give the audience a reason to care about what is happening to the people on the screen. Fifty explosions won't hold my attention if the film has not sold me on a connection with those who are portrayed as being in the midst of the chaos.
In order to accomplish this, a movie must bring something new to the table. For example, I left Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" disappointed. In spite of all its pizzazz, it had nothing to say that was not put just as effectively in the classic 1953 version.
"Rollerball" is another example of Hollywood turning a sublime work of art into a putrid remake. See the 1975 original.
I would like to discuss some films that were successful in this regard. I am partial to science- fiction, but the basic quality criteria can be applied to whatever flavor you favor.
It is difficult for today's consumers to relate to the colossal impact "Star Wars" made at the time. It may seem quaint today, but make no mistake: in one fell swoop George Lucas revolutionized cinematic storytelling. "Star Wars" did establish science-fiction as a mainstream genre, but it also stretched beyond those boundaries in the way it influenced moviegoers' expectations overall.
For many viewers the experience went something like this: You arrived at the theatre and got in a line that stretched around the block. You bought your ticket. You bought your popcorn. You sat down. You watched the trailers. You watched the feature. You left the theatre. Then, you immediately got back in line again, no matter how long it was, maybe more than once. Of course not everyone did this, but many did, enough to redefine the concept of "blockbuster." Audience reaction of that nature would be virtually unthinkable in today's market. Bear in mind that the VCR had not yet even made its way into a majority of households at that time. Be that as it may, "Star Wars" was phenomenal.
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