What Movies Have You Seen Lately?

Quote: Pacomartin

I don't think you should use that phrase for every "commercial" movie. If you are going to invest $150 million in any film, you are expecting it to be successful. That doesn't mean it is devoid of creativity.

My point was that all of these huge big budget movies get made with the expectation that they'll make tons of money for the studio, otherwise they wouldn't get green lit. So doesn't that make them a "money grab?"

For me, the real "money grabs" are movies like Pirates 5 and Transformers 5 that don't even attempt to try anything new. They're just regurgitations of the previous films in the series. Thankfully, audiences seem to be wising up to them. Both those two did significantly worse than their prior entries in the franchise.

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Many of the directors of comic book adaptations were once making Shakespeare or independent dramatic films.

Many of my favorite blockbuster films were directed by indie directors who were given a chance to helm a huge tent pole release.

Spider-Man (2002) - Sam Raimi
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Alfonso Cuaron (I'm a big HP fan, and this one will always be my favorite. I was always disappointed they only had him direct one of them).
Batman Begins/Dark Knight - Christopher Nolan
Wonder Woman - Patty Jenkins

All art is supposed to make a profit, and this goes back to ancient times.

Naturally the bigger the investment required, the more likely it is the art will be commercial (unless it's specifically commissioned). But this does not preclude making good art. Many successful movies are great works of art. Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Shawshank Redemption, etc. I'd argue even movies like Wonder Woman, Mask of the Phantasm, and even non-successful movies like TRON (literarily not so much, but visually definitely so).

Quote: Nareed

All art is supposed to make a profit, and this goes back to ancient times.
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If you just let all directors loose to do whatever they wanted you'd certainly get some interesting results from some of them.

Some directors would actually be happy if they can get everyone to walk out before the end of the movie. There are people who enjoy creating a stir.

Quote: rxwine

If you just let all directors loose to do whatever they wanted you'd certainly get some interesting results from some of them.

I think this happens in Citizen Kane. It helps Welles was director and star. But it helped more he allowed his cinematographer a big say in the shoot. You can tell because 1) the cinematography is amazing and 2) Greg Toland, the cinematographer, appears in the opening credits int he same frame as Orson Welles.

That movie, BTW, should be required viewing in schools.

Speaking of which, movies ought to be part of school curricula, along with art history.

Quote: ams288

My point was that all of these huge big budget movies get made with the expectation that they'll make tons of money for the studio, otherwise they wouldn't get green lit. So doesn't that make them a "money grab?"

For me, the real "money grabs" are movies like Pirates 5 and Transformers 5 that don't even attempt to try anything new. They're just regurgitations of the previous films in the series. Thankfully, audiences seem to be wising up to them. Both those two did significantly worse than their prior entries in the franchise.

Oxford English Definition of "money grab" ~ An undignified or unprincipled acquisition of a large sum of money with little effort.

GG#2 was certainly profitable, but Pirates and Transformers seem to have barely broken even. Presumably they still make money through marketing "tie-ins". I don't know if Guardians will reduce to a simple "money grab" by it's fifth installment.

Pirates of the Caribbean:Dead Men Tell No Tales |Production Budget: $230 million
$167,625,297 USA and Canada (Studio keeps 50%)
$172,277,290 China (Studio keeps 25%)
$372,682,471 Other countries (Studio keeps unknown %)

Transformers: The Last Knight | Production Budget: $217 million
$112,616,760 USA and Canada (Studio keeps 50%)
$198,266,410 China (Studio keeps 25%)
$141,147,129 Other countries (Studio keeps unknown %)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 | Production Budget: $200 million
$384,700,006 USA and Canada (Studio keeps 50%)
$100,663,260 China (Studio keeps 25%)
$371,535,783 Other countries (Studio keeps unknown %)


Certainly the China revenue even only keeping 25% is a big part of profitability of a movie

1 The Fate of the Furious UPI $392,807,017 4/14
4 Transformers: The Last Knight PPI $198,266,410 6/23
6 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Disney $172,277,290 5/26
7 Kong: Skull Island n/a $168,188,002 3/24
8 xXx: The Return of Xander Cage PPI $164,066,583 2/10
9 Resident Evil: The Final Chapter Sony $159,548,686 2/24
12 Logan Fox $105,962,988 3/3
13 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 n/a $100,663,260 5/5
14 The Mummy (2017) UPI $91,539,147 6/9
15 Wonder Woman WB $89,529,266 6/2
17 Beauty and the Beast (2017) Disney $85,763,002 3/17
19 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Disney $69,484,899 1/6
22 Passengers (2016) Sony $45,279,870 1/13
23 Alien: Covenant Fox $45,057,927 6/16
25 La La Land Joy $35,916,658 2/14
28 Ghost in the Shell (2017) PPI $29,327,947 4/7
30 Smurfs: The Lost Village Sony $25,558,593 4/21
32 Assassin's Creed n/a $23,337,486 2/24

"Get out" sold 1,225,700 tickets on opening day, enough to make back it's production budget assuming studio takes home 50%

there's no reason to keep remaking the same movie over and over and over for 15 years like Spider-Man. why don't they remake movies from my childhood, like Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Million Dollar Duck, Logan's Run?

The Exorcist was one of the most successful movies of all time.

12/26/1973 The Exorcist WB $232,906,145
6/17/1977 Exorcist II: The Heretic WB $30,749,142
8/17/1990 The Exorcist III Fox $26,098,824
8/20/2004 Exorcist: The Beginning WB $41,821,986
5/20/2005 Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist WB $251,495
8/17/2013 Blue Exorcist The Movie Elev. $21,796

Quote: ams288

Baby Driver

It was awesome.

Quote: terapined

The reviews look great
Got a lot of time off this weekend
I rarely see movies in the theatre. This one I will go and see :-)

Hey terapined, did you see this movie?

I recently saw it, and thought the first 12 minutes were great, but the next 100 were really uneven. I can't recommend it for the price you have to pay in a theater. Wait for Netflix.

There are some key characters with various levels of hearing impairment that make it interesting, but the plot so plodding and predictable that it pops the whole film out of gear. The best part of the film is the stunt driving, but it really feels like the production ran out of money, and had to cut back on the number and quality of the gags half way through. It's like they had some great ideas for three 5-minute music videos, then stitched them together with an hour and half of boring dialogue. I'm going to re-watch the original "Gone in 60 Seconds" for a more satisfying finish.

Quote: Ayecarumba

Hey terapined, did you see this movie?

I recently saw it, and thought the first 12 minutes were great, but the next 100 were really uneven. I can't recommend it for the price you have to pay in a theater. Wait for Netflix.
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Never got around to seeing it. Thanks for the review. I think I will wait :-)