What Movies Have You Seen Lately?

Quote: rxwine

If the stereotype of studio execs is halfway correct, lots of time they are just guessing something will work. Like the monkey picking stocks.

Quote: William Goldman; Adventures in the Screen Trade published 1983

“Nobody knows anything...... Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what's going to work. Every time out it's a guess and, if you're lucky, an educated one.”

"Nobody Knows Anything: Except William Goldman" is a biopic to be released in 2017

William Goldman (Born: August 12, 1931 in Highland Park, Illinois) writing credits
2015 Wild Card (novel "Heat") / (screenplay)
2003 Dreamcatcher (screenplay)
2001 Hearts in Atlantis (screenplay)
1999 The General's Daughter (screenplay)
1997 Absolute Power (screenplay)
1996 The Ghost and the Darkness (written by)
1996 The Chamber (screenplay)
1994 Maverick (written by)
1992 Chaplin (screenplay)
1992 Year of the Comet (written by)
1992 Memoirs of an Invisible Man (screenplay)
1990 Misery (screenplay)
1987 The Princess Bride (book) / (screenplay)
1986 Heat (novel) / (screenplay)
...
1979 Mr. Horn (TV Movie)
1978 Magic (novel) / (screenplay)
1977 A Bridge Too Far (screenplay)
1976 Marathon Man (from: his novel) / (screenplay)
1976 All the President's Men (screenplay)
1975 The Great Waldo Pepper (screenplay)
1975 The Stepford Wives (screenplay)
1972 The Hot Rock (screenplay)
1969 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (written by)
1968 No Way to Treat a Lady (based on the novel by)
1966 Harper (screenplay)
1965 Masquerade (screenplay)



1970 Won Oscar Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Material Not Previously Published or Produced Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
1977 Won Oscar Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium All the President's Men (1976)

Quote: Pacomartin

1970 Won Oscar Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Material Not Previously Published or Produced Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
1977 Won Oscar Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium All the President's Men (1976)

Is one of the chapters, "Get Robert Redford to star in your film"?

Quote: Ayecarumba

Is one of the chapters, "Get Robert Redford to star in your film"?

Probably, but I think he will always be remembered for PB.

I wonder if you could write a formulaic script with all the hallmarks of box office "gold" in it, have it directed by a popular celebrity director (ie Spielberg), have it star three big celebrities with some acting talent, what would you get, a hit or a bomb?

I keep remembering this line in The Producers: "We got the wrong play, the wrong director, the wrong cast. Where did we go right?"

Quote: Nareed

I wonder if you could write a formulaic script with all the hallmarks of box office "gold" in it, have it directed by a popular celebrity director (ie Spielberg), have it star three big celebrities with some acting talent, what would you get, a hit or a bomb?

I keep remembering this line in The Producers: "We got the wrong play, the wrong director, the wrong cast. Where did we go right?"

Woody Allen does this all the time. I don't enjoy his movies, but the critics and award shows always seem to promote his work.

Quote: Nareed

I wonder if you could write a formulaic script with all the hallmarks of box office "gold" in it, have it directed by a popular celebrity director (ie Spielberg), have it star three big celebrities with some acting talent, what would you get, a hit or a bomb?

The Bonfire of the Vanities, released for Christmas 1990 was supposed to be the easiest hit movie ever. The book had sold millions of copies, and many people said it was so vivid that it was like watching a movie. I certainly felt that way. Tom Wolfe was paid $750,000 for the rights. The film starred Tom Hanks as Sherman McCoy, Kim Cattrall as his wife Judy, Melanie Griffith as his mistress Maria, and Bruce Willis as journalist (and narrator of the film) Peter Fallow. The screenplay was written by Michael Cristofer. Morgan Freeman had a small part.

The Bonfire of the Vanities had a production budget of $47 million which was very large in 1990. Die Hard 2: Die Harder had a production budget of $70 million and was the most expensive film that year. Total Recall, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone with a production budget of $65 million. Total Recall was followed the next year by, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Arnold Schwarzenegger became the hottest movie star on the planet.

People were putting all their money into R rated films. Pretty Woman, an R rated Romantic Comedy with a Production Budget of $14 million, earned close to a half a billion dollars worldwide. But "Home Alone" with a Production Budget of $18 million and a PG rating ended up being #1 for the year. Total Recall and Die Hard 2 made huge profits.

Bonfire of the Vanities was one of the greatest box-office disappointments of all time, earning $16 million domestically, and not even released internationally. William Goldman's Misery, earned four times as much.

Quote: Pacomartin

The Bonfire of the Vanities, released for Christmas 1990 was supposed to be the easiest hit movie ever. The book had sold millions of copies, and many people said it was so vivid that it was like watching a movie. I certainly felt that way. Tom Wolfe was paid $750,000 for the rights.

It's so rare when the writers win...

Quote:

The film starred Tom Hanks as Sherman McCoy, Kim Cattrall as his wife Judy, Melanie Griffith as his mistress Maria, and Bruce Willis as journalist (and narrator of the film) Peter Fallow. The screenplay was written by Michael Cristofer. Morgan Freeman had a small part.

Ah, but who was the celebrity director? Also, a hot blockbuster movie should have tons of visual effects and tie-ins, and merchandize. Hard to do that in a contemporary drama. :)

Often there'll be plenty of buzz that this or that movie has two or three big name stars in it, and it fizzles as well. In the end people want to be entertained for a couple of hours, not impressed with big stars.

Quote: Pacomartin

The Bonfire of the Vanities, h.

Never saw it. This is the first 5min
of the movie. If the whole thing
is as bad as this, no wonder it made
no money. Bruce Willis at has worst.

I think they call it 'best opening ever'
is it looks to be one continuous camera
shot that goes on and on. I wonder
how many days it took to get one they
could use.

Quote: Evenbob

I think they call it 'best opening ever' is it looks to be one continuous camera shot that goes on and on.

Alfonso Cuarón, directed and co-wrote one of the best continuous camera shots in the history of movies. It is difficult to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfBSncUspBk

Quote: Pacomartin

Alfonso Cuarón, directed and co-wrote one of the best continuous camera shots in the history of movies. It is difficult to watch.

It doesn't feel right because it's not
what we're used to seeing. It looks
staged.