What Movies Have You Seen Lately?

Quote: ams288

It's actually not that violent of a movie. The director is the guy who made the 2013 remake of Evil Dead. Evil Dead was so over-the-top with its violence and gore, that he wanted to try to find other ways to shock audiences. And having seen Don't Breathe, I'd say he succeeded.

Don't Breath ($9.9 million budget) has made $51 million domestically after 10 days, up from $41.5 million for Evil Dead ($17 million budget) after 10 days.

Uruguayan writer-director Fede Alvarez seems to be the very rare director/writer whose second film cost less than the first film and makes even more money. He may have a sweet percentage. It is said that Christopher Nolan personally made $90 million on Interstellar.

It is extremely rare for a director to have two successful low budget films without making a big budget film as his next project. On the other hand, a director like him can probably negotiate 15% or 20% of gross as long as the budget comes under $10-$20 million.

Look at Wolfgang Peterson's (age 75) 24 year career directing movies. His original two are critical successes that made money. Then he gets big budget film like "Enemy Mine" which loses a fortune. He doesn't direct a film for 6 years. Then for a decade he has a string of successful films (particularly overseas). Than he makes a big budget stinker like Poseiden, and he no longer works.

Date Film Millions
Three German films
Feb 10, 1982 Das Boot $11.49 (German film released in Northern America)
Jul 20, 1984 The Neverending Story $20.16
Dec 20, 1985 Enemy Mine $12.30 (took over as director. One of the biggest bombs of the year)
Oct 11, 1991 Shattered $11.51
Jul 9, 1993 In the Line of Fire $102.31
Mar 10, 1995 Outbreak $67.66
Jul 25, 1997 Air Force One $172.96
Jun 30, 2000 The Perfect Storm $182.62
May 14, 2004 Troy $133.38
May 12, 2006 Poseidon $60.67

Look at Woody Allen (age 80) who just released his 46th film in 50 years as director. His biggest hit was still Annie Hall almost 40 years ago, and his second biggest was Manhattan two years later. As long as he keeps the budget low enough, and gets critical acclaim he can go on making one movie a year forever.

Quote: Pacomartin

Then he gets big budget film like "Enemy Mine" which loses a fortune.

I liked "Enemy Mine." Oh, the script could have done with more context, but overall it was fine.

Like father like son.


Apparently, it's a very meticulous recreation and almost matches frame by frame to the original.

Really looking forward to the 3rd movie
in the series. Can't believe Ron Howard
and Tom Hanks have teamed up again.
I've seen the first two at least 10 times
each.

Quote: Evenbob

Can't believe Ron Howard and Tom Hanks have teamed up again.

I can't believe that you would think that they wouldn't.
Tom Hanks Salary
The Da Vinci Code (2006) $18,000,000 + profit participation
Angels & Demons (2009) $50,000,000

Salary for animation is not nearly as high
Toy Story (1995) $50,000
Toy Story 2 (1999) $5,000,000
Toy Story 3 (2010) $15,000,000


Worldwide Boxoffice in millions
Toy Story 3 BV $1,067.0
The Da Vinci Code Sony $758.2
Forrest Gump Par. $677.4
Toy Story 2 BV $497.4
Angels & Demons Sony $485.9
Saving Private Ryan DW $481.8
Cast Away Fox $429.6
Toy Story BV $373.6

Quote: Pacomartin

I can't believe that you would think that they wouldn't.

I meant for another Da Vinci movie. The
last one didn't make near as much as
the first. It wasn't as good, but it was good
nonetheless.

Quote: Evenbob

I meant for another Da Vinci movie. The last one didn't make near as much as the first. It wasn't as good, but it was good nonetheless.

The book wasn't as good either. But it is all relative. A third of the $150 million production budget went to Tom Hank's salary, so he personally is motivated to make a third movie. The film still make $350 million in overseas boxoffice, although it was a big drop from the first one, it is still very profitable. Plus relatively complex movies like that sell as DVDs very well.




Now if this third film mirrors the third Star Trek, they may drop the franchise.

There is always a fog of war... a lonely outpost is beseiged and blames its fate on Senior Officers and Diplomats.

The British Garrison at Singapore fell knowing they had been sacrificed for public relations purposes. British troops were pulled out of the Channel Islands at the last minute after countless reassurances that they would remain. Anyone foolish enough to have believed those assurances probably deserved whatever they got.

Wake Island fell when we were winning the battle because the commanding officer kept thinking that when he lost contact with an outpost it had been over run rather than that telephone wires had been severed by enemy shelling. The commander surrendered when his forces were winning in all areas.

The Battle of Khesahn was faught to get teh Americans "off sides" for the Tet Offensive, and isolated outposts in cities held on despite dwindling ammunition and low states of readiness. The first shots fired at the US Embassy were from the South Vietnamese police who were standing next to the American MPs on guard duty. The "enemy''? Anyone who is armed and not wearing a US uniform.

Even an episode of China Beach handled things well by having an attack on their base camp focus on the chatting of the various females in one hut being guarded by one US soldier. Various viewpoints and optimism are expressed but eventually even the ignorant Polyanna realizes that the US soldier is there to kill them should the battle be lost.

Other ways to shock audiences?
Go back to film noir and movies with no money.

Shock audiences by a dark screen and a woman screaming. No one knows what is happening.

Or a close up of an unconcerned actor followed by a shot and a quick kill.

Lights, shadows, Dutch angles... amazing what you can do when you have only one camera and no stunt men.

Clint Eastwood nails it again in a summer of
BO bombs.