Over the last couple of years I have noticed that most of the films I watch seem to have no soul. Has anyone else got this? There's just no heart and I couldn't care less about the people in them.
Last film I ever saw in the cinema was the living daylights in 1987. Nowt any good since then, I wouldn't give my time to see a film even if they were free, totally rubbish.
Much as it may shock you Deus but I agree with you.
Modern cinema seems to pander to nothing but the ego's of the "action" stars in them and the basest insticts of the spotty erberts that go to see them.
There are so few realy interesting films these days and none can stand to classics of previosu years (or the actors for that matter).
For me I always enjoy a Gene Hackman thriller or a solid classic like Chinatown (no pun or clannishness intended, its just a great movie) or LA Confidential (not disimilar style of movies set in the same era).
Not saying these are my favourites or even the best, but just good examples of good movies!
The last film i saw at the cinema was Bevis & Butthead do America. Nowadays i just download films to watch, probably because the nearest cinema that shows new films is 30 miles away and you have a 50/50 chance of having any wheels on your car when you come out from watching the film.
I've watched a few films recently which i thought were good like Michael Clayton, Juno and The Assasination of Jessie James, and i've seen a few that were crap, like the new alien vs predator and I Am Legend.
Perhaps it's something to with the fact that acting isn't just a summation of script, moves, looks, lighting, writing, cinematography, post production CGI etc etc...it's also what they can bring to the role. When a generation is dominated by shallow good looking products, quickly turned over to maximise profits, even the best of the above, minus the magic, in the world will never connect it to the audience.
Look at the original 12 Angry Men, or even To Kill A Mockingbird perhaps, no special effects, no explosions, no post release scheduled merchandising...just great acting, great writing and classic films.
Originally posted by Voodu: Perhaps it's something to with the fact that acting isn't just a summation of script, moves, looks, lighting, writing, cinematography, post production CGI etc etc...it's also what they can bring to the role. When a generation is dominated by shallow good looking products, quickly turned over to maximise profits, even the best of the above, minus the magic, in the world will never connect it to the audience.
Look at the original 12 Angry Men, or even To Kill A Mockingbird perhaps, no special effects, no explosions, no post release scheduled merchandising...just great acting, great writing and classic films.
But the three films all had decent enough actors in - Cusack, Crowe, Bale, Molina - it's more to do with the matter of fact style that is in vogue at the moment that is just not engaging and just makes everyone look like they're just going through the motions.
Originally posted by Deus ex machina: But the three films all had decent enough actors in - Cusack, Crowe, Bale, Molina - it's more to do with the matter of fact style that is in vogue at the moment that is just not engaging and just makes everyone look like they're just going through the motions.
In which case it's the directors fault...then again sometimes it just happens you make a bland film. Not everything can be a showstopping classic. Also sometimes it's better to source independent films that have more of a sense of involvement than the majors.
Originally posted by Deus ex machina: But the three films all had decent enough actors in - Cusack, Crowe, Bale, Molina - it's more to do with the matter of fact style that is in vogue at the moment that is just not engaging and just makes everyone look like they're just going through the motions.
In which case it's the directors fault...then again sometimes it just happens you make a bland film. Not everything can be a showstopping classic. Also sometimes it's better to source independent films that have more of a sense of involvement than the majors.
My point is that its too commonplace to be just bad directing and so I think it's deliberate and as I said the style of the moment - a bit like the cinematic version of catwalk heroine chic vacant indifference.
It's always been the same, for every Casablanca, On the Waterfront or Godfather there are hundreds of forgettable, godawful films produced every year. Also every year there are classics produced, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood,The Savages,I Am Legend....
I recently watched Juno and No country for Old men and really enjoyed both. I don't really like a lot of films as I hate cheese and predictability which you often see in Hollywood. Deus have you seen any iranian films?
Originally posted by Mugatu: It's always been the same, for every Casablanca, On the Waterfront or Godfather there are hundreds of forgettable, godawful films produced every year. Also every year there are classics produced, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood,The Savages,I Am Legend....
As a film fan of many years I can safely say: no it hasn't always been the same.
Originally posted by duffle: I recently watched Juno and No country for Old men and really enjoyed both. I don't really like a lot of films as I hate cheese and predictability which you often see in Hollywood. Deus have you seen any iranian films?
Nope, but Hollywood has become increasingly predictable. I noted a few years ago that it seemed that any Hollywood film wasn't allowed to have an unhappy ending and has got worse and worse until now it would seem no film is allowed to have a personality.
I don't go to the cinema that often but there have been some very good recent films. No country for old men was bleak and violent but brilliantly filmed, acted and scripted. Almodovar's Volver was also surprisingly good and featured a rather good performance from Penelope Cruz. "Sideways" was quirky and amusing. Atonement was also brilliant. Then there were a couple of French films "A very long engagement" and the baffling "Hidden" which were interesting.
I didn't find any of these soulless but it did take time to burrow under the skin of some of them to really get what they were trying to say.
Originally posted by Mugatu: It's always been the same, for every Casablanca, On the Waterfront or Godfather there are hundreds of forgettable, godawful films produced every year. Also every year there are classics produced, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood,The Savages,I Am Legend....
As a film fan of many years I can safely say: no it hasn't always been the same.
As a film fan of many years I can safely say: yes it has always been the same.
Originally posted by Mugatu: It's always been the same, for every Casablanca, On the Waterfront or Godfather there are hundreds of forgettable, godawful films produced every year. Also every year there are classics produced, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood,The Savages,I Am Legend....
Agree with this post (except "I Am Legend....awful).
There was a Holywood peak (late 60s through to early-mid 70s) but every year has some great films amongst the dross.
Originally posted by Mugatu: It's always been the same, for every Casablanca, On the Waterfront or Godfather there are hundreds of forgettable, godawful films produced every year. Also every year there are classics produced, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood,The Savages,I Am Legend....
Agree with this post (except "I Am Legend....awful).
There was a Holywood peak (late 60s through to early-mid 70s) but every year has some great films amongst the dross.
There's plenty of decent European and Eastern cinema. It's just Hollywood that produces dross. But there are some good independent films coming out of America, they just don't get a very wide release so you have to hunt for them. The British film industry is mostly dead.
What I lament is the lack of foreign language films on TV. Channel 4 and BBC 2 used to show a lot in the '80s and I got a taste for "arthouse" cinema watching classics like Bicycle Thieves, The Seventh Seal and The Human Condition. Nary a one now (apart from the occasional recent martial arts release).
Yeah they tend to show a few foreign language films on film 4 or bbc 4 but really anywhere else. I just thought of a British film that I love... dead mans shoes.
Originally posted by Mugatu: It's always been the same, for every Casablanca, On the Waterfront or Godfather there are hundreds of forgettable, godawful films produced every year. Also every year there are classics produced, No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood,The Savages,I Am Legend....
As a film fan of many years I can safely say: no it hasn't always been the same.
As a film fan of many years I can safely say: yes it has always been the same.
I know a top 10 film list for each year is not the best way to do this but go to wiki and just do a scan back at the top ten films for each year (type in "(each year) in film" and as you go back they definitely do get more memorable. I did it with decadel gaps.
