Holly wood or holly crap?

[DaemianLucifer]

Aren't we waiting for a sequel to HOMM? Hmm...

Yes we are.And it will be just an average game this time,not the ultimate break through like the first three,or an excelent game released too soon like the four.

[Vlad976]

His wife is a spy,and an excelent fencer as well.

Her fencing skills were established in the first movie.

[Derek]

So movies are just as bad, or occasionally great, as they always have been. Films just made for money are nothing new, 50's era monster flicks, and everything is exactly the same as it has always been.

The problem, as already stated, is that there are too many options and folks see too many ads in different media formats.

[Kalah]

I think movies aren't worse than in the old days, it's just gotten a bit harder to separate the "half-good and worse" from the "decent and better", mostly due to the marketing strategies. Every movie is made up to be "the greatest movie of the year!" (stated in January...) even if it's a real turkey.

[ThunderTitan]

Actualy. I think that alot more movies are made each year, and that's why there are more and more bad movies.

[Derek]

Actualy. I think that alot more movies are made each year, and that's why there are more and more bad movies.

Perhaps, but have you ever seen Leonard Maltin's movie guide? Take a glance at the thousands of films that have been made. Even if more are made now than there were before, I think the ratio of crap:quality would remain the same.

100:1

[ThunderTitan]

No, because crappy movies are easier to make.

[Derek]

No, because crappy movies are easier to make.

And you are basing this on...? Duration of develpoment has no bearing on the final product. Films like 'Stealth' and 'Jurassic Park 3' are in development for long swaths of time and they are not good movies, but they do take a long time make.

[ThunderTitan]

I'm not saying that all of them take less time, but that it's easier to come up with an unoriginal, uninspired ideea and make it into a movie. The world is full of bad ideeas.

[Derek]

I'm not saying that all of them take less time, but that it's easier to come up with an unoriginal, uninspired ideea and make it into a movie. The world is full of bad ideeas.

Certain films must invariably be worse than other films, and they are 'put out', so to speak, just for teenagers and the like to go see them. As already noted, this was the case during the 50's with Monster flicks. Roger Corman anyone?

Perhaps it is easier to come up with a bad idea, but since it has alyways been that bad ideas get to the screen I am confused as to why everyone(figurativly anyways) is in an uproar about it...

[ThunderTitan]

Because most of us weren't alive in the 50's?

[gravyluvr]

I'm not saying that all of them take less time, but that it's easier to come up with an unoriginal, uninspired ideea and make it into a movie. The world is full of bad ideeas.

...I am confused as to why everyone(figurativly anyways) is in an uproar about it...

I go with Derek here. Bad Movies did not just start coming out. They've been here forever. Just because you weren't alive to see them doesn't mean they don't suck.

Usually everyone argues that the movies and music of their generation were the best. It's interesting to finally hear someone try to argue the exact opposite.

I'll just agree! Your movies do suck and mine were cool.

Worst Twenty Movies (combo of Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From Justin to Kelly (2003)
SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)
Santa with Muscles (1996)
Going Overboard (1989)
Car 54, Where Are You? (1994)
Glitter (2001)
Leonard Part 6 (1987)
Kazaam (1996)
Chairman of the Board (1998)
Gigli (2003)

'Manos': The Hands of Fate (1966)
BloodRayne (2005)
Simon Sez (1999)
Ed (1996) [the one with Matt "Joey" LeBlanc]
Police Academy: Mission to Moscow (1994)
Jaws: The Revenge (1987) [the 3d one]
Cool as Ice (1991)
Teen Wolf Too (1987)
It's Pat (1994)
Bolero (1984)

I could go on and on how Jason Bateman absolutely killed what chance of a career he had on Teen Wolf Too and the many other movies on this list. It's a combo of IMDB's bottom 100 with actors that are "famous" so no Ultra B movie. Also, I discounted the "hate machine" of people who vote for the movies in the last two years just so they get all their chat buddies to drown the score.

In addition to these twenty movies, I'll throw in ten from my biggest "movie" years (when I was 14-16 years old).

A Fine Mess (1986) - Howie Mandel must be shot
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
The Toxic Avenger (1985)
Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987)
Club Paradise (1986)
Surf Nazis Must Die (1987)
Soul Man (1986) - C Thomas Howell... Taps! Outsiders! You did what?!?!?
King Solomon's Mines (1985)
The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987)
The Ghoulies and Ghoulies 2 (1985, 1987)

Beat them apples!

[ThunderTitan]

First off, making movies started only around 100 years ago, so bad movies haven't been around "forever".

And nowadays they seem to make movies using only explosions + big names. And more and more movies are like that.

Surf Nazis Must Die (1987)

[Derek]

@gravyluvr
It is sad that I've seen so many of those... Go figure I guess.

@ThunderTitan
Big names are always going to be thrown into less than stellar movies. Peter Graves in 'The Beginning of the End'(Giant Grasshoppers), Humphrey Bogart in 'The Return of Doctor X'(Evil scientist) or even the Matrix movies all use stars to try and push their movie onto the unsuspecting public. Explosions and the like are merely the 'B' grade effect of this generation. It used to be big ugly monsters, no it is people falling from high places, bullet-time and dodging explosions. Believe me, I am no fan of the majority of movies that I go see but that does not mean they are any worse now than they used to be.

[LordHoborgXVII]

The reason that old movies appear to be better is because only the best of old movies have truly survived and are still watched today. I have to agree that there have always been plenty of horrible movies out there. The only difference now is that there are more and more sequels to every movie the comes out nowadays, as well as more licensed products. Besides that nothing has really changed.

[Caradoc]

No, they really are getting worse.

Yes, studios are in it for the money. So as long as audiences prefer "Gigli" to "Goodfellas," we're going to keep getting more crap. Good films are still being made, but mainly by independent filmmakers who then have trouble finding distribution, much less movie theaters willing to risk losing even more money on a movie very few want to see.

Also, the culture in general is dumbing down every year. I mean, each year the real world looks more like "The Real World" than "The Real World" ever used to look like the real world.

Kids who might have been force fed some good classic films in college, have turned into film wimps now that they have real jobs and don't have daddy's money to spend on a movie. They have less disposable income, and if they're going to spend it on a movie, they'd rather go brain-numb for the simple pleasure of Adam Sandler than have to be challenged to think (which seems like work to them).

[DaemianLucifer]

Usually everyone argues that the movies and music of their generation were the best. It's interesting to finally hear someone try to argue the exact opposite.

Not me.I find the music/movies of my generation the worst of them all.

Worst Twenty Movies (combo of Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From Justin to Kelly (2003)
SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 (2004)
Santa with Muscles (1996)
Going Overboard (1989)
Car 54, Where Are You? (1994)
Glitter (2001)
Leonard Part 6 (1987)
Kazaam (1996)
Chairman of the Board (1998)
Gigli (2003)

'Manos': The Hands of Fate (1966)
BloodRayne (2005)
Simon Sez (1999)
Ed (1996) [the one with Matt "Joey" LeBlanc]
Police Academy: Mission to Moscow (1994)
Jaws: The Revenge (1987) [the 3d one]
Cool as Ice (1991)
Teen Wolf Too (1987)
It's Pat (1994)
Bolero (1984)

Im glad I havent watched any of those.

In addition to these twenty movies, I'll throw in ten from my biggest "movie" years (when I was 14-16 years old).

A Fine Mess (1986) - Howie Mandel must be shot
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
The Toxic Avenger (1985)
Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987)
Club Paradise (1986)
Surf Nazis Must Die (1987)
Soul Man (1986) - C Thomas Howell... Taps! Outsiders! You did what?!?!?
King Solomon's Mines (1985)
The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987)
The Ghoulies and Ghoulies 2 (1985, 1987)

From those,Im glad that I watched just King Solomon's Mines.And Ill add the new King Kong to that list.The only movie I didnt watch untill the end(I even watched the new hulk until the end,even though I slept through half of it)

[Derek]

No, they really are getting worse.

Yes, studios are in it for the money. So as long as audiences prefer "Gigli" to "Goodfellas," we're going to keep getting more crap. Good films are still being made, but mainly by independent filmmakers who then have trouble finding distribution, much less movie theaters willing to risk losing even more money on a movie very few want to see.

Also, the culture in general is dumbing down every year. I mean, each year the real world looks more like "The Real World" than "The Real World" ever used to look like the real world.

Kids who might have been force fed some good classic films in college, have turned into film wimps now that they have real jobs and don't have daddy's money to spend on a movie. They have less disposable income, and if they're going to spend it on a movie, they'd rather go brain-numb for the simple pleasure of Adam Sandler than have to be challenged to think (which seems like work to them).

How can you say that about films anyways? I think that the ratio of films stays the same but, as already stated, the exposure to these films is increasing. Of course I am going to see more ads for a film nowadays and, guess what, that film may turn out to be bad, but that hardly means that movies as a medium are somehow getting 'stupider' on a whole. What 'golden age' of cinema are you harkening to that only fantastic films were being made? 'Goodfellas' was made at roughly the same time that 'Terminator 2' was made. Certainly the latter is just mindless killing, still a good(entertaining) film, but it was made a roughly the same time.

Bad movies always are going to be marketted to kids. This has always been the case and I am not going to mention 50's era monster flicks again. And it is not that all films must necesarily intellectually stimulate people to be good. Did 'Starcraft' stimulate your brain, maybe your right index finger, but nothing more. This does not diminish the quality of the game. The same argument, minus the index finger, could be used for films such as 'The Beast from 20,000 fathoms' or 'The 7th Voyage of Sinbad'.

I have seen literally hundreds of movies, and it seems that movie quality seems the same, on a whole anyways, now than it did in the past. I blame nostalgia for this. My aplogies in advance if this seemed overly harsh...

[Caradoc]

No, they really are getting worse.

Yes, studios are in it for the money. So as long as audiences prefer "Gigli" to "Goodfellas," we're going to keep getting more crap. Good films are still being made, but mainly by independent filmmakers who then have trouble finding distribution, much less movie theaters willing to risk losing even more money on a movie very few want to see.

Also, the culture in general is dumbing down every year. I mean, each year the real world looks more like "The Real World" than "The Real World" ever used to look like the real world.

Kids who might have been force fed some good classic films in college, have turned into film wimps now that they have real jobs and don't have daddy's money to spend on a movie. They have less disposable income, and if they're going to spend it on a movie, they'd rather go brain-numb for the simple pleasure of Adam Sandler than have to be challenged to think (which seems like work to them).

How can you say that about films anyways? I think that the ratio of films stays the same but, as already stated, the exposure to these films is increasing. Of course I am going to see more ads for a film nowadays and, guess what, that film may turn out to be bad, but that hardly means that movies as a medium are somehow getting 'stupider' on a whole. What 'golden age' of cinema are you harkening to that only fantastic films were being made? 'Goodfellas' was made at roughly the same time that 'Terminator 2' was made. Certainly the latter is just mindless killing, still a good(entertaining) film, but it was made a roughly the same time.

Bad movies always are going to be marketted to kids. This has always been the case and I am not going to mention 50's era monster flicks again. And it is not that all films must necesarily intellectually stimulate people to be good. Did 'Starcraft' stimulate your brain, maybe your right index finger, but nothing more. This does not diminish the quality of the game. The same argument, minus the index finger, could be used for films such as 'The Beast from 20,000 fathoms' or 'The 7th Voyage of Sinbad'.

I have seen literally hundreds of movies, and it seems that movie quality seems the same, on a whole anyways, now than it did in the past. I blame nostalgia for this. My aplogies in advance if this seemed overly harsh...

Just a couple of points in response:

First, I didn't say all old movies were great and all new ones are bad. It would be difficult to catalog every movie ever made and figure out the proportions over time. So your assertion about the ratio staying the same is not based on anything but your personal experience. Perhaps a better measure would be to look at Oscar winners over time. Have a look and tell me what you think.

Second, I was not talking about kids, but the movie going public in general.

Third, 'popular' does not mean 'good'.

Fourth, "Beast from 20,000 fathoms" and "7th Voyage of Sinbad" were very good movies. Ray Harryhausen was brilliant.

Finally, nostalgia has nothing to do with it. You can still see the old movies.

What we may be able to agree on is that there are still some good movies being made. It's just that the ones that get the most exposure tend to suck.

[Corribus]

First, I didn't say all old movies were great and all new ones are bad. It would be difficult to catalog every movie ever made and figure out the proportions over time. So your assertion about the ratio staying the same is not based on anything but your personal experience. Perhaps a better measure would be to look at Oscar winners over time. Have a look and tell me what you think.

Well, to be fair, the oscars are as much a part of the problem as anything else. They are a load of crap, through and through. They are all about marketing and rarely does the best movie get the big awards.

Basically, anyone out there who maintains that the movie industry (heck, any entertainment industry) hasn't changed during the last half century is deluding themselves. The industry is saturated with overpaid yet undertalented actors, greedy producers and undiscriminating viewers, and this is why so much dreck is out there.

By the way, while I'm on the podium, if anyone out there watched the oscars the other night (I had them on in the background while I was working), did you notice how many times they tried to stress how watching a movie on DVD is nowhere near a good as watching it in the theater? The head of "The Academy", as it is so pretentiously known, couldn't shut up about it.

You think they are nervous? My guess is that the movie industry is on the brink of revolutionary changes, and not ones that movie execs and actors are going to like. The now-ubiquitous nature of big-screen TVs, DVD players and "home theaters" is causing theater attendence here in the states to nose-dive. Movies are released on DVD much quicker now (in fact, there has been talk by some producers of releasing movies simultaneously in the theaters and on DVD, a conversation which is making production companies very nervous) because DVD sales are becoming the major driving force in the movie industry. My guess is that it won't be too long before hardly anyone goes to the movie theater any more except to see the occasional huge summer blockbuster, and that's going to spell major changes for the industry.