Are movies and the movie going experience just kind of.. bad now?

[rousseau]

I'm going to preface this thread with the obvious: Yes I know that the movies being put out today have an audience, and clearly some people like them.

But for the longest time I actually thought I didn't like movies anymore. I thought that I had passed some kind of threshold where I just wasn't interested in cinema. And then a few weeks ago my wife and I watched an old Audrey Hepburn film and I had a stark realization: I don't dislike cinema, I dislike today's cinema.

I go out to see a movie and it's no longer just a movie, it's an overbearingly loud theatre, with obnoxious advertisements, and a barrage of interactivity before the film. And then most films that are being made these days themselves seem to have the subtlety of an elephant in a china shop. They all have the latest and great effects, loud music, gregarious characters.

It's as if Hollywood is now in a race to make the movie with the most explosions without asking themselves - do people actually like this shit? Whereas the Audrey Hepburn film we watched a few weeks ago was just a nice, pleasant, casual way to spend a few hours without having all of our senses blown out.

I don't know, maybe I'm showing my age - or something. I just recall the 90s and early 00s being much better for film. And now, I'm not exactly sure what's happening?

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I like the explosions and shit. They're really the only reason to bother spending the cash to see a film in the theatre. If it's an interesting, well acted character piece, I'll watch it a year later on Netflix because there's nothing I'm missing by not seeing it on the big screen.

 

[rousseau]

I like the explosions and shit. They're really the only reason to bother spending the cash to see a film in the theatre. If it's an interesting, well acted character piece, I'll watch it a year later on Netflix because there's nothing I'm missing by not seeing it on the big screen.

Serious question, because I haven't paid much attention for a while. Are actual good movies with explosions still being made?

For instance, when I was younger the Bourne Trilogy was something I'd go out to see. Is that kind of calibre film still being made?

 

[bilby]

I'm going to preface this thread with the obvious: Yes I know that the movies being put out today have an audience, and clearly some people like them.

But for the longest time I actually thought I didn't like movies anymore. I thought that I had passed some kind of threshold where I just wasn't interested in cinema. And then a few weeks ago my wife and I watched an old Audrey Hepburn film and I had a stark realization: I don't dislike cinema, I dislike today's cinema.

I go out to see a movie and it's no longer just a movie, it's an overbearingly loud theatre, with obnoxious advertisements, and a barrage of interactivity before the film. And then most films that are being made these days themselves seem to have the subtlety of an elephant in a china shop. They all have the latest and great effects, loud music, gregarious characters.

It's as if Hollywood is now in a race to make the movie with the most explosions without asking themselves - do people actually like this shit? Whereas the Audrey Hepburn film we watched a few weeks ago was just a nice, pleasant, casual way to spend a few hours without having all of our senses blown out.

I don't know, maybe I'm showing my age - or something. I just recall the 90s and early 00s being much better for film. And now, I'm not exactly sure what's happening?

Movies are made for the audiences that pay the most money to see them.

Hollywood has worked out that that audience is teenagers; Particularly teenage boys.

If you are not a part of that demographic, then they are happy if you like their movie, but not too bothered if you don't. But if you are in that demographic, it is vital to the success of their offerings that you like them. And as they don't know what, exactly, makes one movie a huge success, while another is a total flop, the studios try to deviate as little as possible from the formula of their last success. So you end up with a string of similar movies, all targeting teenage audiences.

Their target audiences like to see more violence and gore than is usually permitted for a PG-13; But in many cases, getting a more strict rating than that will cut off a large part of the target demographic, so they constantly flirt with that line, hoping to be violent enough for 16 year old boys to love it, but not so violent as to get an R rating. Similarly with sexual content, although in the US, sexual content and nudity is far more strictly rated than violence and gore.

The rest of the world can have any different rating system they like, but ultimately it's the US box office that counts, so movies are made LOUD, with lots of violence and action. Because American teen boys want to see that.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I like the explosions and shit. They're really the only reason to bother spending the cash to see a film in the theatre. If it's an interesting, well acted character piece, I'll watch it a year later on Netflix because there's nothing I'm missing by not seeing it on the big screen.

Serious question, because I haven't paid much attention for a while. Are actual good movies with explosions still being made?

For instance, when I was younger the Bourne Trilogy was something I'd go out to see. Is that kind of calibre film still being made?

Good? Not that I can think of off the top of my head. Entertaining? Most definitely.

If I go to a theatre, my main goal is to turn off my brain and watch some cool effects and action. And yes, I do realize that I'm part of the problem of the dumbing down of mainstream culture, but I just don't find the expense of going out to a movie theatre to be worth it if all that's going to happen is that I'm intellectually engaged.

 

[Ford]

There's a great documentary out there called "Electric Boogaloo, The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films." It traces the growth and ultimate failure of a company that made such "classic" movies as American Ninja, Death Wish II, Superman IV, the Quest For Peace, and of course, Breakin' 2, Electric Boogaloo.

It's a reminder that a lot of movies are crap, and this is not a new thing. We tend to remember the good movies from our youth, and forget the really bad ones.

 

[steve_bank]

One of the early draws for movies, believe it or not, was air conditioning. It was also escape from a dreary reality for many.

Haven't been to a movie since the mid 90s. A total rip off.

 

[prideandfall]

Serious question, because I haven't paid much attention for a while. Are actual good movies with explosions still being made?

yes, absolutely - though of course "good" is very subjective so of course this will really depend on your preferences.

movies of all kinds are being made, still being distributed, and still being shown in theaters.
but you need to understand that as the general TV watching audience shrinks, the pervasiveness of TV ads for movies is decreasing and all that gets a lot of airtime is "mass appeal" movies.
so if you want to find out about the sort of creative and more indie-oriented films are out there you usually have to look online.

For instance, when I was younger the Bourne Trilogy was something I'd go out to see. Is that kind of calibre film still being made?

i mean... heh good example here of subjectivity. i think the bourne movies are terrible.

but your point is taken and i'd say that, for example, john wick is at that level. also the recent movie Upgrade was really fantastic.

 

[rousseau]

There's a great documentary out there called "Electric Boogaloo, The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films." It traces the growth and ultimate failure of a company that made such "classic" movies as American Ninja, Death Wish II, Superman IV, the Quest For Peace, and of course, Breakin' 2, Electric Boogaloo.

It's a reminder that a lot of movies are crap, and this is not a new thing. We tend to remember the good movies from our youth, and forget the really bad ones.

I've read some articles at some point recently that suggested with the rise of TV and other entertainment the quality of movies is actually degrading in real terms. I mean, growing up in the 90's I remember so many genuinely great movies coming out. Not just a bunch of Billy Madisons, and comic book movies, but genuine works of art.

These days, I dunno? It doesn't seem like that stuff exists, or if it does it's much rarer.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

I like the explosions and shit. They're really the only reason to bother spending the cash to see a film in the theatre. If it's an interesting, well acted character piece, I'll watch it a year later on Netflix because there's nothing I'm missing by not seeing it on the big screen.

Serious question, because I haven't paid much attention for a while. Are actual good movies with explosions still being made?

We are living in the Golden Age of comic book movies. The last 10 years have been the 1939 of comic book films.

For instance, when I was younger the Bourne Trilogy was something I'd go out to see. Is that kind of calibre film still being made?

Sure, but one must remember, there were plenty of bad films made when the Bourne films were made.

 

[TSwizzle]

Are movies and the movie going experience just kind of.. bad now?

Probably and yes. I very rarely go to a movie theater to see a movie but I don't watch movies a whole lot to begin with. I reckon I have been to a movie theater twice in ten years. Although I did not do it very often, I enjoyed going to the drive in movie. That was a different experience altogether. For me, going to a movie theater is awful, particularly when it is busy. Ignorant, rude people everywhere, getting bombarded with commercials and the price just does not appeal to me.

 

[KeepTalking]

There are a ton of good, even great movies being made these days, at least for my entertainment dollars. The problem for a lot of people can be finding movies that they like in the theater. According to IMBD there were 1143 movies released last year, there is bound to be something in there for everyone, but if your tastes do not include the big blockbusters with lots of violence and explosions, you may have trouble finding your niche in a theatre. In the '90's and '00's, theaters were huge monstrosities with 20 screens where they could often show less popular films. These days theaters are getting smaller, but ramping up the comfort and service. My favorite current theater boasts two screens, however, the seats are leather recliners, and there is wait staff who will bring me food and beer while I watch shit get blown up. My town is also one of the few in the USA that still has a Drive-in theater. We still go there a couple times a summer, mostly so we can take the grandkids and not have them bother other movie goers. If I am not watching a movie at one of those two locations, I am watching it at home.

Of course, watching a movie from home is quite a different experience for me than it was twenty years ago as well. I can get pretty damn close to a theater experience with my recliner situated directly in front of my big ass HD TV, Dolby surround sound in my living room, and cheap(er) food and beer in my nearby fridge. The only reason I am even going to the theater is so I don't have to wait a couple months to watch the damn thing at home.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

It's probably my advancing age, but I don't enjoy stories anymore. There are only so many of them and they get told again and again with different paint jobs.

Or maybe they just aren't well done in movies and TV these days.

 

[TV and credit cards]

The last movie I saw in a theater was District 9. The movie pretty much sucked. The floor was sticky. The theater smelled like sweat.
I don't bother with theaters any longer. I do not like the chest pounding volume level of action movies. I prefer the comfort of my own home; bathroom, kitchen, pause button, volume control, best seat in the house.

Sci-fi movies with special effects would still be better in a theater. Even large TV screens can not do them justice. As a kid, I was blown away by Close Encounters of a Third Kind. Most others I just rather see at home. Best is seeing a movie with low expectations that turns out to be surprisingly good. I saw Fatal Attraction before there was any buzz about it. Excellent.

Many movies, especially series seem to follow a basic outline with different dialogue and/or characters written in: Disneyfication I call it but I think some use this term for other purposes. These all suck.

It has become more difficult to find that rare gem in the bin. Netflix is especially frustrating in these regards. Over eighty percent of what I start watching on Netflix I do not finish. There is something out there for everyone though. I question if it's worth the hunt.

 

[bigfield]

Saw Hidden Figures at the fancy cinema where you get an electric recliner and they bring you beer and buffalo wings. That was a good night out.

We are living in the Golden Age of comic book movies. The last 10 years have been the 1939 of comic book films.

It's sucked the oxygen out of the action movie industry, though. Not that I'm really bothered, because the Marvel movies are good fun.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

It's probably my advancing age, but I don't enjoy stories anymore. There are only so many of them and they get told again and again with different paint jobs.

Or maybe they just aren't well done in movies and TV these days.

I don't know if it's so much "these days". There were probably a few people bitching about how Shakespeare was just trotting out the exact same tropes they'd seen before.

Those people all died of tuberculosis, though, so fuck the lot of them.

 

[bilby]

It's probably my advancing age, but I don't enjoy stories anymore. There are only so many of them and they get told again and again with different paint jobs.

Or maybe they just aren't well done in movies and TV these days.

I don't know if it's so much "these days". There were probably a few people bitching about how Shakespeare was just trotting out the exact same tropes they'd seen before.

Those people all died of tuberculosis, though, so fuck the lot of them.

Well that's hardly fair.

Some died of cholera too.

 

[prideandfall]

It's sucked the oxygen out of the action movie industry, though. Not that I'm really bothered, because the Marvel movies are good fun.

have to disagree with this.
i think it may have sucked the air out of the *generic plotless excuse for a bodybuilder to pretend to shoot guns* action movie industry, but an equally valid argument could be made that "old man inexplicably fucks everyone up for revenge" sub-genre was doing that already.

there are lots of great action movies being made and released every year, just the generic shlocky grunting he-man fare we used to get has been subsumed by comic movies because if you're going to have a schlocky action flick it's mostly agreed on that it's better to have something resembling a plot.

 

[bigfield]

It's sucked the oxygen out of the action movie industry, though. Not that I'm really bothered, because the Marvel movies are good fun.

have to disagree with this.
i think it may have sucked the air out of the *generic plotless excuse for a bodybuilder to pretend to shoot guns* action movie industry, but an equally valid argument could be made that "old man inexplicably fucks everyone up for revenge" sub-genre was doing that already.

there are lots of great action movies being made and released every year, just the generic shlocky grunting he-man fare we used to get has been subsumed by comic movies because if you're going to have a schlocky action flick it's mostly agreed on that it's better to have something resembling a plot.

Yeah, fair point.