https://twitter.com/CultureCrave/status/1438432328401907713
shareGood. I don't mind if people like superhero movies, but I hate the same formula that these Marvel Universe movies have.
shareHe's probably right.
But have we now reached the stage where any director with a new movie to promote is going to be asked by dopey journalists for an opinion about the MCU? Is that the only story they can think of?
MCU v the rest of the world - and now Twitter can fight...!
Right? Even if actors are doing something completely different, they're basically bombarded with superhero related questions. They're looking for their next headline. Something they can sensationalize
I remember when Ben Affleck was attached to star in & direct The Batman, he was asked about it so many times while promoting other films, he honestly looked broken by the end of it.
There's no probably about it he's exactly right. I've only ever watched the first Iron Man and the first Avengers movie to know these movies are exactly the same.
shareI've seen about half a dozen. One's tolerance to the MCU template clearly varies. Which is fine.
I say 'probably', because I probably agree with him, but given that there's 20+ of these movies I haven't seen, and given that it's subjective and there's a big audience that would presumably disagree, I can't be certain that he's right.
OH BOY!
Cat fight.
making 25 films in 12 or so years, and seeing them become progressively more popular and generally liked isn't a trivial thing to do. witness the other franchises that have tried to do it with mixed to miserable results.
so i don't think he should be so dismissive of something that's really quite an accomplishment. i'm not sure we've ever seen anything like this before, & maybe we never will again.
there's nothing wrong with formula films, and when they're skillfully made, as i think most of the mcu films are, they can be incredibly satisfying. they're certainly not all i want to see, but i'll always be there opening weekend as long as they keep making them.
I'd add to this that there was a lengthy period in which Hollywood simply couldn't make superhero movies that satisfied both general audiences and fans of the source material. Producers forced too many compromises and just couldn't get their acts together.
It's quite strange, in hindsight, that there was ten years between Richard Donner's Superman and Tim Burton's Batman, and that Spider-Man didn't arrive on the big screen until 2002.
This makes the achievement of sustaining a popular movie franchise that squeezes in characters such as Ant-Man and Black Widow, who would never have got their own movies in an era when friggin' Batman was a struggle, doubly impressive.
And, good for them: comic book fans are enjoying a feast after a long cinematic drought. I agree with Villeneuve that they're a bit samey for my tastes, but they aren't really aimed at me.
And besides, the true test of that will be when audiences begin to wane... as they eventually will when tastes change or the quality of the entertainment appreciably drops.
In the meantime: Let people enjoy things... as they say.
agreed, agreed, agreed!
all i'll add is that i think it's fair to say that they really couldn't routinely pull these kinds of films off in a sustained way until the digital effects were advanced enough.
i don't think spider-man could really work until all that digital stuff, the things that t2 & such films laid down the basis for, became advanced & convincing. not that i'm the final authority on such matters...but i don't think it's a coincidence that, once the tech was there, that's when these films really took hold.
That's true enough. The rise of the superhero movie must be linked to the advancement of the technology.
But it also seemed to be the case that pre-Marvel, producers would be willing to make superhero movies as long as they could completely change the characters, their backstories and, well, almost everything fans would recognise from the comic books. 'We have to think of a general audience.' And Marvel seems to have found a way to satisfy both sections of their audience amply.
I mean, we don't have to contrast it with the pre-CGI era. We just look at the clumsier journey DC has had in the same era.
GLOBALIZATION is the reason why SUPER HERO MOVIES get made.
Because the PLOT is SIMPLISTIC enough for other CULTURES to follow who aren't use to watching films with more COMPLEX and SOPHISTICATED stories.
And it's also the reason why many people who ARE used to more COMPLEXITY are FED UP with the production of so many of them.
Because the PLOT is SIMPLISTIC enough for other CULTURES to follow who aren't use to watching films with more COMPLEX and SOPHISTICATED stories.
Since CHINA is one of the LARGEST consumers on the planet, they would most likely be one of the cultures who are being CATERED to in regards to telling stories in films these days???
Taking a look at the BREAK DOWN of the BOX OFFICE proceeds for a movie would probably also answer your question.
You think that China, one of the oldest continuous civilisations on Earth, has a less 'sophisticated' culture than the United States of America? You think the Chinese can't handle complexity in story-telling? Why?
shareWhat one suspects is CHINA's TASTE in FILMS may tend to be LESS SOPHISTICATED than that of certain AMERICANS (due to the way they haven't been viewing films as long as other cultures ever since their REVOLUTION which ushered in COMMUNISM).
A friend from SOUTH KOREA also said when she went to watch TOMB RAIDER with ANGELINA JOLIE the MALES in the AUDIENCE sat there LAUGHING at it because the idea of a FEMALE LEAD doing what she did wasn't plausible to them (due to the PATRIARCHAL kind of ATTITUDES that they have where females are still considered to be INFERIOR to them).
suspects
Were these films made before or after the REVOLUTION???
What one suspects is the TASTE today is different from what it use to be once upon a time.
The other issue is how MOST MOVIE GOERS here in the US are also TEENAGERS, which is still another reason why a more SIMPLISTIC PLOT gets produced.
And one also isn't aware of what the AVERAGE AGE is in CHINA of those who go to watch SUPER HERO films.
But if it's the same as here, then that would also explain the reason why the PLOTS tend to be more SIMPLISTIC.
There's that word 'suspects' again.
Anyway, you'll hopefully accept that tastes being different is a rather different proposition from your initial claim that China is a less sophisticated culture.
Of course, taste changes - geographically, temporally, generationally, culturally - and of course the international box office has become increasingly important to Hollywood studios paying out hundreds of millions of dollars to make their products - but the idea that Asian nations can't handle complex storytelling or are 'less sophisticated' than Americans is (and I'm putting the nicest spin I can on it) baffling and ironic.
What's ironic about that?
shareThis poster is always "GROUCHING" about something. Can't recall ever seeing them in a good mood.
Perhaps someone should give them a COOKIE or something as a way to try to cheer them up???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG3fb8rVjpk&t=5s
Squarespace | Make It Real | Oscar the Grouch
your initial claim that China is a less sophisticated culture
There's nothing wrong with my reading comprehension.
shareThen the problem must be with your PERCEPTION because NO ONE said anything about the CULTURE itself being LESS SOPHISTICATED (which is also proven by the way ASIAN STUDENTS usually OUTSHINE AMERICAN students BIGTIME ACADEMICALLY).
What one said was their "TASTE in MOVIES" tends to be LESS SOPHISTICATED than that of American viewers -- which BILL has also explained for us in the other message where he's also fed up with the way he says:
Originality, talent, screenwriting, themes, acting, etc., has all gone to shit.
(BECAUSE)
They make money with one movie, and then they basically re-do it trying to be sneaky and change a few trivial things.
So do you AGREE with this assessment???
And BILL also AGREES with what I've said about GLOBALIZATION being the reason for this happening.
I've already acknowledged the role of globalisation in big budget filmmaking. The international market is of increasing importance to Hollywood studios because their movies cost a great deal of money to produce. This is a truism though.
It also has nothing to do with your points about 'sophistication' though, which you concede you are guessing at ('I suspect'). Even if you are limiting your observations to film culture, it's still self-evident nonsense drawn from a simple lack of knowledge in the area you have chosen to pontificate on. As I said to you already: I'd humbly suggest you watch more Asian cinema. Then get back to me.
You were also ASKED for a TIME FRAME in regards to which ASIAN FILMS you're making reference to, but as usual you IGNORED the QUESTION to have another TANTRUM again.
So WHAT TIME FRAME are you talking about???
BEFORE or AFTER the REVOLUTION that USHERS in COMMUNISM???
Because the GENERATION that watches these SUPER HERO films probably weren't even BORN at the time you've made reference to.
Just like the TEENAGERS (who are MOST the VIEWING AUDIENCE HERE in the US), are probably also NOT FAMILIAR with FILMS that were produced before they were BORN.
Otherwise they'd also complain about what BILL said and about how:
Originality, talent, screenwriting, themes, acting, etc., has all gone to shit.
It also has nothing to do with your points about 'sophistication'
SURE it DOES.
Because that's also PRECISELY what one means when one says SUPER HERO MOVIES aren't as SOPHISTICATED as other FILMS.
Because SUPER HERO films are FORMULAIC as opposed to being ORIGINAL, and that's also why they tend to BORE anyone who has SEEN better STORY TELLING or SCREENWRITING before in other FILMS.
You were also ASKED for a TIME FRAME in regards to which ASIAN FILMS you're making reference to, but as usual you IGNORED the QUESTION
to have another TANTRUM again
AGAIN, I didn't say ASIAN FILMS were LESS SOPHISTICATED.
What I said was TASTE in MOVIES these days TENDS to be LESS SOPHISTICATED.
Here's a website that DEMONSTRATES how there's ONLY ONE film from CHINA mentioned and it was also made in 1948:
http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2017/the-25-most-influential-asian-movies-of-all-time/
Taste of Cinema – Movie Reviews and Classic Movie Lists
The 25 Most Influential Asian Movies Of All Time
23. Spring in a Small Town (Fei Mu, 1948, China)
So perhaps the reason why you IGNORNED the QUESTION has something to do with my being RIGHT ABOUT how there hasn't been anything produced recently in CHINA to indicate they have SOPHISTICATED TASTES in the films that they chose to view these days???
🧐
AGAIN, I didn't say ASIAN FILMS were LESS SOPHISTICATED.
What one suspects is CHINA's TASTE in FILMS may tend to be LESS SOPHISTICATED than that of certain AMERICANS
AGAIN, I didn't say ASIAN FILMS were LESS SOPHISTICATED.
there hasn't been anything produced recently in CHINA to indicate they have SOPHISTICATED TASTES in the films that they chose to view
CORRECTION:
Nothing has been changed or EDITED.
All that was done was to PLACE those little b's around what was already said there, so that it would be in BOLD LETTERS.
EDITING is when you CHANGE the WORDING.
NOT ONE SINGLE WORD of what was originally said has been changed.
Also NOTE how one says MAY TEND to be (meaning one isn't sure that what one is saying is so).
CHINA's TASTE in FILMS may tend to be LESS SOPHISTICATED
What one suspects is CHINA's TASTE in FILMS may tend to be LESS SOPHISTICATED than that of certain AMERICANS
A friend from SOUTH KOREA also said when she went to watch TOMB RAIDER with ANGELINA JOLIE the MALES in the AUDIENCE sat there LAUGHING at it because the idea of a FEMALE LEAD doing what she did wasn't plausible to them
Asian movies are usually more sophisticated than American ones.
Ok. Fine. So what MOVIES did you have in mind???
You're out of my league, because I'm not a fan of the horror genre anymore (like I use to be as a PRE TEEN kid back when DRACULA was my favorite MOVIE MONSTER).
And one accepts what you say about how they're more SOPHISTICATED than the AMERICAN versions, but horror stories also don't usually tend to
deal that much with Originality (plot wise/character wise), or care that much about talent, screenwriting, themes, acting.
Right???
And that's the complaint is how these COOKIE CUTTER - SUPER HERO - FORMULAIC MOVIES that are being made these days don't deal with such matters as well as other films do.
It's not just marvel movies. Originality, talent, screenwriting, themes, acting, etc., has all gone to shit.
They make money with one movie, and then they basically re-do it trying to be sneaky and change a few trivial things.
Originality, talent, screenwriting, themes, acting, etc., has all gone to shit.
They make money with one movie, and then they basically re-do it trying to be sneaky and change a few trivial things.
BRAVO BILL !!!
WELL PUT !!!
And GLOBALIZATION also has a LOT to do with it (due to the way there's the TASTE of a much LARGER AUDIENCE now to take into consideration).
Thank you, and you make a great point about globalization... In order to get ALL the masses, I'm guessing the directors find the lowest common denominator, as opposed to just throwing out their own vision. After all, isn't that what an artist is supposed to do? I don't want to see a work of art that doesn't discern from anything that's right in front of my face. I want to see different!
shareHowever, it's ironic that Villenueve's movies are not original. Blade Runner 2049 was a sequel with a plot copy-pasted straight from Her. And Dune is just another remake / re-do.
I think he's technically right, but not exactly the right person to say it.
Yet another resentful bitch venting his jealousy of the Marvel money machine!
Hollywood is full of them.