TV/Movies Megathread

[Ideologue]

PW absolutely agree.

Jaws, Star Wars, Rocky, American Graffiti, God father, Apoco Now, Serpico, Blazing Saddles, 10, were blockbusters in their own right. And I dare say better than the Assburger shit of today.

They all made fucktons of money, but the real qualitative difference is that they weren't intentionally planned as big hits.  (Except possibly Apocalypse Now, although in Apocalypse Now's case, it was still very much a passion project--and a boondoggle.)

The first movie that was really planned in the same sense as the modern blockbuster would probably be Superman.  (You could make an argument for Towering Inferno being a precursor, but that was released in a pre-Jaws world.)  Anyway, Superman was ridiculously expensive; it was filmed simultaneously with its sequel; franchise-building was cooked into the screenplay (it is the only rationale for the trial of General Zod, a character who does not reappear until Superman II in 1980); it was a fantasy film intended to appeal to a family audience, including childrens and teens, rather than to the predominantly-adult audiences that ate up New Hollywood style drama; it's self-consciously "epic"; it makes no effort to be brief; and it was heavily, heavily hyped.

It's striking just how similar the industrial production of first Superman was to modern blockbusters, especially superhero flicks--far moreso than Batman, let alone Batman Returns.

P.S.: One way you can tell people are just late-middle-aged, and not necessarily all that committed to "quality filmmaking for adults," or however they'd prefer to phrase it, is by how much they uncritically love Superman and Superman II.

Joan: the robots are coming/here.  Also, fine, maybe the rooms weren't always brown.

Tim: hey, man.

[celedhring]

Godfather was very much planned as a big moneymaker. It was adapting the by then best selling novel of all time in the US.

It also had a baked in sequel as all the Young Vito storyline showed up in Godfather II.

[Ideologue]

I guess The Godfather's a contender.  But did it cost the 2016 equivalent of around $250 million (Superman was enormously expensive) and did Coppola and his producers hope to get families in the theaters, plus repeat viewings?  I dunno.  Haven't looked into it.  (I mean, it's not exactly four-quadrant entertainment, I do remember that much. )

[celedhring]

I guess The Godfather's a contender.  But did it cost the 2016 equivalent of around $250 million (Superman was enormously expensive) and did Coppola and his producers hope to get families in the theaters, plus repeat viewings?  I dunno.  Haven't looked into it.  (I mean, it's not exactly four-quadrant entertainment, I do remember that much. )

Its budget was modest in 2016 dollars, but it was far above the average Hollywood budget of the time. They actually wanted to make it as a small movie at the beginning, even moving the action to 1970s America (!!). That's why a relative unknown like Coppola got the gig. But when the book became hugely successful they bet the farm on it. It was *the* movie from Paramount that year.

Repeat viewings was actually a big part of the Hollywood business model before home video. If you really liked a movie the only chance you had of seeing it again was heading back to the theater, there was no DVD to pick up a few months later.

[lustindarkness]

No Country for Old Men, what a great dark sad movie with a unexpected anticlimactic ending. No happily ever after in this movie!

[The Minsky Moment]

I agree with Ide on Superman - a lot of the bad blockbuster habits (esp bloat and bogus epicness) can be traced there.  II was snappier and more fun, although not without faults.

[Barrister]

I guess The Godfather's a contender.  But did it cost the 2016 equivalent of around $250 million (Superman was enormously expensive) and did Coppola and his producers hope to get families in the theaters, plus repeat viewings?  I dunno.  Haven't looked into it.  (I mean, it's not exactly four-quadrant entertainment, I do remember that much. )

Its budget was modest in 2016 dollars, but it was far above the average Hollywood budget of the time. They actually wanted to make it as a small movie at the beginning, even moving the action to 1970s America (!!). That's why a relative unknown like Coppola got the gig. But when the book became hugely successful they bet the farm on it. It was *the* movie from Paramount that year.

Repeat viewings was actually a big part of the Hollywood business model before home video. If you really liked a movie the only chance you had of seeing it again was heading back to the theater, there was no DVD to pick up a few months later.

Well not exactly - there was a time when the "Movie of the week" on TV was a big deal, because it was your only other chance to watch last year's big blockbuster.

But I do remember a time when it was not uncommon for movie companies to re-release movies back to the theatres for precisely that reason - so you could go and see an old favourite again.

[CountDeMoney]

Superman was as plastic and artificial as the coke-laden, chintzy, artificial-wood-grain era it represents.  As bloated as Brando and his contract, as slow-developing as Carter Administration energy policy.

Worse misuse of a bad guy in Mistah Lootoor ever.  Even watching it in the theater as a kid, couldn't understand why he wouldn't rather swim in old Central Station and fuck Miss Tessbocker all day instead.  Meh.

[Barrister]

Superman was great!!!

[CountDeMoney]

Best scene was watching that anorexic cokehead get crushed in a Ford.

[Josquius]

Bbc has a classic sitcom season going on.
They've made a new episode of are you being served - rather good.
And more exciting for me a sequel to goodnight sweetheart - has a nice man from the 90s the 10s air about it rather than the 90s to 40s of the original.

[Jacob]

Just watched Casablanca again. It's been a while.

[CountDeMoney]

Just watched Casablanca again. It's been a while.

Pretty sure it's got the same ending.

[11B4V]

Almost time
http://www.hbo.com/westworld

[CountDeMoney]

Yeah, looking forward to that.  I am confident it'll be done right.

Did you see the new "Quarry" series due to start on Skinemax soon?  Based on the "Quarry" novels of the 70's...anybody ever read them? 

I'm afraid Mack Bolan/Able Team/Phoenix Force was the earliest I go back as far as action novels go