And that's fine. But my point was that it's still ludicrous to try and paint Slumdog as some arty snorefest when it's anything but.
Maybe I´m just an insesitive asshole *le sigh* (disclaimer: this post is pure sarcasm as was the other about "punch to the face) Glad we have that common point. Btw, still need to watch the King´s Speach.
Mark Kermode was/is scathing about the first two films and Michael Bay as a movie maker. He has explained his criticisms at length and as a fan with a taste in movies not too dissimilar to his I'm sympathetic to them. But these movies aren't aimed at me and they aren't aimed at Kermode ... they're not high art or likely to deliver a narrative above baddy versus goody - if you go into these movies expecting anything other than 2 and a bit hours of entertaining and visually appealing fluff then you're going to be disappointed, as many critics have been.
This. Thankyouplease. I think The Rock is the best thing Bay has ever done. It's all been a bit downhill since then (though The Island has the makings of a good movie). Amen. I would like to add that the notion of summer tentpole movies propping up the indy scene is a total misconception, albeit one that credibility seeking movie studios would love to propagate. The reality is that the current state of the film industry has resulted in studios targeting a smaller and smaller cross-section of the public in order to maximise returns (effectively teenagers). This results in very specific kind of films being greenlit and a distinct lack of variance with how those productions are put together. It's no wonder that TV has become the real melting pot for challenging drama.
Dunno, with the rise of Reality tv that might be over.... Ever noticed how a ton of shows get canceled and Reality tv keeps on?
That's always been the case in the US. Shows are canceled with a brutality that leaves me gasping. Reality TV is cheap to produce and popular, but not always a direct competitor to drama. It all depends if the revenue streams dry up. The international markets for the kind of excellent stuff you guys have been doing is currently healthy enough that I wouldn't worry too much (as long as the insane advertising nazis don't stop the show before it even gets through a series!)
How so? Add up the total box office take of the current top 'fresh' movies and it doesn't even add up to the opening weekend of any of the blockbusters. If all films were those, Hollyood would be out of business. Oh, and, yeah...Dark of the Moon. Trying to stay on topic.
I think that critics should have to wait for opening day to see the movies just like everyone else. That way they can't influence anyone who is on the fence.
Something I've noticed in the "top critics" reviews - As usual, most are anti-Michael Bay. I truly believe this stems from a longtime hatred of the man that most critics refuse to let go of. Hating on Michael Bay is popular, and the more you hate on him, the more the vocal minority cater to your reviews and consider you amazing. Second, Michael Bay's films always center around the Government being "the bad guy" while the military and the "old fashioned guy" are the heroes. I don't need to really say it, but I think a lot of the critics let their own political views encompass their actual review, and they hate the movie because it preaches something that isn't "The Government saved the day!" type of material. Typical left vs. right argument, but being played out in a hundred million dollar movie vs. left-wing critics. Not an overwhelming majority, but really read these reviews - they scoff and laugh at how the 'military is going to save the day!' and that 'the Government is incompetant, and in fact even played a role in mankind's destruction'. Just $0.02 ... please don't turn these comments in to any kind of political argument, I just see a trend amongst some reviews where it felt more political than actually reviewing the movie.
