Hollywood sucks big time (My rant)

[Xevious]

Many years ago I saw a charming Japanese movie called "Shall We dance?" Its about a middle-aged man who takes tango dancing lessons-- which was considered to be a big no-no in Japanese society. The movie was actually really good. I really enjoyed it a lot.

So this morning, I turn on the TV and I see a commercial with Richard Gere, Susan Sarrandon, and Jennifer Lopez. All of them are staring in a remake of "SHall we dance" and the music from C&C music factory is blaring in the background. The new version looks cheeesy as hell! I wanted to puke it was so bad.

Jesus! Its Hollywood soo god damn creatively bankrupt? I can't believe how much they promote such dreck! Hollywood sucks balls!!

[kaji7p56]

Yes, Hollywood is VERY creatively bankrupt, and morally too!

[crickett003]

Yes, Hollywood is VERY creatively bankrupt, and morally too!

Amen to that!

[Xevious]

By the way, I saw the original movie during the Clinton adminstration. I remembered President Bill was on TV saying he like the movie alot. I was bored one sunday so I went to the art house movie theater to watch it and I ended up liking it a lot too.

[dcfox]

I just hate it when Hollywood just leeches off other things and turns it into a crappy movie, whether it's a video game, a book, or another movie. Also people need to start learning to stop licensing their stuff out to movie studios.

[CaseyRyback]

pretty sure the commercial I saw used Bowie's "Let's Dance" in the background

[KingDox]

before you die you see the ring...

this should come as no shock that hollywood has no original ideas. And I hope you direct some of that anger towards the people who made the original and sold out to hollywood for the re-make.

[Reality's Fringe]

pretty sure the commercial I saw used Bowie's "Let's Dance" in the background

Hey, hey, HEY! Don't you hate on Bowie! :x

[Xevious]

pretty sure the commercial I saw used Bowie's "Let's Dance" in the background

Hey, hey, HEY! Don't you hate on Bowie! :x

The commercial I saw had C&C music factory. They were playing that hit from the 80's "Everybody Dance Now!"

It looks cheesy as all hell.

[CaseyRyback]

pretty sure the commercial I saw used Bowie's "Let's Dance" in the background

Hey, hey, HEY! Don't you hate on Bowie! :x

no one hating on Bowie. All I have seen on TV is the one about the sneak preview, which uses "Lets Dance"

[epobirs]

I cannot imagine why anyone would be surprised by this/ Virtually every foreign language hit is remade for the US market with more familiar faces. The owners of the original often make more money from this than they did from the original. In some cases the orginal creator gets a hand in the Western version. For instance, this popular movie, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364385/ is being remade by the same writer-director (with assistance on the translation) with a US cast:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0391198/

It isn't as though all the remakes happen here. Everyone probably knows 'Point of No Return' was a remake of the original 'La Femme Nikita' but how many have seen 'Black Cat?' http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101463/
This movie makes the heroines of the other two look mild mannered by comparison. The early action scene, before she is made over as a government assassin, is a truckstop battle with a huge thug who hurls her across the room into a pinball machine so hard it collapses but she shrugs it off in her fury and goes on to kill him. If she was locked in a room with the Parillaud and Fonda characters it would end with only her emerging, picking her teeth with a sharpened bone.

Again, everybody probably knows the 'El Mariachi' got remade by its creator as 'Desperado' but how many have seen the Chinese version, 'Run?'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111762/

And how many of you Star Wars fans have checked out Kurosawa's 'Hidden Fortress?'

[Reality's Fringe]

pretty sure the commercial I saw used Bowie's "Let's Dance" in the background

Hey, hey, HEY! Don't you hate on Bowie! :x

no one hating on Bowie. All I have seen on TV is the one about the sneak preview, which uses "Lets Dance"

I know, I was just messing around cause I'm a big Bowie fan. Now, if you really WERE hating on Bowie, then I can't be held responsible for my actions :wink: .

[FriskyTanuki]

I really liked Shall We Dance when I got to see it in my Japanese 2 class, it was funny, and really well done. I finally saw why this movie was all over the textbook we used. I'm kind of dissapointed they didn't just rerelease the original version in the US.

[Duo_Maxwell]

I cannot imagine why anyone would be surprised by this/ Virtually every foreign language hit is remade for the US market with more familiar faces. The owners of the original often make more money from this than they did from the original. In some cases the orginal creator gets a hand in the Western version. For instance, this popular movie, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364385/ is being remade by the same writer-director (with assistance on the translation) with a US cast:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0391198/

It isn't as though all the remakes happen here. Everyone probably knows 'Point of No Return' was a remake of the original 'La Femme Nikita' but how many have seen 'Black Cat?' http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101463/
This movie makes the heroines of the other two look mild mannered by comparison. The early action scene, before she is made over as a government assassin, is a truckstop battle with a huge thug who hurls her across the room into a pinball machine so hard it collapses but she shrugs it off in her fury and goes on to kill him. If she was locked in a room with the Parillaud and Fonda characters it would end with only her emerging, picking her teeth with a sharpened bone.

Again, everybody probably knows the 'El Mariachi' got remade by its creator as 'Desperado' but how many have seen the Chinese version, 'Run?'
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111762/

And how many of you Star Wars fans have checked out Kurosawa's 'Hidden Fortress?'

While I agrre that Hollywood is less creative now days and I agrre with most of your 1st paragraph epobirs. But the rest of your examples besides the grudge aren't 100% correct. Hei Mao was actually after Nikita, there for it shows Hong Kong cinema as being more unoriginal, you seem to have known that but I thought I'd clarify for everybody else. And of course it would have more death and action because it's a Hong Kong action film, and they are not necessarily timid films. Also, Desparado wasn't a remake so much as it was a sequel. And while I haven't seen Run, I'm willing to bet it's just another Hong Kong action-style take-off from the Rodriguez's El Marachi. Anyhow I don't mean to be one of those picky people who looks like an asshole, butyour examples just helped me call attention to the fact that American cinema isn't the unoriginal force working in film.

And as for Star Wars, yeah Lucas is pretty damn unoriginal with just about everything he does. I mean maybe that's the reason why he had American Graffetti, THX, and then lke 8,000 different versions of Star Wars, perhaps he couldn't come up with any more ideas.

[epobirs]

While I agrre that Hollywood is less creative now days and I agrre with most of your 1st paragraph epobirs. But the rest of your examples besides the grudge aren't 100% correct. Hei Mao was actually after Nikita, there for it shows Hong Kong cinema as being more unoriginal, you seem to have known that but I thought I'd clarify for everybody else. And of course it would have more death and action because it's a Hong Kong action film, and they are not necessarily timid films. Also, Desparado wasn't a remake so much as it was a sequel. And while I haven't seen Run, I'm willing to bet it's just another Hong Kong action-style take-off from the Rodriguez's El Marachi. Anyhow I don't mean to be one of those picky people who looks like an asshole, butyour examples just helped me call attention to the fact that American cinema isn't the unoriginal force working in film.

And as for Star Wars, yeah Lucas is pretty damn unoriginal with just about everything he does. I mean maybe that's the reason why he had American Graffetti, THX, and then lke 8,000 different versions of Star Wars, perhaps he couldn't come up with any more ideas.

You completely misinterpreted what I wrote. "Black Cat' and 'Run' were blatantly ripped off from 'La Femme Nikita' and 'El Mariachi,' in fact they both preceded the English remakes of both films since there were no tedious delays due to such niceties as acquiring the rights. I was pointing out that it is very common for movie production hubs around the world to remake hit movies from other territories. Hollywood is not alone in remaking foreign films. The big difference is that Hollywood pays handsomely for the rights.

BTW, the idiotic Jimmy Fallon flick you're seeing hyped right now is also a remake from a foreign hit film.

[Wshakspear]

...and yet nobody goes and sees sky captain...ARGH!

[rebenns]

...and yet nobody goes and sees sky captain...ARGH!

That's because Sky Captain BLEW!

[epobirs]

...and yet nobody goes and sees sky captain...ARGH!

It's the #1 movie in the country currently. Somebody must be seeing it.

[rebenns]

Well, sometimes it can be a good thing. The Al Pacino / Brian De Palma version of Scarface was better than the Paul Muni / Howard Hawks version. Also, while Lucas has admitted he was a fan of the Hidden Fortress, and the two guards inspired C3PO and R2D2, Star Wars was NOT a remake of Hidden Fortress. Star Wars was one of the most innovative concepts ever. Lucas may be a prick, but he once had talent, and that should be acknowledged.

[Wshakspear]

...and yet nobody goes and sees sky captain...ARGH!

That's because Sky Captain BLEW!

Why? Explain.

Epobirs...yes, it was #1...but it did less than 1/2 of what AVP anf RE:A did..and those were shitty (yet somewhat enjoyable) films. It just agravates me.

[epobirs]

Well, sometimes it can be a good thing. The Al Pacino / Brian De Palma version of Scarface was better than the Paul Muni / Howard Hawks version. Also, while Lucas has admitted he was a fan of the Hidden Fortress, and the two guards inspired C3PO and R2D2, Star Wars was NOT a remake of Hidden Fortress. Star Wars was one of the most innovative concepts ever. Lucas may be a prick, but he once had talent, and that should be acknowledged.

Oh please, if you think Star Wars was so innovative you really need to see and read more of the history of film and the literature that inspired it. Lucas started off with a knock-off of 'Dune' he kept diluting until he ended up with something fimable.

[Xevious]

Well, sometimes it can be a good thing. The Al Pacino / Brian De Palma version of Scarface was better than the Paul Muni / Howard Hawks version. Also, while Lucas has admitted he was a fan of the Hidden Fortress, and the two guards inspired C3PO and R2D2, Star Wars was NOT a remake of Hidden Fortress. Star Wars was one of the most innovative concepts ever. Lucas may be a prick, but he once had talent, and that should be acknowledged.

Oh please, if you think Star Wars was so innovative you really need to see and read more of the history of film and the literature that inspired it. Lucas started off with a knock-off of 'Dune' he kept diluting until he ended up with something fimable.

Ive read Dune and I've seen Hidden Fortress. I can see more of "Hidden Fortress" in Star Wars than Dune.

To be fair, No one art work is ever completely original. Every book, film even music CD is inspired by something earlier.

[Xevious]

I really liked Shall We Dance when I got to see it in my Japanese 2 class, it was funny, and really well done. I finally saw why this movie was all over the textbook we used. I'm kind of dissapointed they didn't just rerelease the original version in the US.

Have you seen the American version commercial? WHats your opinion of it? I found it wretched but I like to know if you had the same reaction.

[Duo_Maxwell]

First I apoligize for misinterpreting epobirs as his point was similar to mine., probably better. And yeah sometimes the remakes are better, but those ocasion are few.

On the Lucas subject, People always say Lucas was a genius and my questoin is if Lucas is so talented why doesn't he make more movies? Don't get me wrong I love me some star Wars, but if you can be a great filmmaker just by taking a bunch of semi-obscure stuff nobody really knows that muchabout and stuff it into one story then I can be an ace filmmaker. Just look at the Star Wars movies themselves, the ones Lucas actually directed are arguably the worst ones, save for maybe A New Hope.

[Xevious]

First I apoligize for misinterpreting epobirs as his point was similar to mine., probably better. And yeah sometimes the remakes are better, but those ocasion are few.

On the Lucas subject, People always say Lucas was a genius and my questoin is if Lucas is so talented why doesn't he make more movies? Don't get me wrong I love me some star Wars, but if you can be a great filmmaker just by taking a bunch of semi-obscure stuff nobody really knows that muchabout and stuff it into one story then I can be an ace filmmaker. Just look at the Star Wars movies themselves, the ones Lucas actually directed are arguably the worst ones.

He directed the original one (episode 4- a new hope).

[Duo_Maxwell]

Yeah I almost forgot about it...I edited above.

[Duo_Maxwell]

Oh there was tons of Dune in Star Wars, it just wasn't in the actual plot like Hidden Fortess was. Off of memory I can think of:

Jedi Mind Trick = The Voice
Jawas are Fremen with different color eyes
Princess Leia and Princess Alia
Moisture Farmers = Dew Collectors
Trade Federation = Spacing Guild
There's also a frighteningly similar character plot twist, I dont wanna spoil anything if you seen/read both you should know what I mean

[epobirs]

Due to the unusual circumstances that led to Lucas not having director credit on most Star Wars entries it's somewhat debatable what his level of influence was.

The is also the issue of quality vs. quantity. When Star Wars turned his life into the management of an empire, DGA battle aside, I suspect the grind of directing lost much of its appeal, and there were always greater talents available to turn his concepts into fully realized stories. Consider how different the world of film might be if Lucas had chosen to concentrate on directing rather than developing the modern infrastructure of film miaking. No Industrial Light & Magic, No Pixar, No Lucas games division drawing directly (early on) on the same talent producing state of the art FX for film.

Lucas is in many ways like Walt Disney. His hands on creation of projects may have ended early on but his influence became immense. Disney didn't know how to build his Disneyland but he knew how to present the problems involved to his engineers and make them want to exceed his expectations. A Lucas who dedicated himself to directing movies may have a better IMDB resume but nowhere near the effect on multiple industries.

[WeaponX2099]

Okay back the original topic: US fucked up remakes: The Ring (ringu), the new sarah michelle gellar movie with original japanese director directing, and Taxi. We should know that Hollywood has no original ideas just look in the recent past of remaking old tv shows for movies, like the Mission Impossible and the Saint.

[epobirs]

Oh there was tons of Dune in Star Wars, it just wasn't in the actual plot like Hidden Fortess was. Off of memory I can think of:

Jedi Mind Trick = The Voice
Jawas are Fremen with different color eyes
Princess Leia and Princess Alia
Moisture Farmers = Dew Collectors
Trade Federation = Spacing Guild
There's also a frighteningly similar character plot twist, I dont wanna spoil anything if you seen/read both you should know what I mean

And that is just in the final version. The early revs of the screenplay Lucas started almost ten years before the production was greenlighted were even closer to 'Dune.' You can find it described if you go looking around.

[Reality's Fringe]

So here's what we can all agree on:
1. Hollywood is a pile of idea-less shit
2. George Lucas blows
3. David Bowie rocks
4. I'm real cool

Now we should all watch ourselves a nice wholesome movie, such as Ultrachrist.

[epobirs]

Okay back the original topic: US shaq-fued up remakes: The Ring (ringu), the new sarah michelle gellar movie with original japanese director directing, and Taxi. We should know that Hollywood has no original ideas just look in the recent past of remaking old tv shows for movies, like the Mission Impossible and the Saint.

You can find the effect everywhere. There are extremely few original ideas in a world that is cranking out novels and movies by the truckload every year. The only thing that makes a real difference for most projects is execution. Almost every media product out there can be categorized into a existing genre but a few always stand out as the definers of that genre even though they're rarely the products that created it.

Make a list of every hand to hand combat game produced to date and the sub-variants with weapons and psychic powers. A hell of a long list. Now do a survey asking 100 random people to select their top ten choices from that list. In all likelihood every response will have at least three games in common. Which isn't to say there aren't good games that fail to make the composite top ten. They just aren't the icons of their genre.

[Tromack]

Ok. I hate it when Hollywood takes a good movie, steals the idea, and then won't allow the release of the original. This seems to be the case with this movie. However, sometimes they do make it better. I mean "The Ring" is much better than "Ringu". I'm sorry, but I thought "Ringu" was just stupid. I thought that "The Ring" was genuinely creepy, though. I know they are the same, but the better budget definitely made a difference.

And on the George Lucas/Dune thing. Tatooine is a big Dune rip off, but the rest of the movie resembles Dune in no way. Dune is an excercise in the power of politics and religion. Star Wars is a grand epic, with many elements of the Old Testament and Greek Mythology, nothing like the Machiavellian strategy of Dune.