Today Bill Martell posted a suggestion that we all skip Transformers this weekend. I'm with Bill.
One of the beautiful things about the summer movie season thus far is that remakes and sequels haven't done nearly as well as original material. The surprise breakout hit has been Up. The Hangover has killed it for two weekends now. But Terminator 4, despite statements to the contrary from executives, has underperformed domestically. Star Trek did well, but Star Trek did well because somebody actually put some thought into it.
Don't get me wrong. I saw Terminator in the theater. I learned my lesson.
Let's keep the trend of the past few weeks going. Ignore the sequels. GI Joe looks like shit. Final Destination is - shock of shocks - more of the same shit every other Final Destination movie has. And Transformers comes from a man who has made a shitload of money playing to the lowest common denominator.
Not that I don't enjoy a good popcorn movie every now and then. I have a fondness for Armageddon, but it is important to put our money where our mouths are. We the aspiring screenwriters complain a lot about how nobody wants to buy our awesome new screenplay, but why would they? It's so much safer to put money into a known product.
Bill mentioned a new film by Katheryn Bigelow (Point Break) called Hurt Locker, starring Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes and Evangeline Lilly, David Morse and a bunch of other people. It's opening in limited release this weekend, and one of those cities is Los Angeles.
I want to support Kathryn Bigelow any way I can because I can count on one hand the number of successful women directors that don't make romantic comedies or feminist dramas. Actually I can pretty much count on one finger. So I love her and I would absolutely love to work with her some day, and that's why I'll take my money to her project this weekend instead of Transformers.
I also saw The Hangover last weekend. I laughed.
So what I'm trying to say is, Bill's right. Let your money talk for you this weekend. If you're going to the movies, see something good.
I'm skipping it because I hated the first one, but it's hard, hard work because the geek in me wants to see giant robots fighting.
ReplyDeleteThe writer in me wants it all to mean something, though, and by the looks of things, there's even less sense in this than there was first time round.
darthpaul
Go see the Hurt Locker!
ReplyDeleteIt's a very goo and cool ride..
I'm a big fan of Kathryn!
She had a nice interview on AV club recently.
I didn't really have a great desire to see it anyway. It's big but not quite my thing. I'm very particular about what I go to see in the theaters.
ReplyDeleteMay go and see Star Trek again tonight. Maybe the Hangover, but not really in the mood.