The Weigh In #54

The current state of horror films (part 4 of 4):

Over the past few weeks we have looked at a brief history of the horror genre and more specifically the type of horror that has influenced the remakes and horror films that seem to be coming out every weekend. Over the past few years there have been a few hits and misses, but overall, the genre seems to be doing ok for now. Will the genre turn into a parody of itself and eventually disappear and reappear 20 years later as some kind of 50’s drive in horror film/porn hybrid. Who knows. The major studios in Hollywood probably have no idea.

Unfortunately, that is the kick in the pants. With all the speculation and conjecture and no matter how much we think we can determine what Hollywood will do by the amount of money we spend, the length of the petitions we sign, or the clout of the pundit writing the article, Hollywood normally baffles even the most ardent follower. Many people could point to the brouhaha over the movie Snakes on a Plane that started (not on Entertainment Weekly) with a pretty strong urging from the internet movie community. Now it seems the studio responsible is dedicated to making a film that hard core movie fans want to see. Most importantly, this is apparently because they heard the voice of their fans.

Don’t be silly though, this is the exception, not the rule, and is a fluke. Last year, the movie industry was in an uproar and you could have sworn that the state of California was falling into the ocean the way the major studios were complaining about the drop in revenue. The internet community raised a fairly united hand and said over and over again: “Stop making us sit through shitty movies and we will gladly watch what you release.” Of course, the conclusions the studios came to involve producing even more crap and have nothing to do with making better films. If there is anything consistent about Hollywood it is its ability to convince itself that the name above the movie’s title is more important than the film itself. That is why you get movies like Big Mama’s House 2 and any other film this year that is basically a television/movie/celebrity actor/model/singer caught in a precarious situation with comical results. Real films come and go. Crap with a big name attached seems to be constantly hanging around the theater waiting for an unsuspecting movie-goer to walk right into it without paying attention.

There was a point to that I suppose. The point I was trying to get to was that the future of horror films are as stable as the studio executive that can’t decide between the next Larry the Cable Guy/Martin Lawrence epic comedy-fest or the latest torture film, or maybe a remake to Ben Hur. Hollywood is fickle. And if history is any indication not in a way that tends to make fans happy.

Superman Returns Newss:

(courtesy of www.comicbookresources.com)
          -  Check out the trailer for the documentary on the making of Superman Returns, directed by Brian Singer, called “Look Up in the Sky”. The actual documentary is due to be released on June 20th.
          -  Check out www.comicbookresources.com for their extensive 14 part set visit.

(courtesy of www.superherohype.com)
          -  www.superherohype.com has their own four part set visit on their site.

This weekend at you local multiplex (5/12/2006)

Just My Luck: Comedy
Lindsey Lohan, Chris Pine, Faizon Love, Missi Pyle
Plot: A very lucky woman kisses a mysterious man under a shooting star and both of their luck is reversed. She has to find the man again and kiss him before her run of bad luck ruins her life.
Buzz: Judging from the heat it sure does seem like the beginning of Summer. What the hell is this movie doing here? This really seems like a January kind of movie.

Poseidon: Action/Adventure
Josh Lucas, Kurt Russell, Richard Dreyfuss, Andre Braugher, Kevin Dillon, Emmy Rossum
Plot: A remake of the classic disaster film called The Poseidon Adventure, a group of revelers are trapped on a cruise ship that has turned upside after being hit by a massive tidal wave. They must find their way out of the ship and to the surface of the ocean before it completely sinks and kills them all.
Buzz: I know I talk a lot of smack about remakes, but man this one looks like one helluva joy ride.

Goal!: Drama
Kuno Becker, Stephen Dillane, Anna Friel, Marcel Lures
Plot: A young Mexican immigrant who has pretty much written off in life has a gift for soccer. When he is noticed by a scout for Manchester United, he has to choose between the life his family has built for him, or a new life as a soccer star.
Buzz: Another motivational, feel good, Disney movie. Some of these are pretty incredible. Others are well, pretty forgettable. The appeal may lie solely on your opinion of soccer.

This week on DVD (5/9/2006):

Munich
The West Wing (season 6)
Rumor Has It
Scrubs (season 3)
Grandma’s Boy
Sgt Bilko (se)
Big Momma’s House 2
The Lucy and Desi Collection
Nanny McPhee
The Andy Griffith Show (season 6)
Ronin (se)
Life Goes On (season 1)
Tamara
Queer As Folk (final season)
The Towering Inferno (se)
Waterland (se)
The Poseidon Adventure (se)
Golden Girls (season 5)
That 70’s Show (season 4)
Everybody Loves Raymond (season 6)
The Facts of Life (season 1 and 2)
Earthquake (se)
400 Blows (criterion collection)
Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist

As always if you have any questions of want to drop me a line, shoot me an email at DPlace76@yahoo.com.
If you want a peek into my inner Dana, you can check out my random ramblings at http://www.livejournal.com/users/bigdpimpin. 
Be sure to check out our myspace at www.myspace.com/stumblebumstudios to learn about all of the comings and goings of our fun little group.