Summer School

[MovieBob]

Point of order, Bob, as far as the "Johnny Depp is tarnished" thing goes, Pirates 4 made over a billion dollars.

A billion dollars.

Alice in Wonderland also made a billion dollars. I think you're sort of in the minority with your opinion on Johnny Depp's star power.

Maybe, maybe not.

The BIG movie news of this weekend (occuring only just this evening, hence why it's not in this piece) is that Disney has very-suddenly pulled the plug on the big-budget "Lone Ranger" movie, where Depp was to play Tonto and be the main character (it was a "re-imagining.") Now, granted, this is probably more about "Cowboys & Aliens" tanking than Depp, but it DOES indicate that Disney wasn't confident enough in his starpower alone to carry the film - which was going to cost them over $250 Million.

 

[WolfThomas]

I'm still a little skeptical on The Avengers, if only because I'm one of those people who held out hope for Spider-Man, Daredevil, and almost everything else they laid out in front of us. Every time something comic-related looks awesome, part of me goes "yeah, but...."

I'm still hoping, though

If it's any consolation Spiderman and Daredevil (and others like X-men, Fantastic Four, Punisher etc) weren't made by Marvel (and Disney). They were made by Sony and Fox respectively after obtaining the movie rights back when Marvel was doing prettty badly. Ironman 1 and 2, the Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America have all been made in house while they're trying to establish a shared continuity, and for the most part they've been doing pretty well in making both quality movies and being faithful to the source material.

And we have such exciting films to look forward to as Edgar Wright's Antman and a Runaways movie.

 

[Something Amyss]

If it's any consolation Spiderman and Daredevil (and others like X-men, Fantastic Four, Punisher etc) weren't made by Marvel (and Disney). They were made by Sony and Fox respectively after obtaining the movie rights back when Marvel was doing prettty badly. Ironman 1 and 2, the Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America have all been made in house while they're trying to establish a shared continuity, and for the most part they've been doing pretty well in making both quality movies and being faithful to the source material.

I'm well aware of that, so it's not particularly any help. I was speaking more of comic movies in general, and while Marvel's production has done a good job thus far, I still expect the other shoe to be dropping any minute now.

I guess I expect every franchise to pull a Batman. The 90s series, that is. I loved the first one. The second one was still pretty good. The third was....Different, but okay, it was supposed to be more comic-ish, and it was...Kinda fun. And the fourth had me burning Batsymbols in effigy.

Of course, even then, what rose from the ashes was freaking awesome. But I worry about THIS Batfranchise too.

I have a long history of sort of clinging to any hope. I'm an adult now, and quite cynical, and part of me never has forgotten the myriad disappointments of my childhood. The Supermans, the Batmans, the....Almost anything Marvel licensed.

Hell, even Stan Lee seems to have lost his mind.

 

[Something Amyss]

Simply put, I have little faith in a world where transformers (a cheap cash in 3rd installment after 2 crappy previous installments) makes roughly the same box office pull as Harry Potter (a well thought out movie culminating a decades worth of interlaced continuity, leading up to this one big grade finale.) I'm not the biggest Potter fan, by any stretch, but just from an outside perspective, shouldn't Potter have blown away the badly designed bots?

Nostalgia. Gotta love it. People grew up on Transformers and that can overwhelm Michael Bay's direction, Shia LaBeef's...Well, everything, and the fact that somehow, they managed to make giant robots fighting BORING.

 

[Dhatz]

it's not old, its silly logic. I see how you couldn't understand the difference, as invisible aliens aren't your thing either.

 

[Littaly]

I understand that one can't really site private discussion, but if your going to do something like this try to find some sort of source.

I know some of these were preconceptions but others seem like your just coming up with a wrong point after you have the correct counter-point.

"1+1=2! This is an exciting development, there was serious doubt that 1s could be put together to form a new number, but the proof is in the pudding!" Yet no one asked for pudding, didn't even really consider pudding an option. Did you just make the pudding and then say it was on the menu after you finished?

Kinda how it feels, put in a very very odd way.

That's how I felt too. The content of the article was OK, but the structure made it look messy...

...Dear god, am I sounding like an English teacher?

 

[ms_sunlight]

I went off Johnny Depp big time when he publicly defended Roman Polanski. Defending a child-rapist = not cool. Besides, at least 70% of his performances have been self-indugent campy cack. And not in a good way.

 

[ManupBatman]

I understand that one can't really site private discussion, but if your going to do something like this try to find some sort of source.

I know some of these were preconceptions but others seem like your just coming up with a wrong point after you have the correct counter-point.

"1+1=2! This is an exciting development, there was serious doubt that 1s could be put together to form a new number, but the proof is in the pudding!" Yet no one asked for pudding, didn't even really consider pudding an option. Did you just make the pudding and then say it was on the menu after you finished?

Kinda how it feels, put in a very very odd way.

That's how I felt too. The content of the article was OK, but the structure made it look messy...

...Dear god, am I sounding like an English teacher?

You understood what I was saying? I didn't even understand what I was saying!

And also it comes off as much stronger to just say

"Things we learned this summer

Subject:

Evidence:

Next Subject:"

Which I may be getting into English teacher territory too. But that's alright, there should be more linguistic structure on the internet. If only so other people can get there lulz from it.

 

[Odegauger]

Wow... Bob, if you don't start hitting the pavement and backing up your opinions with other critics, ESPECIALLY with reflective topics like this, I may have to get my movie culture opinions from someone else. I'm starting to find Ebert's blog reeeeeally interesting about now.

This, this times a million.

Seriously, Bob, shut the fuck up.

 

[Clonekiller]

What a wacked out culture we live in. Major awesome movies with deep stories do moderately well, while R rated unimaginative laugh-cause-your-not-supposed-to movies make fortunes. No wonder the cinemas often go through droughts of trashy films. Guess I'll find solace in the fact that the majority of a movies income comes from DVD sales, which the bad comedies tend to lack in.

 

[Hungry Donner]

I look forward to the new Short Circut.

I am as well. I think its fully possible for them to do this justice, and I'm interested to see how they bring this forward into the age of internet and cell phones.

I'll continue to keep my expectations low, but a little thought, respect, and creativity I think this can be a lot of fun.

And maybe this time they'll cast and actual Indian actor

 

[I want to leave because extra credits is gone]

The Avengers will be the real test of the "Nerd Boom". Not only must the movie do well but it has the potential of acting as a jumping off point. If all the movie goers that have been waiting for this event are satisfied with the genera after this event they my spend their money on other interests. This requires a blockbuster genera for them to flock too. One of the things helping comic book movies is the fact there currently is not a suitable venue for people to enjoy big budget special effects.