The Big Picture: The Numbers

[rda_Highlander]

As much as I understand his point, how Cthulhu movie would be awesome and the movie market is stupid. But I really don't know what is so special about Scott Pilgrim. It looks like an extended cutscene. Yeah, all the videogame cameos and unusual style is there, but what's with it's story? Why do all the people have superpowers? Why do defeated boyfriends disappear in coins? I read the original comix and it's not helping. It's a comedy on LSD. Just ejaculate everything your special effects division has onto the film and call it a day. It's the same Expendables, only for nerds instead of MANLY MEN.
Phew, that felt better. I understand how nerds could like it, but Bob is known for appreciating both originality and smartness in movies. Scott Pilgrim may be imaginative, but smart? Come on.

 

[maninahat]

Spoiler: Spoilers cause of offensive post, ignore this unless otherwise you might get offended. This is my actual opinion, and if I get banned for having my own opinion, than so be it.

I wonder how many people in this thread saw The Expendables instead of Scott Pilgrim back in September. If you did, you are now officially on my shit list, because I know you posted about how great this video is. Hell, this is probably the best journalist on the Escapist, and you are mocking him for saying he is right, yet you probably will continue to spend money on projects that will suck. Thank you very much.

Oh yeah, and if you saw The Expendables and Scott Pilgrim, than I'm indifferent.

I watched The Expendables, went to see Scott Pilgrim, and then ended up going to see The Expendables AGAIN because I just didn't feel like it. I eventually saw SP with pressure from my girlfriend and the furious fans of the show. But I'm glad you've decided for me which projects suck. Lord knows that the unwashed masses and I aren't allowed to enjoy the lowest common denominator at any cost.

 

[Connor Lonske]

Whilst everything Bob says is sadly true, I can't help feeling that if tons of people went to the cookie cutter "shitty" movies and barely anyone went to the niche, indy, "cerebral" stuff, then why is it a bad thing that we get more of the big blockbuster action movies? That is clearly what the majority want! Why should we be prioritizing the tastes of the snooty few over the blood lust of the millions?

For the record. I went to see The Expendables twice and had a great time, like millions of others. I had to practically force myself to watch Scott Pilgrim (or rather, my girlfriend did), and I ultimately found it only okay. So I'm not too bothered by this current arrangement of dumb action being favoured by Hollywood over goofy niche stuff.

Because if the people who want crappy blockbusters are getting in the way of the people who take value into their movies. As he explained, if the Niche movies don't make money, than no more niche movies will be made, and all movies will be The Expendables or reboots with no effort. And that day is coming so close that it feels like the movies will no longer be art, but just another form of pointless entertainment, which is one step closer to people being made with a cookie cutter as with the films and media they watch. And I bet you have no arguments with such a future, don't you. Want everyone to be uncultured and all think the same way as everyone else. And you know what will happen then. Fahrenheit 451(the book), if you don't know what that is then go look it up.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

The thing that turned me off of Scott Pilgrim, and I'll admit I still haven't seen it, was the fact that the plot seemed to revolve around guy trying to get girl. I HATE guy trying to get girl movies no matter how you dress them up. Or girl trying to get guy movies for that matter. Although given a choice between the two, I think I'd rather watch the girl trying to get guy movie. Sure it's sappier and mushier, but at least it seems like it means something and that the characters will be together beyond the end credits, as opposed to a featurette on SpikeTV What was I talking about? Oh yeah, Scott Pilgrim. If I actually thought my Box Office contribution could've helped, I probably would've gone and seen it, but it's a little late now.

 

[LordBojangles]

Isn't the whole business model for the film industry kind of broken nowadays? People haven't primarily used theaters to see movies for a while now...why such emphasis on box office?

because box office is what brings in a majority of the money as a LOT of people still go to the cinema and how well a movie does in the box office depends on whether it gets a squeal or not(most of the time).

I saw scott pilgrim and bought the DVD, I want my lovecraft.

No, I mean, the studios have a long proud tradition of screwing over the theaters to get maximum profit from 'em, but I'm not convinced they can't do the same thing to retailers, particularly subscription services...

 

[LulzOdin]

Thanks Bob! No seriously, thanks! Thanks for reaffirming my misanthropy.

Actually this sort of thing is the case for many of today's situations. I think somewhere in the history of humanity all that was genuinely good was lost and now douchebags have become major consumers in many fields I guess and that's why we have to put up with pretentious tripe because innovation isn't 'cool'.

Ugh! Sometimes people make me wanna become a comic book type of a villain.

 

[Silinrun]

Don't I wasn't offended by it. To each their own opinion and enjoyments.

 

[SonofSeth]

I totally agree with this apart from:
1. The expendables was actually a pretty good film.
2. Scott pilgrim was an incredibly poor film.

/shudder

 

[Jumplion]

Look, if you enjoyed the Expendables and hated Scott Pilgrim, whatever, more power to you. You have a right to like/dislike whatever movie you watch, though I personally preferred Scott Pilgrim more.

The thing is, though, even if you loved the Expendables, you have to admit that it's just yet another action movie. Above all, The Expendables is just your standard action film that has been done time and time again. If you liked it, good for you, but you cannot deny how utterly copy-pasted it is from so many other movies.

If you hated Scott Pilgrim, whatever, that's your opinion. But you cannot deny that it is a unique movie, at least compared to The Expendables. Its whole presentation, style, and entire being has more uniqueness in it than The Expendables does. That is what Bob is frustrated at, not the fact that The Expendables "sucked" and made money and Scott Pilgrim did not, but the fact that The Expendables is yet another action movie that made money while Scott Pilgrim did not.

 

[BigText]

I normally don't reply to anything unless I'm complaining about something, but I just wanted to say that this was a very good episode. I learned from it, and I feel terrible about the fact I never saw Scott Pilgrim until I was watching it on an airplane over the ocean to Italy.

To be fair, though, the last movie I saw in theatres was... Avatar, I think. So yeah.

 

[Rabidkitten]

Well except in the long run Scott Pilgrim will be a cult classic that will pull it's weight in DVD sales for years to come. No one should expect a good box office run with that movie. Many of our favorite movies were total failures at the box office, Blade Runner anyone?

But let's face it, the world is full of people who are dolts. Most people don't graduate from highschool in the US, which is sad because you pretty much just need to show up to graduate. All of us white collar college graduates sit around and wonder what is wrong with everyone because everyone we know and work with has good tastes. It's just that now that we all grew up and no longer associated with the masses doesn't mean they aren't still their loving Fast and the Furious, Professional Wrestling, movies starring big name HipHop stars, and so forth. That mass of people aren't reading this website, their at home getting drunk after a day of work at the construction yard.

Last I heard Wolfman was bad, and I think Hellboy two was pretty mediocre. Lame 10 minute beer commercial in the middle and all.

 

[Nimcha]

That's a shame, that movie sounded interesting!

But I'm pretty sure there are also plenty of stories of directors who made big with generic cash rake-ins and then used that to create something original and daring.

It's a double-edged sword but I agree in this particular case it really seems like a big loss.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Snip

Well, in the short term your correct. However, time does tend to weed out the crap and the classics. You know what else were disasters for the studio at the Box Office at the time of release?

The Wizard of Oz.

Most of the film of Walt Disney (including Fantasia).

Caddyshack.

It's A Wonderful Life.

CITIZEN KANE.

In time, the studio will find out what treasures they have wasted.

 

[Lead Herring]

Great video, only flaw in your logic is assuming that Scott Pilgrim was a good movie.

My opinion aside, Scott Pilgrim didn't fail because people are too ignorant or stupid to get it.
It failed because it was catering to a smaller demographic. The nerds/gamers, and lets be perfectly honest, we nerds/gamers are a fickle damn bunch who will nitpick the shit out of something until nobody enjoys it. Sure there are people who love this film, but there are a lot more who dislike/hate it. It failed on it's own merits, and the expendables had nothing to do with it. Stop blaming the general movie going public for not watching a movie they had no interest in, to begin with.

I don't know that I agree with you there. The Nerd demographic is at least big enough to warrant an Avengers movie and all the movies leading up to it. The Expendables was in direct competition to Scott Pilgrim so it is pretty relevant, though I think a better example for Bob to use would be Eat Pray Love, not only because everybody here at the Escapist hates romantic comedies, but also because it got a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 38%. It was #2 behind the Expendables #1 and people didnt even like it.

 

[ewhac]

Looks like Universal spent too much money on porcelain deer:

 

[Korne]

Now, I know the Expendables made a lot of money and they are making a sequel, but I think the general public didn't like the first one... they just wanted to see it for the nostalgia.

And while Fast and Furious wasn't great, Fast Five was a surprisingly fun movie. One more good one will probably be enough, even though they will probably go at least 3 more into the series.

And as for Scott Pilgrim... blame marketing. The advertising for this movie was awful. How can a movie like Skyline have a kickass trailer while Scott Pilgrim (a much, MUCH better movie) looks like hipster trash. And if geeks don't like anything, it is usually hipsters. This is why the geek community (extremely large population) just waited for the DVD release for it. I will say though, Universal will easily make its money back in DVD sales and other stuff (like T-shirts and Soundtracks, which they will get a cut of). Cult hits always turn out to be worth it in the long run, like Boondock Saints and Fight Club. In fact, Scott Pilgrim reminds me of another movie... Donnie Darko (but with a tiny budget). Donnie Darko was mis-marketed, and it tanked even with a small budget. But it had legs, and is extremely profitable now.

 

[Canid117]

My only thought after watching this was "...and the exact same can be said for gaming." It's always about the bottom line.

Only Game critics are allowed to talk about financial success and do a lot. Which is why the average escapist hates gaming execs a lot more than your average E fan hates movie execs.

 

[icyneesan]

This made me incredibly depressed.