RE: Is Originality Dead In Mainstream Movies?
What a thorough, well-thought out article!
Personally, I think we don't get the same 'Wow! factor' from movies as we did, because we can stream movies now. Long-gone are the days when we HAD to go to the movies to see a new release because that's the only way we'd get to see it unless we wanted to wait five years (YES, FIVE years) for it to be released to the next medium - television.
I bet you're not old enough to remember that, @ezzy :)
The other factor is this:
Hollywood was always a money-making business, that goes without saying, but do you think it's been turned up a notch or ten over the past few years? I do.
Rather than take a chance on a new story/concept/idea, Hollywood seems to be driven by the necessity to make multi-million dollar profits on everything they churn out and so, we the public are left with no other choices but those the movie-makers deem profitable enough.
It also looks like the profits are bulked up by skipping one or two steps in the movie-making business... steps such as finding and buying a new story, for example.
Re-hashing an old, tried and tested story has always been a thing but it's got to ridiculous levels these days.
I think with everything, though, turn and turn-about. We may just see Film written by @ezzy before we know it.
Hey @michelle.gent! Thank you for "blessing" my post with your presence! Hope you are doing great! :)
Lol, And I love that last line! Who knows, stranger things have happened!
But yes, I totally agree. Hollywood know what will sell and how to market it. Most of the time now, the "summer blockbusters" as we used to refer to them, are CGI heavy "eye candy". Literally hypnotising people with colours, sound and visuals. Not to say some of the stories aren't good, but there's a massive load of source material at their beck and call. No one "thinks" about taking things to the next level, only what sells and maximizes those profit margins first and foremost. Therefore, original ideas and scripts are, most likely, seen as too risky and shoved to the wayside. It's a shame but I honestly can't see an end in sight for this mentality. Let's watch this space!
Thank you and bless! Give all my best to s0u1 as well! :)
Hey! :)
I have to agree with you. Back in the golden age of cinema, film-making was an art.
Yes, of course, making a profit was the aim, but not the be-all and end-all and certainly not to the cost of the quality of the film.