My first movie related post folks, also known as "Why Jurassic World will probably suck". That said, onto the topic at hand. In between recent epic bouts of gaming (which are rendering my controllers fancy paper weights by now), I've caught up on some films and trailers in equally ravenous fashion. Most recent of these is the "Jurassic World" trailer, featuring Star Lord himself /current Hollywood darling Chris Pratt. I was aware of the casting far prior to the release of the teaser, but watching it I was struck by a strange notion "Here we go again!".
The again here being "The year of ..." phenomenon we've been subjected to in recent years. Brandon Routh, Taylor Kitsch, Henry Cavill, Channing Tatum, the list goes on and on...and that's just from this decade. The preconception held by Hollywood money makers that any new, promising talent must be shoved down our throat from the moment we show the slightest interest is now bordering on the ridiculous. Go ahead and think about it, challenge me even, when in the last 10 years have you not seen the same actor/actress in all the movies between 2 summers? And as usual, with the exception of my "in my dreams" wife Jennifer Lawrence, it is a pretty testosterone heavy list.
My problem doesn't inherently lie in seeing a particular actor in every genre in every season of the movie calender year (why Benedict? Why?) but rather when they hang duds on the shoulders of these up start stars, hoping that their name alone can carry what is otherwise a turd on toast to a record breaking payday. I don't necessarily mean to imply that the artists haven't been around long enough and paid their dues in full, but a bad movie can poison a reputation far more irreparably and quicker than a succession of hits put them in the A-list.
Still not convinced? Allow me...Battleship...John Carter of Mars, remember them? Those aren't just a board-game or revered work of fiction anymore, they now live in infamy on celluloid, with one common thread between them...Taylor Kitsch. Now, I consider him a solid actor from one of my favorite shows before the big TV renaissance (Friday Night Lights), but the poor lad is now considered Box Office poison by the very same machine that well, "created" him. Personally, I find John Carter a perfectly passable B-grade science fiction flick, but this recent insistence that anyone wants to see movies based on old board games or toys is just?!?! *Jackie Chan meme here*
Although, quick side bar: PSSSTT!!!...Hollywood!!!...Hey Hollywood!!!...if you still have money to burn, I have an epic script for LUDO I want to run past you. I get my cut up front and we'll discuss the residuals and fine print on the Caribbean coke yacht we'll be on.
Sorry, where was I? Yeah, Jurassic World...I get it, I really do. Beloved franchise that kick started the age of seamless CG/Practical effects, CHECK! Enough time between movies to warrant a sequel so as to capture a new generation, CHECK! Flavor of the week star at the helm, TRIPLE CHECK! But that last one is the bit that gets my goat so to speak. I really like Chris Pratt, maybe because he's played frumpy and disheveled in so many things that his transformation gave me all sorts of false hope about myself. Maybe it's because he's Anna Faris's baby daddy and I'm "jelly", but I'm weirdly uneasy about the whole thing. Save for the Mcconnaisance, it's hard to bat a thousand in Hollywood. Plus, dude! let's be real, Ultron is about to own everything next year.
Anyway, those are my under cooked thoughts for your consideration. Hopefully there will be more movie-centric posts from now on.
Till then, cheers!
-C.K.
The again here being "The year of ..." phenomenon we've been subjected to in recent years. Brandon Routh, Taylor Kitsch, Henry Cavill, Channing Tatum, the list goes on and on...and that's just from this decade. The preconception held by Hollywood money makers that any new, promising talent must be shoved down our throat from the moment we show the slightest interest is now bordering on the ridiculous. Go ahead and think about it, challenge me even, when in the last 10 years have you not seen the same actor/actress in all the movies between 2 summers? And as usual, with the exception of my "in my dreams" wife Jennifer Lawrence, it is a pretty testosterone heavy list.
My problem doesn't inherently lie in seeing a particular actor in every genre in every season of the movie calender year (why Benedict? Why?) but rather when they hang duds on the shoulders of these up start stars, hoping that their name alone can carry what is otherwise a turd on toast to a record breaking payday. I don't necessarily mean to imply that the artists haven't been around long enough and paid their dues in full, but a bad movie can poison a reputation far more irreparably and quicker than a succession of hits put them in the A-list.
Still not convinced? Allow me...Battleship...John Carter of Mars, remember them? Those aren't just a board-game or revered work of fiction anymore, they now live in infamy on celluloid, with one common thread between them...Taylor Kitsch. Now, I consider him a solid actor from one of my favorite shows before the big TV renaissance (Friday Night Lights), but the poor lad is now considered Box Office poison by the very same machine that well, "created" him. Personally, I find John Carter a perfectly passable B-grade science fiction flick, but this recent insistence that anyone wants to see movies based on old board games or toys is just?!?! *Jackie Chan meme here*
Although, quick side bar: PSSSTT!!!...Hollywood!!!...Hey Hollywood!!!...if you still have money to burn, I have an epic script for LUDO I want to run past you. I get my cut up front and we'll discuss the residuals and fine print on the Caribbean coke yacht we'll be on.
Sorry, where was I? Yeah, Jurassic World...I get it, I really do. Beloved franchise that kick started the age of seamless CG/Practical effects, CHECK! Enough time between movies to warrant a sequel so as to capture a new generation, CHECK! Flavor of the week star at the helm, TRIPLE CHECK! But that last one is the bit that gets my goat so to speak. I really like Chris Pratt, maybe because he's played frumpy and disheveled in so many things that his transformation gave me all sorts of false hope about myself. Maybe it's because he's Anna Faris's baby daddy and I'm "jelly", but I'm weirdly uneasy about the whole thing. Save for the Mcconnaisance, it's hard to bat a thousand in Hollywood. Plus, dude! let's be real, Ultron is about to own everything next year.
Anyway, those are my under cooked thoughts for your consideration. Hopefully there will be more movie-centric posts from now on.
Till then, cheers!
-C.K.