Paramount has really had some bad years. In 2016, its only Top 20 hit was the most recent Star Trek, and even that was not huge

So far this year it's had Transformers 5, and the next "hit" is Baywatch, the 29th highest grossing film of the year. But that will soon be knocked off the list by bigger films in the months ahead

Paramount's only big hit the past few years has been Mission Impossible 5

Yeah and I believe they do Star Trek as well but even those aren't raking the box office dollars in. Star Trek has a history of hit and miss on the big screen.

The third Star Trek film in 2016 grossed about 100 M less at the U.S. box office than the first one in 2009, while the second one was 30 M less than the first (70 M more than the third)

Star Trek 3 was the # 16th highest grossing film of the year, which is not that great

Has the series run out of steam already ?

The first one being a complete reconstruct was great, domestically it went $100M beyond its budget.

The second one was basically a remake and the original was much better. I don't understand this concept of having literally a hundred different story lines at your disposal in a show about a vast universe and they go with a remake.

The last one was great as a balls to the wall action flick but the story and character development are at best forgettable. I mean we are going to the edge of the galaxy, show me something interesting that I have to think about. I think the last one fell $30M short of its production budget.

None of them are what I would call terrible films, I just feel they could give so much more.

The reboot Trek films biggest failure is their inability to capture what made Trek appealing in the first place... namely, the social commentary and insights into the human condition set against a science fiction backdrop. The new films focus on action and spectacle and haven't captured that feeling of hopeful optimism that the older stuff had.

quote:

Originally posted by Obi Wan Chrisobi:
The reboot Trek films biggest failure is their inability to capture what made Trek appealing in the first place... namely, the social commentary and insights into the human condition set against a science fiction backdrop. The new films focus on action and spectacle and haven't captured that feeling of hopeful optimism that the older stuff had.

Exactly! Well said.

I thought that the first one made an attempt with some success but the next two dropped the ball.

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Originally posted by Raven:

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Originally posted by David R:
As was mentioned in the other post, the chain of AMC Theaters announced the other day that it is cutting a bunch of employees, as business is significantly down from 2016 (so they claim)

They say that the movies released this year are not exciting people, that folks are not interested

Just reported that movie ticket sales are down 15% from last year. I would think that its a conservative review, its probably worse than that.

...

I think the rest of the winners will be cheap horror films like Annabelle, which is leading this week. They cost only a few million to make and bring back ten times as much because there is always enough horror fans.

Small budget films can make a big profit, but big cinema chains need to fill their multiplexes with customers and stuff them with pop-corn, horror films have a small and loyal following but they are only a small fraction of the audience.

I know our local AMC (M stands for Monopoly) has cut all showings before noon.

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Originally posted by WOMBLE:

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Originally posted by Raven:
I think the rest of the winners will be cheap horror films like Annabelle, which is leading this week. They cost only a few million to make and bring back ten times as much because there is always enough horror fans.

Small budget films can make a big profit, but big cinema chains need to fill their multiplexes with customers and stuff them with pop-corn, horror films have a small and loyal following but they are only a small fraction of the audience.

Well they are going to test that in a few weeks with the release of Mother, a horror movie with the A-List cast of Bardem, Lawrence, Harris and Pfeiffer.

I've seen the trailers and frankly it looks like every other secluded house, creepy guests, suspicious husband and blood dripping basement that is in every other cheap horror flick.

But it is certainly meant for those big chain multiplexes you are talking about. So was Alien Covenant and even Split, which is getting a Glass sequel or 3rd film, depending if you want to count Unbreakable as the first one.

Big movies go after the horror fan audience too. Its just that the smaller films seem to do horror better than when it is overthought or over acted.

I can't believe that next week they have coming out a film, 9/11, based upon the Sept 11th attacks, starring of all people, Charlie Sheen and Whoopi Goldberg.

Whose bright idea was to OK that movie ???

Its based on a play, I think it was called Elevator. I'm really not sure if these are fictional people or real people or some sort of composite. They say they used actual phone calls coming from people trapped in the Towers.

I don't think anyone has any appetite for this film. Certainly not in New York City, where 16 years still seems like yesterday if you lived here during that period. It was amazing, but literally everyone in New York knew someone, who knew someone, that perished that day. The funerals went on for months afterwards. Even as a documentary it would be hard to watch. As fictional characters, its worse.

Its funny, but we can watch a movie about the Titanic, or Dunkirk, or the Chicago Fire or the San Francisco earthquake without getting upset because time has removed us from those tragedies. Lots of people died, but its history and few if anyone living remains from the event.

That is not the case with 9/11. Families have never recovered. Memories have not faded. Its a terrible subject for a movie, even if they want to handle it with respect. Its just too painful.

I think Sheen and Goldberg are the wrong actors to be in a dramatic movie about 9/11 !

Especially him, known primarily over the past 20 years plus, for his "comedy" and bad behavior

So I take back what I said about Mother!. Turns out it is not a horror film at all, although it contains all the elements.

I should have realized that director Darren Aronofsky, with his vivid fantasies desperately in need of a good psychologist, would never just make a haunted house picture. Oh no, he has created another piece of high art that the Academy will have to celebrate. At Venice half the audience applauded and half booed.

My assessment of all his films? Garbage in and garbage out. But then high art always seems to elude me.

As a comparison, in 2016, 13 movies made more than 200 M at the U.S. box office

So far, in 2017, only 7 have. (I am sure that Star Wars will make it 8)

9 of the 2016 films made more than 300 M. This year, only 4 have done so. (Star Wars will no doubt be the fifth)

Curious about the box office for mother! this weekend and see if the studio's ad campaign has worked in disguising what this movie really is about.

They want you to believe its a horror film, when it is pure allegory and Aronofsky's warped vision on display. The same critics who hold their noses at Rob Zombie films, and deservedly so, are raving over this disgusting conceit because it has a message, many messages, a whole slew of messages.

This is the state of movie and TV entertainment in 2017, mindless action pieces and ego trips by nutty writers and directors. There seems to be too little middle ground for good sensible stories.

Well, they can't all be "Noah".

This guy made "Pi", "Requiem For A Dream", "The Wrestler", and "Black Swan". He could probably coast on just those for a while longer. I say, we hear him out (plus I've liked J. Law and Bardem in pretty much everything I've ever seen them in).

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Originally posted by chesspieceface:
Well, they can't all be "Noah".

This guy made "Pi", "Requiem For A Dream", "The Wrestler", and "Black Swan". He could probably coast on just those for a while longer. I say, we hear him out (plus I've liked J. Law and Bardem in pretty much everything I've ever seen them in).

Yeah, but you obviously liked those films and I have a feeling that you will appreciate mother! too, although maybe on the style points only. I would not want to venture as to how much you would enjoy watching it. I think this movie was meant to be an endurance test of sorts, but is it a success if it makes you disgusted?

Aronofsky has said as much in interviews. He just wants a reaction. So my reaction is that I don't like his art.

I did not see Pi, Noah or his other masterpiece of incomprehension The Fountain. I did somewhat like the Wrestler, greatly regret seeing the whole of the Black Swan because of all the awards and Requiem I walked out on.

No, I will not see mother!. I got a blow by blow and that's more than enough for me. I get all the symbolism and his many motivations. He can have them, and if I were J. Law, as his real life partner, I wouldn't be making any long term plans.

Are you sure you can trust the person who described it to you thusly? They may have ulterior, even sinister motivations. Were they holding a red balloon by any chance?

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Originally posted by chesspieceface:
Are you sure you can trust the person who described it to you thusly? They may have ulterior, even sinister motivations. Were they holding a red balloon by any chance?

That's one I do want to see, but I may wait awhile.

I saw MOTHER! today and I enjoyed it very much, although I didn't really understand it.

I must now add this. I had absolutely no preconceived ideas about MOTHER! before walking into the theater. ALL I knew was that it was a newly released movie, which is the way I like to see all my movies. Why people watch trailers, listen or read critical reviews before seeing a film has always been a mystery to me. Where's the surprise, the delight, and sometimes (THE BROTHERS GRIMSBY) the ultimate satisfaction of walking out in total disgust before the movie is even half over, I ask you!

I have just read an explanation of MOTHER! on a website, and it only served to enhance my viewing of the movie, because I then said to myself, "Oh! So that's what it was all about!"

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