Yup! Frozen II takes it big time.

Grew up with Mr Rogers but he was 4th behind Electric Company, Sesame Street and Bugs. Like Charlies Angels this is another title I don't see general audiences longing for. Love Hanks but give me Bachelor Party over this any day.

Not the biggest film of 2019 but I did go see Jay and Silent Bob 2 on their roadshow tour. Got to meet Kevin and Jason. I may be in the minority but I think I liked it better than the first movie.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy C:
With regard to all of these recent big disappointments, maybe people are just tired of angry folks with guns, both women (Terminator, Charlies Angels) and men (Rambo)

Just a theory.

Well in terms of those particular titles you could be right, its just reached the saturation point. In a broader analysis, there is a revolution going on and this is just the beginning.

Hollywood is lamenting the 2019 box office bust. Even counting what Frozen 2 will bring in and the December releases to come, the take is way down. More over, 2020 is shaping up to be worse with fewer big titles on the schedule, and they wonder why. Because too many other shows and feature films are on too many other platforms, that's why. They want it both ways. Viewers should subscribe to streaming networks and youtube channels and podcasts and then they should also go to the movies. A ton of new content, new shows and new films with A-List stars, independent, cutting edge and fad entertainment should exist at home, but in your spare-spare time you should spend a lot more money in theatres.

No, people are not going to do that. People are being preconditioned to sit at home and stare at their screens, big and small, like zombies. The under 20 year olds are basically doing this all their lives. They will go out for big events and must see occasions and rave gatherings. Older generations still go to the movies with their smaller children as a tradition they remember from their family history. That's why Disney is still doing so well. Between family films and the Star Wars and Marvel titles that pull in repressed adults like us, and I mean that in the best way , Disney is golden. Everyone else has a problem.

The only movies that are going to make money are the special effects wonders that have to be seen on a big screen or in 3D to get the full value. Or the flash horror picture, that catches on fire as an event. Social media is immediate and is another component of what's happening now. If social media says "go see it", people show up. If a movie gets attacked. there is no denying that some people stay away. It doesn't help that the audience experience at some theatres can be bad, what with cell phones and rude people and a lack of employee supervision and increasing prices, so that is making it harder to leave home too.

All of these things are playing into it and it is only going to get worse for the film industry. It is evolutionary change and there is no doubt that a lot of old, treasured traditions are going to go down the drain for future generations.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Raven,

My brothers and I watched Mr. Rogers, Captain Kangaroo, and New Zoo Revue but not much Sesame Street for some reason. The thing you always heard was that Fred Rogers was the guy you saw on TV. He was nice to everybody and he wasn't preachy when he talked about things.

Just yesterday, I saw an interview with the director of the new movie. The project has been in the works for 10 years but he lucked out in that a great documentary about Rogers and his show was released last year. I saw it a few months ago. It's hosted by Michael Keaton who got his start in show business working behind-the-scenes on the show. If you haven't seen it, check it out.

quote:

Originally posted by mykdude:
Yup! Frozen II takes it big time.

Grew up with Mr Rogers but he was 4th behind Electric Company, Sesame Street and Bugs. Like Charlies Angels this is another title I don't see general audiences longing for. Love Hanks but give me Bachelor Party over this any day.

Not the biggest film of 2019 but I did go see Jay and Silent Bob 2 on their roadshow tour. Got to meet Kevin and Jason. I may be in the minority but I think I liked it better than the first movie.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: catskilleagle,

Knives Out opens this Wednesday. Movies on Thanksgiving have to compete with the turkey too, but a murder-mystery with an all star cast and an Agatha Christie vibe could be a welcome change this year. It won't knock off Frozen 2 of course, but I'd rather watch Craig not be Bond. I might go over the weekend.

Frozen 2 is currently # 12 movie of the year, domestically, and is moving up the list at 164 M

No doubt it will make 200, but can it make 300 M ?

Knives Out made 41M here and 70M all told. Not too bad for a mystery. Just read that Death on the Nile will be remade for 2020 by Kenneth Branagh again. WHY? His Murder on the Orient Express remake was terrible. If the old fashioned mystery is your cup of tea, check out the original Death on the Nile with Peter Ustinov and an all-star cast. The new one will not come close, I guarantee you.

I'm happily waiting for Xmas when I can open up a bunch of DVDs I've been stockpiling for a few 2019 films and some TV show seasons.

A word to the wise, if like me you still like something in your hand. Plain DVDs are getting harder to find, what with the streaming evolution and many networks claiming exclusive rights to distribute. Stuff that was available is being retired and much new content will never hit the retail market. Even Blu-Ray is being bundled with digital and will go eventually. So if there is something you have been waiting to own on DVD, pick it up while you still can.

I agree. People should be buying DVD's of anything they like because the entertainment companies want consumers to pay to watch every movie every time they watch it or just give them a day to watch it. They are so cheap at flea markets (often just a buck a piece and seasons of TV show for $5). My brother told me a place where we used to buy new and used DVD's, records, and books wasn't open when he drove by, fearing that it has shut down (already closed its other South Bay store a couple of years ago).

Jess

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
Knives Out made 41M here and 70M all told. Not too bad for a mystery. Just read that Death on the Nile will be remade for 2020 by Kenneth Branagh again. WHY? His Murder on the Orient Express remake was terrible. If the old fashioned mystery is your cup of tea, check out the original Death on the Nile with Peter Ustinov and an all-star cast. The new one will not come close, I guarantee you.

I'm happily waiting for Xmas when I can open up a bunch of DVDs I've been stockpiling for a few 2019 films and some TV show seasons.

A word to the wise, if like me you still like something in your hand. Plain DVDs are getting harder to find, what with the streaming evolution and many networks claiming exclusive rights to distribute. Stuff that was available is being retired and much new content will never hit the retail market. Even Blu-Ray is being bundled with digital and will go eventually. So if there is something you have been waiting to own on DVD, pick it up while you still can.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
This weekend we have opening among lesser films, Frozen 2, A Lovely Day in the Neighborhood and 21 Bridges.

21 Bridges is a an actioner and as such it doesn't look too bad in previews. I hope it finds the audience that isn't taking the family, but it really hasn't gotten much promotion. It would have been better to see it in the August or September period, like when Angel Has Fallen opened. It may get lost here.

It may be a demographic/regional promotion but I have been bombarded with "21 Bridges" advertisements for a year. At the theatre, on the television, online. It is one of the films I grew sick of seeing ads for.

Regarding DVDs, I have seen films from just 2-3 years back at the local supermarket, in the $5.99 to $ 8.00 range.

I remember seeing at Target all 4 Christopher Reeve Superman films on 1 DVD for like $ 9.99.

Not sure how this one gets counted, but The Irishman had a limited theatrical release, so even though it was actually made to stream on Netflix where it will get its majority audience, it's still a 2019 film.

I bring up The Irishman because it is sort of the prototype Hollywood prestige movie now, even though it wasn't actually financed to be in the movies. I don't know if it will be nominated for Academy Awards, but since it was done by Scorsese and stars De Niro, Pacino and Pesci, they will probably try. I am interested in any reactions from those who have seen it because of the vast swing of opinions that seem to be coming out between what Hollywood and the media have been reporting and what at least some viewers are now publicly saying. Mainly that this heralded Scorsese movie is actually quite bad, from the Goodfellas slanted story that is boring and way too long, to some really terrible acting by the principles.

It seems that such a drastic difference in reactions to an entertainment piece can only happen in these times, where we are told what we should like based on something that has nothing to do with it, and are insulted should we dare to not like it. I have not seen it and probably won't since I don't have Netflix right now. I wasn't liking the trailers, but this is talky and hard to get great short scenes.

Anybody that's seen it have a verdict?

Guess no one has seen the Irishman.

As to a movie that everyone will see shortly, Daisy Ridley is saying some things ahead of The Rise of Skywalker that sound less than great. She says she is ready for the backlash and that "There are people that are never going to f..in like it and there's no other way around it".

I hope that's a general comment about not being able to please everyone and not one that means Rey's dragon is carrying off her lifeless body while the Force marches on. Oh wait, that was someone else's ending.

Anyway, I don't know why she is bracing for a backlash if the film wraps up well and doesn't leave it as a downer. It's fiction, everybody still wants a happy ending.

Jumangi The Next Level is going to go big the week ahead of The Rise of Skywalker. I enjoyed the first one, or the second one if want to count it that way. This one looks like a double down, so I'll have to catch it after the holidays.

Richard Jewel took in $5M opening weekend and will be one of the bigger flops of the year. It could have been worse, it probably didn't have a mega budget. The only reason why this film was made was because Clint Eastwood wanted to direct it. It should have been a Netflix docudrama and it probably would have won awards.

I think "Richard Jewel" was an odd subject matter for turning into a theatrical film. Probably had a very limited appeal.

I am a big fan of Clint Eastwood both as an actor and as a director, but has anyone else noticed that since the mid-1990s, when he directs a film, he tends to use actors whose ship has sailed, that is, people who "used to be" big stars. I won't mention any names. He tends not to use current A listers in his films.

As a director, Clint Eastwood hasn't really done any popular themed films since probably Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby. That's like 15 years ago. His last films have been either based on real events as docudramas or oddball stuff like The Mule.

I don't know if he still has studio financing or is getting the money himself, but he can't pay superstar salaries for films that aren't making a lot of money. The other thing is that he is not a liberal and so is not embraced by Hollywood actors, which explains the lack of A Listers. No one is going to be donating their services and working for scale to be in one of his films, like they do for some other directors.

quote:

Originally posted by Tommy C:
but has anyone else noticed that since the mid-1990s, when he directs a film, he tends to use actors whose ship has sailed, that is, people who "used to be" big stars.

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
As a director, Clint Eastwood hasn't really done any popular themed films since probably Mystic River and Million Dollar Baby. That's like 15 years ago. His last films have been either based on real events as docudramas or oddball stuff like The Mule.

I don't know if he still has studio financing or is getting the money himself, but he can't pay superstar salaries for films that aren't making a lot of money.

Sully (2016) brought in a quarter billion dollars, and starred Tom Hanks.
American Sniper (2014) -- a half billion, Bradley Cooper.
J. Edgar (2011) starred Leonardo DiCaprio.
Hereafter (2010) Matt Damon.

These are big stars, and big bucks. Eastwood is still relevant.

As long as he keeps makin' 'em, I'll keep watchin' 'em. Haven't seen the new one yet.

Just some comparisons of 2019 vs. 2018 in terms of Domestic Box Office Receipt. The will include "Star Wars", once that comes out.


2019
# of Films that grossed 200 M or more: 10
# of Films that grossed 100-199 M: 25

In 2018:

# of Films that Grossed 200 M or more: 10
# of Films that Grossed 100-199 M: 32

quote:

Originally posted by Raven:
Not sure how this one gets counted, but The Irishman had a limited theatrical release, so even though it was actually made to stream on Netflix where it will get its majority audience, it's still a 2019 film.

Anybody that's seen it have a verdict?

I saw it pretty close to release over two nights. A pretty good, basically linear story, some instant classic camera work and gangster dialogue ("I hear you paint houses" and "They're very concerned"), to name two, and the acting clinic one might expect.
(Along with the big three, a fourth Oscar winner, Anna Paquin, is in the movie as DeNiro's daughter, even though Ray Romano got fourth billing, go figure.)

In the age of streaming shows, this basically played like 4 episodes of one of those, albeit a prestige one. And since that's the case, they probably just should've broke it up like that, but with 6, maybe even 8 episodes. The story could bear the extra length. It does cover about 40 years of the DeNiro character's life.

As for Oscar nods, I can't see Pesci not getting one since he plays it most against type. Pacino basically disappears into the Hoffa role, which is praise for him at this stage since his roles these days largely seem to be variations of the Colonel from "Scent of a Woman". I've seen DeNiro play similar in movies like "Jacknife" and "Once Upon A Time in America", but this is not a showy role since his character, even viewed over such a long arc, doesn't change much. "Schindler's List" screenwriter Steven Zaillian also adapted "The Irishman", and as with Neeson in that one, by the time the lead character in this one embraces his own humanity, it's too late for the actor to ride that to an Academy Award. (I think Phoenix gets it this year anyway, and I'm sure he'll thank his "Joker" co-star from the stage, so Bob's got that goin'.)

Another big bomb may be on the way and it illustrates why it really is difficult to take a Broadway hit show and just convert it to the screen. Cats looks to be a disaster, not just from the early reviews, but by just looking at the thing.

Live theatre is an experience and it's great simply to take in how much the performers have to do. We take into account the confined spaces and artificial set designs. We marvel at the actors ability to remember their lines over 2 hours or sing the songs without lip syncing. We love the costumes. On film you can do so much more with a story and do things that can't possibly be done live. Film is more polished and expansive, but it lacks the sheer wonder of a live performance when you can almost reach out and touch the actors. They are two different animals.

Which brings me back to Cats, a record breaking musical play that looks to be a perfectly awful film. The music has not changed much. The performers are all fairly well known and the plays success has gone on for decades. So how could it be this bad?

Well just look at trailers and photos. The costumes. if you want to call the CGI that, are creepy. Not just bad or poor, downright creepy. I couldn't watch actors run around with this look for 2 minutes, let alone 2 hours. I like cats, they ain't cats. They're not catpeople either. The look destroys it for me from the start, but hearing that the director took the route of letting non-singers sing without enhancing the tracks and filming in handheld camera style just adds to it. If this makes any money, it can only be because Taylor Swift has even more fans than I know.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Raven,