Greetings from 2019 December 6, 2007
Posted by ghostof82 in : Film General , trackbackWell, it’s been months since my last post. Too many Nic Cage movies.
No, really- this year I’ve seen too many bad movies and Nic Cage is, I swear, doing more to promote the demolition of Hollywood than any other actor. After the shocking debacle that was the remake of THE WICKER MAN, I thought I’d seen his worst, but I hadn’t reckoned on just how ill-judged GHOST RIDER would be. Really, I nearly choked on my popcorn on that one. Not that I ever understood the point of making a movie of some obscure ’70s comic anyhow. Can’t Hollywood write an original script without resorting to bastardising a novel/comic/tv show? I’m surprised that the script writers over there had the nerve to go on strike, scripts are generally so average these days I’d say they are overpaid as it is. No doubt I’ll get flamed for that comment but films are worse now than they have ever been, just look at the summer ‘blockbusters’ we had this year. Everyone goes on about the reliance on overblown cgi and spectacle but they should point the finger at the scripts. I finally caught up with SPIDERMAN 3 (worse than I feared, a $350 million trainwreck- did they bother with a shooting script, and if they did, was it so bad they burned it?) and the less said about PIRATES AT WITS END the better, never have actors been paid so much to speak such drivel. My point is that if the scripts were any good in the first place the films wouldn’t turn out to be such shiny turds.
Not that I’m finished with my old freind Nic Cage (who has, miraculously, got six more films in the pipeline -please, dear God, no more) because I also finally managed to see NEXT. Yes Nic does for Philip K Dick what he did for Wicker furniture, I mean what on earth was going on with that disaster of a movie? Not only did it have one of the daftest premises with the shakiest ‘twist’ ending ever, it also featured what in my book is one of the worst screen ‘romances’ in Hollywood history. I thought Nic Cage’s character was going to get arrested for stalking. There was zero chemistry between him and Jessica Biel, who looked, frankly, lost throughout the movie. Perhaps she hoped she would be in the next BLADE RUNNER only to find herself in the PKD equiivalent of THE BLACK HOLE. And really, surely Julliane Moore doesn’t need money that badly that she has to turn up in such tosh. When Columbo turned up as a crooked mechanic ‘fixing’ bent motors I howled with laughter and settled down for one of the worst movies I have ever had the misfortune to see in a year in which I have seen more bad movies than it is fair to have to see.
Thats three consecutive turkeys for Nic Cage. Hard to believe I used to rate him as an actor. Thought he was okay in MATCHSTICK MEN. In fairness I think he’s a good actor in the right movie but it’s his producers hat that is awry- he just can’t seem to pick a decent project.
I mentioned NEXT because this week I have gotten my 5-disc BLADE RUNNER boxset and am currently enjoying the finest DVD experience of the year. If I can ever get myself away from it I shall write my thoughts on what is surely the definitive DVD release of any movie ever. But I thought I’d just mention that, for all the films faults and troubled production history, it’s such a joy to watch a bona fide classic like BLADE RUNNER after a year of such poor cinema. They just don’t make films like that anymore. I don’t think they could if they tried.
Still, never mind, as long as everyone in Hollywood is making all their millions, then everything is okay and who am I to argue? Me, I’m voting with my wallet, and have only been to the cinema twice this year, and that last time was back in April. I only wish other cinema fans were as particular with their cash/choice of movies as I’ve been- maybe if people refused to pay to see the films then Hollywood would make better movies. Instead Cinema takings in the UK have been bigger this year than ever. Either I’ve got a lousy taste in movies or Cinema patrons just don’t care, which is a shame, ‘cos they are just getting exactly the films they deserve.
Well, I’m going back to 2019. Have a better one.
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