• Profile logout login

#boxoffice#discussed

Gawker

Share Cancel
   
Upload an image | Add an image URL
×

logging in
  • FAQ. Include # before tag:
  • #tips,
  • #stalker,
  • #opencaption,
  • #internalmemos,
  • etc.

New York, 5:59 AM
Thu Dec 17
60 posts in the last 24 hours

Team

Tip Your Editors:

Tipline: 646-214-8138

Editor-in-Chief:
Gabriel Snyder |

West Coast Editor:
Richard Rushfield |

Contributing Editors:

Valleywag:
Ryan Tate |

Media:
Hamilton Nolan |

Politics:
Alex Pareene |

Investigations:
John Cook |

Entertainment:
Brian Moylan |

Nights:
Adrian Chen |
Azaria Jagger |
Ravi Somaiya |

Weekends:
Foster Kamer |

Video Editor:
Richard Blakeley |

SUBSCRIBE TO Gawker RSS

New: Breaking news and daily top stories via email
4260 Subscribers
Gawker
  • Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.
    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of manchops manchops
    12/15/09

    In reply to 2009 Moviegoers Defied Recession to Reward Bad Filmmaking
    hey richard, gawker, defamer whateves,
    I love you to death
    but this whole post is actually rather elistist in the worst way.
    we are in the worst recession ever.
    going to the movies is the cheapest entertainment available.
    let's just give some pause to that fact and not turn this whole web site into some asshole thing.
    people are laid off, people are scared about their jobs, that's what heading to the movies is all about.
    don't wanna be corny, but don't wanna be a dick like you about it
     Reply
    manchops was starred manchops was unstarred
    Image of shostakobitch shostakobitch
    12/14/09

    In reply to 2009 Moviegoers Defied Recession to Reward Bad Filmmaking
    You can take a date to a movie. It is boring but it is totally culturally acceptable. If the movie is shit who cares you can still get laid. If Transformers 2 featured a blowjob at the end I'd probably go along to get along. It is a lot harder to get a girl you don't really know to come over to a shit-pit apartment to watch the fucking Topo Gigio box set.

    Maybe I'm setting up a false dichotomy here. I mean after the movie you still are going to have to go to an apartment to have sex. Transformers: Rise of the Lichens + Ray Harryhausen retrospective back at the ass pad might not be a bad deal if you throw some greenery into the mix. Was that on the survey?
     Reply
    shostakobitch was starred shostakobitch was unstarred
    Image of JacquesPaysan JacquesPaysan
    12/14/09

    In reply to 2009 Moviegoers Defied Recession to Reward Bad Filmmaking
    And the Oscar for "Best exploding robot" goes to ...
     Reply
    JacquesPaysan was starred JacquesPaysan was unstarred
    Image of Mike Jahn Mike Jahn
    12/14/09

    @JacquesPaysan: Tiger Woods is up for an Oscar?
     Reply
    Mike Jahn was starred Mike Jahn was unstarred
    Image of PaisleyPajamas PaisleyPajamas
    12/14/09

    @Mike Jahn: *golf clap*
     Reply
    PaisleyPajamas was starred PaisleyPajamas was unstarred
    Image of Balsa Wood Balsa Wood
    12/14/09

    @JacquesPaysan: Richard Rushfield.
     Reply
    JacquesPaysan promoted this comment Balsa Wood was starred Balsa Wood was unstarred
    Image of miss_msry miss_msry
    12/14/09

    In reply to 2009 Moviegoers Defied Recession to Reward Bad Filmmaking
    Mr. Busby Berkeley, we're ready for your closeup.
     Reply
    miss_msry was starred miss_msry was unstarred
    Image of Magister Magister
    12/14/09

    In reply to 2009 Moviegoers Defied Recession to Reward Bad Filmmaking
    Now that I've read the article... one industry that might want to pay attention is the restaurant.

    The other night, the wife and I went to a show and afterward, we stopped into one of the sit-down chains for dessert. And not only were there just two over-priced dessert choices on the menu, but the B-52s that we ordered for dessert-dessert were $7, each.

    Needless to say, we won't be returning to that particular establishment any time soon. I mean, a couple of simple, non-satisfying desserts and four drinks shouldn't cost more than fifty bucks.
     Reply
    Edited by Magister at 12/14/09 7:56 PM Magister was starred Magister was unstarred
    Image of PaisleyPajamas PaisleyPajamas
    12/14/09

    @Magister: I'm having the same disappointments at my usual restaurants. Menu items I've been ordering for years have been cheapened in their contents/portions or taken off the menu entirely. Since when is a side of guacamole equivalent to a level tablespoon with a lot of onion and tomato mixed in? I feel taken advantage of every time I eat out these days.
     Reply
    PaisleyPajamas was starred PaisleyPajamas was unstarred
    Image of AzureTexan AzureTexan
    12/14/09

    In reply to 2009 Moviegoers Defied Recession to Reward Bad Filmmaking
    The real answer, I think, is simpler: Collective misery is inversely proportional to the demand for quality entertainment. People are broke and desperate. Hollywood, savvy if not exploitive, knows it can put a scurvy dog on the screen and people will throw money at it, as long as it provides a two-hour window in the grief that downsizing and chronic debt bring on. If and when the economy improves, Hollywood might have to respond by yielding a better product.
     Reply
    AzureTexan was starred AzureTexan was unstarred
    Image of fuckingoldman fuckingoldman
    12/14/09

    @AzureTexan: I thought more people knew about uTorrent. I haven't paid to see a movie in years. I'm anxiously awaiting the DVD screeners for the Oscar nominees this year. Hooray for piracy!
     Reply
    AzureTexan promoted this comment fuckingoldman was starred fuckingoldman was unstarred
    Image of AzureTexan AzureTexan
    12/14/09

    @fuckingoldman: You arrrrrrrrrr a shrewd consumer, old man.
     Reply
    AzureTexan was starred AzureTexan was unstarred
    Image of edisdead edisdead
    12/14/09

    In reply to 2009 Moviegoers Defied Recession to Reward Bad Filmmaking
    since when is television free? i pay time warner cable nearly $90 per month!
     Reply
    Magister promoted this comment edisdead was starred edisdead was unstarred
    Image of Old Ocho Old Ocho
    12/14/09

    In reply to 2009 Moviegoers Defied Recession to Reward Bad Filmmaking
    Numbers 3 (Up), 4 (Hangover) and 6 (Star Trek) of the 2009 Box Office Top 20 were all very good. Still, that pales in comparison to 2008, when the number 1, 2, 5, 6, and 12 box office grossers were of high quality. 2008 should have been the 10 Oscar nominees year.

    2007 wasn't much better than 2009 (highest-grossing good movie was number 5, followed by numbers 10 and 14). Nevertheless, you're right about 2009 in movies sucking. On the bright side, it all serves to make The Hangover look that much better.
     Reply
    Old Ocho was starred Old Ocho was unstarred
    Image of metoometoo metoometoo
    12/14/09

    @Old Ocho: I definitely do not see that as a "bright side."
     Reply
    metoometoo was starred metoometoo was unstarred
    Image of MyNameIsChris MyNameIsChris
    12/15/09

    @Old Ocho: But your definition of "high quality" might be far far different from somebody elses. For instance, you think Kung Fu Panda is high quality and don't like Ratatouille. I can't even relate to you at all.
     Reply
    MyNameIsChris was starred MyNameIsChris was unstarred
    Image of Old Ocho Old Ocho
    12/15/09

    @MyNameIsChris: I missed Ratatouille when I read that list. My bad. It's also way up there.
     Reply
    Old Ocho was starred Old Ocho was unstarred
    Image of unclevanya unclevanya
    12/14/09

    In reply to 2009 Moviegoers Defied Recession to Reward Bad Filmmaking
    Watching TV hasn't been free for years. At least not for people who left the caves.
     Reply
    unclevanya was starred unclevanya was unstarred
    Image of MyNameIsChris MyNameIsChris
    12/14/09

    @unclevanya: Actually... us cave dwellers need cable too. My antenna doesn't pick up anything in here... here..... here...... here.......
     Reply
    MyNameIsChris was starred MyNameIsChris was unstarred
    Image of Magister Magister
    12/14/09

    In reply to 2009 Moviegoers Defied Recession to Reward Bad Filmmaking
    For a lot of people, it was either a trip to Disney World or a trip into Disney's world.
     Reply
    Magister was starred Magister was unstarred
    Image of jackbarber jackbarber
    11/18/09

    In reply to Ever Wonder Why Most Movies Suck?
    I'm not going to read all these comments but assume that some (at least ) are telling you, in hopefully strenuous fashion, that it's a stupid thing to [generously] say that only 5 of these movies are "not terrible."

    You can't hate pop culture like you apparently do and write for this site. (Or any publication that people are going to actually want to read.)

    To clarify, the following are not "terrible":

    -- all LOTR (3 movies)

    -- Pirates #1

    -- Dark Night

    [I haven't seen any Harry Potters but don't think they qualify as "terrible"]

    -- Finding Nemo (definitely not "terrible") -- haven't seen Incredibles or other Pixar on list but also I'm sure not "terrible"

    -- Hancock -- actually pretty damn good

    -- Ratatouille (wtf are you thinking Ratatouille is GREAT)

    -- Passion of the Christ -- made by a bad man but not a terrible movie (I'm just going down the list but this is getting stupid)

    -- No Bond movie (2 on the list) is "terrible" / all are "watchable"

    -- War of the Worlds -- actually quite good

    -- I Am Legend -- totally watchable / I cried at the big parting scene

    -- Iron Man -- I bet this is one you didn't think was "terrible" -- I probably liked it less than you, and thought except for RDJ that it kind of sucked -- but it wasn't "terrible"

    -- Never saw Night at the Museum but I'm pretty sure OW and BS had some funny moments -- I'm going to say not "terrible"

    -- King Kong -- a disappointment to be sure but not "terrible"

    -- MI2 -- actually pretty fucking great -- Tom Cruise notwithstanding

    -- Day After Tmw -- did not see -- bet I would enjoy -- i'm going to say not terrible

    -- WALL-E -- not at all terrible wtf are you thinking

    -- Meet the Fockers -- did not see but I bet it was actually terrible -- I'll give you this, Transformers franchise, Matrix 2 + 3, Pirates 2+3, Star wars 1-3 (truly "terrible").

    Which makes by my count 20-25% (tops) of this list as "terrible."

    Somewhere between 30-50% are "ok" to perfectly satisfying.

    And a full 40% are pretty damn good (to great) Hollywood product.

    What a stupid post. #boxoffice
     Reply
    jackbarber was starred jackbarber was unstarred
    Image of snugbug snugbug
    11/17/09

    In reply to Ever Wonder Why Most Movies Suck?
    There is exactly ONE stone-cold foxy classic on this list. Not part of a geeky franchise, not a cartoon, not a musical, not a rehash of a TV series or a remake of an older movie, not pegged on a comic book character. I love it and get sucked straight back into it every time they air it on cable teevee.

    Place your bets. #boxoffice
     Reply
    snugbug was starred snugbug was unstarred
    Image of skippywasserman skippywasserman
    11/17/09

    @snugbug: I liked Night at the Museum as much as the next guy, but I don't think it would bear re-watching. #boxoffice
     Reply
    snugbug promoted this comment skippywasserman was starred skippywasserman was unstarred
    Image of YardanCabaret YardanCabaret
    11/17/09

    @snugbug: Well of the two that fit that bill the Day After Tomorrow was shite so I'm guessing you've got a hard on for Night at the Museum. Course I didn't count the book series since the books used above are arguably geeky franchises(minus the passion but honestly that movie sucked, no one could think that was a good movie) so maybe it's actually one of those.
     Reply
    snugbug promoted this comment YardanCabaret was starred YardanCabaret was unstarred
    Image of snugbug snugbug
    11/17/09

    @skippywasserman: [Jeopardy "WRONG!" sound alert!] I was referring to Casino Royale. Obviously. #boxoffice
     Reply
    snugbug was starred snugbug was unstarred
    Image of snugbug snugbug
    11/17/09

    @YardanCabaret: What is the matter with you peepies? Could I have more obviously hinted at Casino Royale? #boxoffice
     Reply
    snugbug was starred snugbug was unstarred
    Image of skippywasserman skippywasserman
    11/17/09

    @snugbug: Uh, you do know that James Bond is a geeky franchise, too, right? I'm pretty sure there's been comics, cartoons, and musicals. I guess the 'place your bets' thing was meant to be a clue.

    The book was still better. #boxoffice
     Reply
    snugbug promoted this comment skippywasserman was starred skippywasserman was unstarred
    Image of YardanCabaret YardanCabaret
    11/17/09

    @snugbug: Um, Casino Royale is both a remake of an older movie and arguably part of a geeky franchise. You disqualified it with your quantifiers. Though I do love both versions of it.
     Reply
    snugbug promoted this comment YardanCabaret was starred YardanCabaret was unstarred
    Image of romulus romulus
    11/17/09

    @snugbug: I haven't seen either the 1967 or the 2006 "Casino Royale," but I was under the impression that the new one is similar enough to qualify as a remake? They're both based on the novel of the same name. I do apologize if I'm getting that wrong. #boxoffice
     Reply
    snugbug promoted this comment romulus was starred romulus was unstarred
    Image of magstheaxe magstheaxe
    11/17/09

    @snugbug: Casino Royale is a remake of an older movie. :-) That's why we didn't consider it. #boxoffice
     Reply
    snugbug promoted this comment magstheaxe was starred magstheaxe was unstarred
    Image of snugbug snugbug
    11/17/09

    @YardanCabaret: Boo, boo, booo! The 1967 Woody Allen-starring Casino Royale is a parody of the Ian Fleming novel by the same title. Hence it does not qualify as a proper adaptation. Also, James Bond is not geeky! Lame, occasionally, during its decades-long history, but NEVER geeky! #boxoffice
     Reply
    snugbug was starred snugbug was unstarred
    Image of snugbug snugbug
    11/17/09

    @romulus: Naah, the recent Casino Royale is a sexy thriller-drama that could not be more different from the 1967 Casino Royale comedy. It's somber and sexy and thrilling and tense--in my opinion, the best James Bond entry in decades. #boxoffice
     Reply
    snugbug was starred snugbug was unstarred
    Image of atlasspanked atlasspanked
    11/17/09

    In reply to Ever Wonder Why Most Movies Suck?
    There are very simple reasons why most movies suck:
    A) Directors
    B) Screenwriters
    C) Editors
    D) Actors

    In that order.

    We film crew folks call these "entry level positions." #boxoffice
     Reply
    snugbug promoted this comment atlasspanked was starred atlasspanked was unstarred
    Image of snugbug snugbug
    11/17/09

    @atlasspanked: PRODUCERS. You forgot producers. Does anyone wield ampler decision-making powers in Big-Time Hollywood than producers? Studio heads, I s'pose, but that's about it. #boxoffice
     Reply
    snugbug was starred snugbug was unstarred
    Image of random_play random_play
    11/17/09

    @atlasspanked: What about:

    E) The audience, who keep paying the salaries of A-D, regardless of how much anyone thinks that movies suck. #boxoffice
     Reply
    random_play was starred random_play was unstarred
    Image of atlasspanked atlasspanked
    11/17/09

    @random_play: I hear y'all about producers and audiences, but producers typically just fund and approve the pics, they don't suckify them scene by scene. And audiences just determine whether said pic succeeds, not sucks.

    (Full disclosure: I like action blockbusters. Weep for me.)

    There are so many pics, even sequels, that could have been good but for some rote attempt at 'dramatic tension'.

    Unless we're talking about "Marly and Me." In that specific case the viewing public -and book fans- really should be put to sleep. #boxoffice
     Reply
    atlasspanked was starred atlasspanked was unstarred
    Image of Perhaps Not Perhaps Not
    11/17/09

    In reply to Ever Wonder Why Most Movies Suck?
    To be perfectly honest, I thought that most of these movies were not, in fact, terrible and flat-out love all three LOTR movies, Dark Knight, Nemo, Prisoner of Azkaban, Matrix Reloaded (I'll admit that this is probably just me), Incredibles, Ratatouille, War of the Worlds, Iron Man, King Kong, Monsters, Inc., and Wall-E.

    Why the hate? Some movies are good AND popular. No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood may appeal to you and me but there's a reason they're not on this list and it's not that people are stupid.
     Reply
    Edited by Perhaps Not at 11/17/09 11:46 AM Perhaps Not was starred Perhaps Not was unstarred
    Image of Poppymann Poppymann
    11/17/09

    @Perhaps Not: "No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood may appeal to you and me but there's a reason they're not on this list and it's not that people are stupid"

    and that reason is?..... #auteurs
     Reply
    Perhaps Not promoted this comment Poppymann was starred Poppymann was unstarred
    Image of Perhaps Not Perhaps Not
    11/17/09

    @Poppymann: Opinions vary but I'd say it's because they both present an extremely grim and oblique perspective on human nature that most people find too oppressive to subject themselves to for two hours. The filmgoing public seems to want to see good triumph over wickedness, or to see moral behavior rewarded when they go to the movies, probably because they see both so seldom in their individual lives. You and I would probably argue that movies doing those things don't offer as realistic a perspective on the universe (though I certainly do enjoy them sometimes), but not everyone is interested in understanding why the world is so evil through art. Some people have evil presented to them hourly and don't see the need to dwell on it further. #boxoffice
     Reply
    Perhaps Not was starred Perhaps Not was unstarred
    Image of ArleenCabango ArleenCabango
    11/18/09

    @Perhaps Not: you bring up an interesting thought. not all movies need to be Oscar caliber. some could be just good escapist fun. and some could be in it only for the money. I think the key to defining something as 'good' would be to figure out which group a particular movie is trying to be and ask if it achieves its goal well. is a Transformers really that horrible if the money gives a studio the make a There Will Be Blood (which isn't going to make millions in the box office), is that such a terrible tradeoff #boxoffice
     Reply
    Perhaps Not promoted this comment ArleenCabango was starred ArleenCabango was unstarred
    Image of Zira Zira
    11/17/09

    In reply to Ever Wonder Why Most Movies Suck?
    A large part of the gross revenues from these movies come from international audiences who are obviously drawn to action movies and thrillers. I'd like to see a list of the highest grossing movies just here in the states. It might be more balanced. #auteurs
     Reply
    DavidWatts promoted this comment Zira was starred Zira was unstarred
    Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

Login

Enter your username and password.

Please enter a username.
Please enter your password.
logging in
Login via Facebook | Sign Up | Forgot Password?

Reset Password

Please enter your email address to have your password reset.

Please enter your email address.
Please enter a valid email address.
requesting password reset

Register

Registering will give you a user profile and the ability to add other users as friends. To become a commenter, however, you need to audition.

Want to know more? Consult the Comment FAQ and legal terms.

Please enter a username.
Please enter a password.
Please confirm your password.
Passwords are not identical.
Please enter a valid email address.
registration sent, waiting for reply

Submit Your Comment

You don't need to login to comment. Just enter your email address below.

See how your address will be displayed in the Comment FAQ.

Please enter a valid email address.
Please enter a valid email address.
logging in

Login with your Facebook or Gawker account.

Sign up here.



  • Archives
  • About
  • Advertising
  • Legal
  • Help
  • Report a Bug
  • FAQ
Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.