I think you're still romanticizing this a lot, not to mention underselling the VFX factor.

I mean, if we take the top 20 from 1980-1989, all of the top 11 and 15 of the top 20 would be considered action/big budget type films. There were a few more smaller films, but you see a few of those in almost every calendar year (for 2017 it was Get Out, Greatest Showman, and technically Logan).

The 90s have similar numbers, not to mention the most important year in modern cinema history IMO: 1993. Jurassic Park came out (preceded by the almost as groundbreaking T2 and followed by Toy Story) and changed the game entirely.

From that point filmmakers could make the movies they'd never been able to make before and the content followed as we'd expect. Twister, Men in Black, Armageddon, Lost World, and the Pixar films started it off and things snowballed from there.

Soon we'd have The Matrix, the Star Wars prequels, and LOTR before moving into the Marvel films and the rebirth of animated features. But big budget spectacles have always been the headliners, and had digital VFX happened earlier we'd have seen the same shift.

fig96 said:

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BI think you're still romanticizing this a lot, not to mention underselling the VFX factor.

I mean, if we take the top 20 from 1980-1989, all of the top 11 and 15 of the top 20 would be considered action/big budget type films. There were a few more smaller films, but you see a few of those in almost every calendar year (for 2017 it was Get Out, Greatest Showman, and technically Logan).

The 90s have similar numbers, not to mention the most important year in modern cinema history IMO: 1993. Jurassic Park came out (preceded by the almost as groundbreaking T2 and followed by Toy Story) and changed the game entirely.

From that point filmmakers could make the movies they'd never been able to make before and the content followed as we'd expect. Twister, Men in Black, Armageddon, Lost World, and the Pixar films started it off and things snowballed from there.

Soon we'd have The Matrix, the Star Wars prequels, and LOTR before moving into the Marvel films and the rebirth of animated features. But big budget spectacles have always been the headliners, and had digital VFX happened earlier we'd have seen the same shift.

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As I said, sci fi and sequels will always do well and vfx advances absolutely matter.. I was speaking more about the movies like Ghost, three men and a baby, fatal attraction, grease, the sting, the godfather, Tootsie, crocodile Dundee, Home Alone, An Officer and a Gentleman, the sixth sense, dances with wolves etc.
Other than American sniper (and I purposely left out war movies as well as some franchises like a one as they have been pretty timeless and survived the change), not one of those types of movies is on this decades list in the top 30.
I am not asking for comic movies to go away, and I love sci fi...am only asking for a bit more diversity in big budget filming. Throw some of us a bone every once in a while

schmendeler said:

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I don't understand the focus on big budget. Transformers has a big budget and they're terrible.

What about:
The revenant
Birdman
The post
Spotlight
La la Land
Three billboards
Churchill
Dunkirk
Just of the top of my head in like 30 seconds.

There are tons of great drama movies with recognizable actors in them.

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I have seen most of those.
Of course a big budget isn't a guarantee of success or quality, but it becomes far more likely - top script writers, directors, top production value and top actors where needed are all things a budget can buy. Even back in the days big money movies like Ishtar, Out of Africa etc bombed, but all things being equal most of us would rather go to a big budget film. Would just like to see a larger money commitment from studios on more diverse movies. The audience is there.

With that I shall return to work. If folks disagree that's fine.

oragator said:

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schmendeler said:

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I don't understand the focus on big budget. Transformers has a big budget and they're terrible.

What about:
The revenant
Birdman
The post
Spotlight
La la Land
Three billboards
Churchill
Dunkirk
Just of the top of my head in like 30 seconds.

There are tons of great drama movies with recognizable actors in them.

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I have seen most of those.
Of course a big budget isn't a guarantee of success or quality, but it becomes far more likely - top script writers, directors, top production value and top actors where needed are all things a budget can buy. Even back in the days big money movies like Ishtar, Out of Africa etc bombed, but all things being equal most of us would rather go to a big budget film. Would just like to see a larger money commitment from studios on more diverse movies. The audience is there.

With that I shall return to work. If folks disagree that's fine.

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Again, this is not accurate. From you own list...

Quote:

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I was speaking more about the movies like Ghost, three men and a baby, fatal attraction, grease, the sting, the godfather, Tootsie, crocodile Dundee, Home Alone, An Officer and a Gentleman, the sixth sense, dances with wolves etc.

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Few to none of those are big budget films.

It's 2024 and we doing development deals for movies based off a board game.

Is this a new low?

But on the other hand, Americans will eat it up. They wouldn't do it if they didn't think they could sell it.

Forgot that they already did this with Battleship. My bad.

Clue, D&D (x2), and Ouija as well

Weird thread bump

An L of an Ag said:

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Meh. I'll wait for the "Axis and Allies" movie.

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Catapults and crossbows!

Who stars in hungry hungry hippos?

Possible product placement crossover with Ozempic?

Smell gold here..

Stat Monitor Repairman said:

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Who stars in hungry hungry hippos?

Possible product placement crossover with Ozempic?

Smell gold here..

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Hungry Hungry Hobos - The San Francisco Story

Stat Monitor Repairman said:

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Who stars in hungry hungry hippos?

Possible product placement crossover with Ozempic?

Smell gold here..

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Guy is of the opinion that having instant streaming access to everything thats ever been is hindering development of new art and that explains the stagnation on new movies and shows.

Probably right. Humans not designed to have instant access to all media, all the time. Our brains haven't adapted to that. We might be in creative doldrum for many years as machines take over the creation of art.