Deliver us from Hollywood

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Now here is something that I wish the EU would actually create a rival power in:
France proposes 'European cinema weeks' to fight Hollywood domination

Please, Europeans, please please please do this.

Hollywood pretty much sucks. Plots are rehashed, characters are pretty much only stock two-dimensional sorts, and the only thing to go see are the special effects.

Ok, so except for the special effects that pretty much describes Cannes too. But there really needs to be a revival of good cinema. No more making a movie just so you can show more of Angelina Jolie's flesh. Write some plots. Use some actual points of view that originate outside of Southern California. (I'm of the opinion that people like Fight Club not because of the freaky way that Brad Pitt WAS Edward Norton but because they GOT the philosophy behind it -- nihilistic thought it was.)

So, please. Listen to the French.

(That may be the first time a conservaitve American has said that since LaFayette's time.)

 

Heh the French and their silly plans. I'm sorry but I don't see Europe ever rivaling Hollywood in any way. Only Brits can get anything done since everyone else does their movies in their own language which is serious problem when trying to market to movie abroad. There are plenty of good European movies and even good Finnish movies but they are done with small budgets and never reach the big international audience and that's probably how it's going to stay. If you are interested in European movies then there are probably some smaller movie theatres around there that show them.

 

Who said anything about making movies in English?

Make 'em in whatever language you want and subtitle them. If Mel Gibson can use a couple of dead languages to make "The Passion of the Christ" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" can be a hit in Mandarin, then I think language isn't the problem.

 

The reason that hollywood's movies get more of an audience is just the simple fact that they make a product that the people want to see.

 

Exactly.

 

Language is a problem though it's not a problem that can be overcome. Passion of the Christ had a huge advertisement campaign behind it and the language just added interest towards the movie, and well Mel Gibson is Mel Gibson. If the same movie was done by a director you've never heard of from France it's doubtful that it would ever be such a success.

 

It's all a matter of budget, there are simply no investors willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money for a movie that's not a garanteed succes. That's why in the eighties several Dutch filmmakers moved across the Atlantic and started realizing their dreams there. Verhoeven would have never been able to direct movies like Robocop, Starship Troopers, and Basic Instinct if he stayed behind in Europe. It's as simple as that.

 

I agree with Khaz and HBoy. People don't want to see good movies. They want to forget their troubles, that's all. Besides, there're plenty of good old movies. Go watch them, and when you're done you can complain, if you want.

PS: My first post here! Yay! I gotta get an avatar...

 

You're my Hero!

As I am a film student I couldn't agree more with you.

However it's not the language that pose a barrier it's the culture. Hollywood are popular worldwide only because they have no cultural value in them most of the time. I'm not talking about American Idealism or patriotism, I'm talking about what american people's value. So it help to get a worldwide succes. In Hollywood's movie you wont see real people. You won't see the *real* America only a glorified better version of it.


In the other hand the rest of the world who make movies has (most of the time) it's people's value and customs etc.

Example; In Country X doing Y is accepted however in Country Z doing Y is kind of strange, so most of Z's people who watch the movie won't really appreciate Y or will just find it weird/unacceptable/discusting.

Another factor; yes it's money can't argue about this one. Do I really need to give an example?

Also there is that fact to watch your average Hollywood movies you don't need any perticular notions or knowledge about a given topic.

Example; A Québecker movie about the Legend of the Chasse-Galerie If you don't know the legend how can you understand the movie? You just can't

And by the way; It's even worse living in Québec since it's so darn close to US, we can't compete the giant when it's so close.

 

Ah, I remember that. It made the headline in the culture-section of my daily-paper. I am sure you know what I am talking about, the WTO/UNESCO controversy about cultural heritage and if public sponsored tv should still be allowed. You know, things like the BBC, ZDF, TSR, RAI, F1 and so on...

here

A culture war

Australia was one that abstained, I remember. Tz, Tz.

And now the meat:

Ok, the problem is this. Imagine you live in one of those small, insignificant developing countries that are burdened with rich cultural diversity and quatro-linguality. Bizarre events lead to the developement of public tv in available in 4 languages sponsored by the taxpayer and made law by referanda.

So, now come strange people from far away suggesting that international treaties (WTO) should be extended in that way, that public sponsoring of broadcoasts in Rhaeto-Romanic should no longer be allowed. Indeed, no public sponsoring of TV anymore at all.

That's the greater framework in which we are. My right to watch Rhaeto-Romanic TV. Think about that, when you can't sleep at night.

 

America has a thriving Indie Film Community that's making the kind of movies you want to see St. James. Unfortunately, you won't usually find them at the neighborhood AMC Cineplex, you have to search for them at college theaters and art houses (aka: bad part of town ), or sometimes even direct to video.

In a way, the technology boom that's come to film production has been a boon to the Indie films. Used to be that all Indie films involved two people talking in a coffee shop. For two hours. But now, thanks to computer generated effects...if you need to shoot a scene in Barcelona but your budget won't let you leave Seattle...COMPUTER. Need a plane crash but don't have props, sound stage or a plane...COMPUTER. A burning building critical to your story but you don't want an arson charge...COMPUTER.

Check out the Indies. You can always tell an Indie because they never have Vin Diesel in them.

 

Disn't Vin used to play PnP D&D? He has an inner nerd, so he's not all bad.

But yep, I agree. There will always be good art: music, movies, books, etc. You just have to search it out.

If you're lazy and just sit on the couch and wait for the mainstream media to deliver stuff to your lap, well, you have no right to complain about all the bad movies and music out there.

Bad art has always been and will always be the most popular. What's that expression about no one ever went broke betting on the public's lack of good taste?

 

I hate Hollywood. And they don't even pay much attention to what the public really wants. The largest and most dependable money makers, with the exception of Star Wars and the like, are the PG and G movies targeted to more general ages than just kids. But what is the 'hottest movie of the year' EVERY SUMMER? Some chick in next to nothing doing next to nothing with no plot and just a bunch of scenes of her, or some blood-and-gore-fest where something goes splat all over the screen every 5 seconds.
In my opinion the best movie of this year will be Chronicles of Narnia, and that's even if Disney screws it up. Just the previews qualify as the best movie of 2005, though just barely over HP. If Disney actually makes a real movie out of it, which they will be burnt to the ground if they don't, it will blow anything else out of the water!
Also, please note that HP and Chronicles of Narnia are both based on books by brittish authors. Usually I'm not to terribly excited about anything brittish, but lets face it, they know good stories.

 

Well, what the "public" wants are the those dependable money maker -type of movies. Most people don't bother to think too much. But you're right, it's a pretty sorry state the movie world is in.

But splatter movies don't make that much money, you know. You probably mean those crappy teen-horror flicks á la Scream If I Know What You Did Last Halloween. I hate them too.

 

A lot of what Hollywood puts out is trash, no question. However . . .

I live in Canada, and the government spends way too much money on a bunch of pretentious snobs to have them produce "Canadian" content. I want my money going into hospitals, roads, defense and other incredibly important parts of infrastructure, not a display of dead rabbits that some moron puts up in his back yard, calls art, and gets $500,000 in taxpayer money (this actually happened a few years ago).

 

Yeah....that's really going to happen.

Anyway, Hollywood has the #1 spot because first, they have the celebrities that everyone wants to see, second, they put out a final product that more people want to see...except for Jay Lo/Ben Affleck movies...and third, they know that sex sells.

Now, there are times when the UK puts out a good movie...the Monty Python movies will always be on my 'funniest movies of all time' lists. But France? That's just ridiculous!

 

It's all about perception. And perception is tied to the eye of the beholder. As far as I know, the French movie industry is the third biggest. That's smaller than India. But still bigger than China. But I think China is going to be the biggest, as they have already the most succesful non-english movie, crouching tiger, hidden dragon. But what about Brasil ? I don't know.

http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/film/features/article1730.ece

 

Not everyone wants to see that hollywood crap.

In my country, most of our cinemas are US owned, so we have no choice but to see pointless remakes, bland action movies, and dumbed down dramas. Not that all hollywood movies are crap, but lets face it, US movies are no where as good as they used to be.

Kitrax, have you even watched many European or Asian movies? Don't judge them until you try it.

NOG, Narnia was by an Irish, not British author

 

Sorry to go off topic, Cuch, but I have a question that relates somewhat to the one at hand. While the theatres may be American owned, surely you get mostly European television? I quite enjoy British television shows that are sent over here to the Great White North.

And, given that the Irish have a negative attitude to the British (AFAIK, anyhow) is British television less popular there?

 

Hi LKD. Well the so-called Irish-Americans have an outdated attitude towards the English. English comedies and soaps are very popular throughout Ireland (though I am not a fan of soaps myself). Its true that the British are hated in certain areas, but these people are in a very small minority. Ask anyone here about English programmes such as 'Little Britain', 'Spaced' etc and you will hear positive comments.

I am not complaining about the US companies buying all N.Irish cinemas here, but it would nice to have movies from other contries for a change... I mean it is stupid when local movies are counted as 'foreign'.

I enjoy lots of movies from USA, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Thailand. I feel sorry for the xenephobes that are missing out great movies and culture.