Have Movies reached saturation?

PAPILLION

What is the limit to our imagination?

I was watching the film Impostor with Gary Sinise(sp) on Sunday, not a hugely notable film by any means, without going into too much depth about the film, as it is my impression that is the source of this text, it didn’t grip me or leave me in anyway shocked surprised or thrilled, this could be down to the fact that it was a bad film, but I don’t think it was hugely. (incidentally was it private pile from full metal jacket playing the cse guy chasing him>)

The film was over and I shrugged, not because the plot was hugely weak, (which it was) or that the characters were a bit 2 dimensional (a bit?) but more because I’d seen it all before.

Sorry to spoil it, but it had a twist at the end, it wasn’t shocking or surprising.

Though Fight Club is a phenomenal film, one major factor, and I apologise hugely for mentioning it, is the “twist” without it, the film would have been highly commendable.

Days are gone when a film would seem new and innovative, I have seen blade runner countless times, and would watch it again, whereas the average film today, I would be hard pushed to watch twice, due to the fact that even though the movies are relatively childlike in age, fresh storylines that aren’t similar or derive some subject matter from a previous film are rare to say the least.

If someone who hadn’t seen Blade Runner to date watched it today, they would probably not take the same enjoyment from those of us who saw it back in the 80s, its all subjective.

Only very rarely now does a movie come out of the dross and dare to innovate, however its not so much dare, as it is manage. Take the matrix for example or fight club, and to that matter Saving Private Ryan’s take on ww2 using an insular storyline, backed by the events of the time.

T3 yes, it is as you would expect. But you have just seen it all before, effects a little bigger, storyline a tad different, acting a little.. erm. Possibly worse.

The others and vanilla sky, very notable films, but where would they have been without the twists. It seems that movies rely on this too much, and now the twists aren’t having the effect they perhaps once had. I watched the others for a second time. No good, yes the acting was superb it was suitably eerie, but it didn’t have that edge it wasn’t the same film.

You could argue that all films are never as good, well that is true, as you know the ending, it does take the lustre off, however films like apocalypse now, 12 angry men, the third man, all timeless films which are to me anyway, infinitely watchable.

Anyways, just a thought, perhaps I’m too hard to impress, I still enjoy films and will carry on watching them, I just fear that the gems are getting ever rarer and soon films are going to loose any edge they have completely.

Here’s to the next matrix film and the return of the king….

what do you think?

lili

well, i think if you are able to watch underground movies, you would be surprised.

PAPILLION

yeah, spent a good bit of my time in the kino in cork and watching arthouse films with my film lecturer in college.

saw the original ring in the triskel before hollywood got ahold of it.
run lola run was good, film festival was always good for that sort of thing.

I purposefully left this aspect out of the discussion, should have stated that I was referring to mainstream. as if what i invisage happening comes true, then underground and art house films will push through the soil that is hollywood and bloom.

IgnatiusJRiley

It's a very interesting point you make and something I noticed at the weekend whilst watching MatchStick men. I've become so used to expecting a twist that when it arrived it was no surprise and the film left me a little cold. Twists are indeed what films are depending on these days and it's gonna start to get pretty boring soon enough

lili

yes, i think the better way to get emotions with movies, is to follow festivals.
cannes festival for example is a good one to discover other stuffs than hollywood production.
i haven't seen run lola run, but i heard about it.
if you can catch on tv, a chanel called ARTE, you will be able to watch orginal films from the whole world.

PAPILLION

cool.
is that available on sky digital? is it fta?

lili

have no idea.
by the way, if you can't get french or german, would be difficult for you to understand unfortunately:)

papillion has a meaning in english? seems like the papillon in french.

PAPILLION

nope.

is a long story. well not that long.

It was my gaming name, for the last 3-4 years, about half a year after choosing it i noticed the spelling mistake. it was supposed to be papillon. decided to stick with the mis spelt name. chose it cus thought steve mcqueen in papillon was great. he never gave up.

lili

oh yes, steve mac queen in "papillon":)
great movie!
that's what i call a strong head, never let down!
more irish temperament than french:D