Weekly Box Office and Film Discussion Thread

[mr3urious]

But again, since comedy evolves with the times, what may have seemed funny in the 80s may not necessarily transfer well into today, so of course they're going to try to rework the humor in a way that appeals more to today's audiences than keeping with the spirit of the original work.

Plus, even if you do use the exact same comedic style, you run the risk of a retread.

 

[Drtooth]

I've had to Google a number of references used on shows like Rocky and Bullwinkle and M*A*S*H to understand them, lol.

To this day, I still don't know who the heck Sonny Tufts is...

Okay, I just looked it up.

Still don't know who he is.

Plus, even if you do use the exact same comedic style, you run the risk of a retread.

I honestly don't see the jokes in the original Ghostbusters being any better if they're reused. I'd rather see someone try something different than just completely copy what was already done. I'd absolutely hate this project if it was just a genderflipped clone of the original. Those jokes wouldn't work with those comediennes' styles. Only Bill Murray can do Bill Murray jokes.

Still, I wish this was about a franchise of the Ghostbusters instead of some alternate universe thing. That's the only point that's sore for me. But we're still getting two other GB movies that I hope at least are better. The animated one has me excited but nervous.

 

[Sgt Floyd]

Humor is subjective. What appeals to one person doesn't appeal to another. Personally, I prefer dry humor and slapstick if its done right (the ONE joke I honestly laughed at in the new national lampoon vacation movie was when rusty kicked the rock in the desert, and that was lifted straight from the first movie so...make of that what you will).

And as I said before, with the new ghostbusters movie, it's the humor that just falls flat for me, since I dont like that style of humor they are going for. Now, the movie could be great, and they are just trying to hard in the trailer to appeal to the crowd that likes that style of humor. WHich, unfortunately, that style of stupid for stupid sake and gross out humor is too popular these days.

I mean, yeah, some fans are probably focusing on the female aspect, but I think the overall tone of the movie and its humor as evident in the trailer are what is driving old time fans away.

I bet someone who has grown up with this kind of humor and likes it, and never seen the original ghostbusters, would love it.

TO be honest I'm not even sure who the demographic they are trying to target with the movie even is...

 

[Drtooth]

Thing that bugs me is the way trailers are made. I honestly can't tell if a movie is actually bad or they just picked out the dumbest parts of a film because they think that's going to get audiences in there. Either way, I'm probably only going to see this if I can get to the theater on a Tuesday like I did for Batman Vs Superman and only pay five bucks for it. It's telling that the more serious bits of the trailer are more intriguing than the humor.

And frankly, this is coming from someone who'll be there with bells on for Angry Birds.

As for the movie's demographic, eh... I think that they have their hearts in the right place here by giving it a female cast because at least they're not doing "Even if you're successful at your career, you're a failure as a woman unless you get paired up" chick flicks. Especially since Hollywood vowed never to make an action movie with a female lead ever again because of the crappy Aeon Flux movie nobody wanted. That and the insane regulations for use of the character is why it took forever for a Wonder Woman film to happen.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I honestly can't tell if a movie is actually bad or they just picked out the dumbest parts of a film because they think that's going to get audiences in there.

That is also what I'm waiting to see. I agree, it's hard to tell. I was horrified at the :: "fart shoes" joke in the trailer for Muppets (2011). But thankfully the movie proved better than that.

In any case, I'm definitely going to see Ghostbusters (2016). The overreaction and bile on the Internet has been utterly absurd, and embarrassing to the fandom. In all seriousness, it's been enough to make me want to throw away the laptop for good. Fandom isn't about pleasure anymore, it's pure complaining. The righteous indignation over a freakin movie, when meanwhile the whole world is falling apart around us. At this point, I may seriously curb my Internet use to emails. I'm done.

Maybe this is my karma for all the hating I did on Man of Steel, heh.

 

[Mynameisdean]

That is also what I'm waiting to see. I agree, it's hard to tell. I was horrified at the :: "fart shoes" joke in the trailer for Muppets (2011). But thankfully the movie proved better than that.

In any case, I'm definitely going to see Ghostbusters (2016). The overreaction and bile on the Internet has been utterly absurd, and embarrassing to the fandom. In all seriousness, it's been enough to make me want to throw away the laptop for good. Fandom isn't about pleasure anymore, it's pure complaining. The righteous indignation over a freakin movie, when meanwhile the whole world is falling apart around us. At this point, I may seriously curb my Internet use to emails. I'm done.

Maybe this is my karma for all the hating I did on Man of Steel, heh.

Fandoms complaining is a result of more and more adaptions for movies. Simply put, nothing's going to go everyone's way, but globdarnit the fandom will go to death threats to try and get what they want.

But, this Women Ghostbusters is actually bad enough to be Hated on. Seriously. Also; what movies do you guys plan on seeing this Summer?

 

[CensoredAlso]

I will decide that when I see it. No sooner. Seriously.

 

[Drtooth]

In any case, I'm definitely going to see Ghostbusters (2016). The overreaction and bile on the Internet has been utterly absurd, and embarrassing to the fandom. In all seriousness, it's been enough to make me want to throw away the laptop for good. Fandom isn't about pleasure anymore, it's pure complaining. The righteous indignation over a freakin movie, when meanwhile the whole world is falling apart around us. At this point, I may seriously curb my Internet use to emails. I'm done.

Like I said before, there are probably legitimate complaints and I get that. By all means, I'm mixed about this. Their hearts are in the right place trying to appeal to the female market with films that don't follow some very 1950's style view on what women are supposed to be. I applaud that. The problem is legit complaints tend to get buried under the idiotic bile the film gets for daring to go after some dope's childhood. Like I've said millions of times before, no one's childhood is important unless something actually tragic happened. Like I'm supposed to give two craps about some tubby kid drinking Ecto Cooler getting ticked off at a movie franchise that let "Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters" happen. If the movie sucks by its own merits, I'll listen to those complaints. If it sucks purely because some 40 year old's not that precious memories of a movie everyone grew up with gets butthurt that the women in the movie aren't making Bill Murray a sandwich, forget it.

Maybe this is my karma for all the hating I did on Man of Steel, heh.

Everyone hates on that movie. And frankly, heck with it. There was only one legitimately good Non-animated Superman film and even then WB ruined it. Truth is, I don't think anyone really wants a Superman film. And if we got the Superman film they wanted, it would be a 90 minute bad episode of Lois and Clark with obnoxious lampshade hanging. They don't want Superman to be dark, they don't want him to be 1950's style optimistic and bright. When they make a movie like the original series, they hate it, when they do something different they hate it. Unless he's animated and Paul Dini is involved. And frankly, I like Superman in animated form better anyway. Didn't even care for the 50's TV show.

Of course, there are two things I like Man of Steel for. One retroactive. First, they got rid of that awful will Lois find out that Clark Kent is Superman schtick. I've grown to hate secret identity tropes because even in parody form because there are only so many jokes you can make about it and they blew through them by the 70's (to be fair, WordGirl actually managed to squeeze out some deconstruction on that, and the show's all the more powerful for it). And second, the retroactive one, Lex Luthor wasn't in it. What Jessie Eisneberg did to Luthor just makes me hate the character, even the Clancey Brown kickbutt one from the Timmiverse cartoons. While I did enjoy Batman V Superman, I'd say you best stay away from it.

 

[CensoredAlso]

getting ticked off at a movie franchise that let "Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters" happen.

Hehehe. Yeah, I'm starting to see what you're always saying about fandoms romanticizing the past. It's not like this was the first time the franchise made a controversial decision. But fans have a way of sweeping that under the rug and saving their wrath for anything new. If they had perspective, they'd realize things happen, the franchise lives on, it's not a big deal.

If the movie sucks by its own merits, I'll listen to those complaints. If it sucks purely because some 40 year old's not that precious memories of a movie everyone grew up with gets butthurt that the women in the movie aren't making Bill Murray a sandwich, forget it.

Yup, pretty much this.

First, they got rid of that awful will Lois find out that Clark Kent is Superman schtick. I've grown to hate secret identity tropes because even in parody form because there are only so many jokes you can make about it

That is a good point, there is such a thing as trope overload.

 

[Drtooth]

Hehehe. Yeah, I'm starting to see what you're always saying about fandoms romanticizing the past. It's not like this was the first time the franchise made a controversial decision. But fans have a way of sweeping that under the rug and saving their wrath for anything new. If they had perspective, they'd realize things happen, the franchise lives on, it's not a big deal.

On the subject of Ghostbusters, hate towards the cartoon "Extreme Ghostbusters" drives me mad for one reason.

No one wants to admit that it actually undid the damage ABC did to the original cartoon series. Slimer was back to being a non-verbal side character and not the star of the series (though I do love me some Slimer, his side cartoons sucked), Janine was back to her sarcastic tone and look (the one ABC thought was scaring kids...yeah... uh, she ushered in half the audience to manhood, not scared them), and even the writing was almost as sharp as the original syndicated seasons vs the weaker later episodes of the original series. I think they just hated it because they were no longer 8-10 years old and it had "Extreme" in the title.

Personally, if the movie is worse than it looks...meh. There's like 2 more coming anyway, and there's a good chance they could be worse. Or you could just ignore it. Then again, we are supposedly getting Ecto-Cooler back out of this. I mean, the Batman VS Superman movie at the very least got us two great cereals. I tend to at least think that film was a 2 1/5 cereal tie in.

And I'm not lying. If you like sugary kiddy breakfast cereals, Batman Strawberry Chocolate Crunch is outstanding. The Superman Caramel one is good too, but I had this box of Count Chocula I was saving that I tucked into and it just wasn't impressive anymore.