Top 5 movies of Summer 2014

[cato]

Avatar (which I thoroughly enjoyed) epitomizes this new trend. It is simply "Dances with Wolves" in 3-D.

You cannot level that charge at Avatar and call Star Wars original. Both borrowed heavily from broad themes and specific narrative structures that preceded it. Almost all movies and novels do.

[JasonEvans]

Yeah, Lucy looks horrible, and I don't trust Besson to make a decent movie anymore.

So I looked at Rotten Tomatoes and was stunned to see a fair number of positive reviews for Lucy. I was flabbergasted. Then, I read some of them. What follows are snippets from POSITIVE reviews of Lucy. I repeat, this is what people who liked it are saying --

Is it possible for a movie to be brainy and stupid at the same time? - IndieWIRE

Mindless and mixed up, but propulsive and fun. It is charming in its stupidity - The Guardian

Garish, trippy, and wildly uneven - Variety

Winningly daffy, "Lucy" is writer-director Luc Besson's best film since "The Professional" and perhaps his most ludicrous since then, too. - Screen International

It's creative, even when not entirely original. It's exciting, even when just a bit aimless. And it's ambitious, even when it doesn't seem like it has a complete idea of what it's doing. - Hollywood.com

I repeat, those are the positive reviews. The negative ones are... well... a bit harsher.

-Jason "it was a frustrating flick because it often felt like it was on the verge of something really cool and interesting... and then it took a turn into absurdity" Evans

[Faison1]

Curious that you used Avatar as the example of a movie that falls into a "used" story. Avatar was an original, written by James Cameron. I'd also argue that Oblivion and Edge of Tomorrow were not un-original sci-fi. In fact, Oblivion was touted to be based on a graphic novel, but it didn't actually exist...

Avatar may have been written by James Cameron, but the storyline is about as common as they come....and surprisingly close to that of Dances With Wolves: Disillusioned soldier goes off to find himself in farthest reaches of world/universe. Ends up falling in love with native culture and it's women. Fights perceived evil conquering Empire that he used to be a part of. Becomes savior/hero/leader of his new found friends. Completely shuns his former self and becomes a citizen of the new world in which he lives.

I generally agree that you are seeing a lot of re-treads, but let's not fool ourselves into thinking this hasn't *always* been the case in Hollywood.

Think about the '80s... how many movies ended up being made simply for the toy sales and crossover Happy Meal promotions? And how many comedies were featuring gratuitous T&A rather than focusing on being funny?

Too many to count. Having said that, yes, I noticed the trend of T&A in the '80's, and I miss it.

[Reisen]

Just to pile on to Besson:

I liked The Professional, Fifth Element, the original Transporter, and the original Taken. But the subsequent Transporter and Taken movies were a big drop off, and the absolute killer for me was "3 Days to Kill". Yes, I know McG directed, but Besson was involved. 3 Days to Kill might possibly be the worst movie I've ever seen.

[Faison1]

I take your point about preferring original blockbusters to sequels and adaptations of existing properties, but I'm not sure I follow you here. What is it about American Beauty that would make it difficult to make today? Seems like David O. Russell comes out with a similar movie every year or so.

Agreed.

And honestly, I think it's MORE likely that American Beauty would have gotten made today. With all the indie film festivals, Kickstarter, etc... it would have been no problem to get it made.

Think of Beasts of the Southern Wild... that got Oscar recognition. I'd argue the opposite - movies like "Beasts of the Southern Wild" would not have been made in 1999. Or at least, it might have been made, but NEVER would have received the same accolades.

It's primarily a funding issue. And secondarily a marketing issue. David O. may be able to fund his films, but everyone else seems to be struggling to raise cash for medium sized independent films. (Beasts had a $1.8mm budget)

American Beauty's budget was $15mm in 1999. It had a rookie director who got the gig when 20 other directors turned it down. It had a relatively unknown screenwriter, and a plot that is still hard to describe. What's it about? Love, murder, suburban life, parental relationships? How do you market that?

In today's film world, unless it has a formula for success, studios are less likely to take a risk. If a film doesn't get good numbers in the first weekend, it gets yanked. I don't have numbers to support this, but I'm willing to bet the % of films going straight to DVD/video have grown dramatically in the last 10 years. Because of that, producers/studios don't throw around much cash anymore, unless it's Sci-fi or comic books.

The easiest way to see this, IMO, is the number of recognizable film actors taking gigs on TV shows...and *GASP*, doing ordinary commercials. There simply isn't enough traditional dramatic film work to go around any longer.

[CameronBornAndBred]

What a sad state of affairs. It's amazing to me what's happened to the movie industry. Maybe this has been covered in the previous 11 pages, but Wow! Every movie is from a comic book.

What happened to the Summer Blockbusters like Top Gun, Ghostbusters, Trading Places, Ferris Buehler, Back to the Future? Pretty much every summer in the 80's had good movies. At the time, I would have never guessed it was the Golden Age of Hollywood. (I know there were other glorious periods, but the 80's were pretty good for film.)

Definitely didn't mean to offend you. Obviously, by the numbers, I would have offended half the Nation if that was my intent.

My commentary was directed more towards Hollywood. It's become formulaic as a result of the confusing evolution of the movie business. Hollywood's only reaction to change has been to make comic book or sci-fi films. And don't get me wrong....I'm a huge Sci-Fi fan. But, the difference between Star Wars, Close Encounters, and Aliens and that of Elysium, Oblivion, and Promethius is pretty huge.

As a friend of mine who is a Hollywood actor told me, "Today, American Beauty would not have been made."

As a curiosity, I randomly picked 1986 as the year to see what did well in the box office; I had no idea and was honestly looking to see if there were any films that did great that I could happily live without ever seeing again. There were a couple (Police Academy 3, prime example), but your cherry picking is well represented. I don't know about the rest of the 80's, but if '86 is a good sample, then your overall point is dead on.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/...yr=1986&p=.htm

[Faison1]

As a curiosity, I randomly picked 1986 as the year to see what did well in the box office; I had no idea and was honestly looking to see if there were any films that did great that I could happily live without ever seeing again. There were a couple (Police Academy 3, prime example), but your cherry picking is well represented. I don't know about the rest of the 80's, but if '86 is a good sample, then your overall point is dead on.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/...yr=1986&p=.htm

#24 on that list...they just don't make them like that anymore!! Ha, Ha! One of my all-time favorites.

[Olympic Fan]

As a curiosity, I randomly picked 1986 as the year to see what did well in the box office; I had no idea and was honestly looking to see if there were any films that did great that I could happily live without ever seeing again. There were a couple (Police Academy 3, prime example), but your cherry picking is well represented. I don't know about the rest of the 80's, but if '86 is a good sample, then your overall point is dead on.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/...yr=1986&p=.htm

Not sure of what 1986 proves -- three of the top seven money-makers were sequels (Karate Kid II, Star Trek IV and Aliens). But there were some awfully good films that year Top Fun, Platoon, Back to School, Ferris Buehler -- even Crocadile Dundee.

1986 also produced the greatest sports movie of all time (No. 35 Hoosiers) and the single most underrated movie in film history (No. 71 Big Trouble in Little China).

[Faison1]

Not sure of what 1986 proves -- three of the top seven money-makers were sequels (Karate Kid II, Star Trek IV and Aliens). But there were some awfully good films that year Top Fun, Platoon, Back to School, Ferris Buehler -- even Crocadile Dundee.

1986 also produced the greatest sports movie of all time (No. 35 Hoosiers) and the single most underrated movie in film history (No. 71 Big Trouble in Little China).

That might have been Kurt Russell's best work...or a close second to The Thing.

[JasonEvans]

That might have been Kurt Russell's best work...or a close second to The Thing.

Are you forgetting about his awe-inspiring work as Snake Plissken in Escape From New York? In the early 80s he was in several films that started out as relatively forgettable, unambitious projects but somehow morphed into classics that stand the test of time. I still recall loving Used Cars, a film that very few people saw but everyone who saw it loved it. Then Kurt made The Best of Times, Overboard, and Tango and Cash... the magic was gone.

-Jason "Kurt is going to be in Fast and Furious 7... I think that is not a good sign" Evans

[FerryFor50]

So I looked at Rotten Tomatoes and was stunned to see a fair number of positive reviews for Lucy. I was flabbergasted. Then, I read some of them. What follows are snippets from POSITIVE reviews of Lucy. I repeat, this is what people who liked it are saying --



I repeat, those are the positive reviews. The negative ones are... well... a bit harsher.

-Jason "it was a frustrating flick because it often felt like it was on the verge of something really cool and interesting... and then it took a turn into absurdity" Evans

Wired has a pretty interesting take on why Lucy felt out of order...


http://www.wired.com/2014/07/luc-besson-lucy-2/

[CameronBornAndBred]

Then Kurt made The Best of Times, Overboard, and Tango and Cash... the magic was gone.

I love Overboard, that's one of those movies I'll watch whenever it's on tv.
By the way, on that list is the first Transformers movie. (Not done by MB, obviously.) It was beaten out by both My Little Pony and Care Bears 2. The last movie on that list is one of my favorites, too.

[Olympic Fan]

Are you forgetting about his awe-inspiring work as Snake Plissken in Escape From New York? In the early 80s he was in several films that started out as relatively forgettable, unambitious projects but somehow morphed into classics that stand the test of time. I still recall loving Used Cars, a film that very few people saw but everyone who saw it loved it. Then Kurt made The Best of Times, Overboard, and Tango and Cash... the magic was gone.

-Jason "Kurt is going to be in Fast and Furious 7... I think that is not a good sign" Evans

Best of Times was written by Ron Shelton, who was so unhappy with the way it turned out that he sued to get his name off the credits. Shelton, of course, went on to make Bull Durham. He wrote the role of Crash Davis for Russell (who was briefly a minor league baseball player), but the studio insisted on Costner for the role.

Agree that Russell's career slumped in the late 1980s, but I thought he had a strong comeback in 2004 as Herb Brooks in Miracle. He's had his moments in the last 20 years -- Backdraft, Stargate ...

Interesting trivia about Russell -- his first film was in a small part as a 10-year-old in the 1963 Elvis Presley film It Happened at the World's Fair ... he later voiced Elvis in Forrest Gump, played Elvis in John Carpenter's 1979 TV movie bio-pic and again donned Elvis makeup as part of the heist flic 3,000 Miles to Graceland.

And, while Escape from New York and Used Cars are great, I'll always argue that Big Trouble in Little China is his greatest film.

[JBDuke]

Best of Times was written by Ron Shelton, who was so unhappy with the way it turned out that he sued to get his name off the credits. Shelton, of course, went on to make Bull Durham. He wrote the role of Crash Davis for Russell (who was briefly a minor league baseball player), but the studio insisted on Costner for the role.

Agree that Russell's career slumped in the late 1980s, but I thought he had a strong comeback in 2004 as Herb Brooks in Miracle. He's had his moments in the last 20 years -- Backdraft, Stargate ...

Interesting trivia about Russell -- his first film was in a small part as a 10-year-old in the 1963 Elvis Presley film It Happened at the World's Fair ... he later voiced Elvis in Forrest Gump, played Elvis in John Carpenter's 1979 TV movie bio-pic and again donned Elvis makeup as part of the heist flic 3,000 Miles to Graceland.

And, while Escape from New York and Used Cars are great, I'll always argue that Big Trouble in Little China is his greatest film.

Okay. You people sit tight, hold the fort and keep the home fires burning. And if we're not back by dawn... call the president.

[snowdenscold]

Best of Times was written by Ron Shelton, who was so unhappy with the way it turned out that he sued to get his name off the credits. Shelton, of course, went on to make Bull Durham. He wrote the role of Crash Davis for Russell (who was briefly a minor league baseball player), but the studio insisted on Costner for the role.

Agree that Russell's career slumped in the late 1980s, but I thought he had a strong comeback in 2004 as Herb Brooks in Miracle. He's had his moments in the last 20 years -- Backdraft, Stargate ...

Interesting trivia about Russell -- his first film was in a small part as a 10-year-old in the 1963 Elvis Presley film It Happened at the World's Fair ... he later voiced Elvis in Forrest Gump, played Elvis in John Carpenter's 1979 TV movie bio-pic and again donned Elvis makeup as part of the heist flic 3,000 Miles to Graceland.

And, while Escape from New York and Used Cars are great, I'll always argue that Big Trouble in Little China is his greatest film.

There were two roommates in my freshman dorm (Southgate) whose names were Kurt and Russell. They ended up plastering Kurt Russell posters and the like all over their room and on the outside of their door. Hadn't thought about that in years, but still kinda funny...

[JasonEvans]

Lucy is on course for a $40+ mil opening weekend, better than Hollywood had expected and the product of a really good marketing campaign that created some nice buzz around the film. But, it got just a C+ Cinemascore on its first night, a truly awful figure and one which could result in disastrous word-of-mouth. I can't even tell you how horrible that Cinemascore is for the first night of a film. Awful!

-Jason "anyone see it after my warnings to STAY AWAY?" Evans

[camion]

Lucy is on course for a $40+ mil opening weekend, better than Hollywood had expected and the product of a really good marketing campaign that created some nice buzz around the film. But, it got just a C+ Cinemascore on its first night, a truly awful figure and one which could result in disastrous word-of-mouth. I can't even tell you how horrible that Cinemascore is for the first night of a film. Awful!

-Jason "anyone see it after my warnings to STAY AWAY?" Evans

Do you mean the marketing campaign emphasized that SCARLETT JOHANSSON is starring? That's mostly what I got from the trailers.

[NashvilleDevil]

After this weekend here is the top 5:

1. Captain America - $258,712,272
2. Transformers: Age of Extinction - $236,352,000
3. Maleficent - $232,119,000
4. X-Men: Days of Future Past - $231,278,000
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - $202,084,843

My dark horse pick Guardians of the Galaxy is out this weekend. From what I have read the buzz for this movie is good but as Jason has said the release date may end up hurting its chances. If everything holds this will be the first summer since 2001 that there will not a movie that hits the $300 million mark.

[FerryFor50]

Lucy is on course for a $40+ mil opening weekend, better than Hollywood had expected and the product of a really good marketing campaign that created some nice buzz around the film. But, it got just a C+ Cinemascore on its first night, a truly awful figure and one which could result in disastrous word-of-mouth. I can't even tell you how horrible that Cinemascore is for the first night of a film. Awful!

-Jason "anyone see it after my warnings to STAY AWAY?" Evans

I still plan on seeing it. Because Scarlett Johansson.

[Olympic Fan]

Do you mean the marketing campaign emphasized that SCARLETT JOHANSSON is starring? That's mostly what I got from the trailers.

Isn't this the definition of star power?

The fact that an actress (or actor) can carry a crappy movie on name alone? How many current actor/actresses have that? I remember when Will Smith's name on a summer blockbuster was gold. Harrison Ford anchored some of the most profitable movies in history ... than all of a sudden, his name was nothing in the credits.

Tom Cruise has obviously lost it. His four most recent films -- two of them well-reviewed sci-fi movies -- have all underperformed at the box office. I think he can still deliver with the Mission Impossible franchise -- established when he was a box office giant -- but he's not enough to sell a movie anymore.

Interesting counterpoint to my argument -- Johansson was in the well-reviewed (4 1/2 stars on Rotten Tomatoes), but generally overlooked film Chef released in May. It did a nice, but nothing special $27 million. The thing is, I don't know how big a role Johannson has in it ... and all the promotions I saw featured lead Robert Downey Jr. Maybe iof he had been featured in the promos, it would have done $57 million.