Overpriced and Poorly Executed
Recently, Batgirl with its ninety million dollar (and yes I needed to spell that fully out) budget has been pulled. That’s right, they threw all this money at this picture, trying to save it from itself and in the end, put it out of it’s misery.
First, I must write, “WTF!” at least a million times here. (Okay, I won’t…I’ll trust you to imagine that I did.) You could easily make one-hundred and eighty indie films for that AND have budget left for marketing…not to mention that you could end homelessness in the United States or give everybody healthcare.
Second, why? Why does Hollywood overspend and under create? Many movies are just remakes or sequels and though some are fun, it feels like a lot of rehashing and wasted cash. Often they are disappointing and do not live up to the hype.
So why? WHY? WHY? WHY?
Big business. Corporate greed. Lack of imagination and little faith in humanity by those in charge. That’s why.
It’s sad but true.
I’ve written about this before, but it’s worth mentioning again that there was a time when artists (or at least people who perceived themselves as not only businessmen (and yes, they were pretty much all men) but also artists) ran the major studios and were not only in competition with each other to have the highest box office successes but also the most impactful and creative films.
Then the blockbusters of the 1970s came along, the accountants took over and viola, BIG BUSINESS with billions to be made.
Forget trying something new or being provocative (read my blog post on that because it may not mean what you think it means) or doing something different. Follow what works. The film made millions last time? Do it again. Stick to the formula. Money over art and expression. Same turd, different day.
I know, you are thinking, “Well Shari, obviously, people want to see these films or they wouldn’t make so much money.” I think people watch these films for three reasons: (1) once in a while, they are fun, (2) each night because there is nothing else out there and they are too tired to go out and have been trained to not think anymore and (3) they need something to fall asleep to because the Tylenol PM isn’t cutting it anymore. These films are boring people. They are missing human connections and expression. Most films are mostly CGI with extra long scenes where things blow up and people are shooting each other and you can’t even follow the action anymore.
I know someone who watches these films via a streaming platform (because it’s cheap and available) and counts how long the action sequences and how many explosions there are to keep themselves entertained WHILE WATCHING A FILM THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ENTERTAINING THEM.
Look entertainment is great and people are drawn to what they know and can therefore have expectations for, BUT people also like new things. New voices need to be heard. New ideas need to be shared. If we don’t, we will becoming like Fahrenheit 451 where people surround themselves with screens of nonsense entertainment and are removed from life and reality.
That’s really the frightening part. It’s all becoming distraction instead of engagement. Mindlessness versus thought provoking. Don’t put reality out there, even in a fantastic, fictional way. No, no. People might think the world can change and learn that the people they were taught to fear are really their allies. We must be kept distracted like children.
Do we want future generations to grow up and be children or be adults willing to rally and change the world?