The Gage on Culture: Hollywood, a little originality and spirit please
Taylor Gage
Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: Arts
After two years of disappointing box office results, Hollywood managed to record its first ever $4 billion summer in 2007, topping the previous record of $3.95 billion set in 2004.
Every summer, Hollywood faces a perennial challenge: getting more moviegoers to see the same formulaic cinema it has produced for decades. The typical summer movie going experience is marked by the "blockbuster" , punctuated by a few manufactured "sleeper hits" to satisfy the more sophisticated viewer.
While maintaining this course of action, Hollywood achieved an enormous financial landmark, but failed to provide cinema which would encourage reflection on the plight of the human spirit.
A trio of threequels hit theatres in May: "Spiderman 3," "Pirates of the Caribbean 3," and "Shrek 3." The majority of audiences felt underwhelmed by these films, which only sought benefit from the success of their predecessors, offering little in terms of originality or new thrills.
These films opened at record levels, but burned out quickly after receiving lower marks from audiences than their predecessors. Consequently all three films earned significantly less than their the first franchise installments.
June continued this sad parade of empty commercialism with "Ocean's Thirteen," "Evan Almighty," and "Fantasic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer."
All three of these films performed below the levels of their predecessors. Only "Knocked Up," a raunchy comedy, managed to impress audiences, outperforming all of the June sequels.
Thankfully July offered three of the only original films of the summer. "Ratatouille," the latest offering from Disney's acquisition Pixar, told the tale of a Remy, a rat that likes to cook.
Through his adventures, Remy discovers that even in the midst of mediocrity (the democratic rat culture) excellence can be achieved in the art of cooking.
Few viewers likely picked up on the profound line Remy utters at the climax of the film: "Have you ever lived?"
Every summer, Hollywood faces a perennial challenge: getting more moviegoers to see the same formulaic cinema it has produced for decades. The typical summer movie going experience is marked by the "blockbuster" , punctuated by a few manufactured "sleeper hits" to satisfy the more sophisticated viewer.
While maintaining this course of action, Hollywood achieved an enormous financial landmark, but failed to provide cinema which would encourage reflection on the plight of the human spirit.
A trio of threequels hit theatres in May: "Spiderman 3," "Pirates of the Caribbean 3," and "Shrek 3." The majority of audiences felt underwhelmed by these films, which only sought benefit from the success of their predecessors, offering little in terms of originality or new thrills.
These films opened at record levels, but burned out quickly after receiving lower marks from audiences than their predecessors. Consequently all three films earned significantly less than their the first franchise installments.
June continued this sad parade of empty commercialism with "Ocean's Thirteen," "Evan Almighty," and "Fantasic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer."
All three of these films performed below the levels of their predecessors. Only "Knocked Up," a raunchy comedy, managed to impress audiences, outperforming all of the June sequels.
Thankfully July offered three of the only original films of the summer. "Ratatouille," the latest offering from Disney's acquisition Pixar, told the tale of a Remy, a rat that likes to cook.
Through his adventures, Remy discovers that even in the midst of mediocrity (the democratic rat culture) excellence can be achieved in the art of cooking.
Few viewers likely picked up on the profound line Remy utters at the climax of the film: "Have you ever lived?"
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