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| Screenshot of Paul Henreid, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains and Humphrey Bogart from the trailer for the film Casablanca. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Where Have All the Blockbusters
Gone?
By Claire and Jim Castagnera
Claire:
Are
blockbusters a thing of the past?
I don’t mean the movie rental stores. I’m talking about the Big Movies. You know the ones: the movies that everyone – and I mean
everyone – was talking about, not only in the month of their release, but for
months before and afterwards. I’m
talking about “Psycho,” “Jaws,” “Star Wars.” I’m talking about movies that were not only enormously
entertaining, but movies that were also game changers. Movies that changed the way we thought
about movies.
It’s
been a startlingly long time since I’ve truly been blown away by a movie
theater-going experience. Maybe
it’s because so many of the movies I go to see are horror movies – and we all
know what a state the horror genre is in these days – but I so rarely come away
fully satisfied. Cliché plot
devices, throwaway endings, muddled middles – every movie I see lately seems to
have something that makes me wonder if I might not have been better off saving
my money and waiting for the rental.
Even
this year’s Oscar Best Picture winner, “Argo,” left me somewhat cold. I enjoyed it, don’t get me wrong, but I
expected a thrilling political caper and got… well, let’s just say I was
surprised it took the biggest award of the night.
In
a culture of remakes and “Jaws 2, 3, 4 and 5,” is it simply that there’s really
nothing new under the sun? Have we
broken all the ground there is to break?
I certainly hope not, but there’s sadly little to suggest otherwise. Nonetheless, I’ll be holding out hope
for this summer’s crop of movies – you never know, “The Hangover III” could be
the next “Forrest Gump.” Right?
Jim:
Claire is correct. And the solution lies in computer-generated movies. The technology is well along. The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy is a
great example of the landscapes, armies and monsters that can be created via
computer animation. A few years
ago, Anthony Hopkins revealed that “Beowulf” was done entirely on a sound stage
and that he didn’t even have to grow a beard. The computer added his facial hair after the filming was
finished.
Last season’s “Life of
Pi” is a movie about a tiger at sea.
Ang Lee used no tiger and no sea.
The computer did it all.
Inevitably, Hollywood ---
which, as Claire points out, loves sequels of money makers --- will figure out
that the industry no longer needs real live stars. Why pay tens of millions of dollars to flesh-and-blood
cinema idols, when legends of the silver screen can live again?
For example, I’ve always
wondered whether, when Rick and Captain Louis Renault walked arm and arm into
the fog, was it really the beginning of a beautiful friendship? Now Humphrey Bogart and Claude Rains
can rise from their graves and give us the answer in a rip-roaring sequel that
might include tank battles with Rommel’s Panzer Corps across North Africa…
Claire’s coveted blockbuster.
The ending, of course, would have to find Ilsa in Rick’s arms… unless,
of course, “Casablanca 3” was on the drawing boards.
Pick your own perfect sequel. Did Shane ever come back? Now he can. Was tomorrow really another day for Scarlet and Rhett? Gosh, I sure hope so. This is our chance to find out.
I read recently that
James Lipton of “Inside the Actor’s Studio” will turn 87 in September. How long can the old boy keep it
up? He won’t have to… his CG
persona can go on interviewing actors forever. In fact --- I’m sure you are way ahead of me --- the CG
Lipton can interview CG stars of the glorious past: Betty Davis, Charlie
Chaplin, you name her/him.
And, when we die, our CG
selves can go right on watching CG movies, if only our “Second Life” avatars
are allowed to go on without us.
At the speed that computers operate, every Nano-second can spawn another
blockbuster, Claire.
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