Word: hollywoodization
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...pessimism has been mostly forgotten, I’d like to take a moment to imagine a different cultural landscape—one in which “Avatar” flopped, and the branch of the media that has cropped up to comment upon, fawn over, and criticize Hollywood had to find something else to discuss between the end of December and the beginning of Oscar season. Here is a quick recap of all the films and film news you could have watched, discussed, and blogged about this month were it not for a certain attention-hogging space opera...
...movies that were a staple of '80s prime-time network schedules. Inspirationals are more at home at home. There, one can cry buckets without mortification; no one's around to notice. A movie theater, though, is a public, not intimate, space - a cathedral, not a confessional. Knowing this, Hollywood mostly avoids feature-length sentiment and concentrates on movies that can rouse a crowd. People in theaters don't mind laughing out loud or gasping at a shock scene; both humor and fear are audibly contagious. Sentiment isn't. If you are moved by an inspirational film, you may sob furtively...
Doing Well by Doing Good So Hollywood took keen notice of the recent breakthrough of The Blind Side, an inspirational that in two months has earned around $230 million at the domestic box office on a paltry $29 million budget. It's the story of NFL rookie Michael Oher and the wealthy white woman who eight years ago saved the young Michael from a forlorn life on the streets, adopted him and encouraged him to play football. A canny mix of violent sports (for the guys in the audience) and do-gooder heart (for the women), The Blind Side...
...third week, Eli has earned nearly $75 million. Instead, Edge looks to approximate the mediocre gross of last year's State of Play, also based on a six-part BBC political thriller, and also starring an Oscar winner (Russell Crowe) in need of a hit. Tip to Hollywood remakers who try synopsizing the madly complex plot of an acclaimed British mini: at least change the title so it doesn't contain two bland nouns separated by an of; titles like Edge of Darkness and State of Play are foggy and instantly forgettable. Second tip: Don't bother. (See the best...
...Edsel. Crazy Heart, with Jeff Bridges as an aging country singer reappraising his misspent life, was originally intended go to directly to TV, yet it's now a warm-to-hot item, thanks to Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild trophies for its star. Bridges, 60, is one of Hollywood's most liked and admired leading men. Most durable too: he received his first Academy Award nomination back in 1972 (for Supporting Actor in The Last Picture Show). Crazy Heart has made him a favorite to win Best Actor on March 7 - the night Cameron will find out whether...