Same Mashoogana, Different Day

Conan Begins and The Dark Barbarian...Is it just me or...

Ok, let's talk film. Well yesterday to recap a little. If you're an avid reader of this garbage, you may not need it, but if you're reading because I begged you or something, here is a short recap, every studio wants to be The Dark Knight. The Dark Knight is a very good, gritty, realistic film. It is a comic book film, but it has the feel akin to a crime drama. And The Dark Knight is wildly successful. It is now the third highest grossing film EVER. It's gonna out gross TITANIC. So because of this, the playing field has changed. EVERYONE wants to be The Dark Knight. Is this anything new? No, of course not. Hollywood tries to duplicate everything.

Well the newest idea to bring back a hero that is dark, gritty, and can be played dramatically. Lionsgate's idea is Conan the Barbarian. I know. It's laughable. It really is. It like what will these people come up with next? Doesn't anyone out there have an idea for a good, involving film that is brilliant and ORIGINAL. I am sure there all hundreds of screenplays out there that would make very interesting films. But they will never be made into movies because Hollywood doesn't make ORIGINAL film anymore. Even the studio's specialty divisions are not closing like Fox Searchlight, Paramount Vantage and Warner Classics. New ideas are out the door.

Well I can't say new ideas are dead. Because Actors and Directors still want to be challenged. It's the Studio Execs that don't need to be challenged, they just have to line up the numbers at the end of the year. So in order for a Studio Exec to do that, they have to pick a sure thing. Why? Because no wants to leave Hollywood with their tail between their legs

I am going take this a step further. No executive will ever have a brass set of balls. Number one) they don't know how, they don't have talent, they just have Focus Groups. Number two)They want to play in fantasy land forever. If I were a studio head, I would pick a project of mine that is a true passion. If you do that, if the execs would pick a project of pure passion, then if they fail, it would still be worth it, because they will have failed with something that they believed in. The movie may fail and they may get fired, but at least they did it honorably, with a project that they died for basically.

It's like picking out a romantic partner. If execs had to pick out a life partner according to Hollywood Greenlight rules, the woman or man, would be physically perfect with funny Jewish humor for levity. But everyone knows a person and film should be deeper than that. But execs all over are getting replaced by projects they don't really believe in. And that is just sad. If you are an exec, go down or be successful for a project you would die for. That kind of film is interesting. That is the kind of film we want to see. Projects like Rain Man and Forrest Gump were passion projects that made or broke execs.

Well the sad truth is that there is no integrity in Hollywood anymore, there is only the passion to create another Dark Knight. It's all about the Dark Knight until there is something better. Shouldn't Execs be looking for that something better instead of creating another Dark Knight. The wheel works! Let's reinvent it! Until Tomorrow, let's talk film!