Blockbuster Star Power

[SamSpade]

Is there anyone left for whom -

THEY make a movie - and you decide if you want to see their latest movie?

I mean, not about the studio, not about the director, not about the writer - YOU want to see a movie first because it has Stallone or Schwarzenegger or Cruise or Willis or Hanks or Will Smith or Harrison Ford or Mike Myers or DeNiro or Pacino?

Who still has that drawing power anymore? Does anyone say we liked the last five Sandler movies, or the last Keaton or Farrell or Carrey or Tim Allen or whoever - because ?
Do we still pick a movie - or LOOK at a movie - because it has one of our favorite actors in it?

I admit - having a favorite actor has a plus - but I went to see less than great movies by favorite actors because I heard they were in it. I remember watching "The Majestic" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" for NO other reason except - it had Carrey in it. I've seen any number of POOR movies because DeNiro or Pacino or Willis or Will Smith - was in it.

(Some people - like Jodie Foster - NEVER seem to pick bad roles. You can BET if they're in it, it's a good movie).

WHO still has the ability to get people to show up?

I do think that Hollywood has lost - and will continue to lose - this ability to draw people in based on star power.

 

[vraiblonde]

I don't usually choose a movie based on who's in it. Maybe Brad Pitt movies, just because he typically makes good choices as to what roles he'll accept. But if he were in something that looked dumb, I wouldn't see it just because of him.

Some of the reason we hero worship these people and admire them is because there's some mystery involved. When every niggling detail of their dysfunctional life, every inane thought they have, every personal character flaw is blasted out there for all the world to see, it takes away from the attraction. Garbo was actually a terrible actress - her mystery was what made her a legend. Now these starlets blather on about the most personal and frankly unattractive aspects of their life like they're in group therapy or something.

 

[GURPS]

for the movies mentioned ... I will give the following a strong consideration

Gerald Butler .... has made a bunch of entertaining movies - even the chick flicks - Ugly Truth / The Bounty Hunter
Robert Downey Jr - Iron Man ... [most of the Marvel Series since the 1st IM] Sherlock ....


Used to be Harrison Ford - Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Fugitive, Clear and Present Danger [the 90's were his best times] - now he is an old Hollywood Celeb that runs his mouth too much



Frankly now it is more a movie series like Star Wars or Marvel Universe - I'm looking forward to Guardians II next yr and Rogue ONE was 2 hrs of great entertainment

 

[Larry Gude]

Tom hanks

 

[Grumpy]

Denzel or Matthew Mc

 

[molly_21]

I personally see anything Star Wars/Star Trek related. The last Star Wars Movie (not Rouge One) was good. Rouge One and the Prequels sucked to me.

I've not see that La La Land or whatever it is called that just won a lot of Golden Globe and I don't know anyone (at least that will admit to it) that has even seen it?!?! So I don't get all the hype on certain movies. Obviously regular people and critics have two different taste values.

Like last night, I finally got around to seeing the new Ghostbusters. I only got through about 20/25 minutes and gave up as I thought it was terrible. I never got to see how the fourth Ghostbuster was recruited. This was more so to see how bad the movie was like I had heard and yep, it was pretty bad (to me).

I personally don't go and see movies because XYZ actor is in it or else I would have seen Tom Hanks new movie. I did not see it because it look bad (nothing against Sully the pilot that the movie was based on. I just thought it looked like a not so great movie).

As far as the actors you mentioned. The few who are actually making the movies that you list like Will Smith. He's been making some sh!tty movies lately and unless him or his manager start getting him in to better movies. The people who do go and see movies because of people like Will Smith won't be going to see him.

I think people now are seeing movies because they look interesting, not because Will Smith or Tom Hanks acted in them or Steven Spielberg directed it (or else the BFG would have done way better). So I think gone are the days where latest cool actor and/or director = $$$$ for the studios and what people are talking about on Monday morning.

Honestly the latest movie people at work where talking about when I got back from the week off between Xmas and New Year was not Star Wars like you would think people would be talking about, but Fences and Office Christmas Party. So obviously what the media wants to make you watch (like Star Wars) and what people actually are seeing are two different things. In my office either people wanted serious like Fences or wanted something really stupid to watch, like Office Party.

 

[GWguy]

I generally do not see a movie for who is in it. I watch a movie for it's content and entertainment.

Many of the movies I've seen lately are animated, like the Pixar or Disney films, so it's all about content and nothing about who's behind the voice.

 

[SamSpade]

See, part of me thinks - this kind of star power has vanished. In the 80's, after Top Gun - people wanted to see Cruise in ANY movie. After Independence Day, people wanted to see Will Smith - in ANY movie.
And DeNiro - I guess it started in Taxi Driver and Pacino, in Dog Day Afternoon (yes, I know they made other movies prior). But they've all made bombs since, especially Stallone and Willis.

Hanks usually makes good movies. I watched him in a fairly dull "Road to Perdition" JUST because he was in it. Ditto Castaway, which I watched TWICE in the theaters (because of friends).

But I've noticed NO ONE gets me out of my seat any more. Maybe it's age. And the age of the stars. Maybe it's the ease of On Demand and streaming channels - why go to the theater for some movie if I can get it cheaper at home?
Sure I will watch the big blockbuster movie on the big screen because nothing beats Star Wars or the Marvel movies on the big screen - but this crap that wins the Oscars does not get me to go to the theaters any more.

I *am* thinking there's more and more diversity in the kinds of films made, anymore - the ones that make MONEY - and the ones the actors consider "art".

How often are the Oscars and Golden Globes covered in films you haven't seen YET - because they haven't even been released to the theaters, or only released RECENTLY - but all the ones you've watched already are NOT in the Oscars?
You loved Rogue One - but get real - it's not Oscar territory.

The films the actors GUSH over - the ones they are so proud of - you probably will NEVER watch them at all. How many of y'all watched "The Revenant"? "The Big Short"? "Room"? "Brooklyn"? "Spotlight"? "The Danish Girl"? "Trumbo"? "Carol"? "Joy"? If you did - was it JUST because you heard "Oscar"? These are all the big pics from LAST year - did you watch them? How about the year before? "Birdman"? "Whiplash"? "Boyhood"? "Still Alice"? "Foxcatcher"?

MAYBE you watched some of them - I watched "Bridge of Spies" (Hanks was in it) and "The Theory of Everything" - but I'll be honest - Hollywood definitely has this division between "movies we're REALLY proud we made" and "movies we made to make the money to make the movies we're really proud of".

Because if you look in any year for the last 10-15 years or so - it's RARE that a movie that wins anything actually scores with the public. There's the "art" - and there's the "entertainment".

THIS is part of why I don't care much for actors anymore - they want to be considered "artists" - but they make dull and sometimes preachy crap.

 

[Monello]

Clint Eastwood

 

[GURPS]

Honestly the latest movie people at work where talking about when I got back from the week off between Xmas and New Year was not Star Wars like you would think people would be talking about, but Fences and Office Christmas Party. So obviously what the media wants to make you watch (like Star Wars) and what people actually are seeing are two different things. In my office either people wanted serious like Fences or wanted something really stupid to watch, like Office Party.

I saw a couple of adds for Office Christmas party and was then it was dumped on by the critics as well ... yeah no interest

I had actually missed the opening of Rogue ONE in the US after seeing news articles on line about its European Opening Performance .... until I was asked by my daughter [11] Dad are we going to see Star Wars

 

[GURPS]

But I've noticed NO ONE gets me out of my seat any more. Maybe it's age. And the age of the stars. Maybe it's the ease of On Demand and streaming channels - why go to the theater for some movie if I can get it cheaper at home?
Sure I will watch the big blockbuster movie on the big screen because nothing beats Star Wars or the Marvel movies on the big screen - but this crap that wins the Oscars does not get me to go to the theaters any more.

Nope No ONE .... but Star Wars or Marvel movies ...
yeah ok, shut up and take my money ... but I also go to 11 Am movies that are cheaper ...

THIS is part of why I don't care much for actors anymore - they want to be considered "artists" - but they make dull and sometimes preachy crap.

some of the better movies I have seen recently [last 3 yrs] had a bunch of nobodies

 

[SamSpade]

Clint Eastwood

Yeah, he's usually good at making or appearing in movies as of late. Picks good ones.
And while we're at it, Mel Gibson has a decent track record too, even if Hollywood is only slowly re-accepting him.

I still don't go to the movies for either one, though.

 

[lovinmaryland]

Leonardo Dicaprio, Denzel, Tom Hanks, Will Ferrell... they usually have great movies. I don't always see them in the theatres though, but I do make a point to rent them once they come out. I usually only go to the movies if I've seen a movie ad and it looks super can not miss good!

 

[jazz lady]

Tom hanks

Only actor of today I would go to just see his performance.

 

[Merlin99]

The last person I had in this category was Robin Williams.

 

[Larry Gude]

The last person I had in this category was Robin Williams.

See, this is so subjective. For every nominee, including mine, I can think of ready examples I don't like. There are a bunch of Hanks films I could NOT care less about, a BUNCH. Yet, if you said "wanna see the new Tom Hanks movie?" he's one of the few I'd be willing, without condition, to give it a go. While there are some fabulous Williams movies, he has some, like Hanks, you could not pay me to watch. If you said "Wanna see new Robin Williams movie?" I'd be a little hesitant. "What's it about?"

Then, if you said "it's a flick about resurrection and the after life" I'd say you're a sick #### and, yeah! I wanna see it!