Well-made epics...

[thespitfiredragon]

I'm watching "Ben Hur" right now and it occured to me that a movie of this magnitude will never again be made. That depresses me. Movies like "The Ten Commandments", "Cleopatra", etc....they're amazing! They're done on such a grand scale with attention to detail. Nowadays we may make epics, but we CGI half the people! Take a look at the extras in the movies I mentioned. REAL PEOPLE! The backgrounds....REAL LOCATIONS. The last time I watched "The Ten Commandments" I thought a particular scene was filmed in front of a painted backdrop...until I looked closer and the sheep were running around. It was real. Anyway, these movies are awesome. I wish Hollywood would get back to making things like this, but they won't because it "costs too much money".

[HollyElise]

I think partly we've seen movies shift to special effects, instead of what they used to tout, "a cast of thousands." There is still attention to detail... but it is much more behind the scenes. Sometimes the length of special effects credits at the end of a movie amazes me, showing that so much work by so many people went to put something on. Personally, i am often not impressed by special effects, though they definitely draw people to the box office. Movie makers want to give people what they want... and today the average age of the movie-goer is something like 13. When the movies you mentioned were made, however, it was before television, and EVERYONE went to the movies.

I think part of the attraction of movies like Ben Hur and Cleopatra was Cecil B. DeMille... weren't they both his films?

Central to any good movie is still and will always be: having a good story. Secondary and almost important, are all the tools that support telling that story well, like good acting, art direction, and so on. But what supports telling a particular story well may not support a different story as well. What do you think?

[thespitfiredragon]

Holly,

Because I work in the industry I can tell you that the terms "good" and "successful" are not synonymous when applied to movies these days.

First you need an all-star cast...different actors popular in different demographics to pull in the largest possible viewing audience.

Second is your advertising. Some films try to skimp on the advertising budget if they have high-profile actors...but it's a gamble that often doesn't pan out. You need to make sure that people notice your film and know what it's about and when it's coming out.

High quality or new and improved special effects are always a plus.

And here comes the story...most stories today don't have to be particularly good...which is sad...they just have to have everything else going for them.

Also, some people underestimate what the power of having a good soundtrack. You get the artists to film videos which are virtually free advertising for your movie.

Movies today are made so differently than they used to be. Some of the advancements are really great, but others, like the expendability of a solid plot...are really sad.

[HollyElise]

Yes, i agree with your points, Spitfire. Key is the distinction between successful and good. I definitely agree with that.

I think maybe the mean average age of movie goers now affects the choices made by moviemakers on what to produce and how to produce it... often going for shallow sensation rather than quality. I remember hearing about the StarWars plot being changed from the original script to accommodate younger viewers.

What would you choose as the elements that make up a quality movie?

[thespitfiredragon]

Holly,

The story is key to me. It has to be interesting start to finish. That doesn't mean that it has to be full of explosions or sex or anything like that...I just want to be able to tell that the story is thought out and has a clear, defined beginning, middle, and end.

Good, catchy dialogue is VERY important to me. I like movies that are quoteable.

The actors are important to me. They don't have to be celebrities...they just have to act WELL. Not all "celebs" can act, you know.

If the movie has special effects they have to look realistic...I don't want to see visual effects that look like they came off of PBS. I want to be CONVINCED (for two hours, at least) that what I'm watching is REAL.

I'm more likely to enjoy a movie if it has a good score/soundtrack that helps move along the action.


Here are some movies that are fairly recent that I enjoy:

"A Knight's Tale" This film cleverly blends two entirely different cultures. The story is set in the Middle Ages, but the music is classic rock and roll from the 70s.

"Moulin Rouge" This movie is a piece of art. Everything is overly colorful, melodramatic, and flamboyant overall. Set in Paris in 1899, this musical features medleys from the 1990s. The combining of cultures is much more dramatic than in "A Knight's Tale".

"Igby Goes Down" This little seen film is devoid of visual effects. It's a movie that focuses on the character's rather than the action. The dialogue and comedic timing are perfect! 20-year-old Kieran Culkin was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as "Igby".

"K-PAX" The acting is really well-done in this film..obviously...it's Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey!

[HollyElise]

I'm afraid "a Knights Tale" is the only one of those that i've seen... come to think of it!... i saw it when i was in Scotland!!!

And i thought it was good but not wow, and not greatly memorable. The soundtrack as i remember was good... but for me it did not match the movie well because it called to much attention to itself. I enjoyed watching it but i would not go out of the way to watch it again i don't think.

I'll keep an eye out for the other movies you mentioned.

[thespitfiredragon]

Holly,

The soundtrack to "A Knight's Tale" did draw attention to itself, but I thought it matched the action surprisingly well. If it would have been my film I wouldn't have had the actors interact with the music...like they did singing "We Will Rock You" in the opening sequence or "Golden Years" at the banquet. But I thought it was a fresh idea. The story, to me, was charming....a humble thacher changes his "stars". Plus, it was humorous. AND Heath Ledger...you can't go wrong with him. Gorgeous AND a great actor!

But I guess whether or not a person really likes a movie depends on what they're looking for. I like seeing new ideas. The modern soundtrack was definitely something to fit that category.

"The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys" is a movie that contains a fresh idea that helps liven up a bland movie. "Alter Boys" is a coming-of-age movie. The producers decided to drop the typical "voice over" narration in favor of animated sequences. The boys in the movie are budding comic book artists and each boy has created a character that is essentially his alter ego. The animation is very dramatic and shows what is going on in the main character's mind. It was great idea...and never been done before. Unfortunately, the story was not that great and the achievement was wasted.