Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Inspired by this thread where a guy goes on about why post-millennial movies are awful and increasingly bad movies, I wanted to share some observations and get JWFan's insight. So the topic of discussion is annoying trends in modern films. Things you see repeatedly that have become commonplace and need to go away. I'll start. Control room scenes. Ugh! Rows of computers with people sitting in chairs or occasionally standing (!) looking at computers. Sounds awesome, right? I mean, that's Star Trek's bridge scenes. Let me tell you something. This is like the complete opposite of that. I want to pin the blame on the countless scenes in this awful setting on Apollo 13. Michael Bay blatantly ripped it off while that movie was still fresh in our minds for Armageddon and turned the lights down and ever since, it's like we've never left that setting. It transcends genres. It can literally be anything. Just change the image on the screens. Ricard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,336 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 When phone calls just end with one person hanging up, without either person saying "goodbye" or anything (admittedly this seems to happen on tv shows more so than movies) When a pop song you know and like shows up but gets edited in a weird way Color grading Turning everything into a cinematic universe, making movies feel more like episodes of TV than their one unique adventures Too much slow motion Ricard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John 2,032 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Over-the-top CGI and excessive VFX has always been a pet peeve of mine. That's the biggest reason I rarely watch superhero movies; everything is moving so fast and looks so fake. Ricard and DarthDementous 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 33 minutes ago, Jay said: When phone calls just end with one person hanging up, without either person saying "goodbye" or anything (admittedly this seems to happen on tv shows more so than movies) I've observed this before. Does Hollywood think this is how people really communicate over the phone? Or is it just an intentional recurring joke across the film industry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerebral Cortex 3,357 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Sucky movie posters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will 2,215 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 LOL CC just noticed your new poster title. Cerebral Cortex 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerebral Cortex 3,357 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Will 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Lack of good villain motivations. Deus ex machina plot resolutions. Weak middle acts. Forced pop song montage or sequence. I need more time to think! Ricard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holko 9,514 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Digital lighting and sloppy/excessive colour grading (including desaturation). Ricard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Rapid fire jokes and one liners every minute. Do people in the real world think on their feet that quickly? Most people aren't comedians, and I find it pretty unbelievable that action heroes are that damn witty. Gruesome Son of a Bitch and DarthDementous 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Eh? I agree to a point, sometimes it can be annoying, but I think some of that comes as part and parcel of comic relief and escapism that heroes at least give us some witty banter. Except in the Avengers films, some of the characters in those films are walking witticisms and banterizers, with no other characterisation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Killing animals or other "innocent" characters just because they know it's an easy way to get an emotional reaction from people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,336 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 John Wick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brundlefly 2,385 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Modern Movie's Pace An extreme comparison: The Legend of Aang vs. Once Upon a Time in America Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,330 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Treating everyone as children and getting away with it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post publicist 4,643 Posted October 11, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted October 11, 2017 Choppy trailer-ish ostinatos from deep strings under any busy scene. Brónach, Gruesome Son of a Bitch, Ricard and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 5 hours ago, Jay said: Color grading Colour grading has been done since the earliest days of colour film. I assume you mean excessive digital grading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,336 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 5 hours ago, Jay said: When phone calls just end with one person hanging up, without either person saying "goodbye" or anything This is an American tv/movie thing, thus us foreigners now think that this is just call etiquette in the US. It happens constantly in Mad Men btw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo 3,709 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 For my list please see: The MCU Not Mr. Big and John 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Ricard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A24 4,330 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 2 hours ago, Arpy said: Eh? I agree to a point, sometimes it can be annoying, but I think some of that comes as part and parcel of comic relief and escapism that heroes at least give us some witty banter. Which is as old as Hollywood itself. 48 minutes ago, Stefancos said: Colour grading has been done since the earliest days of colour film. I assume you mean excessive digital grading. If it helps to create a different look and evokes a different feeling from the viewer, then I don't see what the problem is. Oh Brother Where Art Thou? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brundlefly 2,385 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Jumpscares and Blood Orgies vs. Proper Dramaturgy and Gradually Increasing Inner Tension Biodome and Ricard 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Nick1Ø66 4,708 Posted October 11, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted October 11, 2017 8 hours ago, BloodBoal said: Yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes! This one drives me nuts. I wonder if this is how all scriptwriters end their phone calls, the fuckers. I'm actually surprised there is no comedy (movie or TV) that actually made jokes about that. To that, I'll add: - People leaving their home without ever locking the door. - People going into their home/apartment and not turning the lights on right away, instead walking in the dark because it's just so much fun. -Someone driving up to the front of busy building and parking right at the main door. They may or may not take their keys or even bother to close the car door. Unlucky Bastard, Ricard and Gruesome Son of a Bitch 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 When characters stand around explaining the plot. Sometimes there'll even be a needless flashback reminder of something key which happened earlier in the movie. Gruesome Son of a Bitch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 9 minutes ago, Nick1066 said: -Someone driving up to the front of busy building and parking right at the main door. They may or may not take their keys or even bother to close the car door. Yeah. It seems characters in movies just don't like to lock things, unless it serves the plot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 1 minute ago, BloodBoal said: Yeah. It seems characters in movies just don't like to lock things, unless it serves the plot. That's like in The Bold and the Beautiful when characters always leave the door ajar so that someone can conveniently eavesdrop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chen G. 3,948 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 14 hours ago, Jay said: Turning everything into a cinematic universe, making movies feel more like episodes of TV than their one unique adventures. Mine is the same but different: I have no problem with long-running film series that also do a lot of world-building (Star Wars, Middle Earth films, Harry Potter, etc) but I don't like series that split into multiple sub-franchises and spin-offs. It needs to be a single narrative told across multiple entries that one can watch from beginning to end, where the "cinematic universe" envelopes the story rather than the opposite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brundlefly 2,385 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 26 minutes ago, Chen G. said: Mine is the same but different: I have no problem with long-running film series that also do a lot of world-building (Star Wars, Middle Earth films, Harry Potter, etc) but I don't like series that split into multiple sub-franchises and spin-offs. It needs to be a single narrative told across multiple entries that one can watch from beginning to end, where the "cinematic universe" envelopes the story rather than the opposite. In short: One should know from the beginning of shooting, when and where a franchise will end, instead of "That one was successful, let's make another movie. I want to have a finished screenplay - tomorrow!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Display Name 60 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 Unambitious family issues in action flicks that should just be entertaining. Pussy action flicks in general. Ricard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biodome 714 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 10 hours ago, Brundlefly said: Jumpscares and Blood Orgies vs. Proper Dramaturgy and Gradually Increasing Inner Tension Yes! This was one of the reasons why I disliked IT (and, generally, most horror movies), despite praise from critics, as I can't stand jump scares without the proper groundwork. I'd wish they did it like Hitchcock or Kubrick, but they don't do it anymore. Ricard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 4,650 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 17 hours ago, The Doctor said: Inspired by this thread where a guy goes on about why post-millennial movies are awful and increasingly bad movies, I wanted to share some observations and get JWFan's insight. So the topic of discussion is annoying trends in modern films. Things you see repeatedly that have become commonplace and need to go away. I'll start. Control room scenes. Ugh! Rows of computers with people sitting in chairs or occasionally standing (!) looking at computers. Sounds awesome, right? I mean, that's Star Trek's bridge scenes. Let me tell you something. This is like the complete opposite of that. I want to pin the blame on the countless scenes in this awful setting on Apollo 13. Michael Bay blatantly ripped it off while that movie was still fresh in our minds for Armageddon and turned the lights down and ever since, it's like we've never left that setting. It transcends genres. It can literally be anything. Just change the image on the screens. War Games! Ricard 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fancyarcher 350 Posted October 11, 2017 Share Posted October 11, 2017 One that always annoys me, is the constant fast-editing and shaky-cam in a lot of current action films, which seems to be done to hide the fact that the filmmaker doesn't know how to, or is to lazy to film big action scenes. Enough! Ricard and Holko 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted October 11, 2017 Author Share Posted October 11, 2017 Has anyone else noticed increasing references to Autism in film and TV? I'm not trying to make light of this at all, but when did Autism become trendy? I've seen several films and TV shows with an Autistic kid doing presumably Autistic things such as arranging things and staring before having a meltdown. I guess that's how all Autistic kids are? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpy 4,145 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 8 hours ago, BloodBoal said: Same when characters are having sex! Just lock the fucking door! Sometimes they want to be seen or caught in the act. 😏 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 3 hours ago, The Doctor said: Has anyone else noticed increasing references to Autism in film and TV? I'm not trying to make light of this at all, but when did Autism become trendy? I've seen several films and TV shows with an Autistic kid doing presumably Autistic things such as arranging things and staring before having a meltdown. I guess that's how all Autistic kids are? Not to mention The Accountant. Now autistics can be action heroes too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488 Posted October 12, 2017 Author Share Posted October 12, 2017 It's just kind of peculiar, isn't it? It's like someone in Hollyweird decided they needed to have Autistic Kids in movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 Yeah, my Hollywood only casts straight white males without disabilities! Fuck everyone else! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 Autism, particularly Asburger Syndrome, is trendy now. It's the in-thing to have wrong with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brundlefly 2,385 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 8 hours ago, Fancyarcher said: One that always annoys me, is the constant fast-editing and shaky-cam in a lot of current action films, which seems to be done to hide the fact that the filmmaker doesn't know how to, or is to lazy to film big action scenes. Enough! I can tell you, there is absolutely NO reason or occasion to use shaky-cam in action films!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chen G. 3,948 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 12 hours ago, Brundlefly said: In short: One should know from the beginning of shooting, when and where a franchise will end, instead of "That one was successful, let's make another movie. I want to have a finished screenplay - tomorrow!" Well, that's rare among Hollywood franchises. About the only times it happened were with The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit which were all scripted and filmed simultaneously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 Back To The Future 2/3 is the first time I noticed it. But back then it was extremely rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 But sometimes making a movie with sequels already pre-planned runs the risk that the currently movie will financially fail and be left open-ended indefinitely. Independence Day Resurgence and the Divergent movies are only some examples. Better to just make each film a self-contained story and worry later if you want to continue it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheUlyssesian 2,475 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 I hate Self-seriousness when it is unwarranted (like most of the times) Fast cutting Canted angles just for the sake of it Modern Hollywood prudishness about sex and nudity Overlong films (films below 2 hr mark get an extra half star from me) TV Cinema (I half the time feel I am watching TV in a theater these days) Cliffhanger endings (to set up next films) Ambient droning electronic scores (how about give me some real music?) Actors who are clearly too old for their parts Everyone speaking English in other countries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chen G. 3,948 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 Financially, of course. And that's how most Hollywood franchise films are made: they are a string of separate, standalone films. But artistically, you miss out on using a multi-film narrative as a dramatic tool in and of itself: you can "plant" things in the first film ("his father succumbed to the same sickness") for it to pay off in a later installment. Done right, the sense of gratification (derived dramatically from planting and payoff) will be much bigger than one used within the confines of a single film. When the films aren't preplanned, you can retroactively pay off something from a previous film. But it never feels quite as organic, either because the "planting" wasn't designed as planting ("A young Jedi named Darth Vader") or because it was planted without the eventual payoff in mind ("no, there is another.") 10 minutes ago, Baby Jane Hudson said: But sometimes making a movie with sequels already pre-planned runs the risk that the currently movie will financially fail and be left open-ended indefinitely. Independence Day Resurgence and the Divergent movies are only some examples. Better to just make each film a self-contained story and worry later if you want to continue it. TheUlyssesian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,511 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 1 hour ago, Stefancos said: Back To The Future 2/3 is the first time I noticed it. But back then it was extremely rare. THE THREE MUSKETEERS/THE FOUR MUSKETEERS SUPERMAN/SUPERMAN II JEAN DE FLORETTE/MANON DE SOURCES Not that rare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 Rare enough. Especially if you eliminate the shady business practices of the Salkinds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brónach 1,302 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 CGI animation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted October 12, 2017 Share Posted October 12, 2017 Haha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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