Weyland-Yutani (Alien). Cyberdyne Systems (Terminator). Encom (Tron). Silver Shamrock (Halloween 3).
What do they have in common? They are the fictional corporations in the background of many iconic film franchises, TV series and universes – oftentimes playing a major or the major role in moving plotlines along through typical big-business greed and manipulation.
I let this linger in the draft pile for too long (what else is new). The outrage from the initial announcement has decreased, and Affleck’s image was somewhat bolstered by recent media at SDCC this summer, strengthening my argument below.
Often on very different planes of existence, both comic book nerds and mainstream Batman fans likely can sympathize with their feelings once news came out that Ben Affleck (of Daredevil and Gigli infamy) was tapped as the new Dark Knight.
I’ve had some time to process the event itself as well as read industry and fan reaction to the Disney-Lucasfilm transaction. Personally, I have to say that I am not concerned this is a bad thing at all. In fact, this may very well be the greatest thing that has ever happened to Star Wars fans, both new and old.
If you aren’t already aware, one of the biggest moves in production history occurred when Disney purchased Lucasfilm for $4.05 Billion big ones. That’s a lot of cash, and who else would have the money other than ol’ Walt’s zombie himself?
Joking aside, what does this merger mean? Well, a lot of folks seem to think it’s the end of the world, but I am not one of them. In fact, I feel the franchise will become even stronger now that it’s under Disney’s fold. There’s going to be plenty of money and creative effort to be placed in the franchise that wasn’t going to be otherwise.
George Lucas is a genius, there’s no doubt. Star Wars IS my favorite Sci-Fi universe, and there are so many stories to be brought to the big screen and told. What’s obvious about Lucas is that he didn’t have the time or energy to do this all on his own. He has already proven that his work is amazing, and now he can sit back in a purely creative, mentoring role and let a team of writers, animators, and other staff share the burden. Delegation of power is smart and can be successful if managed constructively; a role that Lucas can excel at.
Do we really want Lucas writing dialogue again? Your answer should be no if you remember some of the not-so-hot lines from the films.
In addition to the Star Wars franchise being bolstered, don’t forget that Lucasfilm is one of Hollywood’s best special effects workshops. George Lucas practically invented the industry when he was making the original Star Wars trilogy, and special effects have only become better as technology and techniques evolved. This is a huge bonus for Disney, adding to a Production Juggernaut that already includes digital animation powerhouse Pixar, as well as the equally capable digital animation studio. The amount of money and production overhead that will be saved by having a special effects firm in house will be incredible.
Besides special effects work, don’t count out the amazing amounts of games, online content, TV-spinoffs, and other content that can be drawn from the massive Star Wars franchise. Disney is inheriting a creative lot, and dividends are sure to pay off.
You don’t have to look far to see another franchise that is booming since a Disney purchase – Marvel. The Avengers universe has been massively popular and have become the highest grossing set of superhero movies in history, second only to the Christian Bale’s Dark Knight trilogy. The only difference is that Bale has finished his magnum opus, and that there is still plenty to come for The Avengers.
Hopefully the extra money and creative genius that will come with Lucasfilm will be invested in new, adventurous projects – perhaps Terminator can get a little Disney love. Hey, a man can dream, can’t he?
Not convinced? Here’s another favorable sentiment:
What do you think about the merger? Will Star Wars drift into a galaxy far, far away? Or will we continue to be amazed and intrigued by an alternate universe that we will never experience anywhere other than the big screen and video games?
You are all no doubt aware of the senseless tragedy that ensued on the opening night of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado: A lone gunman killed 12 and injured at least 58 others during the screening of the film.
What are the repercussions of this tragedy? The usual response to any shooting. There are calls for increased gun control and then an opposite (and equal) reaction from gun rights activists. Politicians express sympathy and vow to make changes, whether or not it’s sincere. Obviously, the families and local community have their lives forever altered because of the actions of one, horrifically ill man.
Perhaps the most devastating impact is the one that is inflicted on the entire American public – the fear that is mongered by attention-grabbing and disaster-loving news outlets that this man was groomed into a psychotic murderer by violent video games, violent movies, violent television, and furthermore, a more apathetic society. Everyday conversations for weeks after the massacre are dominated by discussions of the event, motives of the shooter, sympathy for the victims, and a fear that the entire thing could happen again, and anyone could become a new victim.
The simple fact of the matter is that with this glorification of the perpetrator, the attention given for days and weeks and years after they commit their crime, only serves to encourage the next person like him. A person leaning on the edge of sanity only has to see the amount of attention such actions can gather, and then they see a chance to do something similar, just to be heard. That’s the true crime here – the media creates the next monster, our fear feeds them. It’s not video games and movies – it’s cable news and the desire for nothing but negative announcements. Another culprit – not helping someone you think could be going through depression or has been having suicidal thoughts. People who lose all hope in life become the ones who want to go out with a loud, and often violent, finale. We need to be good friends, family members, and neighbors to recognize signs of mental illness and respectfully/lovingly assist.
Another vicim, thanks to the previously described glorification of the perpetrators of these horrific crimes, is the entire American population. After these events, society itself becomes a victim to irrational fear of death itself. Death is inevitable, and the simple, mathematical (and rational) fact is that 99.9% of us will not be the victim of a deranged killer, much less a massacre in a crowded movie theater.
We shouldn’t change the way we live our lives to “avoid” the chances of being in a situation similar to the incident on July 20, 2012. I have seen and heard many people expressing their newfound fear of theaters and that “they won’t be seeing a movie for a long time” thanks to this horrible, but isolated, incident. In a more specific example, all the negative press and public fear had a negative impact the box office performance of the film – for a reason out of anyone’s grasp.
There’s a fine line between sympathy and sanity. Let’s absolutely keep the victims of this tragedy in our thoughts and prayers, but let’s not boycott this movie, and better yet the industry, over a crazy man. You’re letting him and other cowards like him win in the end.
In this very first filmed episode of The Editing Room, I will share with you my thoughts on the results of the 2010 Academy Awards.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=higH27oYO3E
After the debacle caused from last year’s Oscars ceremony, where films like The Dark Knight, which grossed over 1.4 billion and was seen by hundreds of millions of people, was beat out by a limited-release, Milk, for best picture, things have not been looking too good for Hollywood’s most prestigious award.
Naturally, if all the movies, actors, and directors that people know about aren’t in the running for an award, then people aren’t going to watch the ceremony. That’s exactly what has happened for the decade since Titanic swept through the awards in 1998.
It seems like those tightwad ‘film buffs’ are finally seeing the light, but it had to come after a good punch in their wallet. The general public almost always likes the opposite of what so-called film critics like. I figure that being a film critic for The New York Times or <Insert Newspaper Here> to be the equivalent of paying someone to diss everything that appeals to the common man. The Dark Knight or Milk? That’s not a very difficult question for about 98% of the population!
However, Avatar is shaking things up. James Cameron’s last film was coincidentally one of the last good years to watch the Oscars. Can Avatar save the Oscars? With 9 nominations, it could run the tables for sure!
Maybe things will be better this year. I am willing to watch and find out. How about you?
I’m not one to rant, but recent events regarding late night comedy have got me pretty agitated. How about you? I just want an entertaining late night comedian, not drama.
Once again, NBC shows that big networks truly have no soul. Conan O’Brien has quit after basically being a guinea pig as Jay Leno’s replacement, as Leno got a primetime comedy show. The show is folding fast and NBC wants Leno back in his old spot, which Conan wants nothing to do with, so he’s done.
Congrats. NBC has ruined two pretty decent comedians in this giant shell-game.
Edit: NBC has apparently offered to pay Conan $30 million to leave, and negotiations are underway. We’ll see how well that turns out.
Edit 2: Things seem to have panned out well, looking at this article two years later – Conan has a hit show on TBS and Jay Leno has continued success with the Tonight Show. Hopefully NBC (and other major networks) will refrain from making such switcheroos with primetime entertainment. Had this not been resolved, it could have been very bad for the network.
So there are, it seems, hundreds of thousands of Christmas-themed movies. There are independent productions, feature films, made for TV movies, and even claymation. Out of all of those thousands, which are the best? Well, it makes sense to break down the best by their respective categories, ranging from comedy to horror, classics to drama.
Part of the Christmas festivities in many families is to watch a certain Christmas movie every year. In my family, our Christmas movie of choice is Christmas Vacation. I have already viewed it three times this month, and I’ll see at least three more by the time the 24th gets here! (I love that movie, and I really could watch it all year!)
Also, please comment with you favorites or movies you’d like to see added to the list!
The Oscars have really been getting worse and worse as the years go by. I did not partake in viewing the 2009 Oscars because the majority of the nominees were movies that were not that popular, which is ironic because the Oscar awards were created to honor great movies and their casts.
That apparently is no longer the case. Movies (nominees) are now selected for their usefulness in spreading political ideas, not entertainment value. Let’s have an example, shall we?
Did you watch Milk?
Ok.
Did you watch Frost/Nixon?
Ok.
Compare those two answers with this question’s answer:
Did you watch The Dark Knight?
That’s what I thought. Which one of these films should have been nominated, and which two should have been left on the floor of the editing room? The answer should be obvious.
I don’t need Hollywood to trying tell me what I should or shouldn’t believe politically – I just want some entertainment.
Apparently that’s not what the Oscars are for any longer.
I think some of the movies selected as nominees were good choices:
Unfortunately, that is not the majority of the movies up for awards tonight, and that’s why no one is watching the Oscars. Just like the past MLB World Series showed us: If a couple of unpopular teams (movies in the Oscars) are in the championship game (the Oscars), then no one will be watching. That’s what happened in the World Series, and that’s what’s happening now.
I think that you could safely remove Frost/Nixon, Milk, and the other crap from the awards and have a better turnout.
Give credit where credit is due – The Dark Knight was better than 90% of the nominees, and you know it.
That’s my opinion, and I’ll stick by it. If you really think it should be the other way around, then leave a comment below!
YouTube has recently enacted a new copyright policy that differs from their usual routine of deleting uploaded user videos. In fact, one might say it’s even worse: they are removing the audio of videos that included copyrighted and commercial music. That comprises of a very LARGE amount of videos that face audio removal, from parodies to family videos!
Once again the music industry is making matters worse for their consumers. The free publicity offered by all the fans using their favorite artists’ music in their own personal and expressive videos will soon be no longer.
I understand that using a clip of a commercial song in a video without explicit permission is against copyright law, but why is the RIAA targeting Joe Schmoe and his family home videos? Come on.
This could be bad news for YouTube reign on internet video uploading, and the consequences of this oppressive new copyright measure could very well spread to other video sharing sites. A great way to start off a new year on the Internet, that’s for sure.
Source:
http://mashable.com/2009/01/14/youtube-mutes-videos/
Watch ‘em if you’ve got ‘em, folks. What do you think about the latest move from YouTube? Tell us below!