Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay have received a bad rap among the online film community due to their constant eschewing of plot, story, and good acting for explosions and violence. Self-proclaimed purveyors of "popcorn movies," their movies appeal to the lowest common denominator of fan, the type of individual whose primary goal in seeing a movie is to be entertained and not to think.
But is this a bad thing?
The purpose of film is first and foremost to entertain, and that's exactly what Bay and Bruckheimer do. Their films may lack the sophistication and intelligence of the latest Darren Aronofsky flick, but they allow the viewer to become absorbed in two plus hours of endless action designed to make us forget about the stranglehold our daily lives have on our well being.
The evidence of their success is in their numbers. Costing millions upon millions of dollars to make, films such as Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean and Armageddon have made their budget back and then some, despite receiving wildly negative reviews from critics.
In addition, Bruckheimer is partly responsible for bringing Johnny Depp the recognition he now receives, thanks to his role in Pirates of the Caribbean and the subsequent sequels, while Michael Bay is partly responsible for Will Smith's meteoric rise to fame. We also have Michael Bay to thank for Megan Fox, which can be a good or bad thing, depending on your point of view.
In the end, Bay and Bruckheimer are brilliant auteurs. They know what the audience wants and they deliver it in a midst of explosions, violence and scantily clad women running around fleeing robots. Despite this author's predilection for films of a more refined taste, Bay and Bruckheimer's mega-blockbuster films will always be welcome, for they make perfect background noise and allow me to shut my brain off from time to time.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
A Brief Note on Horror Remakes
Over the past decade the horror industry has been inundated with remakes of classic horror films such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Prom Night, with Michael “This Scene Needs Another Explosion” Bay’s production company Platinum Dunes having capitalized on four of the biggest names in horror history. As these films continue to get released, the one question on the minds of everyone is “Why?”
The overwhelming response to these remakes is “why not?” Simply put, if you don’t like them or approve of them, just don’t see them. But for those who consider themselves die-hard horror fans, it goes beyond simply ignoring the desecration of a classic you grew up on and becomes a perfect example of what is truly wrong with the horror industry today.
While these films do spark an occasional flame of enjoyment or, in the case of the Last House on the Left remake, utter delight in the overall improvement of a lackluster film, the notion that the money, time and resources rebooting these franchises could be better spent on original projects by skilled writers and directors is infuriating.
This segues perfectly into the idea that the remakes serve as an excellent way to introduce a new generation to the iconic figures that have come to represent the genre. While this is not entirely lacking in credibility, it does do a great disservice to A) the lasting appeal of the original films, and B) the average intelligence of your standard Generation Z teenager. Much of experiencing horror is found in the discovery of not just new film with which to satisfy your bloodlust, but the old films that served as their inspiration. Although not likely, an amped-up Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th redux can lead to a casual dismissal of the film that inspired it, and that, frankly, is an abomination unto the lords of horror.
Some people consider horror to be a dying genre, and sadly, the horror remake is a double-edged sword. Although there overall financial success tends to bring much needed attention to the genre as whole, the attention is usually negative, as most of the films do little more than rehash tired plot devices and conventional scare tactics to keep the viewer hooked. In the end, the film is but a blip on the radar, which goes against everything the horror genre stands for.
Fear is the most visceral of all the emotions, and nothing serves as a better medium to awaken the slumbering beast that lies within us all and make us feel truly alive. Horror remakes do not do this, causing the genre to lose its credibility among even the most dedicated of fans. Thankfully, there still remains those who feel the fear coursing through their veins, dedicated to making the very best horror has to offer.
For reviews of the remakes mentioned in this article, visit here.
The overwhelming response to these remakes is “why not?” Simply put, if you don’t like them or approve of them, just don’t see them. But for those who consider themselves die-hard horror fans, it goes beyond simply ignoring the desecration of a classic you grew up on and becomes a perfect example of what is truly wrong with the horror industry today.
While these films do spark an occasional flame of enjoyment or, in the case of the Last House on the Left remake, utter delight in the overall improvement of a lackluster film, the notion that the money, time and resources rebooting these franchises could be better spent on original projects by skilled writers and directors is infuriating.
This segues perfectly into the idea that the remakes serve as an excellent way to introduce a new generation to the iconic figures that have come to represent the genre. While this is not entirely lacking in credibility, it does do a great disservice to A) the lasting appeal of the original films, and B) the average intelligence of your standard Generation Z teenager. Much of experiencing horror is found in the discovery of not just new film with which to satisfy your bloodlust, but the old films that served as their inspiration. Although not likely, an amped-up Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th redux can lead to a casual dismissal of the film that inspired it, and that, frankly, is an abomination unto the lords of horror.
Some people consider horror to be a dying genre, and sadly, the horror remake is a double-edged sword. Although there overall financial success tends to bring much needed attention to the genre as whole, the attention is usually negative, as most of the films do little more than rehash tired plot devices and conventional scare tactics to keep the viewer hooked. In the end, the film is but a blip on the radar, which goes against everything the horror genre stands for.
Fear is the most visceral of all the emotions, and nothing serves as a better medium to awaken the slumbering beast that lies within us all and make us feel truly alive. Horror remakes do not do this, causing the genre to lose its credibility among even the most dedicated of fans. Thankfully, there still remains those who feel the fear coursing through their veins, dedicated to making the very best horror has to offer.
For reviews of the remakes mentioned in this article, visit here.
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