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Cimarron29414 · 11-04-2005, 01:23 PM

There is no doubt that the quality of motion pictures has declined steadily over the years. I feel as if a major contributor to this decline is the fee charged by good-looking, mediocre actors coupled with Hollywood's desire to continue to hire them. The $30M overpayment could be applied towards better writers, better post-production editing, and talented unknowns.

One genre that seems to feel the pains the most is the Epic genre. Based on the huge budgets, exotic filming locations, I feel as if epics should just naturally be films worth seeing. However, their quality seems to be declining at a steadier rate than other genres. Perhaps, it's because our expectations are so high?

Examples:

Gladiator - nothing more than Russell Crowe in a loin cloth. Best Actor - indeed. Phoenix's scenes were the only things worth watching.
Troy - nothing more than Brad Pitt in a loin cloth. The story was pathetic and unbelievable. How many close-ups of Brad Pitt posing can you have in a film? That would make a good drinking game: drink every time BP looks pensive.
Alexander - nothing more than Colin Farrell in a toga. This film was so disconnected, I almost quit watching it. It was like a series of really bad, short stories.
Kingdom of Heaven - while this was not terrible, it was hardly something to add to the DVD collection. Just an average film.

What do these all have in common - they are completely dependent on the leading actor's chiseled physique to attract viewers. Again, overpaid actors stumbling through a poorly written film while marketing firms bet on "Name Recognition" moviegoers.

So, what do you think are the ingredients of a good epic? Do you think the current "epics" meet your criteria? What are some of the best epics ever made?

11-04-2005, 01:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
Cimarron29414 Still Free Location: comfortably perched at the top of the bell curve!	The slow, painful death of Epics There is no doubt that the quality of motion pictures has declined steadily over the years. I feel as if a major contributor to this decline is the fee charged by good-looking, mediocre actors coupled with Hollywood's desire to continue to hire them. The $30M overpayment could be applied towards better writers, better post-production editing, and talented unknowns. One genre that seems to feel the pains the most is the Epic genre. Based on the huge budgets, exotic filming locations, I feel as if epics should just naturally be films worth seeing. However, their quality seems to be declining at a steadier rate than other genres. Perhaps, it's because our expectations are so high? Examples: Gladiator - nothing more than Russell Crowe in a loin cloth. Best Actor - indeed. Phoenix's scenes were the only things worth watching. Troy - nothing more than Brad Pitt in a loin cloth. The story was pathetic and unbelievable. How many close-ups of Brad Pitt posing can you have in a film? That would make a good drinking game: drink every time BP looks pensive. Alexander - nothing more than Colin Farrell in a toga. This film was so disconnected, I almost quit watching it. It was like a series of really bad, short stories. Kingdom of Heaven - while this was not terrible, it was hardly something to add to the DVD collection. Just an average film. What do these all have in common - they are completely dependent on the leading actor's chiseled physique to attract viewers. Again, overpaid actors stumbling through a poorly written film while marketing firms bet on "Name Recognition" moviegoers. So, what do you think are the ingredients of a good epic? Do you think the current "epics" meet your criteria? What are some of the best epics ever made? __________________ Gives a man a halo, does mead. "Here lies The_Jazz: Killed by an ambitious, sparkly, pink butterfly." Last edited by Cimarron29414; 11-04-2005 at 01:26 PM..