Cultural Abyss

[bigmack]

It's now official. There is not one film or musical offering in the last few years that could even hold a remote candle to those that have come before.

A friend in "The Biz"sent me a DVD of the film American Gangster which hadn't been released in theatres yet. What a mess. I couldn't care less about either of the characters and the development was yawningly formulaic. By the time Armand Assante came around as a clichéish mobster who shoots sheet I wanted to burn the DVD.

I stay abreast of many of the latest CD releases and they're just not cutting it. I have eclectic taste and dive into a broad range of genres. It takes work to find new stuff that's worthy of a nickle or two.

I have now formally thrown in the symbolic towel on new film/music offerings.

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u70/macktime/95.gif

[kenwoodallpromos]

Seems lately even the trailers are just 2 peoplle talking softly.

[lilmegahertz]

On most films after you have seen the movie trailer, you saw the only parts of the movie worth viewing.....

[chickenhead]

you couldn't have posted this yesterday...before I blew my time and money on that POS AG.

The sad thing is...I watched both the real life guys on Charlie Rose last nice...and it's amazing they made such a mess of it. They are obviously both very intriguing guys. Oh well.

I though Brolin was the only interesting performance in that movie...I'm curious now about the upcoming Coen Bros movie.

[bigmack]

I though Brolin was the only interesting performance in that movie...I'm curious now about the upcoming Coen Bros movie.
I can't figure why Brolin doesn't get more work - Perhaps now he will.

Always have time for Joel & Ethan & look forward to their new film, No Country for Old Men, dispelling my previous declaration in this here thread:
http://www.worstpreviews.com/trailer.php?id=887&item=4

Looks as if they're going back to a look reminiscent of Blood Simple that had a great line:
http://www.mediamax.com/slbabyfile/4e48a4e9-ec86-40da-81be-15fd4d8fff21/PlayList_TQIFQJABGM.asx

[Hosshead]

It's now official. There is not one film or musical offering in the last few years that could even hold a remote candle to those that have come before.

Yes, Film AND Music.
Of course the music industry blames illegal downloading for a sales slump.
I never hear anyone blame the lack of creativity/talent in the film/music industry. But to those of us who have been around awhile, that IS the obvious problem.
Remember when the competition in (good) film/music was so much, that even a "show horse" in those days would beat anything today.
If you look at the top 40 songs then. Many that were barely in the top 40, are now played on the radio as classics.

Not that there isn't a shining star of talent/creativity found every once in a while. But no Galaxies like yesteryear.
Just a huge VOID between "Galaxy eras", sprinkled with a few points of light, here and there.
Yes the arts are like the cosmos.

[PaceAdvantage]

Really? AG is that bad, eh? Funny, I read a fairly in-depth and (what I perceived as) thoughtful review that loved the movie and put it right up there with classics that came before.....

Thanks for saving me the $$$...I'll wait for cable....

[jognlope]

Did Seabiscuit get a single Oscar.... and yet Alan Arkin got best supporting for a little showing up in Little Miss Sunshine. Million Dollar Baby, a big bore I didnt get, cannot feel anything for Swank or Eastwood...

At least Redford is in one of the new ones and Sidney Pollack, the veterans.

The horse eye scene in Jeremiah Johnson, that was Pollack. Redford used his own horses.

[OTM Al]

I used to think the same way until one day I saw one of the studio's promo pieces for their upcoming films for the year. Musta been early 60s or late 50s it was from (TCM runs fun stuff like that between pictures) It was one of the major studios. I want to say Universal, but I'm not sure if that's right. Anyway, they previewed about 8 films they were rolling out that year. I'd never heard of a single one and frankly they all looked terrible. We just get to see the ones that survived these days, so that's why it seems that movies were so much better, when in reality there were just as many dogs back then as now. My favorite film this year was Ratatoille (ok I still like animation movies. Wallace and Gromit was the best picture that came out a couple years ago, period) but I enjoyed others as well. Haven't got to see the Elizabeth sequel but it looked magnificent, so will get it on disk.

As for the music part.....well at least Neil Young still records.....seriously though, I have heard a couple good things, just not really into it anymore.