Boiling Point - In With the New Already!

Posted by Robert Fure (robert@filmschoolrejects.com) on December 24, 2007

Well first things first - Merry Christmas folks. If you’re like me your Christmas wish list was full of DVDs and perhaps a fancy new HD player or some other sweet technogadgets.

And if you’re like me, you’ll probably notice a few of those DVDs have the same director, or producer, or actor. For example, I’m sure you’ve got at least one title with Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, or Judd Apatow attached. Probably two. Unlike me, it’s possible you’ve also got some movies with Will Ferrell attached or maybe something about Super-Heroes. Of if you’re a sucker like me, another version of The Evil Dead.

Which brings me to my point - nothing is new. Jonah Hill is in just about every comedy now and Judd Apatow produces or directs about 60% of them. When neither of them is involved, Will Ferrell is probably the lead man. And while I like these people, I also like variety. I could use a new comedic duo. What’s Luke Wilson doing? Or Will Arnett?

I appreciate Apatow, but usually I like my comedies to be under 2 hours, while he has some sort of length fetish (gross) and puts his films up in the 2 hour 10 minute mark. For a comedy? Give me a break.

Then we’ve got DVDs. Sweet Lord are they repetitive. Now I’m a sucker, so I’ve got like 4 versions of Evil Dead movies, a couple of copies of The Matrix and Fight Club and I even had doubles of The Thing, Point Break, and Top Gun. I’m sort of obsessive over this stuff and part of the problem. But if Hollywood would give me something new to buy, I’d buy that too! Instead of putting the effort in to re-releasing this films 6 times, just make a really kickass DVD set from the beginning.

Theaters are full of remakes and sequels and rehashes and the DVD shelves are filled with four or five versions of the same film. And it’s all the same damn it! I want something fresh and exciting. If you’re going to rehash a DVD, or better yet, release something new, be innovative. Add a new special feature no one has done before. Get creative with the box art, or even the box itself. The Simpsons have clever cases and a few the holo-DVD covers are at least an attempt to be different.

So all I’m really saying is I’m tired of being fed the same old shit every day. Maybe I’ll have to stop opening my mouth so Hollywood gets the idea that I don’t want this recycled garbage anymore. Will Ferrell has been in like 5 movies that are all really just Anchorman and I’m tired of it. I’m tired of seeing Jonah Hill on the screen. Get someone else up there! Find new talent and fresh voices and new ways of entertaining me. Maybe I’m just out here by myself in not wanting to be shovel fed the same movie over and over, or maybe I’m just past my boiling point.

BONUS:

Here are a few accolades for DVDs and films that dared to be different of late:

No Country For Old Men - While it may not have satisfied everyone, the film (based on a book) at least went for it when it came to the finale.

National Treasure 2-Disc Collector’s Edition - A really nice 2-disc set that includes tons of special features, an interactive section, a movie-related themed game, and a reflective DVD case.

Beowulf - Making the film’s largest selling point that it was in 3D was a risk, and one that paid off. The film was a great experience that tried something new and exciting and really hit it out of the park.

Hollywood, pay attention to their innovativeness and learn from it - DON’T JUST COPY IT.

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