Hollywood's Love of Analytics Couldn't Prevent Six Massive Blockbuster Flops 1029
Nerval's Lobster writes "In June, Steven Spielberg predicted that Hollywood was on the verge of an 'implosion' in which 'three or four or maybe even a half-dozen megabudget movies are going to go crashing to the ground.' The resulting destruction, he added, could change the film industry in radical and possibly unwelcome ways. And sooner than he may have thought, the implosion has arrived: in the past couple weeks, six wannabe blockbusters have cratered at the North American box office: 'R.I.P.D.,' 'After Earth,' 'White House Down,' 'Pacific Rim,' and 'The Lone Ranger.' These films featured big stars, bigger explosions, and top-notch special effects—exactly the sort of summer spectacle that ordinarily assures a solid run at the box office. Yet all of them failed to draw in the massive audiences needed to earn back their gargantuan budgets. Hollywood's more reliant than ever on analytics to predict how movies will do, and even Google has taken some baby-steps into that arena with a white paper describing how search-query patterns and paid clicks can estimate how well a movie will do on its opening weekend, but none of that data seems to be helping Hollywood avoid shooting itself in the foot with a 'Pacific Rim'-sized plasma cannon. In other words, analytics can help studios refine their rollout strategy for new films—but the bulk of box-office success ultimately comes down to the most elusive and unquantifiable of things: knowing what the audience wants before it does, and a whole lot of luck."
It's all the PIRATES' fault! (Score:5, Funny)
Moar copyright laws! Bigger penalties! Longer terms!
It's fun to add to the Deeeee-M-C-A!
Re:Here's an idea (Score:5, Funny)
You can pay me now or later. I just want a 1% cut of all new movies.
Make sure you specify 1% of the gross, not net. Otherwise with Hollywood accounting you will somehow wind up owing THEM money.
Re:Movies used to be about the art, the story. (Score:4, Funny)
>but the better ones are about the story (ie, Lord of the Rings/Hobbit/etc).
You mean a sleep-inducing walk, talk, walk some more, talk, walk some more, talk, walk even more, talk more movie?
>much more to the effects
There was supposed to be a Star Trek reboot movie, but it really should have been called Lens Flare.
Actual good movies out of Hollywood are few and far between. Sturgeon's Law applies. Sometimes the reviews are much more entertaining than the movies themselves.
Like the reviews of the "new" Star Wars movies.
http://redlettermedia.com/plinkett/star-wars/ [redlettermedia.com]
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BMO
Re: Better plots? (Score:5, Funny)
My baseball teamnis the marlins you insensitive clod
Idiocracy (Score:5, Funny)
And there was a time in this country, a long time ago, when [...] movies that had stories so you cared whose ass it was and why it was farting, and I believe that time can come again!"
Re:Better plots? (Score:5, Funny)
Dude, you're gonna lose your Geek Card over that.
Anal.... anything is funny! (Score:5, Funny)
I minimized my browser with this thread as the active tab.
When I looked at my taskbar, the text showing was...
"Hollywood's love of Anal"
I suppose that says something about windows? Like, taskbar entries only support so many characters, or something? :)
Re:Well imagine that. (Score:5, Funny)
I disagree. I'd say it's pretty clear that Hollywood is very successful at quite a lot of meth. :p
Re:pacific rim didn't have lots of big name stars. (Score:5, Funny)
Tom Cruise ... very unlikeable person and prominent figure in a deranged, dangerous money scam thinly disguised as a cult.
Yes, we're all aware he's an actor.
Re:It's all the PIRATES' fault! (Score:2, Funny)
Kids today also think they invented the blowjob
Re:Better plots? (Score:5, Funny)
I'll say - I loved Moonraker when it came out, and it's still one of my favorite Bond movies. You've got ski lifts, space shuttles, laser battles, and Jaws not only shows up but also gets a love interest! It's totally like what Hollywood is putting out now... wait, that wasn't your point, was it?
Re:Better plots? (Score:5, Funny)
Avoid the green ones. They're not ripe yet.
Aristotle was not Belgian, the principle of Buddhism is not "every man for himself", and the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked them up.
So many great quotes [imdb.com] from that movie.
Re:Better plots? (Score:5, Funny)
But of course! France is well known for their love of dumb blockbuster action films with lots of car chases and explosions and little else. While here in the US we refuse to watch anything that is not a character study art film, ideally with subtitles. Hollywood knows that the shit they squeeze out is only useful abroad. Here in the US people are way too intelligent and sophisticated for mindless wild-ride fun which requires you to completely turn off your brain for a couple of hours. Clearly you are very familiar with the film industry in France.