Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Speed Racer: Big or Bust?

my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

»	Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE » Operations » Ground Level » Speed Racer: Big or Bust? (Page 2)

This topic comprises 7 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Author

Topic: Speed Racer: Big or Bust?

Jonathan M. Crist
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 531
From: Hershey, PA, USA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 04-19-2008 09:02 PM

Paramount has withdrawn both Raiders and Temple of Doom from release because of the pending release of Crystal Skull.

| IP: Logged

Geoff Jones
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 579
From: Broomfield, CO, USA
Registered: Feb 2006

posted 04-19-2008 11:54 PM

Why do they do that? I read that Fox did the same thing with Alien before AVP:R was released. It makes no sense to me - I would think that having the original film in theatres would increase excitement for the new one.

| IP: Logged

Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 04-20-2008 12:37 AM

quote: Mike Blakesley
A big question for me is Speed Racer vs. What Happens in Vegas, on the 9th.

That's not really any question at all. What Happens in Vegas looks like it will probably suck.

quote: Anslem Rayburn
Don't forget about You Don't Mess With the Zohan on June 6, The Incredible Hulk on June 13, and The Love Guru on June 20.

I agree, those titles make June look even more impressive. Although I don't think the "Zohan" movie is going to do squat. It looks pretty stupid. Blades of Glory already mined enough comedy from homophobia to last for a few years.

quote: Sam Graham
I was a huge Speed Racer fan as a child and couldn't agree more. Nothing about the trailer feels like the cartoon to me.

Speed Racer may be live action, but the Mach 5 looks like the Mach 5. It has those jump legs coming out from underneath it. The sound effect is even the same. The show looks like it has many of the trappings from the old animated TV series. They've even gone so far as to copy the strange way Japanese animated backgrounds scroll.

If Speed Racer doesn't hit big here in the 'States, I'm sure it will clean up in International markets. I'm seeing it. I'm there.

quote: Jonathan M. Crist
Paramount has withdrawn both Raiders and Temple of Doom from release because of the pending release of Crystal Skull.

I don't understand that. If anything, a very good quality revival of the first three Indy movies, or at least Raiders in 70mm in a few places, would help boost enthusiasm and public awareness of the new movie fixing to be released.

I hate to say it, but this new Indy movie has way too much time separating it from the previous Indy movies. It would have helped to have some sort of restored revival print campaign to pump up the new movie. I just hope the fourth installment is very good.

quote: Geoff Jones
Why do they do that? I read that Fox did the same thing with Alien before AVP:R was released. It makes no sense to me - I would think that having the original film in theatres would increase excitement for the new one.

I won't speak for everyone else, but to me the Alien franchise died with Alien³. I just watch the first two movies in the series and try to pretend the others that followed don't even exist.

Alien³ was one of the most poorly paced movies I've ever seen in my life. More over-produced than Batman. It just sucked. And really through no fault of director David Fincher either. He had to submit to the whims of big egos involved in the project -and be reminded that he was only a music video director.

Alien Ressurection was just plain embarrasing. The dude from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest saying, "Ripley, look at your new baby" just ranks as one of the most uncomfortable moments I've ever had in a movie theater. It only falls down next to watching the opening scene of Basic Instinct with my parents sitting next to me. Eww.

AVP? Wimpy. PG-13? Sell out. Blah.

Then they follow it by insisting on a red band trailer for AVP-R. The way it was pitched almost made the movie seem like it was a gore-as-porn movie. Unfortunately the movie was a pile of shit. Gore alone does not make a horror movie any good. I don't give a rat's ass what anyone else says. There is NOTHING scary about gore. But that's basically how AVP-R was sold. "Hey, we got the message you wanted a bloody R-rated movie, so here it is!" Trouble is Fox didn't realize most people wanted a movie that was at least halfway worth a damn.

| IP: Logged

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 04-20-2008 12:43 AM

Speed Racer is of no interest to me. The graphics look far inferior to most racing videogames out there and even runs at less than 50% of the framerate of said games. I'll stick with F-Zero GX k thanx.

| IP: Logged

Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 04-20-2008 01:18 AM

quote: Joe Redifer
The graphics look far inferior to most racing videogames out there and even runs at less than 50% of the framerate of said games.

Well...yeah, most movies are filmed at a mere 24 frames per second -which would kinda suck for gaming purposes. But the graphics are inferior? Are you honestly looking at the difference?

Honestly, I have seen a LOT of video games. Even the very best video games ever created still come nowhere near finished movie CGI quality. It's as simple as that.

I'll throw out what I've said before. If a single gaming PC loaded with a video game software title could equal the graphics quality of a major motion picture then there would be no need at all for things like rendering farms. A 2 hour Pixar movie could be rendered in real time during one afternoon on a garden variety PC. Unfortunately that's not reality. And video games equaling movie CGI is not reality either.

But if you think Speed Racer looks like it will suck, I'll respect that opinion.

| IP: Logged

Jeremy Weigel
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1062
From: Edmond, OK, USA
Registered: Mar 2007

posted 04-20-2008 02:02 AM

quote: Bobby Henderson
June 2, 2008
Hancock - Columbia Pictures

Hancock is July 2nd. A return of "Big Willy Weekend"?

| IP: Logged

Anslem Rayburn
Master Film Handler

Posts: 476
From: Yuma, AZ, USA
Registered: May 2002

posted 04-20-2008 07:06 AM

quote: Bobby Henderson
Alien³ was one of the most poorly paced movies I've ever seen in my life. More over-produced than Batman. It just sucked. And really through no fault of director David Fincher either. He had to submit to the whims of big egos involved in the project -and be reminded that he was only a music video director.

My understanding is that David Fincher officially disowned this movie. He is an excellent director, and the studio screwed his vision up so bad that he walked out and refused to finish the film.

| IP: Logged

Matt Fields
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 545
From: Ohio, United States
Registered: Jun 2005

posted 04-20-2008 10:47 AM

The other summer movie question mark for me is The Happening. I think the preview looks cool, but M. Night has to regain the public trust after the Lady In the Water/Village fiascos.

| IP: Logged

Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster

Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-20-2008 10:52 AM

quote: Bobby Henderson
The Wachowski brothers are well tuned into cultural "Asian chic" and likely have a very good idea how this movie should be handled.

Isn't there a F-T Member from Florida who may be better tuned into that "Asian Chic" thing than the Wachowski Bros are????

| IP: Logged

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-20-2008 12:38 PM

quote: Bobby Henderson
That's not really any question at all. What Happens in Vegas looks like it will probably suck.

Well I don't want to get off on a rant here, but whether either movie (or both) will suck is beside the point. It's which will put more butts in the seats. "What Happens in Vegas" has a good trailer that's getting laffs...important in this day and age. We haven't had a crowd-pleasing comedy in a while, so it might do pretty well. "Speed Racer" looks like it'll pull the fanboys and maybe the action fans who don't think it's too "kiddie," but it isn't going to draw the general crowds. That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

| IP: Logged

Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 04-20-2008 12:59 PM

I don't know for sure, but it seems to me like a decent number of crowd pleasing comedies are already getting released. Leaving Sarah Marshall is getting pretty good reviews. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay may draw some crowds next weekend.

It's not my call to make what gets booked to play in a theater May 9, but if I had my own venue I'd be more likely to book a big budget action movie directed by the Wachowski brothers (even if it is geared for kiddies) instead of what looks to me like a throwaway comedy starring Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz.

Warner Bros. is emphasizing the point of Speed Racer being a project from the creators of the Matrix trilogy in all the advertising. I think that's going to have a positive effect. Given they're going to the expense of making IMAX DMR prints I expect the marketing push for Speed Racer to intensify in a few days to lead up to that May 9 weekend.

| IP: Logged

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 04-20-2008 04:04 PM

quote: Bobby Henderson
Honestly, I have seen a LOT of video games. Even the very best video games ever created still come nowhere near finished movie CGI quality. It's as simple as that.

Not for this movie. It looks inferior from what I've seen, unless they went out of their way to only show the worst looking parts during the previews.

| IP: Logged

James Westbrook
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1133
From: Lubbock, Texas, Usa
Registered: Mar 2006

posted 04-20-2008 04:04 PM

I forgot about Harold and Kumar. (Bangs head on desk).

| IP: Logged

Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-20-2008 08:48 PM

quote: Bobby Henderson
Warner Bros. is emphasizing the point of Speed Racer being a project from the creators of the Matrix trilogy in all the advertising. I think that's going to have a positive effect.

It might, if not for two things: The second and third Matrix movies.

| IP: Logged

John Wilson
Film God

Posts: 5438
From: Sydney, Australia.
Registered: Dec 1999

posted 04-21-2008 05:08 AM

Yes, they were never the same without Switch (Belinda McClorey) [Wink]

| IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 7 pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Printer-friendly view of this topic

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.