Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: a comparison of the major 7

This is topic a comparison of the major 7 in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=002636

Posted by John Lasher (Member # 968) on 10-26-2003, 08:07 PM:

Movies released to US theatres in 2002
Movies from 2002 which rated 6 (out of 10) or better (with at least 200 votes) on IMDB

1. MGM

2. Fox

3. Buena Vista

4. Paramount

5. Warner Bros.

6. Sony

7. Universal

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 10-26-2003, 08:25 PM:

Where's New Line and DreamWorks? They are far more of a 'major' these days than MGM is...

-Aaron

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 10-26-2003, 09:15 PM:

What ever happened to RKO?

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 10-26-2003, 09:23 PM:

Heh heh. Remember Cannon Films and the two headed monster Menacham Golan and Yoram Globus? I think I can count on one hand how many halfway decent movies they made ("52 Pick Up", "Runaway Train"). Most of their stuff was pure [bs]

, such as the last Christopher Reeve "Superman" movie.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 10-26-2003, 09:50 PM:

Dino had his share of stinkers, too.

Posted by John Lasher (Member # 968) on 10-26-2003, 09:56 PM:

a confession:

I did this comparison as I did expecting MGM to do the best (which they did) but, now that you mention it...

New Line

Dreamworks is figured into the Universal and Fox stats.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 10-26-2003, 11:08 PM:

KING KONG LIVES [Big Grin]

Come on Bobby, you know Death Wish 3 and Invasion U.S.A were the best Cannon releases of 1985. [Big Grin]

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 10-27-2003, 07:26 AM:

Right-On Darryl!

What about Delta Force? This is a fine piece of cinema, too.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 10-27-2003, 09:49 AM:

quote:
What ever happened to RKO?

Howard Hughes bought the studio in 1948 and subsequently split it into two divisions (RKO Pictures and RKO Theatres) in the aftermath of the Paramount ruling. RKO Pictures was sold off to a shell company owned by General Tire and Rubber in 1959 which dismantled and asset-stripped the company. The studio itself was sold to a TV company in that year. I've no idea who owns the trade mark and rights to the 'Radio Pictures' logo now.

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 10-27-2003, 10:37 AM:

quote:
The studio itself was sold to a TV company in that year.

It was sold to Desilu, which later sold it to Gulf-Western. The then parent company of Paramount Pictures. You can still see the old RKO studio globe, a top the sound stage at the corner of Melrose Ave and Gower Street.

During the 80's RKO Pictures did return with a small slate of pictures.

The Best Little Whore House in Texas (Universal 1982)
The Border (Universal 1982)
Cat People (Universal 1982)
D.C. Cab (Universal 1982)
Half Moon Street (Hemsdale 1986)
Hamburger Hill (Paramount 1987)

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 10-27-2003, 11:37 AM:

quote:
I've no idea who owns the trade mark and rights to the 'Radio Pictures' logo now.

The logos and some of the movie rights are owned by none other than RKO Pictures LLC, a still-active production company.

quote:
During the 80's RKO Pictures did return with a small slate of pictures.

As well as a few in the 90's, to include co-producing Disney's 'Mighty Joe Young'.

-Aaron

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 11-06-2003, 05:13 PM:

"Released to theaters in 2002"? Those numbers seem to include films from late 2001 that played into 2002.

Buena Vista released more pictures than Warner Bros.? That's curious -- Warners has the biggest release schedule of anyone in Hollywood.

I assume the Sony numbers include the Revolution Studios slate. I also assume the Fox numbers are for 20th and Searchlight combined.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 11-06-2003, 11:17 PM:

Darrel and Bruce, who could forget those Cannon gems like "Over the Top," or "Down Twisted"? I still remember those shamelessly ego-driven promos for "Tough Guys Don't Dance" with Norman Mailer reading reviews of how great his book was. Sure, my father has a signed first edition of it, but I don't think too many pages have been flipped through it. The movie sucked much ass. Maybe the title should have been "Tough Guys Should Not Make Movies That Suck Ass."

Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 11-06-2003, 11:20 PM:

Bobby,

your forgot to mention the Stallone " gem " Cobra to the Cannon list. [Wink]

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 11-07-2003, 01:19 AM:

Though Cannon-produced, 'Cobra' was a Warner Bros. release in the US... This was just after Cannon's several-picture deal with Tri-Star (which gave us such timeless schlockfests such as 'Lifeforce' (aka 'Space Vampires') and Breakin II:Electric Boogaloo') had expired...

-Aaron

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 11-07-2003, 05:19 PM:

Cannon's best movie was "The Last American Virgin"- perfect for people who love movies with happy endings [evil]