Weekend Thread | July 7-9 | Weekend Estimates on Page 32

[dxmatrixdt]

Religulous

[Rorschach]

5 hours ago, Brainbug said:

Out of curiosity: What is your favourite comedy?

Also doubles as the greatest film of all time:

 

[IronJimbo & Sheldon's Son]

2 minutes ago, Rorschach said:

Also doubles as the greatest film of all time:

 

Man this film was a classic in our family growing up, we still quote random lines from it now. It did not deserve the bad ratings it got at the time.

[Cmasterclay]

The reason comedies are struggling at the box office is because of the staggering decline of star power, which was the sales pitch for 99 percent of successful comedies ever. Joy Ride has zero stars at all. Neither did Bros. NHF has a great star but not one that anyone particularly associates with comedy movies. People blaming identity politics or political correctness are missing the point tbh.

[ThomasNicole]

 

[Cmasterclay]

Insidious benefitting bigly from a market starved for a fun summer horror film. I have less than zero interest in this franchise and you could maybe sell me on checking it out just to experience a scary movie with a silly crowd on a hot summer day.

[Dominic Draper]

1 minute ago, Cmasterclay said:

The reason comedies are struggling at the box office is because of the staggering decline of star power, which was the sales pitch for 99 percent of successful comedies ever. Joy Ride has zero stars at all. Neither did Bros. NHF has a great star but not one that anyone particularly associates with comedy movies. People blaming identity politics or political correctness are missing the point tbh.

You might have a point if it was just movies. Even then, why is there no new comedy stars to carry the films? Every gen until now produced stars in comedy. Why are we blaming old comedy stars? Where's the new ones to replace them? Most comedians have a small shelf life in film where they're funny and by the time their moment is passed, some new stars crop up. That hasn't happened. 

 

It's ignoring that comedy across all media formats has been affected. When's the last big comedy TV series that was huge? Who's the last huge stand up comedian? Who's the last comedy star produced by SNL?

 

Why has comedy fallen so far in popularity across pretty much everything?

[Cmasterclay]

5 minutes ago, Dominic Draper said:

You might have a point if it was just movies. Even then, why is there no new comedy stars to carry the films? Every gen until now produced stars in comedy. Why are we blaming old comedy stars? Where's the new ones to replace them? Most comedians have a small shelf life in film where they're funny and by the time their moment is passed, some new stars crop up. That hasn't happened. 

 

It's ignoring that comedy across all media formats has been affected. When's the last big comedy TV series that was huge? Who's the last huge stand up comedian? Who's the last comedy star produced by SNL?

 

Why has comedy fallen so far in popularity across pretty much everything?

I Think You Should Leave is a massive hit and probably the best show on TV. Pete Davidson isn't even that funny and he's like the most famous person in America. Ted Lasso is everybody's favorite show (except me)! There's YouTube comedy people that get like 30 million views. Comedy is doing completely fine, it's about a fall off in water cooler hits and stars across all media.

 

What movie star is there under 40 right now period? The lack of star power isn't a comedy thing, it's all movies. What guy to debut in the 10 or so years is a real draw? Maybe Michael B Jordan? Chalamet and Lawrence if you really stretch it? They did a survey recently to find the biggest 25 male stars in Hollywood and all of them were long-time vets, not just the comedy ones. And the reason for it is simple, actually - people go to see Rey Skywalker and Iron Man, not the new Will Smith or Tom Hanks movie. People now consume the characters in IP, not the actors. You could never have a Tom Cruise career just as much as you couldn't have an Adam Sandler.

Edited July 8, 2023 by Cmasterclay

[Webslinger]

Well, I actually saw Joy Ride and quite enjoyed it. It’s pretty hilarious, and the four leads have stellar chemistry. There are also some heartfelt parts that really got to me.

 

I really don’t know what the answer is on getting the masses back to seeing comedies theatrically, but I don’t think it’s just the quality of the product. There are plenty of really funny movies out there every year - some star-driven, some decidedly not - but it seems like they’ve just ceased to have event status in the wake of so much emphasis on spectacle and IP. And it’s a real shame when there’s no shortage of comedies that would be fun to see with a big, energized crowd.

[Cmasterclay]

For what it's worth, plenty of smart people I trust liked Joy Ride and I am rooting for it big time. The trailer just wasn't particularly appealing to me as someone inclined to root for it. Beyond quality, a starless comedy just isn't going to do it in a theatrical environment where the only thing people care about are large spectacles that can be spoiled.

[Dominic Draper]

8 minutes ago, Cmasterclay said:

I Think You Should Leave is a massive hit and probably the best show on TV. Pete Davidson isn't even that funny and he's like the most famous person in America. Ted Lasso is everybody's favorite show (except me)! There's YouTube comedy people that get like 30 million views. Comedy is doing completely fine, it's about a fall off in water cooler hits and stars across all media.

 

What movie star is there under 40 right now period? The lack of star power isn't a comedy thing, it's all movies. What guy to debut in the 10 or so years is a real draw? Maybe Michael B Jordan? Chalamet and Lawrence if you really stretch it? They did a survey recently to find the biggest 25 male stars in Hollywood and all of them were long-time vets, not just the comedy ones. And the reason for it is simple, actually - people go to see Rey Skywalker and Iron Man, not the new Will Smith or Tom Hanks movie. People now consume the characters in IP, not the actors. You could never have a Tom Cruise career just as much as you couldn't have an Adam Sandler.

You got some stats/links on I think you should leave being a massive hit?

 

I just took a look at the Netflix top 10 site and it doesn't look like the season that just came out charted in the top 10 shows even once.

 

 

Edited July 8, 2023 by Dominic Draper

[Flopped]

25 minutes ago, Cmasterclay said:

For what it's worth, plenty of smart people I trust liked Joy Ride and I am rooting for it big time. The trailer just wasn't particularly appealing to me as someone inclined to root for it. Beyond quality, a starless comedy just isn't going to do it in a theatrical environment where the only thing people care about are large spectacles that can be spoiled.

Whoever cut that trailer should be fired. The movie is much better. 

[LegionWrex]

Joy Ride Cinemascore is in. It's a B-.

 

This lower then No Hard Feelings, which received a B+.

[Spidey Freak]

1 hour ago, Dominic Draper said:

You might have a point if it was just movies. Even then, why is there no new comedy stars to carry the films? Every gen until now produced stars in comedy. Why are we blaming old comedy stars? Where's the new ones to replace them? Most comedians have a small shelf life in film where they're funny and by the time their moment is passed, some new stars crop up. That hasn't happened. 

 

It's ignoring that comedy across all media formats has been affected. When's the last big comedy TV series that was huge? Who's the last huge stand up comedian? Who's the last comedy star produced by SNL?

 

Why has comedy fallen so far in popularity across pretty much everything?

 

Comedy has become democratised in the social media era. There's a new comic breakout popping up a minute on YouTube and Tiktok commanding millions of followers. In ye olden days it was only movie and TV stars who enjoyed that privilege.

 

TV though is still doing well. Cmasterclay mentioned some good examples and I'd like to add Abbott Elementary to the list of smash hit comedy shows as well.

 

SNL has been mostly terrible since forever but I'd argue Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman from the current batch are carving out niches for themselves and have major breakout potential. 

[George Parr]

3 hours ago, Dominic Draper said:

Gen Z is pretty humorless on top of being sexless. I don't know how often I have to see them looking for old movies to be offended by on social media, in between all the sex in media is pointless and gross posts.. It's like the most puritan gen since before hippies. And it's had a great affect on comedy across the board.

 

There's really no new comedy stars. SNL used to pump out a bonafide star every 5 or so years and tons of smaller people too. They haven't for a long time now. 

 

There's really no new huge stand up comics either. It's still mostly filled with the old guard. 

 

No comedy break out films. Hell even comedy series have shriveled up in existence and quality.

Yeah, no, not at all.

 

First of, there is no such thing as generation Z, or any of that type, it is all made up bs. Completely arbitrary. Groups of people who have nothing to do with each other get lumped together, all while setting arbitrary age limits that make no sense at all.

 

Secondly, just because there are some comments on social media, doesn't mean that they in any way represent younger people today, or that they are even made by younger people in the first place. You are confusing there being more social media today, with there being more outrage or more people being offended. That isn't true at all. Social media is far larger than it was even ten years ago, 20+ years ago it barely existed at all. It's just that it is much easier now for someone to be heard today. Nowadays people nobody would have heard from in the past can get recognized among a larger audience. Not to mention that there are people searching for outrage from complete nobodies, so they can be outraged about the outrage, and present individual opinions from people no one cares about as some sort of wider issue.

 

All these claims along the lines of "oh you can't say things anymore" or "you couldn't make such a movie anymore" is nonsense. As is the idea that the past was somehow more open to things. It wasn't. Not by a long shot. I mean, where was this great age of "freedom"? When blacks were slaves or segregated? When women weren't allowed to vote? When tv only showed Elvis from above the waist because his moves were deemed to shocking and sexual for the public? Or was it the 70s, when some theater owners didn't dare to show Life of Brian because of the outrage among religious groups and some regions even banned showing the movie at all?

Maybe it was when tv bleeped out cuss words (oh wait, they still do that to some extend) or when gay people got threatened and vilified or then got "normalized" by being told not to tell anyone about being gay?

Most people who complain about not being able to say certain things anymore just mean that they now face backlash for saying mean or insulting things to people when in the past no one spoke up against such garbage. And yes, there are some people who get offended by anything, just like there are some people who seek out that outrage so they can start a career as professional "outraged about the outrage" person. It's two fringe groups making a mountain out of a molehill.

 

If there is some controversy about a comedy, or if there are some people who whine about it, that isn't somehow a sign of impending doom. It is exactly how it has been in the past. And if Monty Python is any evidence, the outrage used to be far larger.

 

Comedy is just fine. There are plenty young comedians, quite a few of which have been very successful. Just because SNL isn't what it used to be, doesn't mean that they somehow stand for comedy as a whole. The Simpsons aren't what they used to be either, and haven't been for a very long time, yet it sticks around, because they don't want it to end. That is how things go. Stuff fades over time.

 

Hollywood tried very hard to go after certain foreign audiences, audiences who comedies weren't particularly suited for. They focused on what audiences at home and those in the rapidly growing markets wanted to see (or what they thought those audiences wanted to see), less so on what the existing stagnant markets liked. Comedies never were huge to begin with. They did well, some very well, but they were never the ones that blew the roof off. They could make far more money making other movies.

That's why you have so few comedies, not because there aren't enough funny people around. The really famous comedians represent a tiny sliver of the comedians as a whole. Just because there hasn't been one or two comedians who define an era yet, doesn't mean that the group as a whole is struggling. Just like the overall quality of a sports league isn't in crisis just because the legend of the sport has retired and there is no one at his level right now. The overall level can be even better, it's just that there isn't this one huge figure that defines the sport anymore.

Edited July 8, 2023 by George Parr

[Eric is Anxious]

1 hour ago, ListenHunnyUrOver said:

Why are people shifting the failure of comedies onto Gen Z? Gen Z are all fairly young to have killed a genre. Comedic movie stars like Adam Sandler and Melissa McCarthy just put out so many bad movies that it kind of just destroyed audiences faith in comedies theatrically, and this began before Gen Z had any real purchase power. 

Because it’s easy to blame everything bad against some random group of people, even if it makes no sense. Happened with millenials, the MTV Gen, boomers. It’s a never ending cycle.

[Dominic Draper]

45 minutes ago, Eric Bunny said:

Because it’s easy to blame everything bad against some random group of people, even if it makes no sense. Happened with millenials, the MTV Gen, boomers. It’s a never ending cycle.

Its a never ending cycle because there is truth in it.

 

Tastes change from generation to generation. Whole industries come and go as those tastes change, along with preferences in media.

[Felandria]

So we have any idea if Disney will be reporting grosses for Pirates this weekend?

 

it’s been doing decently at one of the two local theaters, and nearly full at Disney Springs, and that’s without $5 tickets.

[SchumacherFTW]

50 minutes ago, Eric Bunny said:

Because it’s easy to blame everything bad against some random group of people, even if it makes no sense. Happened with millenials, the MTV Gen, boomers. It’s a never ending cycle.

What was the last BIG pure comedy to do gangbusters? Something tells me it was 22 Jump Street which would be very depressing. 

[Dominic Draper]

51 minutes ago, George Parr said:

Yeah, no, not at all.

 

First of, there is no such thing as generation Z, or any of that type, it is all made up bs. Completely arbitrary. Groups of people who have nothing to do with each other get lumped together, all while setting arbitrary age limits that make no sense at all.

 

Secondly, just because there are some comments on social media, doesn't mean that they in any way represent younger people today, or that they are even made by younger people in the first place. You are confusing there being more social media today, with there being more outrage or more people being offended. That isn't true at all. Social media is far larger than it was even ten years ago, 20+ years ago it barely existed at all. It's just that it is much easier now for someone to be heard today. Nowadays people nobody would have heard from in the past can get recognized among a larger audience. Not to mention that there are people searching for outrage from complete nobodies, so they can be outraged about the outrage, and present individual opinions from people no one cares about as some sort of wider issue.

 

All these claims along the lines of "oh you can't say things anymore" or "you couldn't make such a movie anymore" is nonsense. As is the idea that the past was somehow more open to things. It wasn't. Not by a long shot. I mean, where was this great age of "freedom"? When blacks were slaves or segregated? When women weren't allowed to vote? When tv only showed Elvis from above the waist because his moves were deemed to shocking and sexual for the public? Or was it the 70s, when some theater owners didn't dare to show Life of Brian because of the outrage among religious groups and some regions even banned showing the movie at all?

Maybe it was when tv bleeped out cuss words (oh wait, they still do that to some extend) or when gay people got threatened and vilified or then got "normalized" by being told not to tell anyone about being gay?

Most people who complain about not being able to say certain things anymore just mean that they now face backlash for saying mean or insulting things to people when in the past no one spoke up against such garbage. And yes, there are some people who get offended by anything, just like there are some people who seek out that outrage so they can start a career as professional "outraged about the outrage" person. It's two fringe groups making a mountain out of a molehill.

 

If there is some controversy about a comedy, or if there are some people who whine about it, that isn't somehow a sign of impending doom. It is exactly how it has been in the past. And if Monty Python is any evidence, the outrage used to be far larger.

 

Comedy is just fine. There are plenty young comedians, quite a few of which have been very successful. Just because SNL isn't what it used to be, doesn't mean that they somehow stand for comedy as a whole. The Simpsons aren't what they used to be either, and haven't been for a very long time, yet it sticks around, because they don't want it to end. That is how things go. Stuff fades over time.

 

Hollywood tried very hard to go after certain foreign audiences, audiences who comedies weren't particularly suited for. They focused on what audiences at home and those in the rapidly growing markets wanted to see (or what they thought those audiences wanted to see), less so on what the existing stagnant markets liked. Comedies never were huge to begin with. They did well, some very well, but they were never the ones that blew the roof off. They could make far more money making other movies.

That's why you have so few comedies, not because there aren't enough funny people around. The really famous comedians represent a tiny sliver of the comedians as a whole. Just because there hasn't been one or two comedians who define an era yet, doesn't mean that the group as a whole is struggling. Just like the overall quality of a sports league isn't in crisis just because the legend of the sport has retired and there is no one at his level right now. The overall level can be even better, it's just that there isn't this one huge figure that defines the sport anymore.

I'll just agree to disagree,nobody here is really presenting, for me anyway, compelling evidence to the contrary and I don't think anyone's going to change their mind either way so we can move on.