Monday, April 16, 2012

Schulz and ideas

I've been reading David Michaelis' biography of cartoonist Charles Schulz, entitled "Schulz and Peanuts," and a passage has me thinking about modern-day Hollywood. When Schulz was asked once about the simplicity of his animation style, and the fact that his strips were less "busy" than those of his contemporaries, he responded, "the idea is all that matters."

Movies, by and large today, are a waste of time because they have no new ideas. The new ideas are being presented on television while the "reruns," in effect, now air in the movie house. Film producers retread the old and try to cover their lack of imagination by glamming them up. The strategy now is everything except the idea-- the opposite of "Peanuts."

There are 12 pictures playing on 20 screens (2D or 3D) today at the multiplex of Iowa's largest shopping mall. They are...

The Hunger Games-- adaptation of best-selling book
The Three Stooges-- re-make of previous series of films
American Reunion-- sequel to American Pie
The Cabin in the Woods-- new story
Mirror Mirror-- re-make of Snow White
Lockout-- new story
21 Jump Street-- re-make of '80s TV show
Titanic-- re-release
Wrath of the Titans-- sequel to Clash of the Titans
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax-- adaptation of popular book
The Raid: Redemption-- One in a trilogy
Jeff, Who Lives at Home-- new story

This summer, you can look forward to all of the following: "Men in Black III;" a remake of the "Dark Shadows" TV show; a second Snow White adaptation (in the same year); "Madagascar 3"; a 'prequel' to "Alien"; "G.I. Joe 2"; another Spider-Man movie (not "Spider Man 4"-- I repeat not "Spider-Man 4," but a Spider-Man movie that comes only five years after "Spider-Man 3," and only 10 years after another "Spider-Man 1"); "Ice Age 4"; another fucking "Batman"; a fourth "Bourne" movie; a remake of the film "Total Recall"; and something called "The Expendables 2," which implies that there must have been an "Expendables 1" at some point.


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A generation before fading celebrities had the option of learning to dance or working for Donald Trump to try to stay famous, they had "The Love Boat." IMDB has the full list of 561 guest stars, including five that don't even have IMDB profile pages today.

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It's odd that the best political commentary on Cuba would come from sportswriters.

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After the first 9 games of the season, Albert Pujols is batting .243 with no home runs for his new team, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He has grounded into as many double plays as he has runs batted in (4). That's one fewer RBI than the Cardinals' backup firstbaseman, Matt Carpenter, had in one game on Sunday. Baseball scribes have it that the "honeymoon" period for Pujols in Southern California may be short, but then remember that the "courtship" consisted of only a couple phone calls. On a related note, Shelly Long was brilliant on "Cheers." She should have never left.

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Speaking of marriages, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are reportedly engaged after seven years together. I don't know, I think he's settling.

posted by CM @ 5:06 PM

1 Comments:

At 12:35 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hot in Cleveland is to days Love Boat. You never know what past sitcom star will guest.

 

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