Hack

The worst kind of hack is a money-losing hack

Posted on by Late Night

Patrick Lussier: Hacking in 3D? (Note the now-obligatory eye logo; et tu Comic con?)

Did you see DRIVE ANGRY (in 3D!)?  Probably not.  Turns out almost no one “turned out” for the cool car + sexygirl redneck revenge fantasy.  Box Office Mojo dissed it like this:

Drive Angry was the biggest loser this week, debuting all the way down in ninth place with just $6.9 million. That’s the worst nationwide opening in the modern 3D era and the lowest-grossing start for star Nicolas Cage since The Weather Man in 2005. When adjusting for ticket price inflation and 3D premiums, it’s essentially neck-and-neck with Racing with the Moon from 1984 as Cage’s least-attended start ever.

Here it is, months later Memorial Day weekend, and the movie has only grossed $10.7 million. The audience has spoken. How much of this blame shall we lay on director Patrick Lussier?  Take a look at the clip below, and then consider that he also wrote and edited the film.   I say it’s all on him.

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13 Assassins Director Miike – Too Prolific to be a Visionary?

Posted on by HakSnider33

Takeshi Miike

Takeshi Miike - Hardest Working Man in Show Business

Japanese director Takeshi Miike’s latest film, 13 ASSASSINS, a big budget remake of a 1963 classic samurai film, has been receiving a lot of hype due to its current simultaneous theatrical and VOD release by Magnolia.  Starring, top acting talent such as Koji Yakusho (SHALL WE DANCE, BABEL) and Yūsuke Iseya (MEMORIES OF MATSUKO), it has already been positioned for top awards since its premiere at the 2010 Venice Film Festival.   However, Miike first made his mark directing straight-to-video Japanese “V-Cinema” exploitation films, churning numerous films each year, including an insane 15 films in 2001 and 2002 alone.  Read More

Thin Line Between Homage and Unoriginality

Posted on by HakSnider33

Zach Snyder

Mr Unoriginality Zach Snyder

by HakSnider33
In the year 2011, it has become very difficult to stay original as filmmaker.  Everything has been done before, so it is really difficult for director to come up something that feels fresh.  Often, the next big thing may end up just becoming a trendy short-lived gimmick such as the Matrix bullet time camera or the Saving Private Ryan strobe light battle scene effect, unless your name is Ridley Scott in which case ripping off Private Ryan becomes a way of life.   However, there is a way to redo ideas that have been done before in a stylish way, which reinvigorates the referenced material so much that the resulting end product feels like a classy homage or a new scene altogether.  Read More

Battle: LA – Visionary Trailer ≠ Visionary Film

Posted on by Mr Ridley

Jonathan Liebesman: Hack

It’s a sad day when millions of dollars are once again wasted on a high-concept sci-fi film, which falls far short of delivering the goods.  Hack Director Jonathan Liebesman is behind the latest alien invasion film, Battle: Los Angeles. 

Liebesman’s first feature, Darkness Falls (2003), wasn’t necessarily horrible, but certainly nothing memorable (let’s not even touch his attempt at a Texas Chainsaw prequel in 2006).  The biggest disappoint here is that Battle: Los Angeles (the film) was preceded by the fabulous Battle: Los Angeles (the trailer).

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