Are films being made too fast?

1977

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away a film called Star Wars was released and the cinema going public loved it. Fevrent fans had to wait three years for a sequel to be made.

2003

A film called Kill Bill (part 1 of a part 2 epic) was released and Tarantino announced that Part 2 would be released in February 2004 (which, by the way has yet to happen).

As much as I love modern films, I can't help but think that they are being released to quickly.

As I have said above, Star Wars was released in 1977, Empire in 1980 and Jedi in 1983. Of course, our beloved triolgy was released over a eight year period.

I am aware that at this stage, CGI did not exist and therefore these days, less time can be spent on special effects, but the thing is, when these films were made, people had to wait a few years for sequels to be released. Gee, I'm doing my best not to sound like I'm from another century i.e. 'in my day we had to wait years to see the sequel'. Oh, wait a minute, I am. but I can't help but feel that films that are given a little more time, they tend to work out better.

Take for instance the The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. These films were made back to back and released within months of each other, and I can't help but feel that if more time was spent on these films, they may have turned out better.

Of course, on the other hand, over the years audiences have become more demanding and have come to expect films to be released a lot faster than they once were.

I would be very much interested in reading your comments etc.

Is Canyon over-reacting? <small>(or maybe I'm still thinking of the time I had to wait a year for Last Crusade to be released on VHS!)</small>
Find out in the next exciting installment...oh wait, we've already made the sequel!

I have to agree with you, but mainly becouse I have a strong ambition to be the next huge filmmaker and with the speed of great movies these days people demand more and they are getting more and a good deal of what thier getting are my ideas!

Well, Kill Bill, I think, was made all at once, and also, Kill Bill 2 is not a sequel per se, but rather the second part of the same film.

I'd like to remind you all of how many films the major studios cranked out in the old days - "the golden age." It's not exactly a new phenomenon.

Are Films being made too fast?

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After Indy 4 is delayed again? HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT.

hahaha, Just Kidding. I agree, they are being made too fast. But still, some of them are just bad to begin with (ah, I remember good old 2003, the worst year in movie history, gigle, justin to kelly...I rest my case) (and let's not forget 2004, and torque, the worst action film ever!)


anywho, enough with that rant, most films are being made too fast.

however, Bond, Indy, Star Wars and....dare I say.......star trek......one can argue tha they are made too slow, but I don't mind, it's cool

Kill Bill

Attila the Professor said:

Well, Kill Bill, I think, was made all at once, and also, Kill Bill 2 is not a sequel per se, but rather the second part of the same film.

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Attila is correct. When Harvey Weinstein saw the finished film he told Tarantino to cut it into two films. My understanding is that Tarantino's deal with Miramax gives him total control over content but the question of whether the the film could be split was a grey area. Supposedly Tarantino liked the idea, thus 'Kill Bill' comes to us in two installments. Frankly, I think this is all about economics. With it's heavy martial arts content and over-the-top violence, 'Kill Bill' was never going to find a mainstream audience. So by having two films, Weinsten made a safe bet that the same people would come back for the second part, thus assuring himself a nice extra return on his investment.

I have to agree that movies nowadays are definately being cranked out too fast, and that this first part of the 21st century is the "century of remakes and sequels". It kinda takes the fun out of seeing movies anymore. In my opinion.

They might be cranking movies out quickly, but they're not releasing many that are worth going to see. My local cinema is full of terrible-looking kid's films at the moment. Maybe it's just because this weekend was the schools half-term (I can hope). Sorry, but I refuse to pay to see a remake of Freaky Friday or Cheaper By The Dozen. Eddie Murphy's new film, The Haunted Mansion, looks awful, and Brother Bear is still showing (it was released on December 5th).

westford said:

...and Brother Bear is still showing (it was released on December 5th).

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Brother Bear is going to be released on DVD soon!

Usually films are available to the public six months after the release date.

Shall I tell you something.. Brother Bear is going to be released here next FRIDAY. People from Holland and Belgium have to wait almost 4 months before a film comes out here. And now they are complaining that people download or buy legal copies from webstores.

Anyways, I don't think movies are being made fast. Anyone who saw Phonebooth knows it was a good movie. But if I tell you that filming only took like 2 months then you would be shocked.

A film is a story. If you have a simple story then you don't need to spend a lot of time in it, but it still can be good. If you make a complex story you have to put a lot of time in it. But that doesn't mean that if you spend a lot of time on it that it has to be good!

Phonebooth is centered around a guy IN A PHONEBOOTH, if it takes more than 2 months to film a movie like that, then Hollywood has some serious issues they need to take care of... fast!

Indy1936 said:

Phonebooth is centered around a guy IN A PHONEBOOTH, if it takes more than 2 months to film a movie like that, then Hollywood has some serious issues they need to take care of... fast!

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As I recall, it was filmed on location. Therefore, 2 months is not at all unreasonable.

I think that film makers are just beginning to realize what short attention-spans the new gen. has! Gimmie what I want..when I want it..And I want it NOW! Gimmie INDY 4...NOW! RIGHT NOW!
No really , I do think greatness takes time to achieve.
Wierd how they are doing sequels right after the first (3rd..4th... whatever,for you SW geeks out there("geeks" was meant endearingly..you make the world go 'round!) Like LOTR (which I haven't been able to stay awake though a single one..sorry fans, just my personal opinion) Why all at once?? CRAZY Man.... CRAZY...
Let 'em take their time on Indy 4 ...I want something good!
And while I toot the horn on all things "marketable" I have great respect for those who go against the grain..If there was good reason to delay the script..fine.I can wait...No I cant! Yes I can! No I can't!

Here is a quote from "Exporting Pop Culture"...

" At motion pictures' height of popularity in the mid-1940s, the studios were cranking out a total of about 400 movies a year, seen by an audience of 90 million Americans per week.

During the so-called Golden Age of Hollywood, the 1930s and 1940s, movies issued from the Hollywood studios rather like the cars rolling off Henry Ford's assembly lines."

That is more than 1 movie a day. The only reason that many think movies are being made to fast is that most people in the Western Culture understand little of the following----->

"The world is vast and wide. Why do you put on your robes at the sound of a bell?"

apalehorse said:

That is more than 1 movie a day. The only reason that many think movies are being made to fast is that most people in the Western Culture understand little of the following----->

"The world is vast and wide. Why do you put on your robes at the sound of a bell?"

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I don't understand the meaning of the last part about the bell.

As to the larger issue, I have no problem with the speed in which movies are being made today -- but I do think there have been periods in recent memory where various factors -- like a possibility of a writer's strike -- have caused movie production to be rushed and resulted in marginal projects getting the green light.

Blue Harvest

As a kid I remember reading small news items about the 'Blue Harvest' project and thinking, 'boy, I'd like to see that. . . ."

Joe Brody said:

apalehorse said:

That is more than 1 movie a day. The only reason that many think movies are being made to fast is that most people in the Western Culture understand little of the following----->

"The world is vast and wide. Why do you put on your robes at the sound of a bell?"

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I don't understand the meaning of the last part about the bell.

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Think about it
Is that a Zen koan apalehorse?

westford said:

Think about it
Is that a Zen koan apalehorse?

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Yes, it is. My admiration for you grows more and more.