Discotheque
Banned
Nah there's plenty of b-movie esque big budget movies.
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The BFG flops: Has Spielberg lost his blockbuster touch? (Variety)
- Thread starter Secret Fawful
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Nah there's plenty of b-movie esque big budget movies.
That's exactly how it felt to me. I saw the trailer before a couple of movies, I totally forgot about it by the time I came out of the theater. This thread is the only time I actually heard of the movie other than that two instances.
blazinglord
Member
Spielberg is awesome and to be fair, BFG was a pretty rubbish Roald Dahl story. I never understood the acclaim it got. It would have been better if he had adapted a story that hadn't been adapted before like George's Marvellous Medicine or the Twixs.
The movie has very little action and is mostly just conversations between the girl and the giant (portrayed by the amazing Mark Rylance). Based on what you said, I think you'll dig it.
Actually, the movie has very little live action. I'd guess 4/5 of the movie is CG.
You forget the GO2014:
Also, shame on BFG, but there's too much stuff out for film nerds who would check out a Spielberg, and Dory out for the families still. Should've released at a different time.
giant_frying_pan
Member
I feel that it's just more the case that he wants to make the films he wants to make, regardless of any potential box office return.
An updated The BFG seems to me like it will perform very well in home video and streaming rights anyway.
An updated The BFG seems to me like it will perform very well in home video and streaming rights anyway.
What an odd article. He's had flops in the past and bounced back - many directors do. He just came off Bridge of Spies and Lincoln, both were good and did well. Before that The Adventures of Tintin did like $350m. He's filming Ready Player One, which unless he supremely screws it up will probably do well. He's producer for hit after hit.
Saucycarpdog
Member
I don't agree with the author's conclusion that Superheroes and Pixar are the reason audiences didn't like the BFG. That sounds so cynical.
SuperStiltzkin
Member
Pretty much. Do kids or teens even want to see a movie about a old uncanny valley giant? Even if JJ Abrams were directing it, interest level would probably still be the same.
aygomyownroad
Member
The animated BFG is all you needed.
I can't think of any Dahl adaptations that have been a success.
Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda, James and the Giant peach are amazing books but the films were never great.
I can't think of any Dahl adaptations that have been a success.
Fantastic Mr Fox, Matilda, James and the Giant peach are amazing books but the films were never great.
BronsonLee
Member
You son of a bitch
Discotheque
Banned
This post should be considered haram
The Silver
Member
I can't read the title without thinking Big Fucking Giant.
BronsonLee
Member
Matilda was bomb
All haters be dammed
All haters be dammed
SynthFetish
Member
Well, I saw no marketing for the film at at all, that might have played a part. I had to look the film up to even know what it was.
BronsonLee
Member
Yea well fuck America
~Devil Trigger~
In favor of setting Muslim women on fire
its looked fucking stupid
stop saying yes to this guy
stop saying yes to this guy
Surface of Me
I'm not an NPC. And neither are we.
In America, they would certainly get there before getting to Big Friendly Giant, generally speaking. Dont try to downplay DooM to defend this CGI zealous, mess of a cinema.
Mushroomer25
Member
Still, I don't think Speilberg can get Disney to spend this sort of money on a film with zero assumed appeal. Especially with a July release date. They were expecting E.T. sized family hit, but may have underestimated how much Dory would eat into the audience.
SCULLIBUNDO
Banned
Fuck gimme this decade's R-rated Spielberg effort.
Dude becomes a completely different filmmaker.
Dude becomes a completely different filmmaker.
BronsonLee
Member
WE AIN'T PERFECT
Warm Machine
Member
It really doesn't.
When was the last wide release sex movie outside of 50 Shades which itself was a safe pale imitation of 9 1/2 Weeks or Unfaithful. Ubiquitous free porn and younger theatre audience trends has almost killed erotic adult drama. No more Basic Instinct for you.
Yeah.
I can't think of many R rated Spielberg films. Jaws and Schindlers? Was Munich?
The man has has his ups and downs. He has directed some of the most perfect films ever followed by massive failures. He simply regroups and knocks it out again.
Munich
Saving Private Ryan
Amistad
Schindler's List
I think that's it.
Jaws was PG. A number of Spielberg films led to the PG-13 rating, since he had a habit of pushing the old PG label.
So is the Roald Dahl book not that popular in the States? I say this because of the countless Doom Youtube comments, and just the general vibe I get from this thread and others. For me The BFG will always refer to The Big Friendly Giant. I loved that book as a kid, as well as the 89 animated film, so much so that I used to circumvent saying "fart" in front of my parents (probably because for some now inexplicable reason I thought it was a naughty word) by calling them whizzpops for years.
Demoncarnotaur
Member
I'd like to see Spielberg tackle another Michael Crichton story.
Give me a Spielberg adaption of 'Micro', they can't really fuck that one up IMO.. it would be a great fit.
WrenchNinja
Member
I read it when I was in fourth or fifth grade in the mid 90s in Canada. I didn't hear any stupid Doom jokes back then.
I loved BFG as a kid, but the trailer was just ugly to look at. I hate the aesthetic. Spielberg is still great. He has made good movies recently so I don't see the angle of the article.
That said, I watch Jaws every 4th and was saying he should do a "low" budget horror film earlier today. So whatever drives him to tKing my advice is fine by me.
That said, I watch Jaws every 4th and was saying he should do a "low" budget horror film earlier today. So whatever drives him to tKing my advice is fine by me.
Discotheque
Banned
wow. look at that conviction in his face. that's my new batman.
Anyways I saw this tonight. It's actually quite a solid family film. I'd put it over freaking Jungle Book at least which seemed to get such a rave reception everywhere for some reason.
The problem is this movie feels incredibly long, for a kids movie this is a big no no. Could have lost at least a good half hour. The giants are ugly as shit but in that regard quite faithful to the Dahl visuals actually, especially the BFG himself (Rylance was great). I think the big winner here was the dialogue between the giants. Lmao they sound stupid as fuck. I was surprised at how funny I found this movie. The whimsical Dahl-dialogue combined with their bizarre accents really made for some entertaining exchanges, I could have done with more of the giant interaction. Kaminski's really fake looking lighting doesn't help the London scenes at all but the shots with the Giants in the shadows are fantastic, some of the scenes in here look straight out of a book illustration.
Oh and I think the third act is what lost plenty of the audience and critics probably. It goes so out there with it's earnest approach that it probably baffled plenty of people. I'll just say there's a freaking fart joke with the queen and her dogs and a subplot involving the Queen and England's military advisors.....you either buy into it or you throw your hands up and wanna get out of the theater by this point.
It treats this fantastical element of Giants in the same straight-faced manner as Paddington (an underrated family movie imo, the most charming in the past few years and it really reminded me of this film at times) which was probably quite jarring. It's pretty good, not nearly as bad as the trailers suggest. I'd say it's a solid rental if you were ever into the book or want to watch Spielberg tackle a family movie again.
Fantastic Mr. Fox is still the GOAT Dahl movie though, but this is in good company. It respected the author quite a bit by not being afraid of delving into the silliness of it all. I think blending these cartoon-looking giants in a real world England didn't look too hot though, can't believe I'm saying this but somebody with a really over-stylized eye for design like Burton would have served the visuals better overall. But Spielberg nailed everything else.
edit: oh apparently that Queen plot was in the book itself haha.
Cabbagehead
Member
You sir are high.
GankzyMcfly
Member
What was the marketing budget for this film? This is literally the first ive heard of it...
Just because of how much I passionately hate Ready Player One, I want to see that movie fail just so that hack fraud of an author never gets to publish another book ever again.
It will flop mostly because dystopian YA movies are over the hill anyways, though.
It will flop mostly because dystopian YA movies are over the hill anyways, though.
When I hear the title, I can only think of Per Mertesacker, Arsenal's BFG:
Big Fucking German
Anyway, even if Spielberg has had some critically acclaimed movies the last decade, they do feel a little dated. Bridges of Spies feels so 90s, this lawyer with great integrity doing everything right (played by Tom Hanks of course). I have never been a huge fan of Spielberg though, too melodramatic for me.
Big Fucking German
Anyway, even if Spielberg has had some critically acclaimed movies the last decade, they do feel a little dated. Bridges of Spies feels so 90s, this lawyer with great integrity doing everything right (played by Tom Hanks of course). I have never been a huge fan of Spielberg though, too melodramatic for me.
boiled goose
good with gravy
The visuals of the movie are honestly very unappealing
not psycho
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