Pat's Fantasy Hotlist: Why SFF fans sometimes deserve the scorn thrown their way. . .

Why SFF fans sometimes deserve the scorn thrown their way. . .

Any time you feel that Hollywood has hit rock bottom, they somehow find a way to make things worse. . .

Trouble is, multitudes of SFF fans will nevertheless fork out some hard-earned money to go see these two movies. Which, in turn, means that more crappy stinkers will be produced in years to come because they know that no matter how bad the flicks are, thousands of people will pay to see them regardless. . . =(

Man, these movies look bad. . .

41 commentaires:

Taedirk said...: Green Lantern trailer didn't look *that* bad... until I saw the Crap Monster spreading through the city.; 11:28 PM
Jay said...: Perhaps you should actually SEE the movies before condemning both them and the people going to see them. Or at least read a frickin' review. Which you can't. Because they're not out yet. See where I'm going with this?; 11:44 PM
Patrick said...: If the trailers are anything to go by, both look like utter crap.

SFF movies don't have a good track record. They are either top notch (rarely) or (very often) shit...; 11:52 PM
Doug said...: There's nothing wrong with going to see crap, if it's entertaining crap and you KNOW it's crap. I like a lot of terrible stuff, both sci-fi and not. Hell, Cowboys and Aliens looks like it might be entertaining enough. What is a bit of a problem is thinking something is brilliant when it's actually shit. And that's pretty much endemic to the sff community (and neither you nor I is innocent of it...) In fact, lately I've been thinking that one of the distinguishing characteristics of being an sff nerd is being willing to put up with bullshit and deeply enjoy mediocre things. I don't know.; 11:58 PM
Tristan said...: SFF fans going to see bad movies is almost as commonplace as Angry Blogger kneejerk rage rants filled with a creamy hyperbole filling.

The trailers don't sell the movies well, but they don't sink them either.

And lumping all SFF movies together is ridiculous. It is like judging all fantasy by Stanek and Goodkind.; 12:33 AM
asdf said...: I'm actually pretty sure that the 'multitudes' forking over money to see these will not be SFF fans, but in fact just a mainstream audience. Just because these are SFF (sort of) movies does not mean the bulk of their audience are genre devotees.; 12:51 AM
Henry Lopez said...: Sorry Pat - I can't agree with you. While I doubt either will be an Oscar contender, both look (by their Trailer) to be an enjoyable and entertaining way to spend an afternoon or evening this summer.

Now, they might well be stinkers, but I try to give things the benefit of the doubt. ;-); 12:57 AM
Anonymous said...: i think its endemic to a lot of people - unless Sex and the City was something other than to what i saw - a FUN, but vapid and fictional look at NYC life.

or Family Guy isn't pandering to the lowest common denominator an awful lot of times.; 1:23 AM
Daymaen said...: i agree with Jay. I prefer ppl who make a living off of review blogs to not actually know anything about the days topic and to make snap judgements. I myself judge entire books by the prologue and the cover flap.

Thats what jay is saying, right? oh.; 2:42 AM
Barcaldine Theatre said...: I'm still in the hopefull bracket for Green Lantern, I so want it to be good but I'm not encouraged by the trailer :(; 4:31 AM
Anonymous said...: Umm...

COWBOYS AND ALIENS look damned good! (Green Lantern is a whole other story); 4:46 AM
Kevin B said...: Cowboys and Aliens actually looks pretty fun to me ...; 4:52 AM
Anonymous said...: Harrison Ford is in Cowboys & Aliens and that's all I need.; 5:05 AM
Anonymous said...: duuuuuuude, cowboys and aliens??? i mean, it has cowboys AND it has aliens. what can be wrong with that? the whole awesomeness of all awesomekind combined into a awesomemonster of a awesomemovie. you are right, i am soooo gonna see this!!!!! *gggg*; 6:10 AM
mus said...: Seems a little narrow minded Patrick! Just because something doesn't float your boat you condemn it and anyone who enjoys it? I would expect a more subjective perspective from someone who reviews books.; 6:36 AM
Anonymous said...: Doug, there is something wrong with going to see this "crap," despite our shared semantic distinctions. If you and I, these haters here, plus a random sample of a million viewers, all pay $12 bucks to see these, you know what will happen? HOLLYWOOD WILL MAKE MORE CRAP!

That is all.

The only power we have an middle-lower class human beings is our attention. If we pay attention to shit, that we should really let fall away and die, it keeps coming back worse, don't it.; 8:02 AM
Mike E said...: You cannot tell if a movie will be good or bad from the trailers, sorry. CvA has a shot. Strong cast, director and writers. GL...well, maybe wait and see on that one.

From Thor's trailer I thought it was going to suck, but turns out it was actually pretty decent.

Also, blaming sci/fi fans for crappy movies ignores that 99% of ALL movies are crappy. Most romantic comedies, most action films, most dramas, most mysteries. We suffer through the crap so that we can find the hidden gem.

Further, it's the "crappy" films that subsidize the "good" films. If no one went to see the less than stellar superhero movies, hollywood would never risk making the Iron Man, or the Dark Knight.

IOW, I think your post is not very well thought out.; 10:05 AM
Kirshy said...: I have to say the Cowboys and Aliens looks like a fun flick. I want to see it, but whether I pay $12 to see it in theaters or wait for the DVD will depend on the reviews or recommendations from people who see it ahead of me.

The trailers look fun Pat. Maybe you're just getting jaded because the latest crop of sff movies haven't been very good?; 10:28 AM
Unknown said...: As silly as the Cowboys & Aliens title sounds, it still has the possibility of being ok. I don't think Green Lantern has the same hope...; 10:40 AM
James D. Cormier said...: I don't think you can really lump those two together. The Green Lantern, admittedly, looks like it might be horrible. The difference between it and Cowboys and Aliens is that it purports to take itself (comparatively) seriously.

I thought the whole point of giving a movie a title like "Cowboys and Aliens" was to poke fun at it, to convey to the audience that the filmmakers realize they're making something silly, but that they're just going with it and trying to have some fun. I don't really care about the Green Lantern, but I'll be in line for Cowboys and Aliens.; 11:28 AM
Paula said...: Don't forget Cowboys & Aliens is directed by Jon Favreau- Elf, Swingers, and Iron Man. That's enough for me to give it a shot.; 11:42 AM
Anonymous said...: Cowboys and Aliens looks like it has the potential to be some solid fun. Green Lantern makes all the impression of pure dumbass crap.; 12:01 PM
Anonymous said...: I agree with you Pat, but I also agree that, more often than not, it's the general public going to see these movies than true SFF fans. I personally think that both of these movies look like nonsensical pieces of flaming [insert any number of expletives].; 12:05 PM
Salt-Man Z said...: Not sure what you're smoking, Pat. GL looks like a turd, sure, but Cowboys & Aliens looks to be a blast!; 12:14 PM
Jim said...: I think both movies look like they have the potential to be good in the sense that I'll have fun watching them.

Just like when I read a Stainless Steel Rat book I don't expect its story or writing to be on par with the Foundation. I read it because it's fun.; 12:26 PM
Grack21 said...: Cowboys and Aliens isn't meant to be taken seriously and is getting decent audience test reaction. Plus naked Olivia Wilde.

Green Lantern on the other hand looks like, to but it scientifically, goat shit.

SCIFI Movies have been doomed for a long time. I can;t even thing of a good one from the last 10 years.; 12:43 PM
Anonymous said...: SFF fans already get plenty of scorn thrown their way; we don't need more from one of our own. Lighten up a little! "Cowboys and Aliens" looks like a fun summer flick. I'm rather meh on "Green Lantern" but if people want to see it, who am I to judge?; 1:52 PM
Blend said...: Cowboys vs Aliens looks amazing!!!!

Cheesy, granted, but what the heck is wrong with cheesy fantasy? Specially in movies, cheesy is often done WAY better than fantasy movies that try to take themselves too seriously! Even LotR had some pretty cheesy sections, which helped to alleviate the more serious content.

Anyway, all that to say I can't wait to see it! :P; 4:15 PM
Anonymous said...: It's worse in games. Try to tell a gamer that you'd like more substantial fare for a change and most of them will stare at you like mules...; 7:28 PM
Anonymous said...: I agree with everyone else in this thread, Pat's an idiot.; 11:03 PM
enjai said...: None of us know how these films are going to turn out and i agree the trailers aren't excellent. Cowboys and aliens looks ridiculous but I get the impression it's supposed to be. Green Lantern looks better with every trailer (although the first one set a low standard) but it's based on the current run of the comics and has somehow made a sci-fi comic one of the biggest in america.

I think the contents of your post, reflect as much on the title as it's the SFF fan's ability to self-righteously hate and dismiss anything they consider "inferior" that cause non SFF to throw scorn our way. I'm almost livid at the fact I'm feeding into said perception by arguing against your post.

I'm sure there are people blogging somewhere (in a dark corner of the internet) that until people stop watching "Game of thrones" we'll continue to get grim and gritty sex and violence fantasy 5h1t thrown our way. Some of their trailers are probably off-putting to many.

There's enough room for everyone to enjoy their own stuff. Granted "good" and original SFF will continue to be overlooked by Hollywood when there are safer and less original adaptations to be made. Then again we wouldn't have got "inception" if nolan hadn't done "another batman film". There are other examples too.

A more positive approach is to encourage people to go see films you think are worthy rather than putting them off ones you don't like. On the bright side, there's no such thing as bad publicity and this is a post that will generate interest in both the films and your website.

Once the films are out I may have to praise your insight though :); 3:36 AM
Nate said...: Witnessing how most of you are so defensive regarding these two flicks just proves the point Pat is trying to make.

SFF folks seem really touchy about this sort of the thing. But if the shoe fits...; 8:22 AM
Simeon said...: But it sadly doesn't. There is no indication CvA will be anything but awesome considering the director and cast, AND the awesome trailers. And even if for some reason you decide not to like them, there are the former two factors which more than earn the movie the benefit of the doubt until it's out.

Also, both movies are comic book adaptation and will be seen - apart from a good 60% of mainstream audience - mostly by comic book fans. So what SFF are we talking about here?

http://rolandscodex.blogspot.com/; 10:15 AM
Anonymous said...: I think you have to be a geek to be excited about such movies. And even if pat is a huge sff fan, I never felt any kind of geek vibe from him. So I guess that's why he feels this way.

Mayeb he's right. Maybe we deserve the scorn some people feel toward us for liking and paying good money to see what in essence are subpar productions. But I wouldn't have it any other way!:D

Ariane; 10:44 AM
Anonymous said...: Cowboys and Aliens looks like a fun movie but nothing that will blow anyone's mind. Green Lantern looks like a crock of shit. I mean come on! Everything about it looks like it's going to suck.:(

It looks like Hollywood is running out of superheroes. The Green Lantern has always been a lame shit and this movie won't change that.

If you think about it objectively, I can see what Pat is saying.

David; 11:00 AM
Bill said...: To say that GL looks shitty would be a gross understatement. CvA looks like it's going to be a fun ride. The premise is totally stupid, sure, but it will be good fun. You just need to turn your brain off for 90 minutes!; 11:43 AM
Jebus said...: Trailers are a good way of judging if you want to see a film, and yes maybe the general "level" of film making that you're likely to see. They do NOT however tell us, with 100% accuracy, whether a film is good or not. That's subjective and I always say to each their own.

I love a good popcorn film just as much as I like an Iranian drama or Japanese family film - bring it all on bitches.; 9:36 PM
Aaron said...: I am an SF/F fan, but I wouldn't pay a cent to see those movies. Way to generalize... I believe these crappy flicks are Skiffy, not SF.; 9:07 AM
enjai said...: I've seen the error of my ways, I'll just save my hard earned cash for transformers 3 in IMAX 3D :); 9:25 AM
Anonymous said...: The Green Lantern movie looks awful.

The Cowboys and Aliens movie looks insane enough to be potentially awesome.; 2:02 AM
Cory P. said...: A film doesn't have to be either thought provoking or have a huge budget to be entertaining.

Cowboys and Aliens is meant to be silly. It is meant to be stupid. And it is meant to be good stupid fun, for those people who don't take themselves too seriously.; 4:43 AM