Oscars 2013

[jvcarroll]

Well, more power to you. I personally never understood the appeal of Edward Scissorhands. Beetlejuice, while I don't like it, I understand why people do. I will admit, I do like the songs in CatCF, and it's nice they were formed out of the original poems...that's a book that I've been meaning to read for a long time and just never got around to it.

I get that. Both of those films were well ahead of their time. Burton explored universal themes in untraditional ways. I really respect his innovation and his strong storytelling with both projects. They're both incredibly off-putting so I can understand why people wouldn't like them. Beetlejuice's inventive peek into an alternative afterlife was particularly brave for mainstream 80's cinemas. The climate was uber-traditional-Christian back then. I admire those who color outside the lines. Unfortunately the same clever mind has fallen victim to its own self-indulgence.

Maybe my love for those pictures has more to do with seeing them as intended in the theater. So many good movies are dwarfed and hobbled on home video. The experience is entirely different.

 

[Drtooth]

I'm surprised. I would have thought that is being a Tim Burton movie alone would have gotten its fans...then again, maybe people only like him FOR Depp...Alice in Wonderland was marketed towards the fact he was in it, and yet his character really wasn't THAT big of a deal in the movie. I was expecting it to be like...The Mad Hatter story honestly. I was glad I was wrong with that I would think another problem with Frankenweenie was it was in black and white. What's more appealing to kids? Bright colors, or dull grayscale?

Some say the black and white turned kids off. I'd say that in between the choice of a story of a gaunt looking kid trying to reanimate a dead dog shot in black and white vs a blindingly colorful movie about way too many monsters where the tasteless fart joke is put front and center in the advertisement, I don't see any 6 year olds wanting to see the former. I mean, I don't even think Frankenweenie was the kid friendliest of the three stop motion films. That would be Pirates. Of course, to be honest, I don't see little kids enjoying Paranorman half as much as older kids and especially teenagers.

I agree there were story problems, and it really feels like Tim was trying too hard to get back to his roots (I can't blame him for that). It's unlike any movie he made after the 90's, I'll give it that. Still, it's funny that the movie was a flop, but it was the only one to get merchandise out of the three. I have the only American released Pirates product. An apple juice wrapper.

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 2005 (He removed everything charming and lovable from the book and previous film and exaggerated the unsettling bits. Creative downward-spiral confirmed.)

I grew to not find the original film charming. Well, aside from Gene Wilder, that is. It's so 1970's. It looks like it was produced by the Krofft Brothers, and what was up with that idiotic creepy boat ride bit? I barely even prefer Burton's version, and that's because the visuals are slightly less icky looking to me. I think both of them stack up horribly to the original book. After all, Dahl hated the first movie... I don't think he was around for the second. What Charlie and the Chocolate factory needs is a fresh 2-D animated adaption that completely ignores both movies ever existed. What really sticks out is that Tim wanted to do something different, yet he tried to emulate bits of the last movie.

I actually didn't mind that joke. It's better than keeping silent about Brown's behavior like many people in the media have.

Both Chris and Mel deserve all the lambasting they can get. I don't see how either of those things they did didn't end their careers. I mean, Michael Richards' insane blow up destroyed his career, and the only thing he's been in was a Curb your Enthusiasm episode and a forcefully hidden cameo in Bee Movie that he recorded before that happened. At least people are starting to turn their backs on Mel. It really sucks that he was like that, since Lethal Weapon and Chicken Run were both great films. But props to Seth for saying Chris Brown beats women and Rhianna keeps coming back.

 

[Muppet fan 123]

That's definetley the reason why Frankenweenie didn't do well. I don't think kids want to see such a scary movie in black and white over a colorful CGI movie. It was unfortunate it lost to Hotel Transylvania, I don't think anyone was expecting that.

I haven't seen it yet, so I can't comment on the story other than I find it hard to believe they could have expanded on it more than the 30 minute short...the Black and white doesn't bother me either, but from a kid's perspective, the black and white might not have been the best choice of color scheme.

I can't see any of the Frankenweenie versions in anything but black and white. I don't think it'll work in color, I just don't see it. Plus, the movie is a tribute to classic horror films, so color would've never worked.
It wasn't exactly directed to the little kids. I feel it's really directed to much older kids and adults. (But it's appropriate for kids of course, besides the scariness.)
At times it doesn't feel like it's a kid's movie, with scenes like the Cemetary scene, where they dig out the animal's graves...It just not for little kids. It was bad timing when it was released.

 

[Drtooth]

That's definetley the reason why Frankenweenie didn't do well. I don't think kids want to see such a scary movie in black and white over a colorful CGI movie. It was unfortunate it lost to Hotel Transylvania, I don't think anyone was expecting that.

It just not for little kids. It was bad timing when it was released.

The sad thing is that Hotel Transylvania is a feather in Sony's cap. Considering it's other films are Open Season (and it's two even worse DTV sequels), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Surf's Up, and their remake of Enchanted with The Smurfs, that's not really saying much. I saw it because I just can't resist Monster Mash... but I really wish Genddy brings some of the writing talent that made his shows amazing on board for his next film. I find Frankenweenie a better film, though HT has a stronger ability to tell the story. FW shoved too many B-movie shout outs near the end that derailed the plot.

But I agree. Bad timing. HT was released in September, usually considered a dump month, yet it somehow managed, being the only kid's film at its initial release. If Frankenweenie was released first, it probably would have had at least a solid week. I guess the thinking was sound to release it closer to Halloween, but audiences flocked to the kid friendly film.

But Paranorman got it the worst! It was released in the worst dump month: August. Clearly, it was released then to avoid the September and October animated horrorish films, but nothing's ever successful in August. It's getting its audience on home video, sure... but it's a shame such a great film had such a lousy release that kept it underrated.

 

[Muppet fan 123]

Very true. I haven't even seen Paranorman yet (and I want to!). I think I definetley would have seen it if it came out, say, July. August is always a bad month. I think the only movie I saw in August was The Avengers a second time. I didn't see Paranorman becuase I thought it was one of those lousy movies dumped in the middle of August. But it actually looks pretty good now, I want to see it on DVD.

Monsters Inc 3D was also terrible timing! It wasn't a smart move that Disney did releasing it during the holidays. When people go to a movie during Christmas vacation, they're not usually going to go to a movie they already saw a billion times over a new movie that they can go see. (e.g., Wreck it Ralph). That's why Finding Nemo 3D did well, becuase it was released in an off-season when there was nothing else playing to beat it.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Both Chris and Mel deserve all the lambasting they can get. I don't see how either of those things they did didn't end their careers.

The rules are different for celebrities who bring in the money. Period.

 

[BobThePizzaBoy]

If you can believe it, Frankenweenie was at one point set to open in November. Yes, Disney, for a short while, had it planned as their Thanksgiving movie (The Muppets ultimately took that November slot). It's box office performance was horrible, but it probably would have done worse if it opened during the holiday season.

 

[Muppet fan 123]

It really could've opened any time. It had nothing to do with Halloween, but I guess they hoped the spookiness would attract more people becuase it's Halloween.

Rise of the Guardians did very well, and surprisingly, it didn't even have anything to do with Christmas! (It actually takes place during Easter,) but again, I guess the timing was the best. I doubt more people would've seen that when Easter came around. It's all about Timing.

 

[Drtooth]

Monsters Inc 3D was also terrible timing! It wasn't a smart move that Disney did releasing it during the holidays. When people go to a movie during Christmas vacation, they're not usually going to go to a movie they already saw a billion times over a new movie that they can go see. (e.g., Wreck it Ralph). That's why Finding Nemo 3D did well, becuase it was released in an off-season when there was nothing else playing to beat it.

I was barely able to go and see it. I had to see it on a weekday the last week it was in theaters. I swear I heard it was supposed to come out in February, but somehow they wanted to start the marketing campaign for the movie's prequel that month.

While I'm on the subject...

 

[Sgt Floyd]

That's definetley the reason why Frankenweenie didn't do well. I don't think kids want to see such a scary movie in black and white over a colorful CGI movie. It was unfortunate it lost to Hotel Transylvania, I don't think anyone was expecting that.



I can't see any of the Frankenweenie versions in anything but black and white. I don't think it'll work in color, I just don't see it. Plus, the movie is a tribute to classic horror films, so color would've never worked.
It wasn't exactly directed to the little kids. I feel it's really directed to much older kids and adults. (But it's appropriate for kids of course, besides the scariness.)
At times it doesn't feel like it's a kid's movie, with scenes like the Cemetary scene, where they dig out the animal's graves...It just not for little kids. It was bad timing when it was released.

I'm not saying it shouldn't have been in black and white, I'm saying black and white is less appealing to kids. The thing is, Frankenweenie was pushed a lot on Disney. Yo couldn't turn the channel on and NOT see at least one Frankenweenie commercial, so they did market it towards kids