By Michael Foster-Sanders
I’m tired of Hollywood being uninspired.
Recently, I have seen the pond scum remake of “Pet Sematary,” and it made me physically ill how soulless this movie was.
I know remakes and sequels have been around for a while, but it’s getting seriously disturbing how complacent studios are to stick to a formula — like the tired, superhero genre to bring in money to a dying medium but still has an opportunity to be saved and be great.
As a movie connoisseur, I love experiencing new stories in new ways
My first cinematic experience at the movies was 1986’s “The Hitcher.” Being allowed to watch that movie at three years old is debatable, but the car chases, gunfights and sheer terror of the onscreen presence of Rutger Hauer are unforgettable.
Now at 36, I just feel jaded.
Directors like Robert Rodriguez and Darren Aronofsky take chances with films like “Alita: Battle Angel” and “Black Swan.” They bring different stories in this day and age where being a clone is acceptable and cookie-cutter storytelling is the norm.
It seems like studios don’t care about quality anymore, evidenced by a reliance on computer graphics.
What happened to the great days of practical effects?
Masters of special effects like Tom Savini, Rob Botton or John Buechler took pride in their work, knowing that their ideals could be what makes or break a film.
In the ‘80s and ‘90s, studios took chances with different film genres, and remakes added more than a fresh coat of paint than their original source material. Movies like “John Carpenter’s The Thing” and “The Blob” blew their original films out the water. “Robocop,” “The Crow” and “Blade” showed that superheroes don’t have to be so cookie-cutter and could be morally complex.
For the sake of the future of movies, Hollywood needs to embrace individuality and originality, once again.
