Boston Globe film critic Ty Burr was online May 9 at 1 p.m. to field all of your movie-related questions and comments. Going to the theater this weekend? Miss the chat? Catch up here.
The transcript follows.
Ty_Burr: Hi everyone -- hope you're all having a good afternoon.
Ty_Burr: Let's get this chat started -- send in your comments or questions, and I'll address them as quickly as I can.
Ty_Burr: Starting with...
Sully__Guest_: I just started reading Big Screen Boston, the new book about movies made in Boston. Have you read it? There are a lot of movies in it that I've never seen that sound interesting.
Ty_Burr: Paul Sherman's new book. It's sitting on my desk and I regret to say I haven't cracked it open yet. I really should, though -- Paul's a friend, a good writer, and he knows his stuff.
Ty_Burr: Plus, his timing couldn't be better.
moviegoer__Guest_: I think we all agree that movies get dumber every year. I have to really hunt to find a decent movie that wasn't made for 14 year olds. One concern I have is that I see more terrible movies being favorably or somewhat favorably reviewed. Is it a question of reviewers just lowering their standards and adapting to the poor movies? Or are people's tastes being dumbed down? Or are more reviewers just being soft on movies?
Ty_Burr: I think the answer to your question(s), moviegoer are that, yes, tastes are being dumbed down, but also, the studio publicists have a much deeper (or shallower, if you will) pool of critics to choose their quotes from...
Ty_Burr: All the fansites and niche organizations are used for a pull-quote -- and of course there are still the "quote whores" -- reviewers for random outlets who see movies early and who love everything. Earl Dittmann, I speak your name.
Steve__Guest_: Ty, how surprising is it that 'Iron Man' was such a fantastic movie? For my money it outdid the original 'Spider Man,' the first 'Pirates of the Carribbean,' and was much more fun than the wordy 'Superman Returns.' I put it up with X-Men as a starting point to a series, but Iron Man was much more fun.
Ty_Burr: The sad fact is I haven't seen "Iron Man" yet -- well, I saw the first 20 minutes and then had to run next door for a screening of "Made of Honor" (my pain, your gain). But I loved those first 20 minutes! I think it always helps to have a smart director who knows how to have fun, but it really comes down to Downey Jr, who can spin a line like no one else. I'm so delighted to see him suddenly become box office after all these years.
Ty_Burr: But of course, I'm basing my comments on 20 minutes -- haven't even seen the action parts yet. Maybe this weekend.
JediFonger__Guest_: re: crappy movies, i take issue with that. crappy movies have been made since the 1900s. the only reason why we can look back on "classics" is because of the # of failures.
Ty_Burr: Good point, Jedi -- we forget the lousy films of yesteryear because they don't *show* the lousy films of yesteryear (except at 3 am on Turner Classics).
Ty_Burr: Still, I'd hazard the theory that mainstream moviemaking has over the last two decades become much less interested in character, dialogue, well-crafted scripting. I think it has become dumbed down, sentionalized. Hey, "Speed Racer" will make gahillions this weekend.
cheesesteak__Guest_: Tracy Fragments ... word?
Ty_Burr: Word is that it's ... interesting. Did anyone here see it at the Ind. Film Fest of Boston a few weeks back? I hear Ellen Page is fine, that the split-screen stuff grows tiresome after a bit, that the dark tone either works or is pretentious, depending on who you ask.
Ty_Burr: It opens in NYC today, and the Times has a review; haven't got to it yet.
JediFonger__Guest_: Early reviews of hancock and indy4 say they both sucked. =P
Ty_Burr: Ehhh, there's always carpers. "Indy" looks like it'll at least be better than the last two in the series, which I've just rewatched recently. Man, is "Temple of Doom" an ugly, ugly movie.
JediFonger__Guest_: BTW, i was just re-watching the 1st 3 indies. Lawrence Kasdan is still the best dialogue writer in modern times.
Ty_Burr: I'm just gonna let that stand without comment... I do think the first Indy is everything it's cracked up to be. The third one's not bad either.
John_Locke__Guest_: Temple is ugly but the 3rd Indy with Connery us solid. What is your opinion of the new Dark Knight trailer?
Ty_Burr: The seven-minute one? I think Ledger is terrific, completely rethinks the whole concept of super-villains and brings it up close. The movie looks so *somber*. I think this may be the summer of the blithe superhero -- i.e., Tony Stark.
cheesesteak__Guest_: Ty, when do you think all the metacritical, blogocinespheric, netroots, spoilage supersoaked masses will fully timewarp ahead of the film critic establishment ... turning this window into an opportunity for you to ask us about the movies?
Ty_Burr: Hey cheesesteak, nice to see ya. Well, since Glenn Kenny was canned from Premiere yesterday, I think that time is closer than ever. So what did *you* think of "Iron Man"?
Ty_Burr: No, I think there will still be a place for informed (I hope), insightful (I hope) movie criticism. But it'll play to a smaller audience, like jazz does now. Either that, or it'll have to pander.
By_Turr__Guest_: When and where can I buy tickets for The Dark Knight
Ty_Burr: Can't. Wait until July 18.
brokenbil__Guest_: If Marvel was so unhappy with Ang Lee's Hulk, why did they decide to make a new movie with another unbelievable CGI green monster?
Ty_Burr: Simple: to restart the franchise and exert more control over it. They really really want a successful Hulk movie so they can build more synergy crap on top of it.
Ty_Burr: Remember, Marvel has its own production company now -- no more farming out their characters to other studios.
JediFonger__Guest_: re: Batman. the best incarnation is still Batman the Animated Series season1-3? (jumped the shark in the middle). I didn't like Batman Begins and am skeptical of Dark Knight. Nolan's great w/Memento, but his subsequent affairs have been mediocre both indie and hollywood.
JediFonger__Guest_: RE: Advaned Tix: THe week or two before 7/18... not opening day. there are online places like fandango that u can get advanced tix.
Ty_Burr: True, true -- thanks Jedi
Dale__Guest_: Manohla Dargis recently wrote a column in the NYT about the lack of women in movies these days. What's your take? Why don't studios cast women in good roles when so many moviegoers (or would-be moviegoers...) are women?
Ty_Burr: Because women don't want to pay to see women? I really don't know, other than that modern Hollywood knows how to sell action and comedy (by which I mean Judd Apatow-style comedy) but no real clue as to anything else. So you get macho heroes and funnyboys, but no interesting women. Me, I kinda wish they'd make an Indiana Jones movie where Karen Allen takes over.
Ty_Burr: But it's true, and it's kind of scary -- the only women in movies are bunnies or hardasses, and the latter are all played by Cate Blanchett.
Mattastic__Guest_: Hey Ty, will Speed Racer be worth watching in non-3D format? My home entertainment system is crummy.
Ty_Burr: It's such a visual trip that it'll by fine on a flat screen, though if you are truly bent on seeing it, see it on as big a screen as possible. Personally, I think a 3D print would lead to seizures.
cheesesteak__Guest_: Unfortunately, Ty, your Karen Allen Indy becomes Tomb Raider in Hollywood.... I wonder if women get a better rap in television....
Ty_Burr: Sad but true, cheese -- and thanks for the reminder: The action gal of the summer is Angelina Jolie in "Wanted," whose trailer makes it look like the biggest teenboy fantasy of them all.
flightjkt__Guest_: Hey Ty - Have you seen "Harold & Kumar..." yet? I have to say that while I found the film to be genuinely funny (at times), it was a bit of missed opportunity, politically - though maybe I shouldn't have expected any "message" to come out of that film in the first place...
Ty_Burr: That's the problem with both movies, flight -- they're smart about being dumb but also dumb about being smart. (Does that make sense?) I was loving the first one until the cheetah came along.
jmk__Guest_: Yeah, it seems that "female movies" that do well are biopics ("La Vie en Rose"), frustrated chicks "27 Dresses" or Hallmark/Lifetime movies...
Ty_Burr: God help us,"What Happened in Vegas" is considered a chick flick. The problem isn't that the studios aren't making them, it's that they're making them really badly.
Ty_Burr: And it also has no idea what to do with interesting actresses. Give Emily Blunt a lead role,please! Don't just neuter her in character parts like "Jane Austen Book Club." Or Ellen Page -- let's see what kind of casting wall she hits in the next five years. (I hope my words aren't proven true).
JediFonger__Guest_: what? the cheeta sealed the deal for me for H&K#1.
Ty_Burr: lol... you and many others, cheese. For some reason I couldn't go there.
JediFonger__Guest_: the reason i luv is because it takes a typical white male fart-joke movie and replaced both leads with asian americans (not just asians). that's why #1 worked and became extremely popular on DVD. #2 REGRESSED back into asian stereotypes like a whinny cho that takes 5 steps back from #1.
jmk__Guest_: Actually, some of the female-driven movies that I find captivating are Asian - "Raise the Red Lantern" and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Ty_Burr: Yep, but even those are getting co-opted by the studio boys-only mentality. Case in point: "The Forbidden Kingdom," which has Li Bing Bing in a neat villain's role but wastes Liu Yifei in a dumb sidekick/girlfriend part.
Yo___Guest_: How does Paris, Lohan, SImpson continue to get offers when all their movies TANK. Doesn't some producer say "we may get press, but no one is coming to see these movies"
Ty_Burr: Actually, Yo, Loihan just got fired from the production "The Manson Girls." No one wanted to work with her.
Ty_Burr: details at defamer.com if you're interested, but the point is that some stars get so toxic -- like Val Kilmer ten years ago -- that they can't even get insured. When that happens, the offers simply dry up.
Ty_Burr: As for Paris Hilton, who here actually SAW "The Hottie and the Nottie"? And wasn't paid to do so?
gerald23__Guest_: any buzz on oscar favorites for next year?
Ty_Burr: Nah, way too early. And usually there's one serious movie that comes out in the first half of the year and eventually scores some nominations (and even wins: Crash). Not this year, though. Don't think "10,000 BC" is going to pick up any noms, except at the Razzies.
JediFonger__Guest_: isn't it scary to think of these "kids" 10 years from now? =P. but it's also fairly typical of the hollywood scene. time to ramp up productions in Boston so we can't get those same types of partygoers ;).
Ty_Burr: Oh, some of them will have a big old comeback. Remember, ten years ago, Robert Downey Jr was unemployable and almost dead.
cheesesteak__Guest_: We caught Ratatouelle last night, I wound up liking it even though I went in resistant to it. Any word on Wall-E? I've been charmed by the traillers I've seen so far.
Ty_Burr: It's a risky one, and I think the folks at Pixar are sweating bullets. How do you sell a movie about robots without making them overtly anthropomorphic, a la "Robots"? (which tanked). Where's the star power? Ain't none, so they're trying very hard to make Wall-E the star before the movie even opens.
JediFonger__Guest_: How long did it take u+wes to write the summer movie guide?
Ty_Burr: Once we have the titles lined up, it takes about half a week of research and writing. It's good, though, because it brings us up to speed on what's happening in the coming months. Normally we're focused on a weekly scale.
JediFonger__Guest_: what was the last family flick, whorton? i think wall-e will be a huge hit with the family crowd+older kidz like me =D
Ty_Burr: I'm hoping Speed Racer won't be it... and I would love if "Son of Rambow" somehow became a sleeper family hit.
Ty_Burr: I'm taking the girls to see that tonight.
JediFonger__Guest_: do u think Night (The Happening) is still popular? everyone i know that liked the 6th sense has written him off as a 'one note surprise ending' director.
Ty_Burr: Well, he hasn't done anything to prove differently, has he? Other than try to build himself up as an onscreen personality, that is. I actually admire his monomania; I'm just not sure he'll be making movies for anyone but himself in a few years. That's the danger of setting yourself up with a trademark style and sticking to it.
Ty_Burr: One summer film I *was* looking forward to was "Get Smart," but the buzz is starting to turn downright poisonous. Looks like it might be shaping up to be the "Wild Wild West" of 2008.
Yo___Guest_: Any good westerns or WWII movies coming out? Or is the movie genre on backburner.
Ty_Burr: I think we're seeing a slight lull in the western -- none I know are coming up immediately. "3:10 to Yuma" did respectable business, better on DVD I think.
cheesesteak__Guest_: but the Rock uses a stapler on a guy's forehead!
Ty_Burr: in Get Smart? Indeed. But they've also cast David Koechner as Larrabee, and I for one am sick of that guy.
Ty_Burr: But, hey, prove me wrong, Carell. I'll be happy to admit it.
Ty_Burr: It's two pm, so I'm out of here -- have good weekends, all, and happy movies.
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