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I'm sorry, I know this is abruptly off topic, but it's been bugging me for a while recently.

I was flicking through Empire Film Magazine when I noticed that a new Garfield film was being released. Now, if I remember rightly, the first one was rubbish, and the general concensus between film buffs and casual viewers alike was that it was a poor film.

So, the question is, why is there a bloomin sequel?

If I remember correctly, this film wasn't the financial success that the studios hoped it to be. Yes, it made a half-decent profit, but it certainly didn't break any records.

Also, a similar thing happened with the Steve Martin Film 'Cheaper by the Dozen', another crappy flick rewarded with a sequel. Legally Blonde 2, The Whole Ten Yards, Tomb Raider 2, Miss Congeneality 2, Be Cool - all spring to mind as shoddy remakes that shouldn't have been made. Simply a case of the film making some money, so let's shove it out again. A decent story to go with it would be nice!

They're even coming up with sequels to films where the original makes it tricky to actually make a sequel. Did we really need an Ocean's 12? The first was cool, why ruin in? What's next? Ocean's 13? 13 Monkeys? The Seventh Sense? 8ight?

When exactly did the film industry start producing sequels of crap films or, even worse, sequels of good films that they know will be crap? Is this a new phenomenen? Is it a case of 'If it made a profit before, make a sequel, regardless of how good the film is.'

If this is true, then, as a film fan, it saddens me deeply to think that this is the new method of thinking.

I'm sure that a decade or two a go the majority of sequels released were on the back of good films. Alien, Indiana Jones, Terminator, Back To The Future, and so on. And at least these films had a story line where a follow-up plot could be legitamly weaved in, rather than forced.

I wonder if films like Usual Suspects, Shawshank Redemption, Goodfellas, had been made today, if the studios would have pushed for some half-assed sequel. To be honest, I'm not even sure these films would have been made today. Where's the cartoon animation, the superhero, the giant unnecessary explosions, the car chase, and so on? It's not even a remake!!!

It seems to me that the film industry is swiftly heading downhill, with the focus 100% on making a profit from commercially viable films. But to blame the industry for trying to make money would be naive, it's us who're to blame for the shower of poo that hits our screens, we're the ones that go and watch them!

One day, I hope the general public change their mind on films, perhaps in the same way they became bored with the 90s 'boy band' era. Perhaps if they're fed enough of the same ol crap, they'll suddenly start pining for something different. Maybe then we will see new material from up and coming writers.

Is a return to the days of 90s cinema when we were treated to Trainspotting, American History X, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Heat, Casino, The Crow, Carlitos Way, Donnie Brasco, Wayne's World, Silence of the Lambs, Groundhog Day, Good Will Hunting, Leon, Truman Show, Speed, Se7en, and so on still possible?

... or do we carry on down this slippery slope of unoriginality and tedium?

'The Whole Ten Yards' for heaven's sake, I mean... come on?!

rant over

 ;applause; now Breathe Snoopy, deep breaths...you've let it all out.

I agree btw

Snoops, I agree, they shouldn't remake good films and they shouldn't make sequels to poor ones.

However, if Garfield made money from kiddies dragging parents along to see it, regardless of how bad it was, then they will make another. Ditto Steve Martin's "cheaper" and so on. Kid-movies often get sequels, they don't have to 'break records' to get their sequel. The fact that they get double revenues from kids dragging parents to watch is enough.

Every now and again though, a film that shouldn't have a sequel gets one anyway, and no-one can really explain it: e.g. 'Be Cool', an extremely belated follow-up to Get Shorty. Presumably the script was sitting on a shelf for a while, and someone had a word with Travolta, telling him "it's been a while, you know? perhaps you'd better get back out there..."

Every few years people ask if film is dead, where's the originality, and so on. They were probably saying it during the nineties as well, except that we don't remember it.

Incidentally, I think they actually are making Ocean's 13 at the moment...  ;hide;

My 10 year old loved the Garfield film!


How many Friday the 13th's were notched up in the end?

So did my Girlfriend,  She was in tears when he does that dance!!

Friday 13th movies... I think they did about ten of them? Jason X was probably the tenth one and then 'Freddy vs Jason...'

be cool was watchable.

Rose tinted, I would say?

Films from (roughly) the same period that also spawned sequels: King Solomon's Mines, Ghoulies, House, That Ninja Turtles Movie, Piranha (thank you James Cameron and Lance Henriksen), to name but a few.

Also never forget that good films spawn bad sequels as well: e.g. Jaws 2-4, all of the subsequent National Lampoon Vacations, etcetera, etcetera...

I think the "be cool"  sequel was more to do with Elmore Leonard writing it , rather than the studio comissioning it.

I just don't like the fact there are so many talented writers out there with incredible ideas that are getting grossly overlooked. For a script writer to break into the movie business is nigh on impossible as the industries are simply rehashing/remaking/copying older films, producing sequels to any film that made a dime, shoving out the same old poo, and using proven writers to do so.

If we didn't go and see these crappy films, then perhaps the talent would be allowed to emerge, thereby producing some decnt films for a change.

Just think, instead of 'The Whole Ten Yards' (a sequel to a shockingly bad film that took the cool out of Willis and the funny out of Perry), we could have seen less money spent on an innovative film from an up and coming talent. But that's not worth the risk for the studios when they can release virtually the same film, but stick a new number in the title. And the reason for this is that we still go and watch them.

People go into films expecting them to be crap and come out saying it's crap. Put your hands up, who had read poor reviews of a film but still went to see it, afterwards coming out of the cinema and agreeing that it was shocking? So why did they go see it then?? Guess that's the power of marketing.

I've done it myself. Hype gets people into the cinema these days, not a good film. That's the real shame.

Poseidon....all I can say that Richard Dreyfus must have trouble with the IRS and needs the $$$

Omen remake? why?

I tell you what, it really is just lazy/unimaginative/pressured studio bosses not wanting to spend time and money on original screenplays or take the risk on new talent. Better for them to rebadge old screenplays for remakes and get screenplay writers of the newer crappy films to make sequels. Often the acting talent signs contracts that lets the studio get them very cheap for the sequels troo.

It's a lowest common denominator thing


Just occasionally I come across a gem like Hard Candy or United 93 but most new stuff available for me to see these days in unadulterated pap.

Weekend at Bernies 2 wasn't made for artistic merit????

personally i thought the whole 9 yards was a good film as was get Shorty, and Oceans 12.

big fancy explosions make for good entertainment, i mean look at Bad Boys 2! - astounding film!

If you have commissioned something which made a profit, which course of action do you think the average movie executive would pursue?

a) Trawl through the legions of scripts submitted each year, rejecting anything which seems unoriginal and uninspiring, searching for the elusive diamond which enthralls you

b) Say 'Make that film again, except with more explosions and nudity. And see if Adam Sandler is available'.

loved garfield,loved be cool,and loved both whole 9 yards and ten yards.guys,its all down to preference and people will always have different views on films.

I thought Police Acadamy 26 was an absolute classic.

your having a laugh Dave!!!!

this is what usually makes films pony!!

I used to watch the x-men cartoon when i was young and thought it was great(not as good as thundercats) but still very good. :D

the storylines used to be quite involved for a cartoon and thats what i like.

but they didn't go with it in the films instead deciding to replace intricate storylines, interesting plot, and depth of character with special effects! especially in the most recent one.

I watched bad boys 2 with a bunch of my pals and there was a, seemingly superfluous, carchase scene that just seemed to go on and on, i mean it must have gone on for like 20 minutes!!!!!

my mates love it but i thought it was a load of crap.

it seemed as though the director wanted to show of his cinematography skills, displaying what extravegant stunts and action can be accomplished with a big budget whilst completely forgetting the point of the scene.

the car chase scene in Bourne identity or the sequel, i dont remember which, was great, it was integral to the plot, encapsulated the intensity of the situation and seemed a fitting extension of the story as opposed to the unnecessarily ostentatious car chase featured in bad boys 2!!!!!

there you go ;)

but my favorite film of all time is Harvey so i may not have a clue what I'm talking about!!

Explosions are all well and good, but after the umpteenth time surely they become boring?

What happened to plot and stroyline?

Unfortunatley, the sequels of today's cinema don't seem to be too fussed about that.

Dungeons and Dragons was the best cartoon. ;D

Dungeons and Dragons was a great cartoon.  The film released in 2000 wasn't bad either

Its true, that was a serious cartoon!!!

Is this an inappropriate time to say that i though carebears the movie rocked 8) I was disappointed with the my little pony effort though ;D

Snoops, you are bang on mate, Hardly a GREAT movie gets made anymore. as for the cartoons, the untimate top 16 are.

Thundercats
Xmen
Spiderman & friends ( featuring iceman and Firestar )
M.A.S.K
He-Man and the masters of the universe
Pole Position
Dungeons & Dragons ( got the whole series on DVD last year )
Fantastic Four
Iron-Man
Batman ( animated series )
Whacky Races
dasterdly & muttley
Centrurions
Transformers

Notable inclusions have to be Dragonball, Dragonball Z and Yu Gi Oh

What about Tom and Jerry.  That was quality.  I liked Batfink and Danger Mouse as well

Batfink was OK, as was Dangermouse and Sports Billy, Although these were fairly childish cartoons, they hardly tackled topical subjects like friendship, dishonesty, raceism, segregation, human rights. Most of the Cartoons I mentioned had to tackle these subjects and others weekly.

im sorry but Bad Boys 2 is one of my favourite films of all time, the car chase bit was amazing, the best bit in the movie infact! The more will smith drives that Ferrari the better IMO

I'm glad you said "favourite" and not "best."

That's true.  They were fun though  :D

The thing with films is that they are show "Business" rather than Show "lets get an Oscar". Film companies are owned by multinational companies - like GE (Universal) who calculate their ROI down to the 2nd decimal place not the quality of their films.

On a vaguely related note why do all American films insist on making phone taps take 30 seconds to display a number when here in the UK we have instant number recognition? - are they conning American criminals into thinking that they are that slow or is their phone system that incompetent?

(PS - I like the Spell Check even i lok intelegant)

It's the remakes that get me.

The Italian Job? FFS! How can you remake that?

Tighty, great shout on United 93 - best film I've seen in years.

I thought it was crap!

 ;scarymoment;

My Dad saw it recently and said some very good things about it, I will have to get round to seeing it at some point...

"Good Night, and Good luck"  was another excellent and worthy recent film


I would recommend that too.

Come on!  Where are Ulysses 31 and Mysterious Cities of Gold?

OHHHHHHH!!!, I cant believe I forgot them, Ulysses31 was on cartoon network last year too, Mysterious Cities of gold was great, although i cant remember seeing the ending.

When are they going to make a sequel to the magnificent "Dude Where's My Car" anyway?!?!?

Even thinking about the film makes me laugh.

I bought MCOG on ebay.

The high protector of the 4th Aztec city was Esteban's dad, who then died to save him! :(

Marvellous, there goes my night's viewing then

You'll be telling us how Blakes 7 ended next!

I wouldn't buy it or watch it over and over but that film made me actually shift in my seat with unease. I don't remember doing that since watching Schindler's List for the first time. Very powerful.

I bet if it'd been made post millenium, we'd have a Schindler's List 2

I disagree. there are still some (albeit very few) films that are untouchable.

Well that seems like a cop out, OHH I almost forgot  Jayce and the Wheeled warriors, that was awsome, with the baddie SORBOS, ahh I loved the cartoons from the 80's, Another had just come back to me, Anyone remember Battle Of the Planets, How cools was the theme tune!!

BTW united 93 is the 4th film released about that flight, so its a remake lol.


Highlander 2 why oh why oh why.

I saw tokyo drift today, its good as a stand alone film, not really a sequel

Highlander 2 was shockingly bad, although highlander 3 was passable, a marked improvement on the second movie.

I could be talking mince but I'm sure James Cameron is doing Transformers as we speak, i was initially unfussed till I saw that ice-skating transformer citroen(?) advert now I hope its like that (well with less ice skating and more blowing shit up).

Well I'm not talking total mince (http://www.transformersmovie.com/ (http://www.transformersmovie.com/)) but it doesn't say who is directing.

micheal mans miami vice film looks great

that film was totally awful. It lastest 10 minutes in the DVD before I hit the off button

who would have thought it....

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479143/

I heard it's a Joel Shumacher/Micheal Bay production, so it will be their usual mass of explosions with no plot and wooden dialogue.

Agreed - my favourite director by far.

Yes it will be like the Citroen advert.

One scene has been shot already, two cars having a race whilst throwing punhes at each other!!

There is hope for the Transformers film - It is following the original story of Arrival From Cybertron - yes I have Transformers nut in my circle of friends, when I say nut he Gen 1 loco.  As an aside if anybody has a Gen1 Shockwave PM me am sure I could get you about £300 for it, if you want to sell - alternatively a picture to taunt him with would be equally as good.

Voices for the CGI will make or break it IMO - story should be great, its going to look brilliant - bet they still mess it up.

I usually hate Shumacher and Bay (Pearl Harbour, Con Air, blah blah blah) but for this type of film I think they may actually work quite well.

I mean what else do we want other than action?

You have no sense of humour Laz  :D