Kevin Smith shares his opinion on the current state of filmmaking for independent creators
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- 😄 Patreon: / insideofyou
📺 Full Episodes: / insideofyouwithmichael...
🍎 Listen on Apple: apple.co/insid...
🔊 Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.c...
📸 Inside Of You Instagram: / insideofyoupodcast
🐦 Inside Of You Twitter: / insideofyoupod
👕 Inside Of You Merch: store.insideof...
Kevin Smith (Clerks, Mallrats) joins us this week to share the duality of having immense gratitude for everything he’s been able to accomplish throughout his career, all the while being cursed with ambition that drives him to create more. Being a trailblazer in independent film, Kevin gives us his opinion about the current state of filmmaking post pandemic, the cyclical similarities between major sci-fi franchises, and the problem with today’s movie rating system. We also talk about creating a legacy off of a basic name, bottoming your way through life, and embracing fandom. - บันเทิง
The problem with Rotten Tomatoes is nobody understands how it works. 90% Does not mean it's a 9/10 aggregate. It means that 90% of critics/audience thinks it's at least a 5 or 6/10. So a perfectly 'fine' movie looks like a masterpiece to someone who looks at the score and does not realize what it means. It sucks though, hate that site. Dunno why people use it as a gauge at all.
Yep. I learned a long time ago that *how* information is displayed is as important as the information itself.
Why hate the site? There's nothing wrong with Rotten Tomatoes. It's the dummies that don't know how to interpret it that's the problem. There's a percentage of who liked it and the average score of all the critics who reviewed it. It's pretty straight forward. Plus, Rotten Tomatoes feels more accurate how reviewers generally feel about a movie. It tells you that most people either liked it, disliked it or if it divided viewers.
People say Metacritic is better but it's not. For example, _Predator_ (1987) used to be a 3.6/10 on Metacritic (generally unfavorable reviews) for several years until Metacritic finally added some more reviews to it recently. It's still only 4.7/10 (still mixed or average). But if you went by Metacritic, you'd have avoided _Predator_ and it's considered one of the best and most iconic action movies from the '80s. Whereas _Predator_ is 80% on Rotten Tomatoes indicating that 80% of reviewers at least liked it, with an average rating of 6.3/10. Gives you a much better impression of what viewers generally thought about the film than Metacritic where it seems like everyone hated it. And the reason this is so is cuz Metacritic would only use critics' reviews from the time the movie came out and rarely incorporated retrospective reviews to determine the Metascore.
Same with _Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,_ an American classic. But it only had a 5.8/10 on Metacritic forever, so it seemed like most people thought it was forgettable. While Rotten Tomatoes had it at 90% with an average rating of 8.2/10 for years, indicating that most people love it (which they do).
@@rustincohle2135 Because the rotten tomato score is usually the headline or what's highlighted as how great/bad a movie is. I guess I hate all the 'rating' sites. It's just a really weird way to judge if I'm going to see something or not. Or how good/bad a movie is. And it's kind of annoying how blindly people use rotten tomatoes as a barometer, just using this arbitrary score, that can be manipulated so easily, to tell them whether it's a masterpiece or trash and nothing in between.
Personally I usually go by critics/film twitter people/youtube reviewers that I like and follow and have kind of grown to know what their sensibilities are. And I'm never 100% going to agree with them, and not going to love everything they love or vice versa but at least I have an idea if the stuff they like, and if the stuff I like lines up more than not. They can also articulate why they praise or criticize something, so you know where they're coming from even if I disagree. But people just want to point to a stupid boiled down score and go 'see!'.
@@qtip4747 _"just using this arbitrary score, that can be manipulated so easily, to tell them whether it's a masterpiece or trash and nothing in between."_
Well, the fact that the percentage score ranges from 0 to 100% means that films are NOT just either masterpiece or trash with nothing in between on the site. If it's 97 to 100%, then yea it might be a masterpiece. If it's around 70 to 75%, well some people have problems with it but overall, people do seem to like it. If 50 to 65%, people overall are mixed on it-- many like it and many have issues. If it's below 20%, more than likely it's total trash and so on. See how that works? Movie studios misusing Rotten Tomatoes in their TV promos is a misgiving of the studios. Not the site itself. Rotten Tomatoes is merely an aggregate site. It just gathers available reviews of said film and gives you the stats on how reviewers feel about it, and how the reviews average out into an overall rating out of 10. That's all it is.
I was gonna make this exact point, the review aggregate system is flawed and people need to realise that. Most of these critics don't work for Rotten Tomatoes they just have their reviews posted on it. Some critics probably are bought and paid for, but this idea that most are is ridiculous like you get someone say you have to sign a waiver or something. Unfortunately it's true that the system in place is imperfect and there are people who will give good reviews unfairly, but there are still honest critics as well. There are also plenty of dishonest audience reviewers, the amount of times I've seen 'worst movie ever' for a movie that's mid or even pretty good is ridiculous. Then you have the people who want to hate on a movie for a specific reason and they get told to go review bomb it to give a bad review even though they haven't actually seen it.
Met Kevin Smith like 6 years ago at a comic con with my brother. One of the better celebrity interactions I’ve had, took time to talk to us during the photo op for probably longer than the photographer wanted us to stick around for.
That's cool. Who gives a shit what the photographer thinks or wants? He gets paid. You paid for the opportunity, im sure, so it isnt like its a burden to anyone. Glad you were able to meet him. I would like to some day. He seems to take time for all his fans.
I've heard nothing but good stuff about him with fans.
@@DeadButDreaming666 It's not about what the photographer wants, it's about others missing out on getting a photo because the star talked and talked. It's about empathy and consideration to others. Imagine if you paid and queued for a photo but they had to call it quits before they got to you, leaving you and others without that photo you queued for. The photographer is paid for their time, not by the photo, it's a job and they have a life outside of it. Who gives a shit if you didn't get yours? You can get your money back, who cares how long you waited to get nothing.
Having said that, I do appreciate that Kev gives his fans the time and he is certainly known for his talking ability. :-)
@@Elwaves2925 Fair enough. Perhaps my response sounds dismissive. I agree with what you say, I guess I just suppose that the artist can say when they're finished, and since Kevin is known to be a talker, he's going to make sure he gets to everyone. So, yes, to have to wait for extended periods of time would be obnoxious on that end. But, the photographer is paid for time, so I'm less inclined to feel too bad for them. I'm not someone who would want anyone to lose out an on op they paid for and are excited for, that would be a jerk move. Hopefully this comes across more empathetic.
@@DeadButDreaming666 It is more empathetic and I may have put more on your comment than was actually there. I just know a photographer and know from them how their time can be mistreated.
And to be clear, I agree that for the time period a photographer is paid for at those types of fan events, they don't get any say on how long the star and fan talk for, or anything like that.
Rotten Tomatoes is owned by Fandango, which is a subsidiary of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is itself a division of Comcast. Not Fox.
And about 25% is owned by Warner Bros.
So? Who cares who owns it. Are you implying there's tainting of the reviews we read there?
@@tomthalon8956 yes. Or did you forget about all the Disney interference when all their new shows got blasted by viewers for being crap?
Still take things down super Quick for Disney Rotten Tomatoes is unreliable and fuill of "Critics" who have 12 subs on YOuube pass
@@tomthalon8956dude, of course. Positive reviews may put someone on the fence to go view the movie. That could be hundreds of thousands or a couple million extra tickets sold.
Kevin Smith replied to my email when I was in college wishing me luck with filmmaking. Cool guy.
I used to love going to the theatre, cell phones and bad manners changed that. Can't get through any film now without multiple phones going off, people texting and taking calls, smart watches strobing an LED every few minutes- it's more distracting than being at home. Forget about asking them to save it for later, people think causing a public disturbance is an inalienable right.
I only go to empty shows like Kevin describes, if I'm going to a movie i specifically pick shows that will be sparse
not to mention - digging their fat fingers into the bottom of their candy bags instead pouring it out into their palm! a small gripe, i know, but i can't even. i demand silence for these high-ass ticket prices 😅
My theater of choice has been the Alamo Drafthouse, and they have a strict no phones/no talking policy. I'd heard people complain about people acting like this in theaters and thought they were exaggerating, but then I went back to a multiplex recently and it was clear that this is a real problem
I'm with you. I too used to love going, so much so, that in 2007 I was in negotiations to buy a theater 8 plex - small, indie - deal fell through. Glad I didn't. In my opinion, the theater is dead. I have a 75in TV theater seating, a nice surround system. My experience at my home is far better. And, the cost of paying Prime for to watch a new release, is still far less than taking a date to the theater.
The only time I go to theaters now is opening night, when you have hardcore fans doing the mignight shows of the BIG blockbusters.
I love plays, and I've only been to two in my old age. Before I die, I'm going to see many more. Conversely, nothing beats a few cold beers, at home, and watching a deeply moving film. And pausing, to take a bathroom break.
100%. Every time I go to the movies some fuck face or multiple fuck faces have their fucking phones out. Including one time the guy directly beside me and when I asked him to put his phone away you just ignored me and kept playing on his phone. I've never wanted to physically harm somebody so badly in my life.
My local theater closed up a couple of years ago. So instead of going to the theater like 3-4 times a year. I'll only be going maybe twice as you have to go to the next town over, and it's double the cost not counting the gasoline. It used to cost me $20 to go to the theater, now it's more like closer to $50.
Massive respect for Kevin
I am an indie filmmaker. I have a home theater, projector, sound system, al that jazz. I agree with Kevin, cinema will become like theater. And then it will be good again. Select films, appreciating audience.
So you're one of the, like, 20 indy filmmakers in the whole world who can actually afford all that stuff?
The 90's were a special time for indie films..with Smith and Tarantino breaking out
Tarantino never did an independent movie.
@@michaelmorningstar8645 Reservoir Dogs was financed in part by him selling the script for Natural Born Killers and True Romance as well Pulp Fiction is considered Independent.
@@michaelmorningstar8645dude. Reservoir Dogs was 1000% independently financed. Google is your friend
@@michaelmorningstar8645 Reservoir Dogs is considered one of the greatest Independent Films of all time.
@@jeremyfoote8638 By the end of the 90's social media was still a few years away, smartphones were in the realm of science fiction and young people's toxic interaction with digital social media sites wasn't a thing ,people went to the cinema to see our lives reflected back to us in an engaging way.
The problem with Rotten Tomatoes and other aggregate website like it, is they stoped aggregating legitimate film educated Critics with expanded knowledge of film and arts for Marketers. Who have as much knowledge about film and arts as the average film gower therefore can't give a complex and insightful opinion on the subject. But Kevin is also right, in the end only your own opinion matter on what you like.
People don’t have disposable income anymore. Price gouging has made everything a luxury now.
"thats just noise" God Bless Kevin Smith
I get annoyed with the constant assertion that the public must just be tired of these kinds of films, and that's why they're not coming to the theatre. No its the $25 a head ticket, plus food, drinks, whatever. It's moved into the realms of luxury now, so you can't go see everything all the time.
I will respectfully disagree on some aspects of your claim here. AFAIK, it's only $25 a ticket if you are going to an IMAX release in the most expensive city in the country. (I should know, I live in it. Unless we have been dethroned now. I will concede that is possible? ) Minimum wage is $20 an hour here now where I am. Regular movie tickets in my area are like $18-$20 (at nice theaters too, like our Alamo Drafthouse). It should not be considered a luxury. Movie tickets have always been more or less in lockstep with base hourly wages in my experience, everywhere I've lived (lots of places). Willing to be shown to be wrong on this point.
If tickets are massively out of proportion with wages in your area, then you are getting screwed by your local exhibition house, and they don't deserve your business anyway then. If that's happening somewhere, I'd be interested to know.
@@MarkHWillson yeh I’m in Australia. So quite expensive by our standards.
IMAX movies cost the same here in Texas... where minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. And even the cheapest theater tickets are still at least ten or twelve bucks. It's simply out of the price range for poor families who might want to bring the kids.
@@bryannimmo8548 especially when you tack on the food and drinks that come with bringing a family to theater. I used to laugh when my mom would tell me all she could get with 10$ when her and her friends went to the theater. Now if i take my family i'm like damn...i coulda went to a few movies and got snacks when i was a kid for the price i'm payin now
@@mthomsonkiwi100% in Australia it’s disgusting how expensive it has gotten. Just greed…
Love going to the movies! But geez, cinema etiquette leaves a lot to be desired these days.
When I saw Indy 5, ppl were taking selfies in the cinema, lighting up the joint with a blinding bright flash, and talking rock concert loud the whole way through. That was pretty much the last time I went to see a new release. Still go to old movies tho - most recently _Star Wars_ marathons and _An American Werewolf in London_ - they seem to attract a different audience.
So yeah, I mostly watch movies at home on my big screen TV now. Nah, it's not the same. But at least I can enjoy the movie...
So multiplexes, which destroyed independent cinemas, are now being destroyed by streaming, which helps more indie films be seen. Can't say Im particularly moved.
When I was a kid I'd be at the movie theater every week. Saturday matinees, watch two movies for 5 bucks. With the options available and the prices nowadays it's just not worth it any more.
Nah it’s worth it
@@JERSEYBOYPLAY2HARD Just saying something is worth it without giving reasons why is not enough.
I will watch the move out of admiration for Kevin Smith. If I don't like it, oh well. I like Kevin Smith, and that was worth it.
'You know what you wanna see, you see a title, a trailer, you know if you wanna see it or not. Don't read anybody else opinion'. Exactly my mindset about watching movies for the last 10 years, and after working many of them for the entertainment business.
"Nothing about entertainment upsets me" words to live by
As a parent of a teenager who's a film lover, my kid and her movie nerd friends do not have any sort of attachment to the cinema the way I did when I was their age in the 90s. They don't specifically feel they have to see a movie on a big screen because most of the media they consume is consumed on their schedule, on their own devices, almost for free. I think the fact that the youth have lost this sort of connection for the cinema is a big reason why theaters are struggling to fill seats. When I was a kid, going to the theater on a Friday night was the thing to do for people my age, today there's just so much other stuff competing for eyeballs, spending the money and time to travel to Gen Z probably feels archaic.
I agree with you about the reasons why people are losing their love for the cinema. But, I also need to say that as a guy who practically lived in a movie theatre for a good four year span. I went to the movies daily, saw everything on menu, and even got to know the staff at the megaplexes that I frequented, and yet, for all that, I much prefer being able to watch films at home. Now, it may be true that some movies need that crowd experience, but those are rare. Most films I find that I can get by without that audience there. I suspect this is how a lot of today's young film lovers feel.
I think its even worse,i think these kids now would rather watch someone else on youtube living life then actually live it them selves!!!
Times are changing quite rapidly but I’m sure movies will still play a big part in our lives however we watch them😊
It’s gonna lose relevance and it won’t be any different than content on TikTok or TH-cam.
And right there, Kevin Smith shows his integrity about critics and how he thinks in life. Bend over for those you want support from, regardless of the truth.
I can listen to Kevin Smith all day. What a sharp guy.
He_man Netflicks?
@@Robert-ri7mt If you are pointing this out as critism that's fine, nobody's perfect. I can still acknowledge Smith is sharp, funny, great story teller - especially when it comes to podcasting. And also, he loves what he does, really passionate and it shows, and to me, that is all that matters.
I'll never stop going to the theater because I've just always loved the experience and love film. But there has never been a better time to go because of what Kevin said; there just aren't that many people in the theaters. So I'm ok with paying a little more because the experience is 10 times better now that all the annoying people stay home.
Yes
I can relate to Kevin on the opening night 'crowds'. I went to see Godzilla Minus One at the Saturday late-afternoon matinee on its opening weekend and I think there were 15 people in the theater. Big comfy seats, too, maybe 100 in that theater of the multiplex. Action movies like Godzilla and James Bond are the kind I like to see in a theater on a big screen with great sound. Also add that a lot of movies these days don't tell a story and close it out - no introduction to set it up, no closing to tie everything together. Even a franchise like James Bond does that with each individual film.
I love the cinema going experience and have always tried to support it. When my local independent cinema closed I stop going and the main reason was my lack of interest in big Hollywood movies being shown at the chains and people just flat out being rude and having zero regard for other cinema goers. No one seems to behave or for the most part actually watch the film they paid for. I would love to say its kids but most of the time its adults talking, looking at their phones or acting like giant slobs. At least with a small independent place I knew it was people who really wanted to see the film and cared for their fellow movie goer. Its just seems to be missing now
I am definitely a once in a blue moon theater guy. I have installed home theaters for 30 years. I have what some people would call a man cave. I popped my head out to see the force awakens. And I haven’t been out since.
Even with a good size, Walmart TV in your standard living room, the theater can’t compete.
Unless you are a theater buff or on a date, which by the way a movie on a date is the worst idea. Hey let’s go not talk to each other for three hours. 😂
I bought a used Samsung Freestyle projector, and mounted a screen at the end of my bed, so I can enjoy movies comfortabl. It's hard to beat that.
actually, movie dates are the best idea. Most guys will talk their way out of a girl liking them. Not talking protects the man from himself.
Bro you was never a person going to the theater to watch cinema. You just watching Star Wars and big events . Your tv don’t have shit in Theaters .
I love seeing a film in the cinema. But many years ago I started with surround sound in the living room, and over the years my TV guy bigger and the sound system got better. I can watch any movie, with excellent sound on a big sharp screen. With my wife, and we can pause and pee when we want. It's not the same, but it's excellent.
@@JERSEYBOYPLAY2HARD my tv doesn’t but I literally install theaters in peoples homes. And that’s what I did in my house. I’m not talking about a Walmart tv and a sound bar.
Kevin Smith is just the wrong person to ask this question to. People are still willing to go to the theaters, but no one (in the filmmaking/Hollywood scene) wants to admit that the quality of the movies is just pure dogshit. They're soulless, agenda-driven and feature-length advertisements to sell merchandise.
The people have had enough and will only show up to movies they truly feel passionate about (which is once or twice a year, at this point)
Also, I don't know how it is in other places, but in the UK the quality of the cinema itself has bottomed out - barely any staff around, the place is not tidy, the snacks are hugely overpriced, the sound quality is not assured... and all the while, the ticket price creeps up and up.
He bought a cinema in New Jersey and actually shows films but he’s not the person to ask?
Kevin literally addresses that and makes fun of it in "Jay and Silent Bob Reboot".
He definitely agrees with you.
@@Finfection"makes fun of it" by trying yet again to force his talentless daughter on us...
I totally agree with Kevin Smith on his analogy of movie theaters eventually becoming like Broadway theaters... you will be able to have that movie theater experience, but it'll cost you big money to do so. And if you think Broadway-style theater is expensive, try seeing an Opera in person. :D
Kevin's movies have never disappointed me because he gets it and doesn't appear to sacrifice his values.
The Broadway analogy was on point
I love Kevin to bits as a person, but he fundamentally represents a disgusting direction the industry almost took by promoting Killroy as an NFT. it's just a total betrayal on every level.
Anybody who uses RT as a metric is already in trouble.
Kevin Smith: "Nothing about the entertainment industry concerns me"
Then ge goes on to list problems with the industry for the next 5 min
I think the problem is most people don’t know how Rotten Tomatoes gets the score. Let’s say 10 critics review a movie using a 5 point scale. If all ten of them give a 4 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes says they are all positive reviews and it gets 100%. If 9 of them give 5 out of 5 and 1 gives 1 out of 5, then it will have 90%. Like Kevin said, don’t see a movie based on the reviews. Go to the movies you think you’ll enjoy and hope for the best.
Critics serve a purpose though, but a thumbs up or thumbs down isn't the best barometer. Actually reading the review of a critic who knows how to describe why the movie is good or bad without spoiling everything is great. You can't see everything, so having a little bit of a description of the quality of a film is helpful. Sometimes you may even read a negative review and come away knowing you'll like the movie more than the critic, because this critic is a good writer who explains the movie well.
I really enjoyed Kevin Smith's book "Tough Shit." It gave me inspiration when I really needed it bad. Also really enjoy his DVDs where he takes questions from college audiences. So entertaining! That man can pull a monologue out of thin air and you'll be on the seat of your chair the entire time.
The problem with RT is that a good number of the critics are favorably reviewing or torpedoing films based solely on the political and/or identity of the filmmakers and characters. They are no longer reviewing whether or not there is a compelling story or a fun movie to watch. That's why I watch Jeremy Jahns, the dude doesn't miss.
It doesn’t help at all that the film studios have shortened the theatrical to streaming time frame. Some people will just wait the month or two and see it at home.
Yeah it’s a different animal going from waiting for a movie to go to Network TV, then VHS/Laserdisc/DVD/video store, and now with streaming where usually someone knows someone who has one of the apps that has a movie that someone wants to watch. A lot of people have the wait for streaming mindset and there’s a generation coming up with that mindset too unless they can meme or make a TikTok out of it lol. 🤷♂️
True. I remember when I used to wait a month not for a DVD/streaming release but for the ticket prices to drop to see a 'blockbuster' movie at a discount (and the theater would be half-empty, too!).
Kevin has nothing but "respect" for the critical community... unless you're calling Kevin on his BS when he turns in sub-par work.
He literally nonstop makes fun of his movies that ppl hated. Wtf are u talking about.
I'm a serious film buff, have been for decades and the amount of films I've seen in an empty cinema in the last 4 years shocks me (maybe 40 to 50 thereabouts ) my theory, covid and the cost of absolutely everything going up food ,mortgage, rent ,car/ health insurance plus highly formulaic films Mission impossible 18 ect ect PLUS even basic streaming services becoming very sophisticated and wide reaching and quite affordable to most is reflected in the death of modern cinema, certainly the 1980s ,1990s cinema crowd that Kevin came up in is being washed away, its like Granny showing you her Peter Rabbit picture books she got back in the 1940s.
Michael: The number on Rotten Tomatoes does not reflect the quality of the film. A very mediocre film can have a 90% on RT because that simply means 90% of critics thought it was "better than bad". How do you not know this already?
Rotten Tomatoes is an absolutely archaic consensus tool.
Fellow Cinephiles: It is well past time to switch to a new model. Metacritic seems to "get it" from what I can tell. ( I am no shill for them. If someone has a better alternative, please tell.)
'Ol Kev has shriveled into an American version of Orlando Bloom.
You know it.
a.k.a. Orloomdo Bland.
You should be able to review the reviews
“Cinema is gonna become vinyl…”
Truer words….
Just saw dp3 in the theatre, and there were people talking, playing on their phones, and generally being inconsiderate to those around them. It ruined the entire experience for me. THAT is what killed cinema for me. In my home, I can control the environment around me and do not have to suffer fools (besides myself).
I just hate IMDB for taking the forums away because weirdos were weird in them about Anne Hathaway that month whenever that was.
Thanks Amazon for deleting so much information.
Great channel...Always enjoy me some Kevin Smith. Bright,emotional and genuine. He always came across as a relatable guy. The movie theater genre has evolved over the years. From the double featured 50/60's fare. I am old enough to remember Drive In venues that were crowded...with cars and trucks. And you could stay all night..from dusk til midnight. Those days are forever gone. Just as the old cinema scenario...oh yeah..the COVID adventure... just helped along the downfall of decent movie fare. The Marvel magic is gone,also...poor DC..never stood a chance. The Blockbuster era has pasted....sorry to say. Hearing Kevin's prediction about the niche post is true..I mean...really, $70 bucks for a family movie experience!!? DVD's are good enough for me..and I'm a senior citizen. Dark comfortable home..my own caramel corn..milk duds..come on. Cinema recliner seats..and over priced drinks...oh,hell no. I wish all you fellas well...the movie Industry is going to self destruct. Always enjoy the overviews...continue!!
The business needs to evolve. The theater has to evolve the experience, its why I dig movie eateries like Cineopolis, Alamo, and the like. The AMC and Regals of the world are on literal life support at this point. Its also the studios that need to start putting out more comedies and interesting dramas instead of everything being a tent pole film.
I'd add for the studios to stop relying on the "franchise film" model where they keep producing sequel after uninteresting sequel. Give the audience something unique and original.
I never understood the business model of cinemas, especially multiplexes. You have an 8, 10 or 12 screen cinema, so you need a WIDE range of films to fill these screens. Back in the 1990s when multiplexes were expanding aggressively, it was because 4 to 5 movies a week were being released meaning 16 to 20 movies were in rotation in a cinema each month. Now that has scaled back because of the priority to blockbusters and releasing low-to-mid and even high budget movies on streaming, so now multiplexes have become problematic.
If only cinemas were allowed to create their own movies. AMC, Regal, Cinemark are the Top 3 and should be making their own movies to fill their screens alongside major studios. Nightclubs and theatres organize their own productions, so why can't cinemas? Also, the cinemas should be able to do regular research and present reports to studio stating EXACTLY the types of movies their audiences want: by genre, by budget, by stars, etc. The cinemas should have way more influence in the movies the receive, because it would make money for both of them: studio and cinema chain.
Michael’s been hanging out on Film Twitter for too long
Last movie I saw at the cinema was Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Home vs. Cinema was one thing in the past (for me, the '90s and '00s), but now Home > Cinema.
How refreshing to hear Kevin talk from the wallet.
Lov Kev. Both of you are great. Cheeeers
Audience score is all that matters.
I disagree there’s nothing more of a downer when a movie you’ve been waiting for for years for a sequel or whatever and you you find out it comes out on Netflix and you know the production quality is gonna suck and the movie going experience is gone …Kevin sh** ing on what made him great and scared to say critics suck
The division between the critics and the audience is breathtaking. Look at Star Wars Acolyte. 😊
He's spot on about movie theaters
While I agree a bit with Kevin, the numbers look a lot more promising that he's saying. Pre-pandemic we were doing 10-11 billion a year. last year we did almost 9 billion dollars in sales with way less releases. The numbers have been going up and the sales we're doing now are about the same as 2000-2009. We're still on the up swing. We had 2, billion dollar movies last year - one was a doll movie, one was a talk-heavy, science heavy, half black and white drama. People just want to see good movies. Period.
I have a general rule for myself when choosing a movie. If i like the director and casts prior movies, then i see their newest movies. Especially if those same filmmakers dont make too many movies within a few years. Cinema is an art. It takes time to make art.
So tired of people in Hollywood blaming streaming as an excuse for why theaters are having Less and less turn out. It’s not fucking accessible, people can not afford an $8 soda and the theaters refuse to lower their prices. People still love having a movie experience but it shouldn’t cost $50 plus
I remember going to a megaplex in the late 90s, the kind with at least 25 screens in the building. The auditorium I went to, hundreds of seats. And there were maybe 5 other people besides me and my parents. The writing has always been on the wall. The movie going experience was broken by the proverbial blockbuster. They built an 18 lane super highway, when they were probably fine with 8. In spite of how much they overcompensated, they still managed to be extremely profitable for decades. But the fear of competition between studios has caused weeks or months of stagnation in the theaters. And rather than putting over 40 or 50 movies a year (through various subsidiaries), studios are putting all their chips into a half dozen mega projects that regularly fail or barely make back their bloated budgets. And how can any smaller fish hope to make a dent in the box office, when the top three movies are taking up 50% of the available screens nationwide.
I can already sadly see in the history books already: "cinema is the new vinyl"
I've been counting down the days to the death of theatrical exclusivity for almost fifteen years now. You know what got me started on that countdown? When Netflix began making its own content back in the early 2010s. That's when I knew, this whole theatrical experience is gonna die. It's only a matter of when.
Todays film culture was destroyed by streaming and I miss it. It was a culture and the internet has been destroying our culture
Wasn’t rotten tomatoes messing with the algorithm by deleting reviews?
For me, the reason I stopped going to the movies was the price, tickets are around £15 each and medium popcorn with drink is £20 and the bags of sweets are £4+ for normal size. It just isn’t worth the money IMO
A 90% rating on RT means 90% of people who watched a movie liked it… it doesn’t mean it got a 90/100 rating…
05:06 Smith is right. The old model of the big multiplex theatre showing to hundreds of people is dead. There are a number of cinemas open still near me, but most of them cater to a very specific audience. They all have the big armchair style seats (some have whole sofas), some serve proper bar food as well as the usual popcorn stuff and some (not all) but a lot have bars so you can buy a beer/glass of wine/gin & tonic or a whiskey with your viewing. And whilst they do show some current movies, they’re usually pretty limited as to which they show (tends to be anything aimed at an older audience) but they mostly show classic films!
It’s good in some ways, bad in others. Harder to find a family film to go to with the kids. But as an adult film fan it’s great (save for the price of course which is extortionate for everything- the ticket, the drinks, the food…everything!) 😂
Personally, I’m in line with what Kevin is saying. I have gone to theaters once in the past five years. Films don’t excite me like they did 15-20 years ago. I don’t even have a streaming service to watch tv shows or films. I find myself leaning toward video games, board game nights with family and friends, and going to live shows as my preferred entertainment now.
" The critical community"
First of all, there is no critical community now.
I used to be a film critic and reviewer for 8 years. Covered film festivals as a critic and before that as a journalist for over a decade .
When i was working the festival beat in the 1990s and 2000s there were still film critics and real film reviewers.
I left reviewing and criticism in 2010. I just came back to writing about film this year.
What i find is that there are very few film critics left now. Possible reasons are layoffs from newspapers and newspaper closures as well as the rise of the internet.
Secondly, the rise of video sharing platforms online such as you tube as well as social media led to the Amateurization of Film Reviews.
Thus people who are not journalists ( as I had been), not academics, not writers and often not even educated formally or in film are doing film reviews. Its a mess.
Plus the studios are paying these film influencers, movie tok people and you tube "film reviewers" to push their movies just as they paid people years ago to be fake film critics and pretend to be reviewers.
All these you tube and tik tok reviewers you see are probably bought and paid for .
Its an uncritical community maybe.
Gatekeeper
@collin8939 Absolutely right. One subset-The Right Wing / Conservative loons- are from what I see fixated with being anti- woke and mad at superhero and comic book films and sci fi.
Everything is a vague purity test or exam with these you tube and tik tok reviewers , critics and influencers as a whole.
They aren't writers and they sure as hell aren't thinkers ( hint hint). They wouldn't know Jonathan Rosenbaum or Dwight McDonald or Andrew Sarriss or James Agee or Pauline Kael.
They would have to learn how to read first.
@alcoholicgoat If I were, the gate would be closed on you.
Have a nice day.
The critics job is the most useless job in the world.
Critics have become ideological activists that value diversity more than they do good writing and directing.
Rotten Tomatoes was pretty accurate, until a few years ago, when they let a lot of new critics in, who judge movies based on whether the movie matches their political opinions, not whether its actually a well crafted, well told, visual story. Studios basically decided to cater to a female audience by producing, what was formerly, male targeted content for women, like female led action movies, heist films, ect. And this pretty much alienated both men and women.
90% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t mean any critic rated it 90%. It just means that only 10% of critics thought it was actively bad. It’s entirely possible for a movie that zero critics particularly liked to get a 90% score.
I don't understand how Kevin didnt understand He-man.....wtf happened there man!?! You were supposed to be the chosen one!
Problem is nobody actually understands the RT aggregation score. If a movie gets a 99 on RT from 100 reviews that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s one of the greatest movies of all time. It just means enough people liked it to give it a passing score. The movie itself could get a solid 7/10 from all the reviews and it could still get a 100-99 RT score.
The posters in this room are all I need to know about the hosts taste. Nice.
Wait just curious what movie is Kevin smith coming out with in a few months??
Probably a sequel to something he first made when he was more tolerable, now aimed more at reddit upvotes than actually decent.
Still Go to The Theater Love it!!!
I enjoy the theater as well, but even that's changed in certain ways. On the plus side, the seats are generally way more comfortable than in the '70s and '80s, and the picture quality (and sound) is phenomenally better - no old prints that have been poorly handled so that they're full of dirt and scratches. But I used to enjoy the lead up to the lights going down and the trailers starting. That 15 - 20 minutes was a time to sit and talk with your friends and get into the "cinema frame of mind". Eventually they started showing slides with ads and/or movie trivia, but even those were silent and unobtrusive. Now they blare commercials at 80 dB before the lights go down. When my son and I went to see Dune Part 2, we couldn't even have a conversation during that 15 minutes before the trailers started because the ads were so fucking loud. I know, I know - Old Man Yells At Cloud. And I know that ad revenue helps compensate for declining ticket sales. But it just annoys the fuck out of me that there are so many ads shouting in my face now. Even gas pumps do it.
People having conversations during the movie and theater staff not enforcing is what will kill movie theaters.
I’d rather watch a movie at home than wonder if some inconsiderate monologist is going to ruin the experience for me.
he’s not lying.
Godzilla Minus One. Amen.
I bring my kids to the movies on rainy days for their movies but that’s it. Wife & I used to go 2-3x a month pre kids but would rather order take out or cook something fancy & rent a movie or binge a series in our pjs on our “date” nights when the kids are at grandmas.
i'm skeptical of completely divorcing critical engagement and a given art. for creators, it makes more sense to me because they're far more likely to be bombarded with thoughts about them that are hurtful: however, the collective conversation about art, individual work and the philosophical state of the industry (and the world at large), is a crucial and healthy leg of the cinematic experience. that said, aggregation and "score braining" of the scene has absolutely impacted how we seek and curate film, and that should be proactively curtailed.
If 5 of 6 critics found movie watchable that translates to 83 percent fresh rating. The Fresh criteria is generally 3 stars out of 5. So basically watchable or average film[not bad not too good].
Let's say film has 2 reviews , 2 out 2 critics thought film is watchable as in "not garbage" that would translate to 100 percent fresh rating. It doesn't mean the film has 10/10 stars.
So next time you see Rotten Tomatoes score. First check how many critics have rated it. And if you see 80 percent score on RT with 40 reviews: It just means 80 percent of 40 critics thought this feel is not garbage. But it definitely does not mean the film is 8 stars out of 10.
Your next step should be glance at audience score. It also has similar translation. Then see a teaser - trailer, may be who made it like screen writer, director, cinematographer etc. May be look up their previous film and then decide.
Booksmart was great, but bombed at the box office. Woulda been better off going straight to streaming
Sadly most smaller films have almost no chance in theaters of late
Why pay theater prices to watch movies about people in rooms talking? A theatrical release has to justify leaving the house, sitting in an uncomfortable chair 100 yards from a bathroom with no pause button just for a bigger screen, louder speakers and it costs as much as a month of a streaming service. It better be a visual epic. Super hero movies are on top for a reason. I'd rather watch Doctor Strange 2 in a theater and watch ponderous character studies at home.
Booksmart was terrible and disjointed
Call me old school, but I preferred old school critics like Siskel and Ebert. They may not always be right but you understand their sensibilities and how it matched to you and they were a good gauge. The big studios and especially the big streamers like Netflix and Amazon do not want movie theaters. To them they are middle men taking their profits. They are on a slow plan to destroy them.
I think an argument could be made that marvel movies were artificially propping up theaters for the last couple years. And probably would have continued to do so had they not decided to rely on the fact that just being a marvel movie would generate enough interest for people to show up and they lost direction and site of what they were trying to do. Obviously a 15 -year run is still a good run. But they took it for granted that they still had to produce exceptional quality films. I really like the movie going experience I just haven't had a movie that I really feel like I need to go see in the theater for a couple months now.
Lol, i've been saying Rotten Tomatoes was "sold out" since the early 2000s. I love to hear it when an industry person confirms something i said :)
But Kevin did sorta 'sell out' when he did the latest He-Man cartoon, that can't be argued. But hey, i don't harbor so....(shrug)
nuff said?
I love it how neither of these two are saying the actual problem that most people simply don’t wanna pay the outrageous ticket prices and prices for snacks at a movie theater nowadays when it’s way easier to spend 20 bucks and rent it at home and watch it from the comfort of your own place
Kevin literally talked about the price being too high and driving people away.
@5:47 The only movies I've seen in theaters since 2017 are Dune Part 1 & 2. That's only because I've been a Dune fan for 30 years. There isn't any another franchise in existence that would draw me back to a large chain theater. Especially after that experience .When seeing Part 2 during the "Fan First" screening (Exclusively at AMC) the theater screen was so dirty you could see 2ft black vertical streaks covering the entire screen.. The cost of 2 tickets plus fees, the ride to and from, parking, my time and a bad experience ended being more expensive than just buying a large format screen for my house.
Not even James Bond would draw you back? Very dependable action films, always well done (since Roger Moore got the boot), they only put one out every 3-4 years so it doesn't overwhelm the 'brand'. I haven't seen either of the Dune movies and probably won't as I value the imaginative world I remember from reading the book a few times and fear someone's visual interpretation would ruin it for me. I've got to pick up a copy and re-read it again, great sci-fi novel.
I have never understood why anyone pays attention to the troll tomato site. It has always been a cesspool. But I do agree with Kevin (no surprise there) - I see the trailer, I know if I want to see it or not. I rarely pay attention to real critics, I never pay attention to rando interweb "critics".
My wife and I have regularly been the only people at a movie screening, even pre-pandemic. They have been fading out for quite a while. I will be one of the last to give up on the theaters, though. 😎
Considering the downright laughable state of Kevin Smith's work, I don't really think he has much room to criticize. He has only increased the amount of crap in the entertainment industry.
I love and respect Kev. even if he does a movie I don't particularly love, I like Kevin himself and like his passion for the art and how he'll just make the films he wants to make and doesn't give a fuck what market it appeals to. He makes Kevin Smith movies. A problem I see now as a filmmaker myself is that there's too many content creators flooding the web, too much influencer shit, and people have to attention span for "films" and this TH-cam platform used to be full of short films by super indie creators like me, but now it's basically just MR Beast-type stuff, people talking, reviewing things... it's commercials, products, etc. and lately I've been more interested in going to a theater because I just get sick of the decision fatigue and isolation that streaming / online yields...
He makes movies for redditors now.
God Kevin pisses me off. Right out the gate "Why the fuck should you care what other people think?" then mere seconds later saying he'd practically give BJs to film critics. Why should you care what other people think, Kevin? PICK ONE!
I’ve never looked in rotten tomatoes. Who cares what other people think about movies. If I like it I like it.
The mistake is thinking that a high Rotten Tomatoes score means a film is brilliant, and it doesn't, it just means more reviewers were positive than negative. A film that everyone agrees is okay will get just as high a score as a film that everyone thinks is excellent.
Movies don’t last if it’s straight to streaming. Theaters 🎭 are way better for the experience.
I still go to the theaters. I’m riding that mama jama until the wheels fall off.
re: the vinyl analogy. Music can and generally is a very personal experience that you can share. Movie theaters are a group experience and the *group* has become insufferable. Younger generation cannot stay off their fucking phones for 5 minutes and ruin every damned movie I try to go to. Screw that. I'd rather watch at home now because people have become selfish, self-absorbed assholes.
I like that orange sweater.
I think Critics job is the most useless job in the world. People let some rando tell them what to consume. I don't get it. The only reason why I watch critic TV shows back in the day was only to see the previews and to see more of what the movie was about. Times have changed and now you can see all of that online without some rando telling you what you should do.
No one's telling you to do anything, it's just people giving their opinion.
@@Nathan-gd7xq LOL
Critics have introduced me to a lot of movies.
No jokes, I never understood why people take rotten tomatoes so serious. A movie comes out and it’s like “98% fresh, based on 8 reviews” like why tf would I go off of 8 people reviewing it? Even if it was 27% on RT, I wouldn’t care. If I want to see a movie, I’m going to watch it, idc what anyone says about it