Making Better Movies on Smaller Budgets

If a movie makes $4 million at the box office, is it a failure?

I the producers spend $20M making it, it's a flop. If they spent $50M, it's a disaster.

But what if the film was made on a budget of $450,000? If you invest $450k on something and get a return of $4M in a year, you'd be pretty happy.

One of my favorite films, Brick (2005), was made for $450k. It was Rian Johnson's first feature film. His cousin composed the soundtrack.

Johnson went on to make big budget films, such as Knives Out and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but of all of his work, Brick is still my favorite.

I'd like to see more films made on tight budgets. I like to see talented writers, directors, and actors working on projects because they believe more in a script than a paycheck. Even if it's a group of friends shooting in available light on consumer cameras, if the story is good, I'd want to see it.

The entertainment industry craves blockbusters. They want projects that will result in massive paychecks. And so, they make their $50-100M movies, and occasionally those movies give them a huge return on investment. And oftentimes, they flop.

The expectation of a massive payday makes it harder to fund and distribute independent films. That's a problem, because a massive payday requires filling lots of seats. Filling lots of seats requires sticking with ideas that have worked in the past instead of taking a chance on something that no one has ever seen before.

Low budget films are creative and bold.

Big budget films are derivative and formulaic.

Support independent filmmakers, and by all means, if you have an idea for a movie, make it and put it out there. Gather your resources, figure out how to work efficiently, and tell your story. Fresh voices and perspectives are more interesting than bloated Hollywood retreads.

The Mockingbird

I had a chance to see ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ at a local cinema last month. I know the story, having read the book, and I’ve seen the movie on television, but viewing a film on a large screen leaves an outsized impression.

The child actors gave marvelous performances. We see the story unfold through the eyes of children, a viewpoint that makes the attitudes and behavior of adults seem particularly gruff and puzzling.

The story is bitterly tragic. It doesn’t shy from depicting gross inequities and despicable attitudes. It must have made a powerful impact when it was released at the height of the civil rights movement.

A haunting conclusion is that a system of justice is only as just as the people who administer and participate in it. Despite high ideals and heroic acts, some people are systematically oppressed while others get away with grotesque behavior. This remains as true today as it was during the Great Depression.

When elusive justice is finally served, it comes in unexpected ways. The tide finally turns against those who once got away with everything.

Finally, never discount the good will of neighbors, even those who seem strange and distant. We’re all in this together. In the darkest moments, people you never knew you could count on will rise to meet the challenge.

© 2024 Daniel R. South - All Rights Reserved

The Producers

Trump 2.0 is going to be like the play in the Mel Brooks film ‘The Producers’, scripted by zealots, funded by the gullible, designed to be awful, and most profitable when it fails.

Childhood Movie Memories

Awards season is bringing back memories. I watched movies mostly on television when I was a boy. Our TV was black and white, and the picture quality varied with the weather.

The first movie I saw on a big screen was “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner.” My parents loaded us into the car and took us to the drive-in. I don’t recall us going to another movie as a family, but two little sisters came along which made it difficult to schedule outings.

Why they chose that film, I don’t know. It featured three legendary stars, but as a kid, I didn’t have the context to appreciate their fame. Hepburn and Tracy seemed like someone’s grandparents. The younger actors, including the incomparable Sidney Poitier, were more relatable.

The movie started with a plane landing at an airport. Understanding that the movie played at the drive-in every night, I asked my mom if the night before they showed what happened before the plane arrived. She explained that no, they showed the same story every night so lots of people could see it. My assumption seems daft now, but I can see the logic behind it. I’ve always had an analytical mind.

The first movie I saw in a cinema was “Destroy All Monsters.” When the trailer played on TV, I as a budding sci-fi fan, was smitten. My parents were mortified. They refused to take me to see “that junk.” Luckily, my town had a movie theater about ten blocks away. I had never walked that far by myself (I was nine), so I planned my route and even thought through how cars negotiated intersections so I could cross the street safely (analytical mind). I grabbed some coins from my dresser (I think the ticket cost $1.75) and treated myself to a Saturday matinee. I don’t think Mom ever forgave me, but the movie was awesome.

Barbie Thoughts

The Barbie movie challenges us to examine familiar situations from unfamiliar perspectives. It encourages the viewer to draw their own conclusions, including some that may be uncomfortable. The film is bold, bright, flashy, and entertaining, but it inspires deep reflection, the highest aspiration for a work of art.

The story is allegorical. Plot devices may represent other things, but it’s all open to interpretation. I have several theories about what Barbieland represents. Which one is right? Maybe they all are. Maybe that’s the point.

If you see ‘Barbie’, in addition to being entertained, you’ll be treated to one of the best soliloquies ever written. Move over, Will Shakespeare.

The Forbin Project

I had a flashback to a movie that fascinated me when I saw it on television many years ago. Fearing that human error or a lack of judgment might trigger armageddon, the government puts its nuclear arsenal under the control of a sophisticated computer system. Unfortunately, the computers quickly outwit their designers and, realizing that they have the power to exterminate all life on the planet, hold mankind hostage.

The premise of “Colossus: The Forbin Project” (1970) has new relevance today for a variety of reasons.

- The ascendance of Artificial Intelligence is raising practical and ethical concerns.

- The world’s two nuclear super powers are at odds over a hot war in Europe. (The Soviets play a key role in the movie, but I won’t give it away.)

- The chief scientist in charge of designing the computer system was played brilliantly by actor Eric Braedon, who went on to have a long and celebrated career in daytime dramas. Mr. Braedon, now 82, recently announced that he is battling cancer. My thoughts are with him.

I wasn’t yet a teenager when I first watched “The Forbin Project” on television. I had no idea that I would have a career working with computers. I had never even seen a computer; they had not yet become ubiquitous.

Nevertheless, the story made a powerful impression. I hope that mankind will make wiser decisions in real life than they did in the story, but given the integral role of computer systems in our day to day lives, something that could not have been imagined in 1970, I fear that we may be facing a perilous future.

10 Movies That I Deeply Despise

10 Movies That I Deeply Despise:

(You might like them, and that’s fine. Everyone’s taste is different.)

1. The Godfather (Plodding and grisly)

2. Gone With The Wind (She’s a mean-spirited brat)

3. Pretty Woman (So wrong on so many levels)

4. The Fugitive (Ridiculous plot, awful acting)

5. Die Hard 2 (Worst case scenario for bad sequels)

6. The Breakfast Club (The director should have gotten detention)

7. McLintock (From an era when men thought it was funny to beat their wives)

8. Aliens (Stop whining!)

9. From Here To Eternity (Incredibly bleak)

10. Eraserhead (89 minutes that seem like 89 hours)

A Clockwork Orange - Film Commentary

“A Clockwork Orange” is about politics. The Conservatives, who are currently in power, launch a “get tough on crime” approach to regaining control of the violent streets. Their policies include hiring ex gang members as police officers and a draconian reprogramming technique that transforms violent criminals into meek, helpless weaklings.

The opposition party, the Liberals, see an opportunity to make a martyr of one of the early subjects of the reprogramming technique. That subject is Alex, whose life we follow throughout the story. One of the Liberals is a writer whose wife had been brutally attacked by Alex and his gang earlier in the story. That attack gets Alex convicted and sentenced to undergo the reprogramming technique.

The Liberals don’t try to help Alex. Rather, they prey on his weakness in an attempt to get him to kill himself. He will become a poster child for the excesses of the Conservative government.

Since music was played during the reprogramming sessions, Alex, who used to love listening to Beethoven, now becomes violently ill whenever he hears music. The Liberals lock Alex in a room on an upper floor and blast music until he jumps out of a window in a desperate attempt to escape his excruciating discomfort.

The plan fails because Alex survives, and the Conservatives see their own opportunity. They rehabilitate Alex as a gesture to win back public opinion after their reprogramming technique is viewed as unacceptably cruel, even when used on horrible criminals.

Favorite scenes:

- The scene where the Liberals torture Alex with music has Kubrick’s signature visual devices all over it.

- The scene where Alex picks up girls in a book shop is inventive and visually arresting.

- The scene where Alex gets a home visit from his school’s disciplinary officer reminds us of the unsettling parallel between his youth and his ferocious battles on the streets.

- The reprogramming session is bizarre and unsettling. We feel the heavy hand of abuse and intrusion when the government invades our personal space in a diabolical way.

Looper (2012) starring Bruce Willis

Looper (2012) starring Bruce Willis

‘Looper’ has been on my list of films to see since it was released, since I’m a fan of writer/director Rian Johnson’s movie ‘Brick’ (2005). When the news of Bruce Willis’ health struggles broke yesterday, I recalled that I’d wanted to watch ‘Looper’, so I decided to rent it.

Pros

- Inventive plot

- Visually unique (sets and effects)

- Good pacing of the story. Information comes in bits and pieces.

- It has a twist which was craftily exposed

- EXCELLENT cast and solid performances (including two members of the ‘Brick’ cast)

- Thought provoking

Cons

- Extreme violence

- Unsettling cruelty

- Borrows ideas from a number of other movies

- Some minor continuity issues. (A character knows about loopers, but it’s never made clear how they knew this, since loopers are secretive.)

- Vague ending raises questions

Rating: 6.5/10

The Godfather (1972) - Positive Comments Only

The Godfather (1972) - Positive Comments Only

I’ve criticized ‘The Godfather’ over the years, so I thought that it would be a good exercise to find some nice things to say about the film. Here’s my list of 100 percent positive comments about ‘The Godfather’.

- ‘The Godfather’ was a truly original film. It was not derivative in any way. Movies had portrayed organized crime before, but ‘The Godfather’ showed the underworld in a unique way.

- ‘The Godfather’ has at least a half dozen iconic scenes and many memorable lines.

- ‘The Godfather’ had such a fresh vision that it became an instant classic. It didn’t take time for lines like “I made him an offer he can’t refuse” to enter the cultural lexicon.

- Once you see ‘The Godfather’, it sticks with you forever. It’s unforgettable.

- ‘The Godfather’ added the word ‘cannoli’ to my vocabulary.

- Al Pacino was really, really good in the film.

Movie List

Favorite romantic comedy: Two Weeks Notice

Favorite action movie: Die Hard

Favorite comedy: The Naked Gun

Favorite drama: Brick

Favorite Sci-fi Film: District 9

Favorite Sci-fi Comedy: Back To The Future

Favorite Bond Film: For Your Eyes Only

Favorite Star Trek Movie: IV The Voyage Home

Favorite Black and White Film: Bringing Up Baby

Favorite Foreign Film: Shall We Dance? (Japan 1996)

A movie that frightened me: Failsafe

A movie that terrified me: Deliverance

Favorite film based on actual events: Apollo 13

Movie I love that everyone hates: Romeo Is Bleeding

Movie I hate that everyone loves: The Fugitive

Worst Movie Ever: Eraserhead

Best Movie Ever: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Sidney Poitier

The first movie that I saw at a theater, albeit a drive-in, was “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” (1967) starring Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, and Sidney Poitier, three giants of American cinema.

The first movie that I saw at an indoor theater, over the stern objection of my parents, was “Destroy All Monsters” (1968) starring Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra, three giants of Japanese cinema.

All kidding aside, Sidney Poitier was a giant among giants in the entertainment industry, a consummate performer with unrivaled charisma, dazzling intelligence, fierce passion, deep commitment, and an incomparable stage presence.

“In The Heat Of The Night” was released in the same year as “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner,” but I didn’t see it until two decades later when it became available on VHS. It was worth the wait. It’s one of the most powerful films that I’ve ever watched; it must have landed like a gut punch in 1967.

Poitier was like dynamite to Rod Steiger’s TNT as they dealt with questions of race, law, and perception, questions that the country still grapples with today. Steiger won the Oscar for Best Actor.

The last film that I saw with Mr. Poitier in a featured role was 1992’s star-studded tech caper “Sneakers.” His power and range as an actor had not diminished. He could switch from light comedy to deeply serious drama in a heartbeat. One of my favorite scenes is when he holds the car phone up and calls out to Robert Redford, “It’s your mother” to save his friend from a run in with dangerous bad guys.

You can’t go wrong watching a movie with Sidney Poitier. He always delivered an amazing performance, standing out like a giant no matter who else shared the stage.

15 Films That Everyone Should See

15 Films That Everyone Should See

(with alternate selections)

Modern Times (1936) / Metropolis (1927)

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

The Maltese Falcon (1941) / The Big Sleep (1946)

Casablanca (1942)

An American In Paris (1952) / On The Town (1949)

12 Angry Men (1957)

My Fair Lady (1964) / The Sound Of Music (1965)

In The Heat Of The Night (1967) / Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner (1967)

Jaws (1975) / Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

Star Wars (1977)

Amadeus (1984) 

Back To The Future (1985) / Ghostbusters (1984)

Boys In The Hood (1991) / Do The Right Thing (1989)

WALL-E (2008) / Toy Story 2 (1999)

Movie Haiku

She walks in his bar

Could the Germans win the war?

Better let her go

-

Scientists, don’t play

With that dino DNA!

Something will go wrong

-

Town things we are nuts

But let’s get the bats and gloves

Time to play some ball

-

Now the beach is closed

Primal fear lurks deep below

Need a bigger boat

-

Try to do some good

Try to help this fearful kid

Who speaks with the dead

-

A princess kidnapped

Droids and heroes race through space

To save the planets

George Lucas Warned Us

I’ve been thinking about the scene in Star Wars where Obi Wan uses mind control to misdirect the storm troopers. “These are not the droids you’re looking for.” He explains that some people are easily fooled by the power of suggestion.

One of the Capitol rioters was sentenced to prison today. He apologized saying that he had gotten swept up in the moment. This fellow didn’t harm anyone or destroy and property, but who knows what he might have done if he had encountered a member of Congress and gotten “swept up on the moment.”

Other defendants are facing more serious charges. A number of them have entered as their defense that they were motivated to attack the Capitol because they believed the ex-president’s rhetoric, the “stop the steal” conspiracy theory that they now refute as false. It’s amazing how the thought of doing time in prison can clear the mind and sharpen the perception.

The Star Wars franchise is a cautionary tale about authoritarianism. George Lucas warned us that people could be tricked into believing things that aren’t true, especially if it’s presented in a way that confirms existing biases.

People have been convinced that climate change is a hoax so oil companies won’t lose money.

People have been convinced that socialized medicine is inferior while for-profit medicine enriches big companies and bankrupts working families.

People are being convinced that vaccines are part of a plot to control them and rob them of their freedom. I don’t understand who actually benefits from that Big Lie, but someone is pushing it with great enthusiasm. (The Russians, perhaps?)

Fox News went on the air in 1996 with the mission of affirming the beliefs and stoking the fears of conservative viewers. Twenty-five years later, American citizens can’t agree with their neighbors on basic facts.

George Lucas warned us.

The Die Hard Paradox

Everyone has a favorite movie, but no one can name a better movie than ‘Die Hard’. 🙂

Famous Movies Described In Haiku

Yank shoots Nazi thug

Sends ex love on plane with hub

Finds a new best friend

Tornadoes are bad

What you need you’ve always had

There’s no place like home

Darth is really mean

Daft stormtroopers have bad aim

Heroes blast machine 

Strange black rock on moon

A-I kills the spaceship crew

Yes we’re still confused 

Two guys ride big bikes

Through the land in changing times 

What peace will they find? 

After college ends 

Girlfriend’s mom gets boy in bed

Can he make amends?

Simple Southern man

Meets two friends in Vietnam

Always loves his mom

Aggravated vet

Saves young hooker from a pimp

Drives a cab at night

Try to help this kid

Are the ghosts just in his head? 

Find out in the end

Danger in the sea

Town won’t close its busy beach

Bigger boat they’ll need

Golf’s a rich man’s game

Friendly wager - who will pay?

Gopher’s in the way

Enterprising lad

Selling sex at parents’ pad

Fixes car for dad

Canoe trip with friends 

Land of savage mountain men  

Navigate the threat 

Spirits haunt New York

Gang of goofballs round them up

But the big one’s tough

Fam’ly vacation

The thrill of learning to dance

And falling in love

Copyright © 2018 Daniel R. South 

All Rights Reserved

Movies That Turn 50 In 2018

Feeling old? Movies that turn Fifty this year:

2001: A Space Odyssey

Funny Girl

The Producers

Planet Of The Apes

Night Of The Living Dead

Rosemary’s Baby

The Thomas Crown Affair

Barbarella

The Odd Couple

Once Upon A Time In The West

Hang ‘Em High

Yellow Submarine