Hollywood Needs Some More Originality In Movies

Kumail Nanjiani as "Kumail" and Zoe Kazan as "Emily" in THE BIG SICK. Photo by Sarah Shatz.

When it comes to the studio movies, it’s time to start seeing some originality in the content they are proving.

One of the biggest problems I’ve had this year is with the comedies being released.  Either I didn’t see them or I simply chose to pass on them after reading the reviews and that’s a shame because comedies are among the movies that I choose to see first if there isn’t a comic book or Star Wars movie in release.

The party subgenre is done.  This is why movies like Rough Night and The House failed.  I can’t explain the failure of Snatched.  It’s time for the Hollywood studios to move on because both fans and critics alike have grown tired.  We can only see the same type of film how many times.

While I’m very happy to see a film such as The Big Sick work as well as it does, I’m sad to see an indie like Table 19 fail in the way that it did.  Given the pedigree and talent involved, there’s no reason as to why Table 19 couldn’t have been a better movie.

At the same time, the studios need to stop making movies to ensure a large box office haul in China.  As this article at The Hollywood Reporter tells us, it’s not exactly working.  I guess it could work but not with the shear amount of pandering at the Chinese audiences as with what happened in Transformers: The Last Knight.

Don’t be afraid to take a chance on an original idea with a small budget like we just saw with Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver.  Don’t be afraid to give that no-name director a chance or cast a film with complete unknowns.  You don’t need a big name to draw people to see a movie.  Does it help?  Sure, it helps but all I care about is that there is a good story with with chemistry between cast members, not to mention the dialogue, of course.

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.

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