Should Internet Fanboys Shut Up or Have Their Say?
Filed under: Action, Fandom, Quentin Tarantino, Movie Marketing, Comic/Superhero/Geek
Whoever wrote, "Success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan," obviously lived before the Internet was created. Nowadays, we're all too eager to find a fall guy -- either an individual or a group -- on whom failure can be blamed. The most recent example is Terminator Salvation. Our own Jessica Barnes suggested several culprits, including the Internet itself: "Terminator could be a good example of how filmmaking at 'gunpoint' never ends well. It's possible that the leaked ending forced WB's hand to create something different when in fact we should have just let McG do his thing with the original script."
Lane Brown at New York Magazine's Vulture blog takes that idea further, giving odds on four "massively anticipated" movies that will 'have their failure blamed on a director listening to people on the Internet.' Lane lists Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2, Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are, and Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables as the most likely suspects.
We're on a slippery slope here, because as a dedicated movie site written by hard-core film buffs, Cinematical is inclined to obsess over every little item on upcoming movies, freely offering our strong opinions way in advance, often prompting dozens of different opinions from readers. Personally, I see nothing wrong with filmmakers paying attention to what fans are saying. And if they choose to change their movies based on the opinions of an unruly mob of fanboys, that says more about them than it does about the Internet. What do you think? Should Internet fanboys continue to have their say? Or should we all shut up and wait for the movie to come out before saying anything?










Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-27-2009 @ 4:10PM
Andy said...
What an odd place to ask that question.
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5-27-2009 @ 4:28PM
Kevin said...
Great question. There are definetly movies that get ruined by fanboys, and I think if a director jumps at a comment here and revises a script, then it's no longer his movie, its ours. As a fanboy, I can say, sometimes that is a better way to go. Terminator is a great example, the ending McG orginally had, that leaked would have killed the franchise in my opinion so Fanboys may have saved the Terminator franchise. Now, if JJ listened to all the whiney Trekkies for the new movie, it would've been a disaster. So, I say, listen to the internet, but still make the movie you want to; just be prepared for the consequences.
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5-27-2009 @ 4:29PM
Jay said...
Uhg, when we start to inject morality into the internet it becomes a much more boring place. I'm not saying that you questioning our online morality is a bad thing (it's rather interesting), only that the internet(s) have become a place where anyone can go and speak their minds without consequence (other than the occasional website ban or teenage suicide. Too soon?).
What I'm saying is that it shouldn't be our responsibility to watch what we say, only our responsibility to ignore what others are saying. So, filmmakers: be careful whom you listen to... after all, making movies is YOUR responsibility, not ours.
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5-27-2009 @ 4:34PM
Sam said...
Has Hollywood learned nothing from Snakes on a Plane? They changed that movie almost solely for the fanboy community, and it dropped like a stone.
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5-27-2009 @ 4:38PM
Dan said...
It's definitely an engaging question, but I think the heart of the matter has already been established: it's the responsibility of the filmmaker to make the movie. On one hand, fanboys (and anybody else that gives a shit) is going to have an opinion and because of the internet is going to air it out for all the world to see. On the other hand, the people in charge of the movie have their vision(s) and I think on some level, they are obligated to be true to that, because when films are tweaked based on fan reactions, it often shows, and the result is not always good.
Jay pretty much hit the nail on the head on this issue already, it's not our responsibility to watch what we say or to make the movie, since we're not the ones getting paid to do it. Since the internet will always be an outlet for movie fiends like us here, I think the trick (as always) is balance. Filmmakers sometimes need to adhere to more than usual fan direction, depending on the material, and other times, they don't need to at all. The movies are much more interesting when they are made under one vision, not stealing bits from the internet, the studio, etc. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't...that's the nature of the beast.
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5-27-2009 @ 4:45PM
Jeremy said...
while we all have our own wishes and demands for movies, I think directing is best left to the director. I'd gamble that no one would want a script written by the average internet fanboy.
Let's not kid ourselves here. We are not the ones creating the art and I shudder to think what a script written by fanboys would look like.
"A camel is a horse designed by committee."
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5-27-2009 @ 5:05PM
vegimorph said...
you're welcome. What's another example of what you were thinking of?
5-27-2009 @ 7:11PM
Jeremy said...
I think Batman & Robin, Terminator 3, Indiana Jones 4, Spiderman 3 (like you said) and the first Alien vs Predator all suffered from too much studio and/or fan involvement.
I feel like Wolverine could have been better with fan involvement. ;)
5-27-2009 @ 4:53PM
vegimorph said...
no offense but fanboys hyping about Venom is what caused Spider-Man 3 to stink. if you read up on it, Ari Arad told Sam Raimi he should include Venom because that's a popular villain for fans. before then, Raimi was on his own and look what happened
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5-27-2009 @ 5:01PM
Jeremy said...
thank you. that's a perfect example.
5-27-2009 @ 5:07PM
Cole said...
I'm an internet fiend and a movie geek, like most of you, but I think people need to shut the fuck up and let films get made.
Besides this Terminator debacle that we are all no doubt familiar, with take a look at this example:
JJ Abrams' SUPERMAN Trilogy: JJ had scripted the first of what could have become a Man of Steel trilogy. I've read the script, it was action packed, had heart and stayed true to the essence of Superman. Although the script absolutely took liberties with some of the plots twists and turns (as did the extremely entertaining Abrams' Star Trek reboot) the story, character and emotion was 100% accurate.
Internet fanboys (specifically Aint-it-Cools' Moriarty) got a hold of the script and cried "Foul"! Abrams' Superman was ultimately canned and Bryan Singer delivered a Donner look alike sequel that most were less than impressed with. LEAVE THE FILM MAKING TO FILMMAKERS!
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5-27-2009 @ 5:07PM
cromag said...
No one in hollywood knows how to make a movie anymore, the only people that do make indie/art films. Sometimes fan input would have helped a film (alien3 for example) but usually it ends up compromising someone else's artistic vision. However, it could be avoided if the studios started making films based on original stories instead of constantly making adaptations, sequels and "re-boots" But I guess that is way to much to ask.
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5-27-2009 @ 8:51PM
paul said...
The Genie is out of the bottle and there's no shutting him up. The movie industry is going to have to do a certain amount of pandering to us because the internet is a powerful blow horn and I think, it's influence is growing.
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5-28-2009 @ 1:25AM
Trevor Trujillo said...
If you want proof how internet fandom can really create a celluloid abortion, look no further than Snakes on a Plane.
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5-28-2009 @ 1:31AM
MovieFan said...
Yeah sometimes Fanboys should STFU. The Internet is a blessing and a curse for almost everything. Pirating is so rampant.
You listen to the fans you're screwed. You DONT listen to the fans, you're still screwed. As someone who has made films [indie at least] before, filmmakers should sometimes block some of the opinions out. Some
The ending in T4 was hard to swallow. But me and my friends still enjoyed it overall nonetheless.
[Spoiler alert]
Marcus should have lived while "the other dude" should have died.
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5-28-2009 @ 10:06AM
Paul Levy said...
I agree to what MovieFan said, the internet is both a blessing and a curse. Most often it is a curse because ultimately it is the director's decision in all things. But, there are times that their judgement doesnt quite go well.
Example is when Stallone chose 50 Cent, now I know there is a God because he listened to us and got him out. Stuff like that, we can help them especially when it comes to finding new talent!
Like this audition video I found fo a Toronto actor who wants to be part of Stallone's Expendables.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Od4sFlyECw
Now, I am no studio exec or whatever but I do recognize talent when I see it and judging from all the people getting movie roles like 50 Cent, I would rather spend my money on people who deserve it like this kid than people who dont! This is where the internet fanboys can come into play, helping to get people like this guy the attention he deserves & who WANTS to be part of the film than suggest someone like Kurt Russell who turns around and says "I dont do ensemble movies anymore".
Stupid and whats worse is that i was part of them who wanted Russell to be in this film! Now i want Stallone to get this kid because atleast he wants to be in it!
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5-28-2009 @ 2:53PM
ML said...
There's no going back to the days of relative insulation from fanboys, so it's useless to talk about doing so. However, how filmmakers respond to the current environment is another question. One can't allow fans to basically write the movie or series for them, and, having been involved more closely than I'd care to admit with one such community, I can attest that many fan ideas wouldn't work out so well (IMO).
I wouldn't care to assign responsibility, but I would say that I'd hope that people would be willing to accept the consequences of what they say.
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5-28-2009 @ 3:15PM
Petro1734 said...
I think maybe the angry "Fanboys" might need to go outside every once in a while, and walk off some of that pent up aggression. Maybe try talking to a girl every now and again. Cuz going steady with their hand doesn't seem to be working out ; )
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5-29-2009 @ 1:49PM
Batzarro said...
I think the fan should not always have a say. Often nostagia, cynism and other feelings prevent the fan from seeing the big picture. And I, as a fan of some things, would rather be pleasantly surprised than see things go EXACTLY as a see it in my mind.
Or maybe I'm still angry Justice League went down, and I still don't know why people thought it would suck.
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5-30-2009 @ 10:17PM
Matt said...
It doesn't matter if they're responsible for a bad film or not, whiny internet fanboys should shut up period.
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