The Geek Beat: Cast Not the First Stone ...
Filed under: Fandom, The Geek Beat
Hey geeks, did you hear? The reason this summer's films are rather sucky is because of us. At least, that's the suggestion put forth by The Guardian in their Terminator: Salvation bashing. In fact, their David Cox is hinting that our insatiable need for explosions, CG, and superheroes has stripped science-fiction of all its fresh, thought-provoking ideas.
How quickly the glories and gains of 2008 are forgotten, eh? One year, everyone is marveling at the treasure trove of solid filmmaking that Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse can inspire. They're coming out of the closet, fighting to be called a geek, and hailing The Dark Knight as something that made the lame walk and the blind see. But popularity is fickle. Now we're popcorn munching mouth-breathers who live with our parents, and dumb down cinema. If only we didn't exist, the world would have thought-provoking science fiction. The "others" that Cox is referring to would be gorging their intellects, whereas we would be playing video games and Dungeons and Dragons.
Now, as someone who writes under the geek banner every week, I'm forced into raising my hackles at what is really just sloppy generalization and name-calling. But it is a problematic backlash, and one that I've noticed gaining steam since X-Men Origins: Wolverine. We're to blame for hollow summer movies because we like Star Trek, guys named Logan, and Terminator flicks. If we didn't ask for the easily merchandized and digested, and get on the Internet to talk about them, bad movies wouldn't happen. Well, I hate to break it to you cultural watchdogs ... but you can't pin this one on us. You have failed to realize one thing ... we hated these movies more than you did.
How quickly the glories and gains of 2008 are forgotten, eh? One year, everyone is marveling at the treasure trove of solid filmmaking that Marvel, DC, and Dark Horse can inspire. They're coming out of the closet, fighting to be called a geek, and hailing The Dark Knight as something that made the lame walk and the blind see. But popularity is fickle. Now we're popcorn munching mouth-breathers who live with our parents, and dumb down cinema. If only we didn't exist, the world would have thought-provoking science fiction. The "others" that Cox is referring to would be gorging their intellects, whereas we would be playing video games and Dungeons and Dragons.
Now, as someone who writes under the geek banner every week, I'm forced into raising my hackles at what is really just sloppy generalization and name-calling. But it is a problematic backlash, and one that I've noticed gaining steam since X-Men Origins: Wolverine. We're to blame for hollow summer movies because we like Star Trek, guys named Logan, and Terminator flicks. If we didn't ask for the easily merchandized and digested, and get on the Internet to talk about them, bad movies wouldn't happen. Well, I hate to break it to you cultural watchdogs ... but you can't pin this one on us. You have failed to realize one thing ... we hated these movies more than you did.
Do none of you scan the Twitter feeds, and the reviews and comments of people like we proud flag-bearers on Cinematical? We've shredded this stuff. If you want to pin it on someone, you blame it on the lowest common denominator, and Average Joe Moviegoer who propels the schlock to the top, and criticizes us for having too high of expectations.
I will agree that fandom and geekdom can be a very poisonous thing. We do have a tendency to want more and more, and we ride the dragon trying to regain that sweet feeling we had the first time we picked up a comic book or saw Alien. But (and this is a big but), I don't think we're entirely responsible for this constant franchising, remaking, and rebooting. * Every single trade piece I write up is bragging about the "brand recognition," the fact that John Connor or The A-Team is instantly recognizable to the masses. The masses. That's not geekdom or fandom -- but I believe Hollywood thinks it is, and sells it under a geek label so that the media latches onto a perceived trend.
But most of this stuff is not truly geek, and if we were truly the box office swaying entity we're portrayed to be, Watchmen would have joined the $200 million club as quickly as Star Trek did. We'd be seeing Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury and LeGuin snatched up and adapted as quickly as we're seeing television shows and the 1980s remade. But we're not the masses, and sci-fi languishes unadapted on bookshelves because it's still seen as a niche genre that people in thick glasses enjoy. Those clamoring for intelligent, thought-provoking genre work need to remember that it exists because of our dreaded collective. We're the ones who bought up cheap paperbacks and comics, devoured episodes of Star Trek, flocked to conventions, and flew the flag for it when it was underground and weird to do so. We've obsessed and dissected sci-fi (and I'm including comics in there, too) because it was thought provoking, fresh, and interesting. And we're the ones who go on to create more of it.
Now, I'm not naive. I know that something like Star Trek or The Dark Knight succeeds because they appeal to everyone, and not a select corner of geekdom. I also know that audiences respond to solid entertainment, and that we all really want the same things out of a movie. The reason properties like Ghostbusters have brand recognition is because we all loved them, and we all had a wonderful time watching them. But there's a real tendency in the media to believe that a geek property succeeds because it was made and seen by "normal" people, whereas a Terminator or Wolverine flops because it was made by and for geeks who are happy to munch popcorn, and watch crap explode. They don't realize that an Iron Man or a Lord of the Rings comes about because someone like Jon Favreau or Peter Jackson is a fan, one who cares about making it right by everyone. A Wolverine comes about because Fox didn't believe mass audiences could understand the character and his canon. It's catering to the mainstream (or what is perceived as the mainstream, just as what is perceived to be geekdom) that kills these movies, not us. And everyone loses.
* I know I have paraphrased Drew McWeeny and his great HitFix editorial, I thank and apologize all at once.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-09-2009 @ 2:38PM
blackbelt jones said...
It's true, to an extent. Hate to say it, but if we keep paying for tickets they'll keep pumping it out. When thought provoking Sci-fi starts making serious cash, they'll start making it. Look at a movie like Primer or Time Crimes (to a lesser extent). Those movies make even 50 Million and there would be a barrage of movies like that. Unfortunately, there isn't a large market for movies of this nature.
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6-09-2009 @ 3:01PM
Chet said...
The geeks aren't to blame. Mainstream audiences aren't to blame either. If you're going to invest $150-$200 million into a movie, make it a good film. Quit looking for that magic seasoning that can be sprinkled into any pot, whether it's superheroes, buddy-cops, funny foul-mouthed shlubs, hot "brands," or women singing along to old songs, and just make good films.
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6-09-2009 @ 4:12PM
Batzarro said...
In any case, it's not any audiences fault that Studio Execs always follow the percieved "safe routes", whether it is sequels, prequels, reboots, or toy adaptations. It's actually rarer te case when a great movie gets proper marketing and care, and the audience ignores it comepletely.
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6-09-2009 @ 4:14PM
MarkH said...
Occam's Razor. My guess -- having seen neither movie -- is that Wolverine and Terminator didn't attract a big audience because they weren't very good movies. None of the reviews I saw suggests otherwise.
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6-09-2009 @ 5:02PM
Terry said...
I LOVED Wolverine. And it was 100% better than grumpy Bale´s version of Terminator. It did a lots of money, considering the leak. Better than expected. With a budget 150 mil. making 350 worldwide (and keep rising), you think it´s not enough? Geez, where are the times when even 10 mil. BO was enough?
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6-09-2009 @ 6:08PM
TheCritic28 said...
So when something sucks it's the geeks fault but when something is awesome it is the masses.
I don't know about you guy's, but as a geek I enjoy explotions, on like "regular" people who go to the movies for stimulating, thought provoking movies. No wonder City of God made 400 Million domestically. Since the smaller "geek people" went to go see Transformers, it only made 53 Million. Aww...
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6-10-2009 @ 6:58AM
Scott said...
That's right, it was the fanboys that was in charge of casting, story altering and CGI. I thought it was the fanboys who said "either make it into a cartoon and be smart or just don't do it at all." What moron put Hugh Jackman as Wolverine? Wasn't the one thing about Logan that was very distinct was his height? Who cast Halle Berry as Storm?Dark Knight, they lucked up on because The Joker was on point, but Hollywood is about as consistent as Shaq's free throws. Fanboys didn't tell them that Megatron was a tank or Bumblebee was a camaro. We already know the inaccuracies, its the late "fans" who didn't grow up with the original stories who make these idiots make these bad movies. Watch what they do with Red Dawn and Total Recall.
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6-10-2009 @ 11:09AM
Trent said...
Le Guin WAS snatched up and given the made-for-TV treatment by the Sci-Fi network. It was okay, if I can believe my memory.
But that's just it: it wasn't memorable, and not very true to the source material.
And I think that's the key. Generally speaking, for the masses, a movie has to be memorable - something you absolutely have to talk to your friends about. For geeks, it's gotta be faithful - something you absolutely have to post on the intarwebs about.
If a movie does either, it'll do alright at the box office. If it does neither, it dies a much-earned death. In the rare case it can accomplish both spectacle and truth, it becomes legend.
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6-10-2009 @ 12:35PM
edc said...
they were right. it nerds's fault that their are stupid movies, try to inject some realism into a comic book story and people bitch and moan.
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