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In Reply to: Re: I was afraid of that.... posted by SR on July 07, 2000 at 09:44:23:

***Well Victor I know there are better films than Armaggedon. And no, I don't serve or eat Big Macs. I do however work in Hollywood at Todd-AO Studios as a sound engineer working on TV and Features. I see alot of film probably more than you.
Probably. That is not too hard. My pace is perhaps 3 movies a week. I don't count the trash I see on TV movie channels.

***I have met most of the big name producers in this business over the past 24 years I have been in it.
>>>>Well, that's one open-ended question. Thousands, I would say<<<<

***Name some just a hundred or so that are better films and have a chance of making a sales profit for Criterion.They are after all a money generating company not a museum.

>>>>>For WHAT purpose? To maintain its artistic integrity or to ....?<<<

***To stay in business and hopefully maintain integrity. When out of business integrity doesn't mean shit to a company. It might to an individual but not a company. Your company can't build equipment it can't sell no matter how good it may be.

That answers my question. You simply left it ambiguous. I have no problem with companies pursuing profits.
As far as naming movies better than the Armageddon, I am not gonna waste my and your time - it is shooting fish in a barrel. Armaggeddon is nothing above a typical mass-produced Hollywood trash. Polished trash. Professionally polished trash. Good actors need to eat too, and they all want new good homes.
However, I have no comment on its ability to make money for the label. It is purely management decision and they are supposed to know better than I. I suspect one could find a less idiotic movie and still make money, but I am not going to second guess their choices. They could have done worse than this too.
Honestly, I don't know what Criterion does and how their profits/losses are split. Their catalog is not bad at all, and as I stated before, I would buy the whole shmear, their whole list, if it came down to that. And my uncle Joe would get the few he would enjoy.
>>>>Sorry, you are watching and SUPPORTING wrong films. Good ones are out there<<<<<

***Of course there, are but how many ?
Oh, well, as I said, thousands. I presume you don't just mean the latest releases - their list is full of oldies (relaively speaking).

***As I said I see alot of films.
That could be a blessing and a curse... both at the same time.
***I see about 1 great film every other year. My standards are possibly to high not to low as you suggest.
To be fair, I said nothing about your standards, I don't know you enough. But I disagree that the world produces less than one great movie a year.
***Criterion needs more than 1 new release every other year. I really don't know how many they do, is it 10,20,50 a year ? Assuming 50, name 50 that have profit potential that were released the same year as Armaggedon and are clearly better.
Well, you are sort of repeating that the Armageddon was there purely for money reason, and I don't know that. Do you? It may have been just a lapse in judgement. Maybe someone screwed someone and had to pay - I've no idea. We are guessing. Maybe they honestly loved the movie...

>>>>Why should ANYONE look at Star Wars besides the kids<<<<
***What do you have against kids ? No one should have to sit thru Star Wars The Phantom Disaster.
That is a good line, although I have not seen that one, but can sort of imagine it.
***But, I'll make a wager that it will be, if it's not already on the Criterion list. With special behind the scenes shots of effects development and interviews with G Lucas.
Again, I have no idea what their business objective is, so perhaps you are right. It really doesn't bother me all that much, the US movie industry is one big McDonald and one more or one less bad movie is not going to change this. I still can find all the good movies I want, plus some, so in my case it is the lack of time, not material. Last time I went to a mainstream movie theater was long time ago - "The Night in the Garden of Good and Evil", I belive. And it was just OK. Renting at $1 a pop is whole lot better.

>>>You are not saying they should be serving Big Macs at the 5-star joints, are you?<<<<

***Not at all but you suggest a black and white world when in fact most places are 2,3,4-stars.
So it is OK to serve BigMacs at 4-star places? 3-star? 2-star? Porno joints? I agree it is gray and more gray.
***But in my opinion and I believe also in the staff meetings at Criterion they understand something.
I am sure they do. They are still in business, aren't they?
***That sonething is that when you have another beautifully photographed movie about a British couple struggling to get out of the dark depressing coal town and just as they do so he gets drafted and killed in WW I no one will care. A movie such as that will appear in two theaters in Los Angeles and none in Missouri,Oklahoma,Nebraska,Indiana (you get the picture) Criterion needs to get there hands on some of that mass market money so they can stay in business and occasionalty put out the beautiful movie about that poor young British couple.
No problem.
***Thats why Armaggedon is on Criterion
Yes, we already agreed on that one. As a plausable supposition.
Enjoy your next movie.

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Re: I was afraid of that....