View Full Version : Blatant Hollywood rip-offs
Waldo
22nd January 2009, 04:19 PM
G'day,
This stirs me every time, maybe I shouldn't let it, but when in my profession I may be influenced by an element of something and may incorporate an aspect of it into my work, but never to rip-off someone else's work, then it annoys me when I see blatant copies.
Sure you can say to what or how much can you stretch the incorporation of an idea into your own? I think that falls to your morals.
I know it's all about the big $, which in the case of Hollywood doesn't matter that someone had pitched an idea for a movie to a producer or a producer to a movie syndicate, knowing too well that 'their' movie is a copy. But when they go so far as to strictly enforce their copyright, they forget they are infringing on someone else's intellectual copyright. Which leads to the David and Goliath (which really is a bad phrase when you think about the events behind the phrase), I'm bigger than you and have more money than you, so come on, take me on in the courts.
The latest one to soon hit our screens is Valkrie, a blatant rip-off of Operation Valkyrie, which for the second time last night was screened on SBS.
"The world is a big place", to use the old SBS tagline, which "with over 6,000,000 stories and counting" (using the new tagline) some seem to be blinkered in the belief that no one will recognise that 'my' work is a copy of his.
May be this is the reason I have always watched foreign movies - I like something original and acted well, not over acted, over dramatised by wannabes and can't act actors.
Rant off.
watson
22nd January 2009, 04:33 PM
:2tsup: :2tsup: :2tsup:
tea lady
22nd January 2009, 11:14 PM
I can't be fagged watching Hollywood movies anymore. I like watching foreign films where I can't see the ending coming a mile away. Hubby says he likes the effects. Effects shmecks! If the story is thin effects won't help. The can also rip off as much as they like. Its never as good as the original.:rolleyes:
Cruzi
23rd January 2009, 12:25 AM
US TV is no better, the US version of "Life on Mars" (to be shown onTen) is just the latest example :~
Waldo
23rd January 2009, 04:01 PM
US TV is no better, the US version of "Life on Mars" (to be shown onTen) is just the latest example :~
Exactly, and there's :no: way in hell it could stand up to the brilliant original. Yanks just can't do subtilies without making a ballsup.
Skew ChiDAMN!!
23rd January 2009, 04:59 PM
Are you suggesting that Hollywood should come up with something original?! :oo:
That'd be breaking their tradition! The whole industry is based on remakes and plagiarism.
All their creative thinkers are in post-production, thinking up new reasons to sue or to develop "copy protection schemes" by which they can charge box-office prices for every time you watch their show...
Waldo
23rd January 2009, 09:53 PM
:yes:
it'd be a movie with a ending you don't see coming, lines you can't guess at before they utter them and actors who care more about their craft than their name listed first on the movie poster.
That'd mean all movies have about 4 actors in them.
In the meantime I'll frustrate SWMBO with her trying to read subtitles while she watches what's going on. :U
tea lady
23rd January 2009, 09:59 PM
There's not even a c*^% Hollywood movie on telly tonight to watch.:((
springwater
23rd January 2009, 10:30 PM
Apparently originalty doesn't grow on trees you know but just, just maybe in some far away place it does, believe it, or not:)
tea lady
23rd January 2009, 10:34 PM
Apparently originalty doesn't grow on trees you know but just, just maybe in some far away place it does, believe it, or not:)
Maybe they've cut all those trees down already.:C
Is Pixar Hollywood? They do great movies.:cool: Wall.e is currently showing most days at our house.:D (BTW, When do kids grow out of seeing the same movie millions of times? :C Although Pixar movie bear reseeing better than a lot of them.:cool: )
springwater
23rd January 2009, 10:48 PM
Maybe they've cut all those trees down already.:C
Is Pixar Hollywood? They do great movies.:cool: Wall.e is currently showing most days at our house.:D (BTW, When do kids grow out of seeing the same movie millions of times? :C Although Pixar movie bear reseeing better than a lot of them.:cool: )
Believe Tea Lady believe:)
Gotta love Wall.e, it's good for the heart strings:rolleyes:
When other kids tell them it's for little kids:C
fubar
23rd January 2009, 11:11 PM
adam sandler made I now pronounce you chuck and larry about two newyork fire fighters who pretend to be gay and live together for tax purposes a year or so after an aussie movie called strange bedfellows with paul hogan and michael caton about two country fire fighters who pretend to be gay and live together for tax purposes with very similar scenes and dialogue
Pheonix
24th January 2009, 10:24 AM
Never ever watched a Tom Cruise movie in my life, I regard him as a dwarf who walks around in built up shoes:((
tea lady
24th January 2009, 10:28 AM
Never ever watched a Tom Cruise movie in my life, I regard him as a dwarf who walks around in built up shoes:((
:whathesaid:
Bob38S
24th January 2009, 10:59 AM
The Italian Job :2tsup:
Hollywood remake :doh::roll::oo::?:C
And it is rumoured that there is to be .........
A Sequel :no::no::no:
Ed Reiss
25th January 2009, 12:53 AM
....ahem'....you do know that some of us Yanks read these posts also:o
Don't really see a lot of "great" movies (can you say "Crocodile Dundee"?) coming out of Oz either....with the exception of "Ned Kelly"
Now, having said that...I do agree with most, if not all, what has been said about Hollywood and their mind-numbing, ludicrously stupid, so-called major productions...most of them suck royally....makes it easy to spend more time in the shed instead of in front of the boob-tube
Gingermick
25th January 2009, 09:24 AM
There's plenty of really good, bleak Aussie films around. They're just not much fun, I get enough bleakness in reality:(:doh:
tea lady
25th January 2009, 10:37 AM
....ahem'....you do know that some of us Yanks read these posts also:o You don't believe Hollywood IS the US do you? It doesn't represent the world truth.:no: This is not about the US being hopeless. (That is for another thread.:rolleyes: ) Just the frustration that Hollywood has the strangle hold on all the movie theaters and gets away with making really bad movies.
Don't really see a lot of "great" movies (can you say "Crocodile Dundee"?) coming out of Oz either....with the exception of "Ned Kelly" Has "Ten Canoes" found its way to the US? Prolly not. That is fantastic. Try and find it on the net maybe. .....But this is not a competition though.:rolleyes:
Now, having said that...I do agree with most, if not all, what has been said about Hollywood and their mind-numbing, ludicrously stupid, so-called major productions...most of them suck royally....makes it easy to spend more time in the shed instead of in front of the boob-tubeYeah! I get lots of other stuff done too.:cool:
Cruzi
25th January 2009, 01:11 PM
....ahem'....you do know that some of us Yanks read these posts also:o
Don't really see a lot of "great" movies (can you say "Crocodile Dundee"?) coming out of Oz either....with the exception of "Ned Kelly"
We are not exempt from making rubbish but here are some movies you should see, The Dish, The Castle, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Muriel's Wedding, Pricsilla - Queen of the Desert, Mad Max I & II (I think its called Road Warrior outside Oz), The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith, Romper Stomper, Stone to name just a few.
Ed Reiss
26th January 2009, 04:27 AM
TL and Cruzi ...will check out those titles next time I go to the library. Thanks:U
AlexS
26th January 2009, 09:41 AM
A couple of other good Australian movies, Lantana and Jindabyne.
glenn k
26th January 2009, 10:02 AM
How about the local Williamstown man who wrote a play about a liquid metal man. He gave a copy to a producer who latter made guess what :?
Outbackrr
26th January 2009, 10:52 AM
There's plenty of really good, bleak Aussie films around. They're just not much fun, I get enough bleakness in reality:(:doh:
Bad Boy Bubby has both the bleak and the funny, and a whole lot of other.........
Bob38S
26th January 2009, 11:38 AM
....ahem'....you do know that some of us Yanks read these posts also:o
Only the educated ones :D:D
Don't really see a lot of "great" movies (can you say "Crocodile Dundee"?) coming out of Oz either....with the exception of "Ned Kelly"
Ned Kelly - your not referring to that Mick Jagger thing are you? :no:
Have you seen Breaker Morant, Gallipoli? :2tsup:
Now, having said that...I do agree with most, if not all, what has been said about Hollywood and their mind-numbing, ludicrously stupid, so-called major productions...most of them suck royally....makes it easy to spend more time in the shed instead of in front of the boob-tube
Well put
Ed Reiss
26th January 2009, 02:02 PM
Only the educated ones
Whoops...watch what your accusing me of:q
Ned Kelly - your not referring to that Mick Jagger thing are you?
Nope...it's the one starring Heath Ledger, Orlando Bloom, Naomi Watts, and Geoffery Rush. 2004 release.
Have seen Gallipoli, but not Breaker Morant...will keep an eye out for it.:U
Bob38S
26th January 2009, 08:03 PM
Only the educated ones
Whoops...watch what your accusing me of:q
Have seen Gallipoli, but not Breaker Morant...will keep an eye out for it.:U
M - a - t - e, [Only the educated ones]
That is a compliment :2tsup:
Only uneducated people would ignore this forum :D
You'll love the Breaker - trust me - I used to work for the government :B
Ed Reiss
27th January 2009, 04:10 AM
M - a - t - e, [Only the educated ones]
That is a compliment :2tsup:
:cool:
You'll love the Breaker - trust me - I used to work for the government :B
....ha, since when do the words "trust me" and "government" go along in the same sentence:?:?:?
BandsawBandit
27th January 2009, 04:53 AM
All idea's are rip offs in some shape or form.......with our own flare :2tsup:
Bob38S
27th January 2009, 10:23 AM
....ha, since when do the words "trust me" and "government" go along in the same sentence:?:?:?
Key words are "used to" :D:D
Seriously, The comment was also a little tongue in cheek in relation to the movie "Breaker Morant". These blokes trusted what they were told and paid the price - I'm sure you will be "entertained" by this movie.
Batpig
27th January 2009, 01:37 PM
Dear Cruzi,
We are not exempt from making rubbish but here are some movies you should see, The Dish, The Castle, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Muriel's Wedding, Pricsilla - Queen of the Desert, Mad Max I & II (I think its called Road Warrior outside Oz), The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith, Romper Stomper, Stone to name just a few.
Don't forget "The Man From Snowy River" (Just the first one, mind you! Ed would like that one because Kirk Douglas was one of the stars - in two different roles!. Brian Dennehy was in the second one, but overall it just wasn't quite up there with the original...) And you'd also have to throw "Phar Lap" into any list of Australian Greats! "The Mango Tree" and "My Brilliant Career" come to mind as well... "Strictly Ballroom" was another one that packed some real Boxoffice muscle, too. And hey - how could you go past "Babe"...:) (only the first one, mind you...)
Ed - some of those films are just not going to mean anything to you Americans. I mean - Guys, how could the Yanks possibly understand "The Castle"?... Or "Chopper" for that matter, hey?...:; "Two Hands" would be good too, Ed, if you wanted to get a grip on the modern "Australiana" feel of things, and you didn't mind Heath-Ledger... (Bryan Brown steals the show, though...:wink:)
Yes, Aussies punch above their weight when it comes to film-making. Unfortunately, however, the patrons here are generally more interested in American product. But I think the whole industry is currently in a state of flux. Will cinemas even still be around in ten years? Maybe not... This has got to have an effect on the style of movie that they will end up beaming/cabling down to our Loungeroom Flatscreens, no matter what country the film is getting made in...
Final word: Tom Cruise should have at least had a crack at a German accent in Valkyrie...
Best Wishes,
Batpig.
jerryc
1st February 2009, 12:48 PM
Ladies and Gentlemen,
You do seem to have forgotten KENNY. Now there is a film about Everyman. The Little Battler standing proud in his urge to do the best for society. It has subtle undertones of the indomitable Aussie spirit in adversity. Who can forget his comment when faced with the flamed out back of a portaloo? (Something about curry, I believe.).
The Australian film maker does not, in most cases push for A SEQUEL. There was a golden opportunity presented when the space lab loo went wonky. Kenny could have saved the day, as we modestly saved the first space landing in "THE DISH"
Should this also be the point where we remind the world that it was an Aussie who made the first feature film.?
Jerry
Cruzi
1st February 2009, 02:50 PM
I did use the qualifier, "to name just a few", there are many good Australian Movies as well as there being many rubbish ones.
Someone did mention that some like The Castle would be a little difficult for people not familiar with Australia to understand, this is pretty true of a lot of our good films.