It was the best of times, it was…. well, I think you know.
On the same day I read (Peter Bart in Variety) that Hollywood will produce LESS films in the next two years, citing “product glut” as the key reason for audience drop-off, we are on the eve of hearing the nominations for Oscar.
And the question remains: Was 2005 a good year or a bad year?
To me, it was all good. I like that the remake and the re-do and the based-on-old-TV-series flicks did not do well. For every 200 movies made, seems 100 of those are pre-sold franchises such as these, and that cuts me and other screenwriters like me out of half the action! So Bewitched and Dukes of Hazzard were good news I think.
Maybe Hollywood will do the smart thing: more mid-budget, original, high concept comedies and family pics that I love to write? That’s what I would make if I were in charge.
Also good news is the wide range of films in contention for Oscar this year, proof I think that the medium is alive and well. It was in fact a great year for story telling as Brokeback Mountain, Capote, and Cinderella Man prove, and even better one for original comedies like Wedding Crashers, The 40 Year-Old Virgin and Wallace & Gromit.
I think movies are better than ever, it’s just the delivery system that’s in flux. And in my opinion, it’s going to get really interesting, very soon.
So now here’s your chance to be REALLY smart: Tell us your picks for Oscar — best films, best performances, underdogs that should win, and those overconfidents that won’t.
Give us your gut impressions of what Hollywood’s next move should be as seen in the Oscar showcase coming up next week.
We’d love to hear from you.
And remember, it’s always the best of times when you still have the ability to sit down and write YOUR story. So no matter what others think the “state of the art” is, keep writing, just keep writing!
