China has had a greater success at the Oscars. Chinese films are being adapted by Hollywood. Hollywood studios are setting up their shops in China. the chinese films overseas market including the boxoffice revenue reached $244 million in 2006. 73 chinese films were released in 44 countries last year.
Where does Bollywood stand?
1046 movies were produced in bollywood in the year 2005, which brought in a revenue of $1.5 billion, compare this with 260 movies coming out of China and getting a revenue of $600million.. worse hollywood produced 563 movies and came up with a revenue of $18 billion.
So why is it that we produce so many films and yet our revenue is not even 2% in the international market.
The primary reason being that despite the industry being really prolific, the movies we make doesn't have great stories. Infact, most of the time we make rehash of our own movies or a foreign movie. With no original content coming up. There is nothing much for the international audience to look up to. The NRI audience will grasp any thing that has been sent to them, mainly because of the nostalgia being served to them in added doses, but what about the non NRI segment. We need to make our movies, which is palatable to this segment as well. Anything which is authentic and something which they haven't seen or thought of before will make them want to see it.
Crouching tiger hidden dragon for example hit big time with the audience all across the world, because it was a typical chinese film with original content and maintaining its authenticity it was served to the audience of the world. Made in a budget of $15 million, it grossed $128 million in the united states alone. We need to serve our authentic content, maintaining our song and dance format and yet original in its stories. We don't have to change our story telling styles to suit the western audience, let it be authentic enough for them to adapt it for their taste like they have been adapting, infernal affairs, the ringo, the grudge, Rashomon, etc etc...
Saturday, June 30, 2007
THE GOLDEN COMPASS
The film is a new line cinema production, which last got us LOTR trilogy. How ever with the golden compass the buzz is already there on the net. Fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the film,on 7 december 2007, so am I. There are various reasons to it.
Firstly the film is based on one of the three award winning books by Philip Pullman. The story traces the life of teenager Lyra Belacqua, who is constantly with her daemon. Soon she hears in hushed tones about the dust, which his Uncle lord Ariel is going to go insearch for. The dust happens to be an extraordinary particle whichdraws her to the heart of a terrible struggle, a struggle of gobblers, stolen children,witch clans and armoured bears.Lyra hurtles towards the danger in the cold far north........
The book is considered as the extraordinary story telling at its best and going to be in theatres by december 2007. The principal caste includes, Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig. watch out, for it could give competition to the Potters. Its been made on a budget of 150 $ million, when the entire buget of LOTR was 281 $ million. And the golden compass has to be a monster hit for it to come ahead of LOTR.
And new line is doing its bit to get the effect. Its got a section on its website creat your own daemon, which is quite popular.
Six months to go for its release its already the most searched film on the net... The film is being directed by the writer, producer, Chris Weitz who happens to be the son of the novelist John weitz
view the trailer
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=THE+GOLDEN+COMPASS&search=SearchFriday, June 29, 2007
DIE HARD
A few men on the verge of killing each other, excites me more than a few men kissing each other, though thats not the reason of dragging myself to watch another action film.
Still, thinking it to be my job, I headed to watching the first show of Die Hard 4 at PVR, Mumbai.
Now let me tell you, I haven't seen any of the earlier Die Hards, even though its considered one of the best action films. [yes people/women like me exist in this world]
I gathered as much popcorn as my hands could carry and coke I could hold on and waited like a queen to pass on my judgement. The place was packed with the filmi Junta, mainly men, which was not a bit surprising. [women are wired differently, they like to do the action than see it]
So the film begins and America is under attack by a criminal [Timothy Olyphant ] who is going to shut down all the major systems and destroy the US OF A. So whats new.. I wonder I have watched live action on all the major channels on Sept 9 2001 sigh. Bruce Willis as John Mclane is meant to stop this criminal with the help of a hacker played by Justin Long. sigh.
Another bite of the pop corn...another sigh... And then...... I am deep into the film. The over the top action, hit and run sequences keep me on the edge. The audience whisles, some clap.. ROCKING MAN I hear. I contribute to the claps a few times. The chopper and the car sequences, the car banging sequence in the tunnel and not to forget the plane and the truck chase on the bridge keep the adrenaline rush and the mouth gaping. The light humour through the one liners by Bruce Willis spread cheese on the hot sequences.
The great action makes up for the dismal plot and keeps the audience hooked.
3.5 out of 5 is what I would give the film. Its a great entertainer for your week ends.
I went back home all smiling.... logged onto youtube and tried to figure out the making of the film. Not able to find anything I went on to researching on the earlier die hard films.
The first one was released in 1988. Based on the book "nothing lasts forever" by Roderick Thorp, and was directed by John Mctiernan, [who also directed the last, action hero, the thirteenth warrior, the thomas crown affair and also Die hard with a vengeance in the year 1995.] Die hard went to become one of the finest and the best action films and made Bruce Willis what he is today.
Die hard-2 [1990] directed by Renny Harlin and Die hard [1995] followed.
Die Hard-4 is directed by a fairly young director Len Wiseman[ who also happens to be the husband of Kate Beckinsale]
Now as I go and rent the previous three die hards, I suggest you guys to watch the new offering. Its def def worth a dekko.
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