The Not So Amazing Spiderman
by: Elise Fulmer
With Oscar season coming to an end, Hollywood seems like it’s thriving right? I mean just in this past season, Parasite was the first foreign film to win best picture, and Brad Pitt finally won an award for his acting talent. Everything is great, right? Well, not exactly. Hollywood and its glimmering originality and creativity is dying.
The overwhelming amount of superhero movies, referred to as theme park movies by Martin Scorsese, are taking over box offices worldwide, leaving little room for original stories to be told. It’s gotten to the point where studios are turning down films because they think they won’t make money. Just this past year, Paramount Studios turned down the Irishman because they believed it would be a flop. Paramount obviously did not know what they were doing, seeing as they rejected Martin Scorsese. That’s right. The academy award winning director, with an all star cast including Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci, was turned down.
The art of storytelling is deteriorating due to the sheer amount of superhero movies being put out. How many different renditions of Spiderman does the average person need to see? Why go see a movie, when you know how it’s going to end? These theme park movies lack originality and take away the magic of original storytelling. These films hog the spotlight from those that actually deserve it.
Any time you go to the movie theater, no matter the time of year, there is at least one superhero movie playing. In 2019 alone, there were a whopping eleven superhero movies released.
I like to think of it as quality over quantity. Look at renowned filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino, for example. This man, who embodies the true meaning of Hollywood and originality, releases roughly one film every three years. You can tell that Tarantino puts immense effort into his films based on their superior writing, creativity and originality. This is evident in his numerous academy nominations and wins. Tarantino cares more about telling a story than making money, and he loves his craft.
As we enter a new film season, try to keep in mind the storytelling that makes Hollywood Hollywood. Recycling may be great for the environment, but it is terrible for the movie business.
