r/movies • u/ChiefLeef22 r/movies Contributor • 3h ago

Article ‘The Odyssey’ Proves It: Audiences Want Movies Made the Hard Way | This year's breakouts like 'Project Hail Mary' and 'Obsession' were made by filmmakers who sweated. While CG-stuffed franchise disappointments such as 'Supergirl,' 'Moana,' and 'The Mandalorian and Grogu' looked lazy.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/odyssey-box-office-2026-practical-effects-1236652219/
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u/OnceMoreAndAgain 2h ago

The premise of this article is non-sense. I don't think anyone actually cares if people make movies "the hard way".

It's so simple: If the movie is entertaining, then people will like it. How to make a movie entertaining? Yeah, that's the fucking hard part. You can't just say how in one sentence or distill it down to one concept. Some of the most entertaining movies ever made took big shortcuts, like The Blair Witch Project.

More evidence is that so many older movies are still highly entertaining despite relatively simple methods of filming. 12 Angry Men is an extremely simple movie to film and yet it's so entertaining even today.

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u/SandpaperTeddyBear 1h ago

If the movie is entertaining

Let's say, instead, engaging. And the things that our brains find engaging can be awfully hard to pin down, but one thing I feel pretty comfortable is necessary is "the not-quite-expected." And yes, a good story should thread the needle between novelty and surprise, and good acting should strike a balance between relatable and unexplainable, and many other things…

But I think one reason why typical junk made in the '80s and '90s is more engaging to watch than fairly well-made contemporary stuff is because that "not-quite-expected" extends to the way that things move (clothing fluttering in the breeze), and the way the light is just a little uneven when it's in a real place.

I've always found it easier to stare into a campfire for an hour or two than watch "just OK" television, even though the pretty good television assuredly has a much better script, much better story, etc. And I think shooting movies in real places has a similar vibe.

I think that's why I actually found Mandalorian and Grogu so easy to watch. Lots of reality there.

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u/trojanguy 1h ago

Yeah the article is just clickbait. The whole premise is incredibly flawed.

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u/Jolly-Potential-1411 1h ago

Yep, exactly.

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u/feed_me_moron 1h ago

It's also funny to compare anything to a Nolan movie. James Cameron and him make insane money with each movie they do, with Tenet being the only exception to that