We’re All Mad Here…

Just because a film makes millions of dollars does not mean it was good or that people liked it. Just like it doesn’t mean that a film with a low box office is hated by the few that saw it.

Somehow, Hollywood turned into a numbers competition… If became about doing things to convince the audience to go see the film opening weekend and having a nice big number to brag about on Monday.

So they release casting decisions and set photos years in advance to build up hype. Then they release teasers and trailers and throw huge hype events at conventions.

It doesn’t matter if the film is good, just as long as it makes noise and gets folks thinking that they have to see it as soon as possible.

The public at large loves all the attention, they love getting news every day for two years about a film, and they love feeling like they are part of the film making process. Hollywood also loves the attention, they love having folks hooked to their films like crack years before it is set to release.

The Hollywood Hype Machine seems to benefit everyone involved… unless the public’s reaction is negative, then we all have a problem.

Now obviously folks need to behave and act in accordance to the law, but if it is OK to lose your mind and worship a film two or three years before it is released – then it should be OK to be against it as well. Not liking the way a film is looking based on the info you already have is fine. Just like, liking the project based on little info is fine.

Hollywood leaks out info all the time to gauge a reaction, sometimes it is good and sometimes the reaction is bad. But it is what it is. Hollywood cannot expect the public to be wild about everything that is fed to them. Sometimes they need to earn the praise.

When the public response to film news is positive everyone feels great, but when it is negative… All of a sudden the public is “too passionate” “too involved” and “not being fair”

Let’s all be honest with ourselves. No work of art should be criticized without actually experiencing it and film is no exception to that rule. However it is not the film that folks either love or hate years in advance… It’s the hype. It’s the hype that people are loving or hating and honestly sometimes, people just aren’t ‘feeling the hype.’

‘We’re all mad here’ all of us lost our minds a long time ago…

So yes there are times when the public is far too invested in something and need to look past the hype and try to see things for what they are. However Hollywood must also understand that it is not perfect and sometimes the beast they create turns back and bites them. You can’t stir up all these feelings in people and seriously expect them to always be in your favor. If you want people to be polite and patient and only judge the film based on its merits… then keep your casting choices and set photos and everything else to yourself and start your marketing when you actually have a product to show.

Otherwise we all will keep picking apart everything you share with us.