Grid Effect

Given the recent trend of non-stop speculation about TV shows being adapted for theatrical release, I think we’re at a critical juncture in Hollywood. Generally speaking you can pretty much throw anything up on a big screen and assuming it’s not absolute rubbish someone somewhere will go see it, and those who don’t will buy/rent the DVD’s. But it appears this is still lost on Hollywood executives that can’t seem to find, or refuse to look in unexpected places, for marketable material.

I’m not saying you can convince the Coen brothers and Charlie Kaufmann to make movies round the clock, but HBO is putting on a hard press for a Sopranos movie and Sex and The City 2. Both, I’m sure, would topple at least $70 million in the box office in their opening weekends. But I can’t tell who this is less impressive for, HBO because they can’t seem to produce new original programming that anyone gives a damn about. Or the film industry, who as early as five years ago regarded television as a source of mockery, now strives to adapt their more critically and commercially successful series’ into their medium. And generally speaking, everyone seems to be in agreement that the movie would only undermine and cheapen the series.

Has an adapted television series ever won an Oscar? Not that I’ve done any research or anything like that, but I’m guessing no. Not even close.

Shit, Hollywood and HBO are so desperate for ideas that there was even discussion of a Deadwood movie. I didn’t even realize they was any sort of buzz about this, and that probably speaks to why it would be ill-advised. It has such a niche audience that I can’t see that movie being a commercial success. On the other hand, it probably has the best chance for critical acclaim given the lack of expectations from everyone besides television critics. I’d say the same thing about The Wire, but they occupied a full 12-13 hours to tell multiple stories with a cast of over fifty characters most of the time, I have no idea how they could tie everything together in three hours on a similar scale.

Really, the best series’ that could be used for adaptation aren’t even discussed: Entourage, Flight of The Conchords, Rescue Me (probably has something to do with all three still being on air, but still) and a myriad of others. Basically, everything about this current process makes no sense. And while it might be hyperbole to refer to the situation as a “critical juncture”, I look at how underwhelming this year’s box office releases have been, and outside of exceptions like In Bruges, Ironman and Snow Angels; I haven’t seen a movie I’d recommend to anyone in 2008 (there are some anticipated releases, but I won’t list all six of them unless someone asks).

So as far as we can tell, there have been three movies we’ve liked enough to recommend and six more we are expecting to recommend, making for a grand total of nine. Our opinion isn’t universal, but the last three years we’ve seen well over twenty each year respectively that were worth everyone’s time. Coming from someone who is willing to see just about any movie regardless of content, this can’t be a good thing. In short, we can’t tell if television is ruining film or vice versa.

This recent trend could just be fluctuation — as both television and film were effected by the writers strike — but I can’t shake the feeling that both mediums seem to be on a downward trend. We’ll wait for fall to make a final determination, as that is when the best films and new quality television tend to be released. But given or nature we are fairly pessimistic.