The Silver Screen Oasis

I just saw the trailer for this one this weekend.

An odd thing occurred to me when I saw it. If I just saw the visual part of this trailer, I would have sworn it was a "Harry Potter" movie. It had the look of some of the "darker" "Harry Potter" films.

The movie that followed the trailer was "Sherlock Holmes," which had a plot that owed something to "Harry Potter." (There is a secret society of magic worshippers who control the British government.)

Are we seeing the influence of the "Potter" films spreading across various genres?

MikeBSG wrote:
Are we seeing the influence of the "Potter" films spreading across various genres?

I'm sure that filmmakers are eager to get a slice of that youthful, largely family market, Mike, and, of course, conspiracy theories always seem to appeal to people looking for patterns in a seemingly chaotic world. It will probably make money.

Since the Potter franchise is winding down now that its actors are ageing out of it, I'm not at all surprised that other moviemakers are moving in to capitalize on its commercial potential by giving us more of the same. Isn't that one of filmdom's credos? "Why innovate when you can imitate?"

I'm not sure why the producers went with placing the story in the 19th century instead of in modern times...but I have to say I did enjoy the current "THE WOLFMAN." I love Benicio DelToro and Emily Blunt is certainly a young actress making her way to being one of the most accomplished actresses of today. The only thing I didn't care for was the idea of Anthony Hopkins' role in this. (He was over-the-top and that wasn't necessary). But the sadness, tragedy and graphic violence in the film was fine by me.

I haven't seen this one -- I don't think I'm going to, it actually sounds kind of icky.

But tell me -- is DelToro as sad and angst-ridden as Lon Chaney Jr. was in the original? I thought Chaney was exceptional in that one.

I did get a little chuckle when the film was first announced, since a very early DelToro role was as the dog-faced circus boy in Big Top Pee-Wee.

MikeBSG wrote:
The movie that followed the trailer was "Sherlock Holmes," which had a plot that owed something to "Harry Potter." (There is a secret society of magic worshippers who control the British government.)

Trust me, Guy Ritchie was probably less inspired by Harry Potter than he was by the groovier conspiracy theories about Freemasonry, and their alleged secret government control groups. Frankly, I think there was far more screen-borrowing here from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and the old "Wild, Wild West" series.
It was lotsa fun, but it was pretty broad in its pseudo-historic pastiche.