I never really got into Spaceballs - I guess it's because IMO Mel Brooks was ripping off 'Hardware Wars' and I think he's too good to do something so cheap. Place both films side by side and it's pretty obvious what inspired him to make his movie.
Somebody made a comment regarding the writers in Hollywood not coming up with anything new...Well, the way I see it is that the Hollywood film industry is exactly like the Hollywood music industry. And having spent most of my life as a professional rock musician I can tell you this... Hollywood plays it safe - above and beyond all else, Hollywood (film, TV, and music) is about one thing and one thing only. Money making products. Nothing more, nothing less.
They (the entertainment buSINess) are too afraid to take a chance on something that might lose money and so they take the safe and easy path. They turn old 70s TV shows into current movies, they take movies that we saw only 10 to 15 years ago and do a remake, they take any movie that was successful on a financial level last year and crank out a lame sequel this year. It's all about money and as many of you know, art and creativity is about anything but money.
During the 80s the Hollywood music business signed any band from L.A who had a blonde lead singer. They took some bands that were really good and 'wussed' them out so they could sell more albums to a middle of the road consumer. The same evil (for lack of a better term) that befell the the music business in the last 20 years has also effected the film/TV industry. Safe = Paycheck.
There are people out there who are writing original and intersting works however they are seen as a 'risk' by a business that sees risk as a dirty word. The blame (IMO) lays not so much with the writers as it does with the people who run the studios and green light (or don't) the projects what we get to see.
If you're really looking for something cool or original then look for indy films and fan films. Are they all good? Nah, but what is? Like any other form of entertainment, we (the consumer) get exactly what we ask for...and we in the U.S know all too well that if you give a kid a steady diet of McSlop they'll never know what they're missing out on.
The other option you have is to do what I've been doing - learn some CG programs (odds are you already know a few if you're hanging around a site like this) and make your own fan-film. Upload that puppy to any website you can and see what happens.
Currently I have a few CG films in the pipeline.
1) The Legacy of Time - A scifi film set in the year 10,191 (my tip of a hat to Dune) where we are at war with something from another world. Sound familar? Well sure....but you'll never guess the ending and when it happens you'll be left going 'WTF?! I never saw THAT coming!'
2) Godzilla: The Lord of Terror - Not a funny or cute Gozilla 70's style film where Godzilla is a friend to small children, puppies, and the enviroment - but instead a return to the dark and scary nuclear hell beast that was Gojira. The story is very original and will (if I'm effective) scare the Hell out of people and make them fear nuclear war - as was the original intention of Gojira.
3) My Vampire Story (I don't have a final title for it other than the working title) - Set in the 1800s it's a vampire story seen from a perspective that has never been told before. I'd say more about it but I'm afraid to. LOL - When it's finished people will (I hope) really dig it. I've seen a lot (and I do mean a lot) of vampire films over the years of my life and I've not see ONE like the one I've written and am currently animating.
And a silly little "Star Trek meets Alien" thing I'm doing just for fun and because I like to make people laugh.
I guess the was a long way to a short point but if we as fans of scifi demand better and we support those of us who are trying to create something better then we all win.
I've read through this thread and I see mention of so many great films that it makes me smile like a kid on Christmas morning...or a serial killer covered in blood. They pretty much look the same. ;P
Have any of you seen an animated film titled 'Gandahar' (aka Lightyears)?
http://imdb.com/title/tt0095525/
If not then it's worth taking a look at - I remember seeing it way back in the day and being wow'd by it.
p.s.
Sorry for the long rant!
