People are starting to get excited about the release of the "Hunger Games" movie. I have not read the book so I am not sure what all the enthusiasm is about but it reminds me of something I am grumpy about. Basically it is how Hollywood takes movie ideas from other countries and repackages them in less appealing versions. I am not saying "Hunger Games" is bad. I cannot say that as I have not seen it but the idea comes from a Japanese movie called "Battle Royale".
If this were the first instance of Hollywood taking movies from other countries I would be willing to let it slide but it is not. Remember the movies "Ring" and "Ring 2"? Yep, they were originally Japanese films called "Ringu". What about the movie "The Eye"? Yes, that came from Japan as well.
What is about Hollywood that has them scouring the globe for movie ideas? Can't they find enough here in this country? Americans complain about the outsourcing of jobs to other countries. Americans need to add the outsourcing of movie ideas to other countries as well.
While I am on the topic of movie ideas why don't they put out fewer movies each year? That would eliminate a large amount of drek that comes from this little part of the world. Or, before subjecting the people of America to what is called "cinema" today, have only a few people suffer through it with a small focus group. Consider it to be like animal testing. Lock a few people down in a room and play the movie. If they don't make it through, say the loss was in the interest of the world and that it helps make a better product. What are a few lives lost if it helps make a better picture? Isn't people testing worthwhile if a classic film comes out of it? Couldn't we forgive Hollywood for lives lost in testing for movies such as "Godfather"?
If the whole group of people die in the viewing of a movie, the movie should not be released. Instead show it to people on Death Row. That might actually be the humane way to put a person down. Of course, the ACLU is going to get involved and declare that forcing people to watch certain movies is inhumane and cruel.
This carries over into television as well. There is a little know show on a small network called "The Office". Yes I know most of you have not heard of it but it airs on NBC on Thursdays. It came from a British show called (are you ready for this?) "The Office".
One failed attempt to create an American version of a British show occurred with "Absolutely Fabulous". For some reason there is no comparable successful version on American TV. American fans took to the British version which is possibly why no American version flourished. Score one for the Brits.
Do not even get me started on sequels. I am so sick of sequels. How many "Friday the 13th", "Children of the Corn" and "Saw" movies do we need? And some sequels maintain the whole plot of the original but with a different cast. Look at "Cruel Intentions" and "Cruel Intentions 2". They are the same movie! Why does Hollywood do this to us? What did we ever do to them?
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