Thread: C-level movies (not even B)

I rented some movies, there is a 5 for 5 special, so I grab some lesser known movies to fill the order. (3 movies=$5.25)

Who writes the movies? Do they actually write a script before they pick the actors?

Some movies I have rented were worse then the youtube productions.

The dialog is terrible, the plot is weak, little suspense for the movie that is expected to have some.


I would bet the average dedicated writer(as opposed to the spur of the moment writer) could come up with better scripts then these movies use.

I have often wondered this same thing. But when you have no budget, it is hard to hire good writers, actors and directors.

Most made-for-TV movies feature little-known actors who are trying to get recognised. I guess it's to be expected that the quality of the acting will be weak. Maybe the same is true of the script-writers; nobodies trying to get noticed by Hollywood.

I like B movies. My first book was a nod to 80's b movies. There is a great energy in some of those older movies.

If I may ask rhetorically, Severin, how old are you? I noticed that when I hit my late 30s movies were no longer fun. Hollywood intentionally aims for the 15 to 35 year old audience, and they are very good at hitting that age bracket. Younger people have not seen the stories before so they still enjoy seeing them for the first time. Once a person has seen a story, it is less enjoyable the next several times around. I suppose the problem comes from the inherent conflict between art and business. Art demands spontaneity and creativity while business demands predictability. Movies are expensive to make and no one wants to make one unless they are sure it will turn a profit. Writing and publishing has the same art vs business relationship. Publishers don't want to publish a book unless they think it will sell, but that kind of predictability can compromise the creative side of writing. Money makes everything else possible, but it also has a way of ruining everything.

Originally Posted by C.M. Aaron

If I may ask rhetorically, Severin, how old are you? I noticed that when I hit my late 30s movies were no longer fun. Hollywood intentionally aims for the 15 to 35 year old audience, and they are very good at hitting that age bracket. Younger people have not seen the stories before so they still enjoy seeing them for the first time. Once a person has seen a story, it is less enjoyable the next several times around. I suppose the problem comes from the inherent conflict between art and business. Art demands spontaneity and creativity while business demands predictability. Movies are expensive to make and no one wants to make one unless they are sure it will turn a profit. Writing and publishing has the same art vs business relationship. Publishers don't want to publish a book unless they think it will sell, but that kind of predictability can compromise the creative side of writing. Money makes everything else possible, but it also has a way of ruining everything.

Watch Re-Animator if you haven't seen that.

That's my goal in my writing. To have a studio craft my work and that is why I will leave a literary estate to my children. Now, I just have to work on the falling in love and setting up a legacy. That's why I'm in this.

We are all mortals but it's what we write that will make us immortals.

Originally Posted by SeverinR

I rented some movies, there is a 5 for 5 special, so I grab some lesser known movies to fill the order. (3 movies=$5.25)

Who writes the movies? Do they actually write a script before they pick the actors?

Some movies I have rented were worse then the youtube productions.

The dialog is terrible, the plot is weak, little suspense for the movie that is expected to have some.


I would bet the average dedicated writer(as opposed to the spur of the moment writer) could come up with better scripts then these movies use.

Was Madonna in them?

When I worked on indie movies I'd sometimes see people saying 'I've got $50k to make a movie next month. Has anyone got a script? Can anyone write a script? Please, I need a script!' Somehow they'd convinced an 'investor' to give them money and suddenly they had to actually make something, having promised the investor that they'd be shooting ASAP.

Another avenue for really bad movies is government funding. Most of the really bad British movies I saw were funded by the government because no-one else would give them $100,000-$1,000,000 to make a movie from what was obviously a bad script. In one particular case they'd apparently spent nine years looking for funding and the story still didn't make any sense when I saw the completed movie.

That said, I'd also add that the script isn't necessarily the cause of the problem. The one feature-length movie script I wrote that was shot (which was one of the 'I've got to shoot this next month, I have a script, it desperately needs a rewrite' variety) suffered because one of the actors got a better-paid job part-way through and the ending made no sense without them so the director rewrote it on the spot. I've never actually watched the movie but I've seen a few reviews along the lines of '... and then it just ends. WTF?'

My original ending, of course, was absolutely brilliant and would have made it a classic of the genre .

Originally Posted by John Brightman

I like B movies. My first book was a nod to 80's b movies. There is a great energy in some of those older movies.

I like some b movies, but I'm talking of worse then those.

Originally Posted by C.M. Aaron

If I may ask rhetorically, Severin, how old are you? I noticed that when I hit my late 30s movies were no longer fun. Hollywood intentionally aims for the 15 to 35 year old audience, and they are very good at hitting that age bracket. Younger people have not seen the stories before so they still enjoy seeing them for the first time. Once a person has seen a story, it is less enjoyable the next several times around. I suppose the problem comes from the inherent conflict between art and business. Art demands spontaneity and creativity while business demands predictability. Movies are expensive to make and no one wants to make one unless they are sure it will turn a profit. Writing and publishing has the same art vs business relationship. Publishers don't want to publish a book unless they think it will sell, but that kind of predictability can compromise the creative side of writing. Money makes everything else possible, but it also has a way of ruining everything.

Ouch, cut to the bone
I am 46, I agree, I do not see the "amazing" movies I use to see. But I'm not talking about movies that make it to theaters. I'm talking about truly c movies or worse.

Originally Posted by Robdemanc

Was Madonna in them?

Sadly, the movies I'm talking about make Madonna look like an award winning actress.

Originally Posted by SeverinR

Sadly, the movies I'm talking about make Madonna look like an award winning actress.

You make it hard to imagine how bad these movies are. I have seen some low budget stinkers but what are you watching? Film student projects that failed?