Cannes Film Festival 2013

10 current movie trends we wish would go away

From found-footage horror to 3-D re-releases and more

10 movie trends we wish would go away

10 movie trends we wish would go away

Trends may be an inevitable fact of life in Hollywood, but that doesn't mean we have to like them. And yet the problem is that a lot of people do like them, at least for awhile, and as a result they keep buying tickets, and as a result...well, you get the idea. There's not much that can be done in these circumstances except for the rest of us to stand by in quickly-mounting horror as a glut of artistically-bankrupt copycats stink up the local multiplex - and other people, people we know and like in many cases, actually go and see them. Still, as long as we can make lists - glorious lists! - all hope is not yet lost. Following, then, are our picks for ten of the worst trends in movies today.

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  • Shaggy_werewolf_talkback_profile

    That Werewolf Guy

    One journalistic trend that I wish would go away: Writing thousands of long articles about ever new remake, reboot or whatever, embedding their trailers, report every bit of casting, press junkets with cast and crew, but ignoring all the original movies that come out every week, stuff that probably only gets a limited or festival release and then by the end of the year complaining about how movie XY failed to find an audience despite its quality.

    March 9, 2012 at 7:25AM EST Reply to Comment
  • A_monty_talkback_profile

    Monty Jack

    No mention of Teal & Orange color schemes?

    March 9, 2012 at 10:34AM EST Reply to Comment
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    Marko Junh

    One trend I want to go away. The hacky slideshow style "article" that sites such as Hitfix use incessantly to jack up their hit count for their site. Actually, with a name like HITfix, I guess I should know better. Still, one of the lamer stunts in internet journalism.

    March 9, 2012 at 12:12PM EST Reply to Comment
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    Nicole

    Lost me completely when you started picking on Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol. It's a big, fun spy movie. What do you want them to do? Set it all in Canada?

    March 9, 2012 at 1:07PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Jeff_avatar_2_talkback_profile

      Mulderism Yes, I also did not understand the MI: Ghost Protocol criticism. Seems petty.

      March 9, 2012 at 1:43PM EST
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    Cody B

    I think your stretching on the Russian one. Yes, that could be an issue, if only it was used ineffectively. M:I:IV, TF3 and First Class all used Russia effectively and it never felt to me that they were just going there to go there.

    March 9, 2012 at 1:55PM EST Reply to Comment
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      Preston Agreed. I don't really see how setting a movie partly in Russia detracts from its quality. And the examples provided certainly don't do a good job of making that case.

      March 9, 2012 at 4:43PM EST
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    John W

    What we need is a giant, motion captured, ensemble/found footage/romantic comedy starring and directed by Adam Sandler. In 3d. "Valentines Day 2: The prophecy."

    March 9, 2012 at 2:34PM EST Reply to Comment
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      Jeannie OMG Your comment just made my day!

      March 9, 2012 at 10:29PM EST
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      Prettok Do they celebrate Valentines Day in Russia?

      March 10, 2012 at 2:35AM EST
  • Jason_talkback_profile

    Mandrake1979

    You need to add The thing prequel/remake/redux/piece of shit to the pointless remakes. Never needed to be made was just a studio cashing in on the cult following of a classic. Wish I could wipe the travesty from my mind.

    March 9, 2012 at 5:07PM EST Reply to Comment
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    Chris

    Couldn't agree more with the outdated sequels. When I see things like American Reunion or MIB3 all they do is remind you that your old. I have no desire to see these films whatsoever.

    March 9, 2012 at 8:39PM EST Reply to Comment
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      Prettok It makes sense why Ridley Scott is trying to downplay the Prometheus/Alien connection as much as possible.

      March 10, 2012 at 2:39AM EST
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    Big B

    The biggest of all atrocious trends in Hollywood has been left off the list. Comic book based movies. For the love of all that is good, please stop with the constant stream of comic-movies. I know, I know. Not going to happen. Too many people like 'em. Too much money is being made. With the rare exception of a couple of movies, I just don't see what all the rage is about. I would love to see the effort and resources spent on developing something original, innovative, and imaginative.

    Oh btw, I agree with other comments here about this annoying trend of web articles as a series of captions to about a dozen separate photos.

    March 9, 2012 at 10:01PM EST Reply to Comment
    • Zoidberg_talkback_profile

      mrbilliam That's kind of like that Hollywood should stop basing movies on books. Comic books are just a media. I assume your main problem is with "super hero" movies, though.

      March 20, 2012 at 9:47PM EST
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    rob

    how about the shaky camera syndrome in action movies, like all of a sudden there is an earthquake on set. i mean it even happened in that u.f.c. movie "warrior" like they needed that to get more exciting.

    March 10, 2012 at 1:02AM EST Reply to Comment
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    Salad

    A campaign to save old cartoon animals from the indignity of CG movies... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHy2bEc5FOQ

    March 10, 2012 at 1:06AM EST Reply to Comment
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    troopermsu

    Anybody with half a brain didn't have to suffer through "New Year's Eve"

    March 10, 2012 at 11:13PM EST Reply to Comment
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    jim

    meh...way off base with a lot of this.
    I think you just like to hear yourselves talk.
    Anyone with any sense/taste at all is looking forward to the Arrested Development movie, and the next Men in Black movie actually looks excellent.

    If you had your finger on what we really don't need to see, you'd comment on the vomit scene in every single movie for the last 5 years.
    A

    March 11, 2012 at 5:05AM EST Reply to Comment
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    Shelly

    I see a new unwanted trend on the rise: remakes of fairy-tales/princess movies. Examples: Snow White and the Huntsman; Mirror Mirror. I also saw an article today for a re-do of Sleeping Beauty. Disney perfectly compiled a beautiful, heart-felt story with the original Snow White; it was even the first feature-length animated film. Just leave the classics alone, please.

    March 11, 2012 at 11:25PM EST Reply to Comment
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    NIGHTFLYER

    People throwing up on screen. I am so sick of seeing this. You almost expect it in Horror movies, but in comedies and dramas also. Enough is enough. This is this era's Morgue technician, Doctor, etc. eating while bloodied with a corpse near by. No longer funny, disgusting, or quirky, just boring.

    March 12, 2012 at 9:46AM EST Reply to Comment
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    Wally

    "And why is the brooding, ambiguous ending of 'Veronica Mars' so challenging that fans demand conventional closure? "

    I don't think it's the craving for finality, it's more the fact that we love the show and think it deserves the attention of the big screen. If they wouldn't have canceled the show in the first place, no one would really care, but we miss the stories and the characters and we'd like to see them again. Same with Arrested Development.

    March 16, 2012 at 1:36PM EST Reply to Comment
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    EnderTheDragon

    I agree with most of these, but I like the settings in Russia, and will probably see MiB3 and American Reunion in theatres...in glorious 2D.

    March 16, 2012 at 11:13PM EST Reply to Comment
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    Haylie

    I have to say I pretty much agreed with everything on the list. I constantly ask my husband "who's seeing these movies?" Especially the Adam Sandler/Happy Madison crew films that are completely ridiculous but keep getting made. But I am way excited about the Arrested Development and 24 movie so we disagree a little bit on that one.

    March 18, 2012 at 1:04PM EST Reply to Comment
  • Zoidberg_talkback_profile

    mrbilliam

    Not that it matters, but 30 Rock's fake "Martin Luther King Day" trailer was a lot funnier than the SNL spoof of New Year's Eve.

    March 20, 2012 at 9:48PM EST Reply to Comment
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    JJ

    on 8... the first one was Love Actually. It was amazing before the US had He's Just not that into you followed by a string of bad ones

    March 22, 2012 at 9:36AM EST Reply to Comment