tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109274274070580415.post3436408465065535574..comments2023-10-17T05:30:29.081-06:00Comments on Bye-Bye Shadowlands: Welcome back my friends to the debate that never ends...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109274274070580415.post-75290582932296340602008-04-11T13:38:00.000-06:002008-04-11T13:38:00.000-06:00Not sure there has to be such a strict demarcation...Not sure there has to be such a strict demarcation. Audiences are so diverse (even pared down from the standard "four-quadrant": old, young, male, female), depending on many, many factors, not the least of which can be time.<BR/><BR/>Look at one of your favs: "It's a Wonderful Life" -- for all its great qualities, it FLOPPED at the box office. From our ever-"trusty" wikipedia:<BR/><BR/>"The film's break-even point was actually $6.3 million, approximately twice the production cost, a figure it never came close to achieving in its initial release. An appraisal in 2006 reported: "Although it was not the complete box-office failure that today everyone believes... it was a major disappointment and confirmed, at least to the studios, that Capra was no longer capable of turning out the populist features that made his films the must-see, money-making events they once were.'"<BR/><BR/>Maybe it's just the perception at its release, but a boost from late night TV and it's a "movie classic" (and deservedly so)... or what about Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" --had 'em rushing toward the aisles on its debut (The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Spring in 1913).<BR/><BR/>Guess getting back to your question, the creator was once an audience member and considers audience, but hanging too close to that mindset results in formulaic art. Chasing down audience approval is an exercise in futility.<BR/><BR/>Funny, but your post hit me like the random speaker at a Quaker meeting: "I was just thinking about that too!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109274274070580415.post-53141764753809180962008-04-11T13:13:00.000-06:002008-04-11T13:13:00.000-06:00Can you really separate "audience expectations" fr...Can you really separate "audience expectations" from a creator's vision? If you're working in a medium that by its very nature has an audience, then you want to communicate to that audience. No matter how you look at, you want to please them on some level.Marc Conklinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02937854340746920273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5109274274070580415.post-22669359479366056942008-04-11T12:24:00.000-06:002008-04-11T12:24:00.000-06:00Okay, you've roped me in, Conk.Your first take on ...Okay, you've roped me in, Conk.<BR/><BR/>Your first take on "Karn Evil 9" is correct: it's bombastic, overwrought, precious, [fill in your choice here]...<BR/><BR/>"Yesterday" is, was, always will be, brilliant. Spare, engaging/arresting, heart-droppingly beautiful.<BR/><BR/>What's wrong with BOTH in the world? Upon reflection, "Karn Evil 9" still works because ELP are winking at us: "Hey we can do this, it's this detailed exploration of exploitation in the entertainment biz [thank you, the great Pete Sinfield --http://www.songsouponsea.com--, who also brought us the lyrics to KC's "In the Court of the Crimson King," etc.], so as the rock music that I used to remember being: humorous, fun:<BR/><BR/>"And if I am elected<BR/>I promise the formation of a new party<BR/>A third party, the Wild Party!<BR/>I know we have problems,<BR/>We got problems right here in Central City,<BR/>We have problems on the North, South, East and West,<BR/>New York City, Saint Louis, Philadelphia, Los Angeles,<BR/>Detroit, Chicago,<BR/>Everybody has problems,<BR/>And personally, I don't care."<BR/><BR/>Re: movies, well it's all of a package. Does the film achieve what it set out to do organically, or is it merely reacting to audience (and by extension, filmmaker) expectations?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com