I've had two movie disappointments lately, and I'm mystified as to why the films ended up being so unexpectedly bad.
Let me just say, I looked forward to each film. I rarely shell out $10.00 (or more) for a flick unless I think it's going to be good. Two times in two months I've misjudged a movie horribly. Part of it was because of the way the previews were done (excellent) and part of it was because I love the actors and the producers. It takes more than well-known actors to make a great film and I feel sorry for all of the actors in these two films because they did nothing but hurt their professional reputation.
Dark Shadows was a film I wanted to see the moment I viewed the previews. I simply adore Tim Burton movies and I love to watch Johnny Depp. The cast for this humor horror was excellent and the quality of the film was superb. Where the film falls short is in the final editing and in some of the script writing. This movie had scenes that dragged on and (I hate to say it) made me yawn. The humor could have been punched up some and there were unnecessary scenes that added nothing to the story and should have been cut.
I saw Snow White and the Huntsman with my family today, and most of us (exception of my husband who went with us just so he could be with me...sickeningly sweet) were excited to see the film. The pros of the film were the wonderful cast of actors, the quality of the film and the excellent CG/special effects. The cons were similar to that of Dark Shadows. Poor script writing, poor film editing and the insertion of scenes that didn't do anything to move the story along. There were endless snippets of Snow White stumbling though the dark forest breathing heavily and squeaking from fear, and a scene where a village of women who had scars on their faces could have been cut from the story all together.
When I talked with my family after the movie was over, everyone thought the film was "so-so." It wasn't fantastic. We agreed that there was no emotional attachment to any of the characters. No deep meaning to the story. It was such a shame, because I'd hoped for a quality movie to escape into. Instead I got something that was close to real life. Fun and fantasy combined with boredom and the desire to fast forward on a remote (Precious Buddha, I really wish I'd had a remote...)
Even though these films were an ultimate disappointment, they did awaken something in me that made me look at myself. I realized that, as a writer, I need to be sure not to make the same mistakes that were made in these stories. Quick action scenes and 'meaning' to each scene are important, and if I even think I'm going to write humor then it needs to be funny or else I need to cut it.
Editing is huge part of developing prose for publication, whether it's a script, short story, poetry or a novel. I had a hard time believing that the producers, writers and editors of these creations actually shared their movies with an sample of the general population before they did the final wrap. Gathering together a real audience to view the films before saying the work if finished is essential. The audience should be a group of randomly selected people (50 or more) who fill out a survey at the end of the movie and who provide their honest feedback in a comment section. I can't believe anyone did this with either of these movies because the average Jane/Joe Doe opinion would have helped these two films to be a hit.
In the end, viewing the films weren't a total loss. I developed some insight by watching something that could have been popular if the scriptwriting and editing had been better. And I spent time with my family, which is always good. Bottom line is to never be so arrogant (despite your money and popularity) that you don't invite and/or listen to a good critique of your work. As for me, I'll be making sure I've got plenty of eyes on my manuscript. The last thing I want is for my reader to be disappointed.
Semper Fortis!
~Q
