Studios Making Stupid Decisions

[adamclark83]

We have all probably heard film studios making ridiculous decisions and I think the biggest culprit is Warner Bros. for the first three examples.

Examples.

1. The Batman films.
These movies are meant to be dark and after Batman Returns which was considered by them to be too dark, the studio decided the next one should be made more family friendly. Thus the slide began.

Warner Bros. must have said "I think we have done something very stupid."

When Batman Begins came along, the series came back with its darkness. Clearly they learnt their lesson. BATMAN IS SUPPOSED TO BE DARK!!

2. Superman IV
When the movie received poor reviews from its test screening, they cut down the running time. Unfortunately, they took most of the exposition with it.

3. The Avengers (1998)
-see above-
The reduced run time cut out major plot points. What was left were several questions without answers.

VILLAIN: I want to control the weather.
VIEWERS: Why?
VILLAIN: cut response

How did Mrs Peel know the password for the phone booth's elevator?

3. DOOM
When producers make movies based on video games, classic TV shows or cartoons, they want to make a great and faithful movie that the fans will love.

Until the studio gets involved.

STUDIO: We don't approve of the monsters originating from Hell. That won't go down well with the religious groups. Do something else. Make them come from genetic manipulation.
PRODUCERS: But that will alienate the fans. If we stay true to the game, fans will come back again and again to see it. That's where the ticket sales will come from.
STUDIO: We don't care. Either create a new origin or we cancel production.

[TheForce8686]

Can we start a thread about posters starting pointless threads.

1. Studios making Stupid Decisions: There are already thousands of threads ripping on these same movies why do we need another one?

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by adamclark83

2. Superman IV
When the movie received poor reviews from its test screening, they cut down the running time. Unfortunately, they took most of the exposition with it.

Uh, Superman IV was Golan/Globus, not Warner. They ALWAYS make stupid decisions.

3. The Avengers (1998)
-see above-
The reduced run time cut out major plot points. What was left were several questions without answers.

Thank you for at least recognizing that The Avengers was a passably good movie chopped into incoherence.
(Most just unfairly blame the movie for the silliness of the source material, without ever having seen the TV series in their life--"What's with the teddy-bear suits?")

Any contributions for bad Eisner-era Disney decisions, like promoting "Treasure Planet" as a comedy after they couldn't understand "Atlantis"'s flop?

[Walts Ghost]

Originally Posted by EricJ

Any contributions for bad Eisner-era Disney decisions, like promoting "Treasure Planet" as a comedy after they couldn't understand "Atlantis"'s flop?

While we're on it, how about the bad marketing decisions in recent years with Winnie the Pooh, Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Prince of Persia, Tron Legacy, and recently John Carter.

[BrentLW]

Originally Posted by adamclark83

BATMAN IS SUPPOSED TO BE DARK!!
.

I have a very large collection of DC Silver Age comics that strongly disagrees with you

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by EricJ

Uh, Superman IV was Golan/Globus, not Warner. They ALWAYS make stupid decisions.



Thank you for at least recognizing that The Avengers was a passably good movie chopped into incoherence.
(Most just unfairly blame the movie for the silliness of the source material, without ever having seen the TV series in their life--"What's with the teddy-bear suits?")

Any contributions for bad Eisner-era Disney decisions, like promoting "Treasure Planet" as a comedy after they couldn't understand "Atlantis"'s flop?

who's to blame for the cutting, the filmmaker's or Warner Bros.?

along the same lines, the post production editing down by New Line on 'The Golden Compass' really harmed the overall film.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

who's to blame for the cutting, the filmmaker's or Warner Bros.?
along the same lines, the post production editing down by New Line on 'The Golden Compass' really harmed the overall film.

Originally Posted by adamclark83

3. The Avengers (1998)
The reduced run time cut out major plot points. What was left were several questions without answers.
How did Mrs Peel know the password for the phone booth's elevator?

She overheard it from the robot duplicate Sean Connery built.

(And if you're asking "Robot, who, whaa...?", that pretty much answers the question:
When a studio cuts entire subplots out of the film wholesale, it's usually a sign of a nervous studio that wants to go no-frills, hit the audience quick with just what's on the poster so they won't complain, and get out in 90 minutes while the getting's good.
And that describes Warner as often as it describes New Line.

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Sid Sheinberg, of MCA/Universal Studios, had a reputation for making these types of decisions. He supposedly wanted to call Back to the Future "Spaceman From Pluto", and was responsible for the "Love Conquers All" cut of Brazil -- a movie he just didn't get.

[Wally Q]

Originally Posted by walts ghost

while we're on it, how about the bad marketing decisions in recent years with winnie the pooh, princess and the frog, tangled, prince of persia, tron legacy, and recently john carter.

ftw +1000

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by Walts Ghost

While we're on it, how about the bad marketing decisions in recent years with Winnie the Pooh, Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Prince of Persia, Tron Legacy, and recently John Carter.

I really don't understand how this happened. Disney used to be the best in promoting things. Their posters (especially the "adult" posters they made for their animated movies) looked great, the trailers were fantastic (Dinosaur's teaser was better than the rest of the movie). I don't know who they replaced in the marketing department, but it was a huge mistake.