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Post by Kevin Hamilton on Oct 24, 2015 10:56:19 GMT -5
I don't guess I was ever aware that there was ever a big fanbase clamoring for this. I mean, people my age and around there will have nostalgic feelings about it; but even that's mostly just the theme song.
Was there really enough of an audience that this was gonna ever do well? I mean even if it was a faithful adaptation. If you're younger than say 25 or so, you certainly don't have any connection to it. And if you're over that age, generally, it's more of an: "I remember that."
It'd be sorta like a live action version of Visionaries or Inhumanoids or something. Except with those, the property lends itself to at least the action genre (and honestly I'd dig both of those, for, again nostalgic reasons). But again, those properties like Jem are fairly minor.
And I get that Jem is probably slightly more well known that the two examples I mentioned. BUT, again I'd say that's likely mostly the theme and then maybe the look of the characters instead of anything about the plot or characters themselves.
I guess what I'm saying is something like a Jem is on the very periphery of pop culture, where if you're a certain age you are AWARE of it at least. It's just weird to me that they're really scraping the 80's barrel now and thinking that'll make money.
It doesn't excuse making what's probably a terrible film in a truly half-assed way, but this was never, ever gonna do huge business.
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Post by Alyce: Old Media Enthusiast on Oct 24, 2015 11:09:31 GMT -5
I don't guess I was ever aware that there was ever a big fanbase clamoring for this. I mean, people my age and around there will have nostalgic feelings about it; but even that's mostly just the theme song. It has had a small comeback thanks to the IDW comic (which BTW is how you do a modern Jem concept), and I know of a lot of people who were big fans of the cartoon who were legitimately angry over what it became.
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Post by Kevin Hamilton on Oct 24, 2015 11:18:07 GMT -5
Fair enough, but still clearly a really niche audience.
They'd have probably been better served with an updated series.
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Post by horsemen4ever on Oct 24, 2015 11:20:36 GMT -5
It'd be sorta like a live action version of Visionaries or Inhumanoids or something. Except with those, the property lends itself to at least the action genre (and honestly I'd dig both of those, for, again nostalgic reasons). But again, those properties like Jem are fairly minor. You never seen the cartoon haven't you, the Jem cartoon was an action show.
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Post by "Mr Wonderdick" Dick Dastardly on Oct 24, 2015 11:22:00 GMT -5
I don't guess I was ever aware that there was ever a big fanbase clamoring for this. I mean, people my age and around there will have nostalgic feelings about it; but even that's mostly just the theme song. Was there really enough of an audience that this was gonna ever do well? I mean even if it was a faithful adaptation. If you're younger than say 25 or so, you certainly don't have any connection to it. And if you're over that age, generally, it's more of an: "I remember that." It'd be sorta like a live action version of Visionaries or Inhumanoids or something. Except with those, the property lends itself to at least the action genre (and honestly I'd dig both of those, for, again nostalgic reasons). But again, those properties like Jem are fairly minor. And I get that Jem is probably slightly more well known that the two examples I mentioned. BUT, again I'd say that's likely mostly the theme and then maybe the look of the characters instead of anything about the plot or characters themselves. I guess what I'm saying is something like a Jem is on the very periphery of pop culture, where if you're a certain age you are AWARE of it at least. It's just weird to me that they're really scraping the 80's barrel now and thinking that'll make money. It doesn't excuse making what's probably a terrible film in a truly half-assed way, but this was never, ever gonna do huge business. See, even if the younger crowd isn't familiar with the Jem franchise, the movie would've been new to them. However, they basically stripped any appeal the cartoon had and turned it into a milquetoast movie that would be better suited as some Disney Channel movie without the Jem and The Holograms name attached to it. It should've been campy and fun, not melodramatic as the trailers have portrayed it as.
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Post by Alyce: Old Media Enthusiast on Oct 24, 2015 11:28:25 GMT -5
It'd be sorta like a live action version of Visionaries or Inhumanoids or something. Except with those, the property lends itself to at least the action genre (and honestly I'd dig both of those, for, again nostalgic reasons). But again, those properties like Jem are fairly minor. You never seen the cartoon haven't you, the Jem cartoon was an action show. A bit of action and drama in a lot of cases. Honestly, it wasn't as shallow as many people believe it to be. Hell, Jerrica wasn't just Jem, but the owner of a music company, as well as running a halfway house for orphaned girls. The show had a lot of action, suspense, even some violence here and there
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Post by Kevin Hamilton on Oct 24, 2015 11:31:34 GMT -5
I watched it some back when I was...8? 10? Something like that nearly thirty years ago.
Don't get me wrong, not trying to insult the show or its fans. I'm just saying among 80s shows, this one is clearly second tier in terms of cultural saturation.
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Post by Alyce: Old Media Enthusiast on Oct 24, 2015 11:41:00 GMT -5
A good comparison as to why this failed to make any impact at all can be made with Goosebumps, since both movies are in theaters currently.
Goosebumps was a film that was made by people who were clearly fans of the source material who wanted to make something that not only would be great nostalgia for the fans of the books in their heyday, but something to help create a new audience who can look at something like Goosebumps and enjoy it just as much as their parents did.
Jem is a movie made by a toy company by people who weren't attached to the franchise when they were younger, and instead of trying to do something that appeases both the old fans of the series, and makes new fans in the process, they go for an alienating, by the numbers story that feels nothing like what Jem was. You look at Jem the movie, and you don't find anything that makes it feel unique or special, just a movie trying too hard to play it safe that it doesn't feel unique. I just hope that this being Hasbro's first big film flop since the new studio launch doesn't bode bad things for the MLP movie in 2017
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lionheart21
Patti Mayonnaise
Once did a thing...
Posts: 30,543
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Post by lionheart21 on Oct 24, 2015 14:39:34 GMT -5
The movie had a budget of $5 million, and they still haven't drawn a profit. Wow.
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Post by Alyce: Old Media Enthusiast on Oct 24, 2015 14:43:11 GMT -5
The movie had a budget of $5 million, and they still haven't drawn a profit. Wow. And they're only expected to make a million first weekend.
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Post by Bang Bang Bart on Oct 24, 2015 14:45:12 GMT -5
I don't guess I was ever aware that there was ever a big fanbase clamoring for this. I mean, people my age and around there will have nostalgic feelings about it; but even that's mostly just the theme song. Was there really enough of an audience that this was gonna ever do well? I mean even if it was a faithful adaptation. If you're younger than say 25 or so, you certainly don't have any connection to it. And if you're over that age, generally, it's more of an: "I remember that." It'd be sorta like a live action version of Visionaries or Inhumanoids or something. Except with those, the property lends itself to at least the action genre (and honestly I'd dig both of those, for, again nostalgic reasons). But again, those properties like Jem are fairly minor. And I get that Jem is probably slightly more well known that the two examples I mentioned. BUT, again I'd say that's likely mostly the theme and then maybe the look of the characters instead of anything about the plot or characters themselves. I guess what I'm saying is something like a Jem is on the very periphery of pop culture, where if you're a certain age you are AWARE of it at least. It's just weird to me that they're really scraping the 80's barrel now and thinking that'll make money. It doesn't excuse making what's probably a terrible film in a truly half-assed way, but this was never, ever gonna do huge business. Not gonna lie, but an Inhumanoids film done right would be amazing as shit. The cartoon based off of the concept was legitimately creepy at times, and the right hands, it could be really done well.
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lionheart21
Patti Mayonnaise
Once did a thing...
Posts: 30,543
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Post by lionheart21 on Oct 24, 2015 14:51:12 GMT -5
To help put this more into perspective, on its opening weekend, Fant4stic Four earned $25.6 million and Pixels made $26 million. Jem is losing out to that.
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kidglov3s
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Wants her Shot
Who is Tiger Maskooo?
Posts: 15,870
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Post by kidglov3s on Oct 24, 2015 14:55:45 GMT -5
To help put this more into perspective, on its opening weekend, Fant4stic Four earned $25.6 million and Pixels made $26 million. Jem is losing out to that. This movie was not expected to perform well and it was never expected to be a tentpole picture on the level of Pixels/Fantastic 4 whose budgets were at least 20X greater. Estimates weeks ago had it pegged for 4 million. This is a Blumhouse cheapie with no real distributor confidence or muscle behind it, a more reasonable comparison is The Green Inferno, a movie with a troubled production dumped into wide release with minimal advertising or expectations (which even so looks to outperform Jem handily with 3.4 million on 1500 some screens for its opening weekend, with Jem looking to fall well below that on 2500 some screens).
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Post by Alyce: Old Media Enthusiast on Oct 24, 2015 14:56:55 GMT -5
To help put this more into perspective, on its opening weekend, Fant4stic Four earned $25.6 million and Pixels made $26 million. Jem is losing out to that. In Jem's defense, this was already a more stacked weekend nonetheless
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Post by Clash, Never a Meter Maid on Oct 24, 2015 15:23:14 GMT -5
It's been years since I saw an episode of Jem so I could be just taking out of my ass. But I think a well done live-action Jem movie, ergo a more faithful version of the original cartoon, would probably need to be a mix of a 1980's period piece with fantasy elements, and played campily straight. Maybe something more interesting could have been mined from the whole viral video thing, but judging by the response they weren't able to figure out what.
I'm not saying a Jem movie couldn't make money- especially if its pre-release buzz were better, which definitely killed whatever this is supposed to be. But even then it would probably be a tougher sell to mainstream audiences than something like Goosebumps, which had more content released gradually over the years than Jem and is likely fresher in the minds of kids whose parents took them to see it.
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JTH
Dennis Stamp
Sigs/Avatars cannot exceed 3MB
Posts: 4,467
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Post by JTH on Oct 24, 2015 15:23:57 GMT -5
To help put this more into perspective, on its opening weekend, Fant4stic Four earned $25.6 million and Pixels made $26 million. Jem is losing out to that. In Jem's defense, this was already a more stacked weekend nonetheless It never mattered. Fans of the show trashed the trailers the second they came out, the target audience thought the trailers looked like crap. After that, who's left? The people making this movie didn't even care, so why should anyone else have? This movie had no hope, stacked weekend or not.
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Post by Hit Girl on Oct 24, 2015 15:27:16 GMT -5
The whole thing is pointless. Even if a fanbase still existed for JEM, this looks nothing like it. It's Coyote Ugly with a girl with pink paint on her face.
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kidglov3s
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Wants her Shot
Who is Tiger Maskooo?
Posts: 15,870
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Post by kidglov3s on Oct 24, 2015 15:31:47 GMT -5
The whole thing is pointless. Even if a fanbase still existed for JEM, this looks nothing like it. It's Coyote Ugly with a girl with pink paint on her face. I dunno, for me it's a trifecta of Step Up 3D, the best Step Up movie and one of the most fun movies ever (Chu) + Ryan Guzman (Step Up 4/5, Boy Next Door) X House of Blum. I think I am the audience for this movie, especially as it might be the closest I ever get to Step Up 6 (no moooooooose though). Only way I'm more hype is if they got Tyler Perry in there.
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Post by Hit Girl on Oct 24, 2015 15:34:36 GMT -5
To me this film looks like Josie and the Pussycats, without the humour, satire and some quality of songs.
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Post by Kevin Hamilton on Oct 24, 2015 15:36:13 GMT -5
I don't guess I was ever aware that there was ever a big fanbase clamoring for this. I mean, people my age and around there will have nostalgic feelings about it; but even that's mostly just the theme song. Was there really enough of an audience that this was gonna ever do well? I mean even if it was a faithful adaptation. If you're younger than say 25 or so, you certainly don't have any connection to it. And if you're over that age, generally, it's more of an: "I remember that." It'd be sorta like a live action version of Visionaries or Inhumanoids or something. Except with those, the property lends itself to at least the action genre (and honestly I'd dig both of those, for, again nostalgic reasons). But again, those properties like Jem are fairly minor. And I get that Jem is probably slightly more well known that the two examples I mentioned. BUT, again I'd say that's likely mostly the theme and then maybe the look of the characters instead of anything about the plot or characters themselves. I guess what I'm saying is something like a Jem is on the very periphery of pop culture, where if you're a certain age you are AWARE of it at least. It's just weird to me that they're really scraping the 80's barrel now and thinking that'll make money. It doesn't excuse making what's probably a terrible film in a truly half-assed way, but this was never, ever gonna do huge business. Not gonna lie, but an Inhumanoids film done right would be amazing as shit. The cartoon based off of the concept was legitimately creepy at times, and the right hands, it could be really done well. Werd. D'compose!
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