Crazy Rich Asians

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  • #16
    Re: Crazy Rich Asians

    Originally posted by DaltWisney View Post
    Nobody makes a bad movie on purpose, but there are absolutely some people latch onto surface characteristics of past successes and incorrectly think that copying those characteristics is a path to similar success.

    I think you're going to see an uptick in "ethnic" scripts on the Black List this year as people scramble to find other material for these neglected segments of the audience, and I think there's going to be a diminishing return with those projects over time as they become more and more common.
    I think it's quite possible that there will be an uptick in minority-focused scripts on the BL and related movies in the future. I also think it's quite silly to assume that there will be some kind of "diminishing return" over time because of that. As if at some point there will automatically be a shortage of quality content focused on minorities.

    As I said, new critically-acclaimed creators are breaking out every year. There will be good work, there will be bad work, but the situation is no different than it is for any other type of movie. You wringing your hands over some distant negative future possibility (with little actual evidence to back it up) sounds less like actual concern and more like condescension towards works about minorities -- as if it cannot be trusted to sustain quality. And that's kinda sad.
    "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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    • #17
      Re: Crazy Rich Asians

      Originally posted by DaltWisney View Post
      I am not suggesting that studios shouldn't try to tap into these audiences or that more representation is a bad thing. My whole point is that people who chase the trend because they think any Asian movie is going to do well are setting themselves up for disappointment.
      My beef with how people are treating CRA is they keep attributing the success of the movie to its Asian cast and world. However, a large part of that success comes from the original novelist's (Kevin Kwan) ability to tell a multi-generational family saga over three novels, all of which were very successful. So, yeah, I agree with you. There are different parts of the pie that make something successful, and Kevin Kwan's storytelling ability (like the guy who wrote/directed Get Out) is like a full half of the pie -- or more. It has nothing to do with his race; he's just a very clever, skilled storyteller.

      I'm not saying the next wildly successful movie set in asian culture has to start with a novel. But it better start with someone who knows how to tell a story. This may seems obvious, to us -- we're writers. I'm afraid it's not so obvious to some money people who just focus on the audience demographics.

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      • #18
        Re: Crazy Rich Asians

        Fantastic hold. Only a 6 percent drop from last weekend. Over the last few decades, the goal post has been moved from domestic to foreign audiences when it comes to minority/female lead films. It will be interesting to see how CRA performs in Asia, Europe, and South America.

        "I was dreamin' when I wrote this, forgive me if it goes astray." - Prince

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        • #19
          Re: Crazy Rich Asians

          Originally posted by UpandComing View Post
          Maybe studios will actually take the lesson that making more movies reflecting the population will mean more money

          I'm sure the (mostly white, mostly male) owners of the studios will continue to make more money by fleecing writers and other artists out of their salaries, profit shares, residuals and copyrights while distracting everyone with BS arguments about identity politics.

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          • #20
            Re: Crazy Rich Asians

            Originally posted by kintnerboy View Post
            I'm sure the (mostly white, mostly male) owners of the studios will continue to make more money by fleecing writers and other artists out of their salaries, profit shares, residuals and copyrights while distracting everyone with BS arguments about identity politics.
            I'm sure you're so cynical about everything Hollywood that an argument would be a waste of time.
            "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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            • #21
              Re: Crazy Rich Asians

              I loved the movie. It was hell funny and the friend did almost steal the show from Constance Wu who was also great. Her last speech was right on. Epic in its subtly, but powerful in its meaning and intent.

              The success of CRA gives me renewed hope that untapped demographics will finally be fully explored. Not just treated like a "trend-.

              Hopefully, executives and distributors will just get greedy and realize that there is a lot of money to be made from representing all groups. Making money should elevate their concerns about delving into another demographics that they have not traditionally been pursuing.

              I was fortunate to write and direct a South-Asian American-Bollywood movie. I don't know how many times I got the same - "love the movie, but I don't know how to sell it-. This happens more times than I want to count when I took the leap and went to Cannes (I did finally find a distributor who got us an Amazon Prime and another VOD, release). But with the success of Black Panther, Get Out, and now Crazy Rich Asians, this utter confusion of how to sell a not so mainstream movie will be something of the past.
              Never let the competition know what you're thinking... and never tell the unseen masses your story idea.

              -- Rule 85, Ferengi Rules of Acquisition (updated by cmmora)

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              • #22
                Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                it's a mistake to think that the success of this movie is mostly due to the asian cast. I see people say it's time we get more movies like these with non-white casts.
                This movie does not only contain us actors, it does not represent the us-asian actor populace very well. Given this fact, there are actually many maany movies made in asia (Japanese, Chinese, Indian etc) that are available, only you didn't see them in theatres because you didn't really give a crap or didn't even know about them. That's the truth. Some of them are really good. I love asian movies, always have. But this focus on the ethnicity of the cast in recent Hollywood movies is starting to become rediculous. It's a genius marketing strategy however, but something can be a trend and very natural at the same time.

                So your point is that these are Hollywood movies with exclusive ethnic casts and it's about time. And they use this angle of "this is the first movie that...ethnic person(s)". And you can't deny when it's a pure marketing angle as you see these articles celebrating Black Panther as the first black "marvel" superhero. How is that not helping marvel instead of black people? Blade was very successfull and also not because of it's black lead. It was good. Let's just see if we actually get big budgeted superhero movies(plural) that isn't Black Panther 2 anytime soon before we can say something isn't a trend instead of actual change.

                So that is the answer to the question; "How do we market these movies?". It's not actually helping becuse they wouldn't know the answer to that question if it's not "the first ethnic blabla". The Last Jedi had horrible female and non-white characters, yet were lauded(marketing) for just including them, while an all female movie like Annhilation with actually intelligent women goes unnoticed. I guess they didn't have Disney's marketing apartment on it?

                Crazy Rich Asian is based on a very popular book, and it seems to be a good movie in a genre that was ripe for a comeback amidst this superhero nonsense. I'm really sick of superheroes, disney and star wars, and I don't think i'm alone.

                Crazy Rich Asians looks like a very elitist movie to be fair. I could be wrong, i haven't seen it. But actually good movies can handle criticism without people being offended on behalf of it's casting choices. Celebrate movies that represent non-white casts in a good light, not marketing.
                Last edited by Bananos; 09-01-2018, 08:15 AM.

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                • #23
                  Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                  Originally posted by cmmora View Post
                  I was fortunate to write and direct a South-Asian American-Bollywood movie. I don't know how many times I got the same - "love the movie, but I don't know how to sell it-. This happens more times than I want to count when I took the leap and went to Cannes (I did finally find a distributor who got us an Amazon Prime and another VOD, release).
                  Congratulations!
                  "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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                  • #24
                    Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                    As a white Englishman, I suppose I wasn't the target demographic for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. No wonder I couldn't understand a bloody word those crazy medieval Asians were saying. And what the hell was all that annoying writing at the bottom of the screen for? Obviously I didn't wear my glasses because I didn't want to have to look at weird foreign faces projected twenty-feet tall. Sheesh, that's two hours I'll never get back.
                    Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
                    "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

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                    • #25
                      Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                      I hope you realize, "Crayon," that in today's unforgiving PC environment, you have just damned yourself to the outer darkness until hell freezes over or heaven crashes to earth, whichever comes first.

                      Humor be damned, if you think you're funny that's the last step on the road that dead-ends at the cliff's edge.

                      Or put it another way, it's possible that you will find forgiveness from the political-powers-that-be, but it will only be when you have publicly flayed yourself alive, then salt-and-peppered the bleeding flesh underneath, served it to mountain lions, and been shytte off the above-mentioned cliff into a box acceptable to our cultural lords and masters.

                      On the other hand, if you'd merely robbed a bank and shot a few passers-by, as long as they weren't of the currently halo'd ethnicity/sexual subtype/radical political persuasion etc., you might be able to regain your previous stature in -- oh, let's say 100 years.

                      Not trying to be "political," whatever the hell that is, just thought I'd let you know.
                      Last edited by Max Otto Schrenck; 09-03-2018, 09:59 AM. Reason: i don't know. do you?

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                      • #26
                        Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                        Originally posted by Max Otto Schrenck View Post
                        I hope you realize, "Crayon," that in today's unforgiving PC environment, you have just damned yourself to the outer darkness until hell freezes over or heaven crashes to earth, whichever comes first.

                        Humor be damned, if you think you're funny that's the last step on the road that dead-ends at the cliff's edge.

                        Or put it another way, it's possible that you will find forgiveness from the political-powers-that-be, but it will only be when you have publicly flayed yourself alive, then salt-and-peppered the bleeding flesh underneath, served it to mountain lions, and been shytte off the above-mentioned cliff into a box acceptable to our cultural lords and masters.

                        On the other hand, if you'd merely robbed a bank and shot a few passers-by, as long as they weren't of the currently halo'd ethnicity/sexual subtype/radical political persuasion etc., you might be able to regain your previous stature in -- oh, let's say 100 years.

                        Not trying to be "political," whatever the hell that is, just thought I'd let you know.
                        And I wouldn't be surprised if Crayon is also guilty of "cultural appropriation". I would guess that at sometime in his life he has worn trousers/pants. A probable invention of the Chinese. Shame!
                        "I just couldn't live in a world without me."

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                        • #27
                          Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                          Exactly. And from now on I won't be able to open a box of crayolas without thinking, "Thank God it wasn't me...".

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                          • #28
                            Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                            Originally posted by Max Otto Schrenck View Post
                            I hope you realize, "Crayon," that in today's unforgiving PC environment, you have just damned yourself to the outer darkness until hell freezes over or heaven crashes to earth, whichever comes first.

                            Humor be damned, if you think you're funny that's the last step on the road that dead-ends at the cliff's edge.

                            Or put it another way, it's possible that you will find forgiveness from the political-powers-that-be, but it will only be when you have publicly flayed yourself alive, then salt-and-peppered the bleeding flesh underneath, served it to mountain lions, and been shytte off the above-mentioned cliff into a box acceptable to our cultural lords and masters.

                            On the other hand, if you'd merely robbed a bank and shot a few passers-by, as long as they weren't of the currently halo'd ethnicity/sexual subtype/radical political persuasion etc., you might be able to regain your previous stature in -- oh, let's say 100 years.

                            Not trying to be "political," whatever the hell that is, just thought I'd let you know.
                            Max - I'm not sure how sincere or ironic you are being, but that entire 'un-PC' post of mine is verbal irony intended to mock the questionable notion that movies have a target racial demographic - or they could have, or should have.

                            I worry that anyone who chooses the word "unforgiving" - and only that word - to describe the 'politically correct environment of today' is a bigot with a mindset more suited to the Dark Ages.
                            Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
                            "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

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                            • #29
                              Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                              I feel very threatened by this post, but on the other hand since "Crayon" is in a hole ten feet deep and shoveling like mad, I suppose direct harm is out of the question and so I may squeak out a few words of response before racing for the nearest safe space.

                              So. Hiding behind the "verbal irony" ruse, are we? That's how all oppressors get away with their oppression, by pretending to be "funny" or "ironic," when all the time they're thinking about calling the police on people they hate. Yes, that's what's behind your "irony," your "humor." Ten thousand years of pure hate, condensed down into a punch line.

                              In any event, how dare you time-shame the Dark Ages by comparing it to my mindset? The Dark Ages were not that "dark," (notice the use of that loaded word) for people outside the Euro-fascist zone. Matter of fact, they were fairly damn full of light and joy, for innocent Fourth-Worlders frolicking under rainbows and butterflies which YOUR ANCESTORS AND NOW YOU are still thinking of stealing away.

                              And oh what a tangled web your weave, when you --

                              That's okay, Mom. I'm almost done. I'll be up for lunch in about ninety seconds.

                              I rest my case.
                              Last edited by Max Otto Schrenck; 09-05-2018, 11:10 AM. Reason: conscientious forbearance

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                              • #30
                                Re: Crazy Rich Asians

                                Max - Calm down, bro. I can't continue with this verbal aggression. For a period film noir script, I'm nuts deep in research of the Protestant Reformation, so I already bear enough guilt for the systematic abuse of both casual and professional Catholics - much like yourself, I imagine. I can only pray that no Muslims or Jews were caught up in that holocaust.
                                Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
                                "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

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