His Originality Does Not Make Money
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done_holding_back — 15 years ago(August 16, 2010 05:52 AM)
I'm just making the point that while Hollywood is largely made of money-mongering uninspired formula writers/directors/producers, there are people who make movies for the passion and artistic expression of it. That's where Kaufman's talent shines.
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keithmoonhangover — 15 years ago(August 17, 2010 08:29 AM)
I agree, I'm a huge fan of Kaufman. It's strange that because the likes of Michael Bay make so much money, other movies that have little or no chance of making a profit, can be made.
"If you get in bed with the devil, sooner or later you have to fook." -
Havoac — 15 years ago(November 19, 2010 09:45 AM)
It
s true studios get 55 percent of the gross, but critical hits such as Kauffmans make a killing on DVD, Cable etc. They have a great life on the shelves. They also pull talent to the Studios which, through those connections, attach those actors to the tentpoles. I assure you; Adaptation, Being John Malkovich etc. turned quite the profit. Another reason they are profitable is that they require minimal advertising budget. Most of thesafemovies require humongous amounts of advertising and thus actually, in the end, might be more risky to produce. Now, all that being said, yeah NY Synd. is a ridiculous movie. I love it, but its crazy anyone thought it would make money. -
steve2005 — 13 years ago(May 24, 2012 07:53 PM)
According to John August, Dov SS Simmons and other screenwriting smarty pants, all movies basically make profit. Otherwise, no one would spend so much money on movies. It's fairly complicated from my understanding, but if you find John August's talk with the guy who wrote "Hangover," they explain how movie money works, and one thing is that studios fudge the budget. Also, a majority of their money comes from post theatrical releases (i.e. video, cable, PPV, etc.).
The other thing is that studios lump movies with larger more profitable films, so that the money would even out.
Another thing I heard was that there are these smaller movies, such as "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," that are more of the "Prestigious" films that studios hope to get Academy Awards to give them that ribbon and rerelease their films for award winners etc.
I know this is a bit simplified, but from how I hear it it's complicated and bigger than what we're told. But, yes, I'm sure movies lose money, but more often than not, they make a lot of money. That's why Executives can get so rich and Charlie Kaufman will not have to worry about being in the unemployment line. -
evil_jello_man — 15 years ago(December 29, 2010 12:51 PM)
Don't forget that there is also a lot of revenue from people watching his films on DVD and cable deals like HBO. That is not counted in Box Office Gross. He is a lot more profiatable then people think.
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brandon1930 — 14 years ago(February 05, 2012 09:09 AM)
Sure, his movies don't make much, but most have turned SOME profit. Plus, the Academy seems to like him. Of the 6 movies he's written, 3 have been nominated for best Screenplay, as well as a few of the 'big' Oscars. Wins in those categories can often mean millions more in revenue for a studio. So maybe it's a gamble they're willing to take.
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Norran — 13 years ago(August 29, 2012 10:27 AM)
I'm sure most of his films have made a profit by now because they cost very little to make. About $10 to $20 million. It's not like he's making $200 million movies that need to make generate half a billion dollars in ticket sales.
Most of his films if they don't make money at the box office can easily become profitable once they hit home video. -
alienjesus — 13 years ago(October 18, 2012 03:30 PM)
beep the box office. Kaufman is an amazing writer and one of the last people in Hollywood that gives me hope for the future. If he can't get a movie made that's pretty much the end of cinema in my eyes.
A black pool opened up at my feet. I dived in. It had no bottom. -
TimRohn — 12 years ago(January 20, 2014 05:10 AM)
I do not know if you still have any interest in this topic.. Considering you posted this 3 - 4 years ago. However, I thought you might be interested to know he is tagged on to write the screenplay for The Knife of Never Letting Go. I can't say when production will start, but this film is based off a book and I believe it will likely be as big as the current Hunger Games films. Charlie Kaufman may finally make it big in Hollywood, if he writes the screenplay well. (I wouldn't say Sunshine or any of his other films exactly made him big).
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SamoanJoes — 11 years ago(February 12, 2015 10:41 AM)
It's funny how Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind had an A-list actor like Jim Carrey, an Oscar nominee at the time in Kate Winslet as its leads and musters up nothing at the box office.
You're right, his originality does not make money even with a box office draw like Jim Carrey.
I would invest my money in a Kaufman film as long as the budget was reasonable. -
keithmoonhangover — 10 years ago(October 18, 2015 11:58 AM)
They are not about making easy-money by pandering to illiterates, teens and stunted-adults, but by creating real movies that might actually make you think.
What a load of pretentious nonsense. Kaufman's made bad movies the same as everyone else.
If you get in bed with the devil, sooner or later you have to fvck. -
keithmoonhangover — 10 years ago(October 20, 2015 11:02 AM)
You make it sound like 'low IQ' movies are a recent thing. Where have you been for the last hundred years. I love Adaptation, but there' nothing 'high IQ' about it. The idea is cool, but the stories aren't challenging in the slightest.
"These latest comic book flicks are literally being hand-created for a brain-dead foreign audience with ADD." - No, they are being created to make money.
If you get in bed with the devil, sooner or later you have to fvck.