In recent years’ nostalgia, has been central to entertainment be it TV with Strange Things and The Goldberg’s or to the many film reboots and sequels that have used nostalgia over their story as with Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens both seen as restarts of their stories but end up being remakes of what came before of Jurassic Park and Star Wars A New Hope.
Audiences are fickle when it comes to nostalgic reboots, remakes and sequels as sometimes audiences are accepting of them as with Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens but not so with Independence Day: Resurgence all three films repeat what came before all of which having casts that weren’t in the originals but audiences are more accepting with some films over others.
Last year The Jungle Book reimagination was always expected to be successful as the original animated film was a massive hit in the UK when it was first released in 1967 and with its re-releases, the last being in 1992 taking £7.41m doesn’t sound much today but in 1993 it was the 10th biggest film of the year. (Would be £17.87m+ today). There was a lot of comparison to Legend of Tarzan opening three months later which did surprisingly better than expected while the Warner Bros The Jungle Book Origins was originally set for October 2016 was delayed to October 2017 and then 2018.
South Park highlighted this in the last series with their memberries ‘when the world is changing so fast it makes us yearn for the old ways when life seemed simpler, but it doesn’t mean those old ideas are good for us now’. They highlighted this saying as many realised day weeks and months after watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens it was not as good as everyone thought it was, it may seem fun to go back and recycle the past we loved but we end up with no substance,
This is similar to films like La La Land and with T2 Trainspotting it’s going back to catch up with old friends does it extend the story or is it a group of friends talking about how life hasn’t turned out the way they hoped it would be.
With La La Land it’s a montage of best bits and scenes from classic scenes from Hollywood’s glories past which is why critics and Academy members love it and have described it as the film we need now. But is it? Why watch a remake when you can as easily see the original which will show that films like La La Land are like the Emperor’s New Clothes all hype no substance. Ever since La La Land premiered at Toronto Film Festival in September critics and awards have clambered over it in awe but is it as special and deserving of all that praise.
Another video has also compared La La Land with Martin Scorsese’s 1977 musical New York, New York.
I do believe in a few months’ time once the memberries have worn off similar to Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Crash in 2005 people will see it for what it is and be amazed that it received so many nominations and award wins. As in 2005, there are far many better films deserving of award success this year but as with Crash in 2005 the hype the memberries will give La La Land the awards. As with La La Land today being described as the film we need now Crash was given a similar label in 2004.
In 1997 The Full Monty opened the weekend Princess Diana died and Moulin Rouge opened the weekend after 9/11 Attacks both were massive hits at the UK box office as audiences came to them to get away from the horrors on TV. With La La Land it feels much more forced fed with audiences made to believe La La Land was the film thy needed which is probably why there has been some backlash to it. La La Land is a lovely film but is just that as with so many films critics swoon over them like teenagers at film festivals but do regular cinemagoers feel the same? In recent years, there is one Oscar film that receives the hype and must-see buzz but do they live up to the hype surrounding them or do audiences feel they are films they must like?
| The Revenant | 15th January 2016 | £5.07m | x4.50 | £22.86m |
| The Theory of Everything | 1st January 2015 | £3.74m | x5.73 | £21.45m |
| 12 Years A Slave | 10th January 2014 | £2.51m | x7.97 | £20.02m |
| Les Misérables | 11th January 2013 | £8.12m | x4.98 | £40.45m |
| War Horse | 13th January 2012 | £3.94m | x4.71 | £18.59m |
| The Kings Speech | 7th January 2011 | £3.52m | x12.75 | £44.90m |
| Slumdog Millionaire | 9th January 2009 | £1.82m | X17.18 | £31.28m |
The other reason why La La Land is a slam dunk to win Baftas and Oscars is the film is about Hollywood’s glory days and just like turkey’s voting for Christmas the Academy members will vote for their own like lemmings. Highlighted by films about Hollywood winning Best Film over recent years Birdman, Argo and The Artist. Best Film win used to be a film of substance and meaning like 12 Years A Slave most recently but also Gladiator, Schindler’s List, Unforgiven, Rain Man, Platoon, Out of Africa, Amadeus and Gandhi.
As with Spotlight last year these are films that hold their own still 20+ years later La La Land cannot be compared with those films but the other nominees can be all of them even Hacksaw Ridge directed by Mel Gibson are deserving of their place as a Best Picture nominee all telling important stories that will hold up over the years to come, in comparison La La Land is fluff that cannot be compared with those films and is there purely on hype built first by critics and then luvvies.
Best Picture Oscars UK Opening Box office
| Spotlight | 29th January 2016 | £1.05m | £5.85m |
| Birdman | 1st January 2015 | £1.15m | £5.81m |
| 12 Years A Slave | 10th January 2014 | £2.51m | £20.02m |
| Argo | 7th November 2012 | £1.28m | £4.92m |
| The Artist | 30th December 2011 | £629,495 | £9.29m |
| The Kings Speech | 7th January 2011 | £3.52m | £44.40m |
| The Hurt Locker | 28th August 2009 | £308,887 | £794,769 |
| Slumdog Millionaire | 9th January 2009 | £1.82m | £31.28m |
| No Country For Old Men | 18th January 2008 | £2.75m* | £6.31m |
| The Departed | 6th October 2006 | £2.29m | £12.57m |
| Crash | 12th August 2005 | £818,604 | £5.60m |
| Million Dollar Baby | 14th January 2004 | £803,899 | £5.15m |
| LOTR: Return of the King | 17th December 2003 | £15.02m | £60.66m |
| Chicago | 26th December 2002 | £1.98m* | £16.11m |
| A Beautiful Mind | 22nd February 2002 | £1.51* | £7.51m |
| Gladiator | 12th May 2000 | £3.55m | £30.78m |
| American Beauty | 4th February 2000 | £3.55m* | £21.26m |
| Shakespeare in Love | 29th January 1999 | £1.81m | £20.08m |
| Titanic | 23rd January 1998 | £4.80m | £68.53m |
| The English Patient | 14th March 1997 | n/a | £11.49m |
| Braveheart | 8th September 1995 | n/a | £16.67m |
| Forrest Gump | 7th October 1994 | n/a | £15.08m |
| Schindler’s List | 18th February 1993 | £1.23m* | £13.82m |
| Unforgiven | 18th Sept 1992 | n/a | £4.86m |
| Silence of Lambs | 31st May 1991 | £4.64m* | £17.20m |
Last year’s biggest films in the UK Rogue One A Star Wars Story, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Bridget Jones’s Baby, The Jungle Book and Finding Dory all have one thing in common nostalgia they are all extensions of classic films or remakes and sequels of audience favourites.
Many box office experts said Bridget Jones’s Baby box office performance was a surprise but performed similar to Bridget Jones’s Diary and Bridget Jones’s: Edge of Reason.
2016 also had Jason Bourne which was a montage of best bits from previous Bourne films, Independence Day: Resurgence sequel to the audience favourite Independence Day released 20 years ago, the marketing played on the 20-year gap as the T2 Trainspotting trailers have done. Likewise Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, Dads Army and David Brent Life on the Road extensions of classic TV series.
2017 sees several more memberries movies including Beauty and the Beast, Chips, Power Rangers, Baywatch, It, Flatliners, Bladerunner 2049, Star Wars The Last Jedi and Jumanji. Beauty and the Beast is likely to repeat the success of The Jungle Book last year as Star Wars The Last Jedi with Star Wars The Force Awakens the others could go either way.
Beauty and the Beast reimagination is looking very similar to the 1991 classic animated film