Far From Refuge

It seems that no one these days has an original idea.  This extends to many forms of media but I am specifically speaking about film.  Every movie these days is either a sequel, prequel, reboot, redo, based on a comic, based on a book, based on a tv show, based on a board game (thats right, Battleship and Candyland are coming your way pretty soon), or some other rip off of a half assed existing idea.

Today I found out that there is going to be a movie based on the tv show Friday Night Lights.  The insane thing is that the tv show is based off of an already existing movie, that was in turn based off of a book.  So they want to make a movie that is based off of a tv show that is based off of a prior movie that is based off of a book, which is actually based on a true story.  YIKES!  Have we run out of ideas?

I took a gander earlier at what movies were currently playing in theaters.  Here are a few of the titles that were out:

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance - Both a sequel and based off of a comic book
Journey 2: Mysterious Island - Sequel
Underworld Awakening - Sequel
Alvin & the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked - Sequel and based on a cartoon
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - Sequel and based on a book
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - Sequel and based on a tv show
The Muppets - Sequel and based on a previous franchise
We Bought a Zoo - Based on a book
Hugo - Based on a book
War Horse -Based on a book and stage adaptation of the book
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Based on a book
Puss in Boots - Sequel/spinoff of Shrek
Happy Feet Two - Sequel

That is not all of them either.  Those are just the ones that were on the first page and I knew off the top of my head were based on prior work.  That is insane to me.  I don't understand why there needs to be this extreme need for familiarity. Will the masses not go to see a movie unless it has a familiar name or character?  Is that how movies like Land of the Lost get made? Disney even made an entire franchise based on a ride in their theme park.  I maintain that were it not for Johnny Depp, Pirates of the Caribbean would be a colossal failure, not unlike Disney's other ride based movie The Haunted Mansion (starring Eddie Murphy).

Once again, there are movies coming out for Battleship and Candyland.  WTF?   Battleship.  BATTLESHIP!  There is a movie coming out for Battleship.  I cannot believe that.

The beginning of summer is probably my favorite time of year. There is so much to look forward to. I get to immerse myself in sunshine, beach days, bonfires, BBQ's, and baseball. I don't get to the beach too often with my work schedule(read: too embarrassed to show my fat self anywhere near a beach), but I do like to take in as many bonfires, BBQ's, and baseball games as I can. I can't think of too many things I'd rather do than enjoy a hot dog at ball game whether it is a scorching hot day game in the sun, or a cool evening game that begins as the sun is setting in beautiful Southern California.