Ralph Fiennes talks The Avengers on Hollywood ShootOut

[Timeless A-Peel]

Weintraub still owns the rights, and refuses to give anyone the go to do anything with them. That's why David K. Smith's "All in Good Time" project stalled--they actually secured backing and everything.

What a crying shame. I have a feeling David's project would have been great!

No wonder he's burned out on the Avengers.

It is. I think it would have been quite enjoyable. You can read the screenplay, and all about it, here:

http://theavengers.tv/forever/screenplay.htm

[helenofirvine]

Thank you for the link. Didn't know all that.

[Frankymole]

If that's the first time you've ever heard Rocky Horror called "so bad it's good" you really need to get out more. That's the appeal of Rocky Horror. That's why it's a cult classic. Because we the people (Rock Horror fans) have found a love for it that no one else (or not too many else) can understand. They don't have to understand it, we do, and we love it in all it's campy, over the top, godawfulness.

It's camp, it's affectionate, and it has good songs. Hardly "godawful"! If you want "godawful", watch any American horror film of the last 30 years.

[mousemeat]

Did anyone happen to catch Ralph Fiennes on Hollywood Shootout on AMC recently? He talked about the Avengers and how he was disappointed with the movies failure. He said he thought movie goers wanted an Avengers movie that was more along the lines of a superhero movie of the day, but that The Avengers movie (he thought) was more in tone with the original 60's series.

He seemed genuinely sad that the movie failed to find an audience.

Dee

really can't blame Fiennes for the film bombing..the blame goes to a lame arse script, so so direction, being edited,and el-zippo promotion.

a bad omen in the U.S. , when WB did not screen the film for the press and critics..
actors can only do so much.....a bad script, is just that.

you can't polish a turd, so to speak....

[Frankymole]

a bad omen in the U.S. , when WB did not screen the film for the press and critics..

That led to the theory that the press "had it in for" the film, ut of spite.

Personally, I never read or believe reviews anyway. I like to judge for myself.

Some people even rated "A Touch of Brimstone", for instance!

[Dandy Forsdyke]

really can't blame Fiennes for the film bombing..the blame goes to a lame arse script, so so direction, being edited,and el-zippo promotion.

Indeed the blame does not rest on one pair of shoulders. I do think he should take responsibility of his poor performance in he film. He didn't take one cue from Patrick Macnee.

Actually, I have to say that the film was promoted very well, cetainly in the UK. It was everywhere - you could'nt fail to see that there was an 'Avengers' film out.

That led to the theory that the press "had it in for" the film, ut of spite.

I think there is some truth in that. Predators generally go for the weakest in the pack. Remakes of Lost In Space and Godzilla were also out at pretty much the same time. I've neer seen either but I believe they were turkeys as well, but neither got the critical mauling of The Avengers (as far as I've seen - I only took an interest in The Avengers of course.. )

[Timeless A-Peel]

really can't blame Fiennes for the film bombing..the blame goes to a lame arse script, so so direction, being edited,and el-zippo promotion.

Indeed the blame does not rest on one pair of shoulders. I do think he should take responsibility of his poor performance in he film. He didn't take one cue from Patrick Macnee.

Actually, I have to say that the film was promoted very well, cetainly in the UK. It was everywhere - you could'nt fail to see that there was an 'Avengers' film out.

That led to the theory that the press "had it in for" the film, ut of spite.

I think there is some truth in that. Predators generally go for the weakest in the pack. Remakes of Lost In Space and Godzilla were also out at pretty much the same time. I've neer seen either but I believe they were turkeys as well, but neither got the critical mauling of The Avengers (as far as I've seen - I only took an interest in The Avengers of course.. )

I think it must have gotten a lot of publicity here, too, because how else would I have known about it? I just saw the trailer and thought it looked entertaining (and when I saw it, it was). I saw Lost in Space too, and was considerably less impressed. There are way, way worse movies than the Avengers movie. It's just a terrible Avengers movie.

[frank]

Well LOst in Space and The US version of Godzilla both took a beating by critics. The former was a waste of a film since the original premise of Lost in Space was feasible for a film adpatation. The latter film I recalled was slammed for departing too much from the original concept and turning off purists.

Typically when a major film skips previews for critics that is taken as a bad sign about the movie's quality. Historically it's a move a studio will only do in order to maximize opening weekend receipts on a film they already know is bad and will perform much poorer than hoped for in terms of ticket sales. So naturally when it's done it creates an automatic expectation that the movie will be inferior.

These days the only genre of film that is the exception to that rule is horror/slasher films. That genre typically attracts a very defined demographic who will always attend regardless of what reviews the film gets since it is of a particularly narrow niche with limited latitude.

[DiVicenzo]

Well LOst in Space and The US version of Godzilla both took a beating by critics. The former was a waste of a film since the original premise of Lost in Space was feasible for a film adpatation. The latter film I recalled was slammed for departing too much from the original concept and turning off purists.

Typically when a major film skips previews for critics that is taken as a bad sign about the movie's quality. Historically it's a move a studio will only do in order to maximize opening weekend receipts on a film they already know is bad and will perform much poorer than hoped for in terms of ticket sales. So naturally when it's done it creates an automatic expectation that the movie will be inferior.

These days the only genre of film that is the exception to that rule is horror/slasher films. That genre typically attracts a very defined demographic who will always attend regardless of what reviews the film gets since it is of a particularly narrow niche with limited latitude.

I haven't seen the new 'Lost in Space' but did buy the first series of the original on DVD but it just didn't stand the test of time for me. As for 'Godzilla' - I absolutely loved it! Still do! Good fun and good effects.

[TheDeeMan]

I have to say that I do get the feeling with some Avengers fans that no mattter how good a movie the Avengers could have been, or how perfect a casting the actors were to play Steed and Peel could have been, and no matter ow big a box office smash it could have turned out to be, there would be some Avengers fans still saying "this just isn't MY Avengers'.

I frankly wasn't looking for a recreation of the series as it stands as tv/cultural icon. I was looking for a good movie based on the series with a good story and actors who played the parts well. Not recreated the mythic Steed/Peel of the series, but did them and the series proud. The movie failed to do that. But I do enjoy the film and all it's godawfulness when I want to have a good laugh. It's a guilty pleasure. I just wish it weren't. I wish they'd gotten it right.

Dee