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Messages - johnone

#1
Film Discussion / Re: Dredd - Box Office
26 September, 2012, 12:07:22 PM
the film has to make twice it's box office to have considered broken even, Dredd could still do that with  the worldwide release but it is not going to make enough profit to really generate a sequel (unless the chinese love it and they turn out in droves)

So to anyone depressed and downharted about this.
    So Dredd failed at the U.S box office and does it matter...well yes and no. it's one of the most well reviewed flops in a long time and could easily make a lot of money on DVD and Netflix, this happens all the time, Austin Powers which had huge kudos for it's sequel actually made the majority of its profit on home release.
    It has most certainly increased Dredds profile and 2000ad's profile in the states (not as much as one hoped  but more people are aware of Dredd being more than just the 1995 film.)
   Has it damaged the comic as some speculated earlier? Apparently not, Rebellion seemed to have played this much more cleverly than Fleetway did...( or must I remind you of the two flopped DC comics, the grudawful movie adaptation or the lawman of the future comic..."for kids?!?!?" that all came out in 1995, fleetway nearly bet the farm that time...and lost!)
    Will there be a another Judge Dredd movie...actually probably we may have another 10 to 15 years to wait but it's a viable property.
    Does it make other 2000ad  properties movies a possibility...again yes and no! many will see this as a sign Dredd is unfilmable and perhaps it is for the mass audiencebut there's also a wealth of other stories with frankly easier stories to adapt for screen, Harry Twenty On The High Rock , The A.B.C Warriors, Strontium Dog , Rogue Trooper amongst others.. a certain film called Hardware was "inspired" by a 4 page Ro Jaws tale.
  So is it disappointing ? Yes, is Dredd a good movie ? Yes  and will there be other days? Of course there will be.
#2
Film Discussion / Re: Dredd - Box Office
24 September, 2012, 10:08:43 AM
In Dredds case , Comic Con success was not the problem! The fact it was independently financed and thus did not have the budget to promote was a far greater problem ....when you see that John Carter spent at least the whole of Dredd's budget on marketing alone you realise the mountain Dredd has to climb...the decision as well to have it shown mainly in 3D may not have been the best especially as an R rated film, (Here in ireland If you didn't want to see Dredd in 3D you would have to travel 180 miles to see a 2d version.)
   But this is all hindsight  as I said before the main problem simply is Dredd is not well known in the States outside of the Sylvester Stallone disaster. Hopefully the film will at least garner more positive attention to the character in the U.S market and hopefully allow Dredd on screen again at some point in the near future and that's not unrealistic , they are still planning a relaunch of the Punisher even though two punisher films flopped in the space of eight years.

As for Comic con I used the term studios plural...they along with fans have been guilty of assuming that Comic Con Success will equal box office triumph but if you look at the last three years it could not be further from the truth which leads to massive disappointment...as I stated before with the films I listed , all did great guns at Comic Con only to crash and burn at the box office..the question is where the hell did this kind of thinking come from?it's actually bad business....Dredd did exceptionally well ,it got brilliant reviews from the Con and what did that buzz actually produce in terms of box office....nothing! which is a genuine shame in Dredds case as I think it's brilliant....
#3
Film Discussion / Re: Dredd - Box Office
24 September, 2012, 09:12:01 AM
I'm not  comparing Dredd to Sucker punch...(jeez Sucker Punch is bloody appalling).  I'm comparing the studios relying on comic con for  predictions of success.

Watchmen, Sucker punch, Cowboys and Aliens, Scott Pilgrim and Dredd all have the same problem, they got rave reviews at Comic Con.  Execs in the last few years have started to make the assumption that if a film is a hit at Comic Con then it will be a hit full stop and there is no need for further work, the last three years of box office failure has proven that is not the case. That Dredd was a hit at the Con and that was great but it was also preaching to the converted...and that section of the audience is I'm afraid a minority of the audience a film needs.

(by the way anyone saying Watchmen was a hit ,I'm sorry but thanks to the unique way Watchmen  was funded...it flopped at the U.S box office.)

Ahh yes Fisticuffs I should have used a paragraph but the question is do you disagree with what I wrote?
#4
Film Discussion / Re: Dredd - Box Office
24 September, 2012, 07:57:52 AM
Afraid to say it but that's it....Dredd has made half of what was predicted for it's opening weekend (and those predictions were already halved from earlier this month.) Yes it's had the bad luck to open on what has turned out to be one of the poorest weekends this year and the fact that next week the hot word of mouth Looper will be opening which is going to push Dredd down a further two place at least (unless by some miracle it has an upsurge) making it likely within two weeks that it will be out of the top ten....this doesn't mean it's a bad movie...far from it....Shawshank which many consider to be one of the greatest films ever made suffered a similar fate so it's in good company , It also doesn't mean Cinema is dead and that the future lies in tv, cinema is just an extremely cut throat business, it's just that not enough people outside of Britain really know who Dredd is....he's just too British.....the good news is that the film has boosted the chracters profile and hopefully new international readers will follow, and there still is the rest of the World Box office ( As I said before , there is still the chance of the film breaking even internationally ala Nanny Mcphee which took $80 million worldwide before releasing in the States)...but 2000ad has other characters such as Strontium Dog or Rogue trooper which  i believe have the ability to be transformed into films with far more  American appeal than Dredd has at the moment , you just need the right director and the right campaign..( I also believe there is a great Dredd movie to be made , it just may take a few more years.)...the only lesson this has taught is....stay away from Comic con , this happened last year and the year before , both Cowboys and Aliens and Sucker punch came away from the con with great buzz and then nothing....it seems to me to get that Cons approval is the commercial kiss of death and studios are placing too much fate in a minority of fans.
#5
Film Discussion / Re: Dredd - Box Office
23 September, 2012, 12:41:56 AM
Without being pessimistic i'm afraid it has been a bit of a box office disaster this weekend which is puzzling a lot of people according to deadline hollywood because it's been so well recieved...if it makes anyone feel better the weekend is turning out to be a bit of a disaster for every film released with only End Of Watch ( the surprise no 1 for this weekend) doing better than expected....I would say from these figures Dredd is going to be this years Conan which is a real shame......still it needs about double what it cost to make   (Although Garland was saying from the way it's financed just over $50 million for a sequel) ...well it could still do that when the worldwide figures come in....i get the feeling it'll eventually break even and only just so it may be another 17 years before we see another Dredd....I hope not.
#6
Prog / Re: 1793 Out for blood
26 July, 2012, 07:59:08 PM
And so farewell Judge Vaughan you went out as a street judge should , not very good at his job  but still saving Dredds Ass in the end, You join the hallowed ranks of previous Judges who just did enough to get noticed before getting killed Such as Dekker and Perrier who both got eaten by zombies, Judge Jack who just went crazy or Lopez who died for simply for having a smashing moustache...let there be no monuments, no marker for his grave.....but come on people surely a mention on the wikipedia page  for Minor Judges...jeez Alvarez got a mention and he lasted only two progs and Dredd SHOT HIM!?!?!? ;)
#7
Events / Re: Who's going to Hi-Ex 2012?
06 April, 2012, 08:21:55 PM
Judge Vaughan Here (Drokk it is anyone going to spell my name right!!!)

Actually it was great to finally put faces to all the names I have seen over the years on this forum and a great honour to meet some of the droids who  have made 2000ad what it is .I hope you all enjoyed the vault and I agree with Pete Wells that I should be the next Chief Judge (Hey I'm Incompetent enough) but seriously it was great to meet you guys at last along with artists I have idolized since I was a kid and  I was truly left speechless by an act of generosity by Proudhuff (Which for those who know me , being speechless is a rare thing.)

So until we meet again , remember what Pete Wells said "Vote Vaughan for Chief Judge..You know it makes sense!"
#8
Megazine / Re: Meg 272 - It's Trying To Steal...
02 June, 2008, 08:33:22 PM
Well this months Meg was what I can only say consistently good and it's a pleasure to say , too often The Meg has swung wildly in quality  (Resulting sometimes with the Main Dredd strip being the only thing worth reading) but in the last few months the Meg has started to become once again consistent in it's entertainment value

Dredd: Mindripper is a nice Skilfully told script from Morrison  with outstanding art from Neil Googe

Low Life : is as Rufus says "A little bit gray" but seriously I thought it was deliberate and fantastic choice perfectly suited to the excellent script so far ( Especially with that explosion sequence at the end)

Anderson: I'm not sure where this is going , with a self reference I haven't seen since Thargs head Revisited, this could be genius or it could be a mess ..however I'm Enjoying it so far!

Artcles

Frazier Irving, Genuinely Interesting  but most ..hell all of the interrogations  have been fascinating to read

Same for Studio Space which I will most likely buy

As for the Cinema Reviews , Who's writing it now  if it's not Simon??? there was no name on it , not that it was badly written , just odd not to see a byline.

Overall..I haven't felt like this in a long time but it reminded me of  TOOTH from the Mid Eighties  seriously  it was that good! no one story was great but all were of the same high quality this month that it was hard to find a stand out , now if you can keep this up I for one will be very happy

Just one thing  and I have to Mention this..I have been reading the Meg ever since it was relaunched eight years ago , I have been reading tooth since 1977 so I think it's safe to say I am a fan however I have been away from this board for a few weeks and have only caught up with what happened...and I will say this  I have bought the product and that does entitle me to criticise it if I am not happy with it .and to praise it when I am ( Anyone who has read my Meg Reviews knows my opinion of The Godawful Satanus saga and Black Siddah before it ...you also will know the love I have for Savage and for Charleys war and will read anything Mills has ever done at least once)  but to threaten to close down the forum because one person wrote something stupid ( Bollocks is not a valid arguement or critique unless you can back it up with imperical evidence) is a trifle harsh ..If the creators are upset  than they should remember this we read your work because we are your fans and it is you who are responsible for bringing  something special into the lives  of every single person who is a member of this forum and I ( Along with I reckon 99.9 per cent of the readers) am  and will always be truly grateful for your talent.....
  ( However I am going to still say it when I don't like a story , but it will be more concise than the word b*****ks)

On a different point could some one on staff answer me a quaestion? will the Meg be reprinting the Rest Of Charleys War or will I shelve out the money on the New Titan reprint? Just wondering because if the Meg was to continue than it would soon hit what I consider to be Mr Mills  finest moment , his coverage of the British Army Mutiny.
#9
Prog / Re: Prog 1586: Staked!
14 May, 2008, 10:55:29 PM
I think the whole point is that Savage just wants the Volgs out ( We know from Hammersteins war Stories and the abc warriors that the war that follows nearly destroys Europe, it was originally ( although not mentioned in the recent origins) in the nineteen seventies one of the reasons that led to the worlds Mega Cities beig created.
  To be quite honest I think Savage is one of the best things Mills has done in years,  I wasn't too happy with the half reset they had with this series ( The Volgans retaking control) however the ending of this series was brilliant  ( Strangely reminded me of the old bbc series secret army) and you do gt the feeling that Savage is going to come to a definitive end soon.
#10
General / Re: happy bnew year!
31 December, 2007, 10:35:01 AM
Happy new Year to everyone

Resolution : to change the world for the betterment of all mankind ( Hey I know its f****N impossible but you gotta try!!)
#11
Off Topic / Re: The festive 'Merry Christmas' ...
24 December, 2007, 09:36:01 AM
Yes to all A happy Christmas and a Zarjaz New year!!!
#12
General / Re: 2008ad Extreme Wishes............
15 December, 2007, 09:25:17 AM
Actually a edition of future shocks is a brilliant idea ...Moore wasn't the only writer so there would be no overlap with his GN collection

Dare I say it....(see the pun)what about the relaunched Dan Dare? from prog 1..Iknow it was a load of shite but my god what I'd love to see is gibbons artwork again.

INFERNO!!!!..cmon guys why not, I would love to see the sequel to Harlem Heroes in all it's violent glory.

New Statesmen ... I personally wouldn't buy it but that's because I still have the collected gn from 1991 on my bookshelf , but even though incomplete it was one of the better stories to come out of crisis, and the foreshadowing of disaster was a classic.

THE VC'S Why are we still waiting?? I asked about this time last year, was the original VC'S going to be republished, and I was told that there was going to be a collecttion and since then...nothing ..so why don't they just reprint the story in an extreme as it is just over a 100 pages long...c'mon chaps , this one will sell.

Sooner or later and Swifty's return brilliant Idea

the question is do Rebellion own the rights to Starlord because if they do then they could reprint two other classics , Timequake and Mind Wars

Blackhawk....cmon people  I want to see the story of a slave freed to become a Roman Centurion only to be enslaved again and forced to become an Alien Gladiator ..it's as old a story as boy meets girl (wink)

Bix Barton What the heck happened to Bix he just disappeared from tooth without warning?

try to avoid the following

Canon Fodder..sorry folks this rubbish was part of the reason I stopped reading tooth in the nineties.

Bradley ..along with Revere some of the worst art to ever grace the pages of 2000ad

A personal request , I mentioned it before on the Megazine reviews but wh not reprint Invasion 1984 , I know it was printed in Battle and I know it's writers don't think it's their best work but it's still today quite brilliant and quite grim.





 
#13
Prog / Re: Prog 1566 - Endgame
08 December, 2007, 08:21:39 AM
On this weeks prog

Droid Life : strangely brilliant

Dredd: What other way could it end, also a simple throw away line at the end hints at the future.

Time Twister: Seriously , how long has it been since there was a Time twister and a fine story to start with , I think those who are nitpicking Mikes work are thinking too hard , it's supposed to be a bit of pulpy fun...( as most of the great Time Twisters and future shocks of the eighties were)I will say however that the artwork wasn't the best the last page in particular, I have to ask what was Erskine thinking....

Bob Byrne...Simply Brilliant.

Button Man..Ok I love Button Man but this is simply pointless, well written but where was this going..and why is Harry Heading for Ireland? In the original Buttonman some of the Buttonmen were Irish so why go there?...and as for fraziers art..Don't get me wrong He is a fantastic artist but his style is just unsuitable for this character..can sonmebody tell me again why Arthur didn't do this  story?

Red Seas : Good fun

an ok issue ,far stronger than the Meg , Micheal Carroll and Bob Byrne  should be given far more to do , they seem to have more enthusiasm and Ideas than other writers( Cough, Mills,cough Grey Suit cough!)at the moment.
 And I can't wait to see what the hell happened in the Red Seas!
#14
General / Re: Dredd .r.i.p?
01 December, 2007, 08:04:50 AM
Actually (Being serious a moment) I believe after reading Dredd this past year , i think I know how it is going to end...and I think it was already revealed in a 2000 ad publication how nigh on twenty years ago( 20 years?!?!?good grief) and I'm not talking about the silly Red Razors storyline...but I'm not telling!! Whatever Happens we know Rico will become Dredd
#15
Megazine / Re: Meg 265 - Rex and Violence.......
26 November, 2007, 08:52:36 PM
Thank You I'll be here all week , please eat the veal!