Ego’s Not the Half of It
Sure, movies cost. But when are we going to stop judging films by their budgets rather than their true merits?
There always has been and always will be ego projects in Hollywood. The ill-fated “Ishtar,” which when viewed without bias is actually quite entertaining, was sunk not by poor quality but in part by bad press regarding its budget. The public never got a chance to like it or not; it flopped before it even came out.
And what of great films with greater budgets that make a great thud? John Boorman’s “Excalibur,” Terry Gilliam’s “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen” and Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” were all risks, made little in return and will be remembered as some of the finest films of our day.
I propose that studios stop releasing budget information to the press because a film’s artistic worth and net worth should be mutually exclusive.
DAVID BRITTEN PRIOR
Glendale
Only good movies
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