Controversial TV/Film Opinions

[Jim Kelly]

Something that always bugs me is when I'm watching a Canadian movie that's clearly filmed in Canada with Canadian actors and a Canadian crew, yet it's supposed to be in the United States--even when there's no reason in-story why it shouldn't be Canada.

I had this experience the other day watching SEE FOR ME (2022). Filmed in Ontario in winter--looks exactly like rural Ontario in winter--stars Canadians--filmed with a Canadian crew, made with Canadian funding. About a blind former skier who goes out to a house in the middle of nowhere in the middle of winter. Everything about the movie screams Canada! But it's said to be in upstate New York. Why?

I would guess that they think U.S. audiences need movies to be set in the U.S. But is that really true? Do people in the United States get turned off if a movie isn't taking place in their country? I think the Canadian flavour of this movie enhances it. It's supposed to be a remote location--Canada is a remote place, so that makes the movie more thrilling.

Surely in this day and age Canadian movies can be Canadian and they don't have to change the street signs to make them appear like it's somewhere else. But I'm not sure everyone else feels that way.

[TheRay]

Stunt doubles don't get nearly enough recognition.

[Kirby101]

Stunt doubles don't get nearly enough recognition.

If they did, they wouldn't be good doubles.

[SpiderClops]

They should hire playback singers for musicals instead of making actors sing, or casting singers who barely have any acting experience.

It's no different than using stunt doubles.

[AnakinFlair]

Something that always bugs me is when I'm watching a Canadian movie that's clearly filmed in Canada with Canadian actors and a Canadian crew, yet it's supposed to be in the United States--even when there's no reason in-story why it shouldn't be Canada.

I had this experience the other day watching SEE FOR ME (2022). Filmed in Ontario in winter--looks exactly like rural Ontario in winter--stars Canadians--filmed with a Canadian crew, made with Canadian funding. About a blind former skier who goes out to a house in the middle of nowhere in the middle of winter. Everything about the movie screams Canada! But it's said to be in upstate New York. Why?

I would guess that they think U.S. audiences need movies to be set in the U.S. But is that really true? Do people in the United States get turned off if a movie isn't taking place in their country? I think the Canadian flavour of this movie enhances it. It's supposed to be a remote location--Canada is a remote place, so that makes the movie more thrilling.

Surely in this day and age Canadian movies can be Canadian and they don't have to change the street signs to make them appear like it's somewhere else. But I'm not sure everyone else feels that way.

It was quite the shock to learn that most of the movies I watched in the 80's that were set in New York were actually filmed in Vancouver. Of all things Short Circuit 2 comes to mind. Also, I think that Jason Takes Manhattan was filmed largely in Canada, with about only a day filmed on location in New York.

[Gray Lensman]

Something that always bugs me is when I'm watching a Canadian movie that's clearly filmed in Canada with Canadian actors and a Canadian crew, yet it's supposed to be in the United States--even when there's no reason in-story why it shouldn't be Canada.

I had this experience the other day watching SEE FOR ME (2022). Filmed in Ontario in winter--looks exactly like rural Ontario in winter--stars Canadians--filmed with a Canadian crew, made with Canadian funding. About a blind former skier who goes out to a house in the middle of nowhere in the middle of winter. Everything about the movie screams Canada! But it's said to be in upstate New York. Why?

I would guess that they think U.S. audiences need movies to be set in the U.S. But is that really true? Do people in the United States get turned off if a movie isn't taking place in their country? I think the Canadian flavour of this movie enhances it. It's supposed to be a remote location--Canada is a remote place, so that makes the movie more thrilling.

Surely in this day and age Canadian movies can be Canadian and they don't have to change the street signs to make them appear like it's somewhere else. But I'm not sure everyone else feels that way.

Whenever I hear "Upstate NY" I always want that defined, since most people outside of it think it means "All parts of the state other than NYC or Long Island, even if that's the Southern border."

[Jim Kelly]

It was quite the shock to learn that most of the movies I watched in the 80's that were set in New York were actually filmed in Vancouver. Of all things Short Circuit 2 comes to mind. Also, I think that Jason Takes Manhattan was filmed largely in Canada, with about only a day filmed on location in New York.

For sure there are a lot of U.S.-Canada co-productions where Canada serves as the back lot for Hollywood movies. I don't mind those at all.

One of the first movies to be made in Canada where it played another location was THE EMPEROR WALTZ (1948) directed by Billy Wilder, starring Bing Crosby and Joan Fontaine, with location shooting in Jasper National Park, Alberta, playing the Tyrolean Alps. The story is set in the late 19th century Austrian Empire that Wilder remembered and loved and he was obsessed with recreating minute details--down to painting each flower blue. Maybe this was therapy for him, since he had been to Europe just before making this movie and seeing the concentration camps crushed his spirit.

But I'm talking about movies where everyone involved is Canadian and it could clearly be Canada and it feels like a Canada story, yet they still change it to make it somewhere else--usually the U.S. That disturbs me because it's like they don't believe their Canadian movie will make it if it plays itself.

I pride myself on spotting when a U.S. movie is actually shot in Canada, but even I can be fooled. For example, when I watched THE PROPOSAL starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds and Betty White, I convinced myself that it had been filmed in Canada--or if not Canada than in Washington state--even though the story is set in Alaska. But I was completely off--that was filmed in Massachusetts of all places.

And THE HALF OF IT (2020)--a movie I loved so much--felt for sure like something from the Pacific Northwest and clearly is meant to take place in our area of the continent. That was shot in New York. It really saddened me finding that out. The story is set in the fictional town of Squahamish--which sounds like a mash-up of Squamish, B.C., and Snohomish, Washington.

To his credit, Ryan Reynolds has insisted on making the Deadpool movies in Vancouver--his hometown. And DEADPOOL 2 is not shy about declaring its Canadian identity. Vancouver gets to play itself in that movie (besides all the other locations it stands in for).

[TheRay]

Disney should buy EA, Activision-Blizzard, and Ubisoft.

[Kirby101]

Video games have not made good movies for the most part. I don't know if they can?

[tyusmax]

Man of Steel, BvS, and ZSJL are all better than 2/3 of the MCU content.

Arcane is the greatest animated production ever made! (And it broke the curse of the video game adaptation)

Oh yeah, and the Loki/Kang conversation was a total rehash of the Matrix 2 Col. Sanders conversation that everyone hated (I kinda liked that conversation though).

[Kirby101]

Man of Steel, BvS, and ZSJL are all better than 2/3 of the MCU content.

That still leaves 9 MCU movies better than the Snyderverse.

[ed2962]

Disney should buy EA, Activision-Blizzard, and Ubisoft.

Disney is one of the 6 corporations that own most of our media. They don't need to be buying more stuff.

[ed2962]

Man of Steel, BvS, and ZSJL are all better than 2/3 of the MCU content.

Arcane is the greatest animated production ever made! (And it broke the curse of the video game adaptation)

Oh yeah, and the Loki/Kang conversation was a total rehash of the Matrix 2 Col. Sanders conversation that everyone hated (I kinda liked that conversation though).

I liked Man of Steel more than a lot of fans, I'll defend that movie. But BvS was a complete mess. Didn't put the effort into watching the Snyder cut of JL, but I liked that he called out the Geeks and Gamers crew.

[Powerboy]

I watched Thor the Dark World again and liked it despite all the negative opinions. Yes, Malekith has no personality as opposed to the comics where he's the King of the smart mouths. But I liked everything else.

[TheRay]

Disney is one of the 6 corporations that own most of our media. They don't need to be buying more stuff.

From a business standpoint, that doesn’t matter.