Welcome to Marwen - upcoming Robert Zemeckis film with Steve Carrell

Harsh PBS review today:

"'Welcome to Marwen,' By Way of Hollywood Cliches and False Uplift.
Robert Zemeckis adapts a gripping documentary about one trauma survivor's low-fi art
project; the result is a "bloated and lifeless" drama that trivializes his experience."

Obviously enthusiastic about the documentary but felt film a major disappointment.
I personally have no opinion since I have not seen the film.

 

The documentary Marwencol is REALLY good. Recommend this strongly. I don't see how one could improve on this story.

 

seems like i saw the trailer every time i went to the theater in the last several months. the trailer seemed more like a warning not to go see the movie rather than an advertisement. looks like the review are universally bad.

 

The headlines keep getting crueler...

Why ‘Welcome To Marwen’ Was Unwelcome At The Box Office: Robert Zemeckis Pic To Lose Around $60M

While it's easy to criticize Zemeckis, I gotta say at least he's trying to make an original film, he takes risks, plus he's not repeating what he's done in the past (for the most part). On the other hand, I opted to stay away from the film just because the trailers frightened me. A film like this could have either been a huge success or a huge failure, but nothing inbetween.

 

Me thinks that you got that "and nothing inbetween" part right!

 

I didn't have any interest in this, but now I'm beginning to. When I read reviews complaining of "ick factor" and being made uncomfortable, I'm intrigued. People disliking this so much coupled with Zemeckis (who as pointed out takes chances) had me thinking I need to see this.

 

If you like
“The 40-Year-Old Virgin”,

then you’ll love
“Welcome to Marwen”.

 

What has happened to Zemeckis?
He used to make good and enjoyable films.
Now he seems to only be interested in making creepy-looking films that lose millions.
How long will studios continue to plow money into this guy?
At least Disney had the good sense to cancel Yellow Submarine before he got too far along in that one.

 

Any particular reason why Leslie Mann’s character was changed from Colleen to Nicol?
Did the real Colleen object to her name being used.

 

I like all of Zemeckis's movies. And while I don't feel compelled to see Marwen in its theatrical run I'm sure I'll enjoy it on DVD.

 

I thought Allied from 2016 was very good. I don't know what about it could be considered "creepy looking".

 

Because he's pushing the envelope. The film was flawed, I'll grant you, but he keeps coming up with techniques that will be adopted by other filmmakers in the future.

 

You can only push the envelope so far. The world is full of techniques and products that nobody wanted and ran their companies broke or out of business.
If no one wants to open the envelope to see what's in it, or they are creeped out by the bizarre-looking things contained within, the envelope makers will stop supplying envelopes, stamps and glue. Zemeckis has himself to blame.

 

To quote Leonard Pinth Garnell, “irredeemably bad”

 

Kyle Smith at National Review had this to say:

Ordinarily I can be persuaded to issue some light mockery of a bad movie, but Welcome to Marwen is such a smushed-puppy of a film that I don’t want to make fun of it; I want to know where I can send flowers.

This theater-emptier must be one of the most bizarrely misconceived attempts at blockbuster entertainment ever released by a major studio. It’s directed by Robert Zemeckis, who, on the strength of the Back to the Future movies, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Cast Away, and Forrest Gump, has made more money than I’ll see in 40 lifetimes. Yet I feel sorry for him. I feel like sending a mental-health counselor around to see if he’s all right.

Those who complain that studio movies have gotten stale and formulaic, here’s your punishment: The movie begins with a cross-dressing World War II Ken doll who looks like Steve Carell getting accosted by Nazis but rescued by a squadron of gun-toting Resistance Barbies.

 

Bad Nazis, Good Women - how original and daring

 

They keep giving Zemeckis money because his movies have made more than $2 billion dollars:

Robert Zemeckis Movie Box Office Results

I think Yellow Submarine was cancelled because of budget problems and because Mars Needs Moms (a very bad film) lost over $100 million dollars...

Disney Kills Robert Zemeckis’ ‘Yellow Submarine’ (Exclusive)

Oh, I haven't thought of Leonard Pinth Garnell in years. Truly bad cinema!

The press continues to rake the film over the coals... from Deadline: Hollywood...

Rotten Tomatoes was extremely low at 27% Rotten with Joel Morgenstern at the Wall Street Journal ranting that Marwen was “mind-numbingly immense, joylessly violent, and utterly lifeless…You’ve got to see it to believe it, though I wouldn’t advise doing so.”

Thus, the industry debate continues whether an off-beat film such as Marwen is better suited as an in-home streaming experience or theatrical. Clearly, a big screen release was intended here. Deadline’s film finance sources project around a $60M loss for Marwen, after a $40M-$50M production cost and a global P&A of around $60M. Our sources with knowledge of the budget say that originally a $120M P&A was considered for the film during development, however, Uni cut that down significantly after they learned the pic was spoiled goods. DreamWorks sold down pro-rata with Universal to a 40% exposure with Perfect World providing additional financing due to its slate deal with the latter studio.

Yikes... this is another example of a film that cost $50 million to make, but the studio also spent $60 million worldwide to advertise it, which is another reason why movies lose money.

 

If you are going to have bad movies, that really make you cringe, bring back Ed Wood.

That way, you will have a really bad movie and it won't cost a whole lot of money.

The ticker's should be really cheap too.

 

Frightened you? In what way? That it looked so horrible?

I’m curious.

 

Is that gross or net? And during the past 10 to 15 years, what have his films netted the studio vs what they cost (including promotion)? Not to mention the poor reviews and bashing they've had.
Zemeckis has done some excellent films and generated some huge hits. But he seems to have lost his touch in the past decade as he keeps trying his motion capture and other "innovative" stuff.

 

I would say, that all but his last three movies have done well at the box office.

He has had a very good track record over the pas years before that.

 

Last 3 movies: Marwen, Allied and The Walk. We agree have not done well.
Yes, he had a good track record decades ago. But in the past 15 years, only Flight has "done well at the box office."
Beowulf was disappointing, broke even at best.
Christmas Carol was disappointing, and perhaps made a very small profit.
Mars needs Moms was horrible and lost huge money.
I wouldn't consider any of the above to be having "done well at the box office"

 

As I look back, I am seeing that there really has not been anything after Polar Express in 2011, and I have been a fan of his since the Used Cars days.

Here is a textbook example of a really low budget movie, that is nothing if not completely funny.

Christmas Carol did, I imagine, make a profit. Though I can't see why anyone would want to spend the time and money on making yet another Christmas Carol?

I can't possibly imagine anyone paying to watch yet another Christmas Carol. Bill Murray's Scrooged back in 1988, set the theme for the modern definitive version.

 

I mostly agree with you, except Polar Express was 2004.

 

Mars Needs Moms (whatever that is) wasn’t directed by Zemeckis.