Who's to blame when a movie is bad?

[SwordKing]

Whenever a movie a bad, I usually hold the director and/or writers responsible. Not so much the actors unless they're incredibly bad.

How about you?

[Hobbit]

It's a movie-by-movie basis, but I typically blame the writers and directors first, and I definitely blame Lucas for Star Wars.

Trivia:  The first cut of Star Wars was a total disaster.  It was choppy, incoherant, and stupid with a LOT of unnecessary scenes that looked like crap.  The movie was pretty much literally yanked from the fire at the last possible second by a miracle editor who did the third cut, which is now known as the theatrical release.  I mean, the guy was a genius, and many of the shots in the original Star Wars film use footage that's usually never meant to be used.  For example, when Obi-Wan slices off the guy's arm in the cantina, the shot showing him bringing his lightsaber back up to his face before turning it off uses every frame of film taken for that shot.  The next frame after the end of that shot before editing was blank, meaning the shot ends after the director said 'cut.'

[starfighter]

    I try to go easy on the writer, unless he also directed.  Hollywood writers can be very low on the totem pole and get blamed after the director and cast have dicked around with the script.  Or you can end up with one of those messes with 5 or 6 different writers in the credits.
    The only time I can remember the lead actors being blamed for the failure of a film was The Island.  I think it was the producer rather than the director who said some really nasty things about Ewan McGregor and Scarlet Johannson after that flopped.

[Minnesota]

the director

[Sharktopus]

the director

What if the studio butchered the film after it left the director's hands, like Bladerunner or Brazil?

[Minnesota]

Sometimes there might be little leeway I suppose.

Usually, I would blame the director though

[mrbasehart]

Usually, you have to blame the director.  There are extenuating circumstances for some films, but sometimes there's a good reason why the film has been taken away from the director.  I believe there's a battle going on right now over the muscial Across the Universe, directed by Julie Taymor.  She's finished her cut of around 2 hours and began testing it with audiences, but unbeknownst to her, the head of Revolution Pictures (and director) Joe Roth cut 30 minutes of the movie and began testing it as well.  It's hard to say who's right in that kind of situation; the director was hired specifically for her vision of the movie, so to change what she's envisioned seems a little redundant, but also Roth has a responsibilty to make sure that the best possible version of the movie is released, so his company can make the most out of it. 

[dignan]

I blame this guy Ken I went to high school with.  He seems as good a scapegoat as any.

[Grillslinger]

 The director.  The script, effects, and performances all have to be approved by the director to make it into the final movie.


As far as acting goes, I've seen good actors deliver horrible performances under certain directors....whereas I've see mediocre actors deliver great performances for great directors.

[Rude]

...

I blame Satan, the father of all lies...



-Rude

[Nunyerbiz]

Previously I had blamed it on Suddam Hussain on his secret WMD projects... but that's not really possible anymore. Moving forward, I will blame Rance Mullinicks. What a weasely name... Rance Mulliniks... it's gotta be his fault.



He even looks guilty.

[Hebs]

Why isn't he looking forward?  What does he have to HIDE??  SPILL IT, Rance...
Is Rance short for something?  Ranceford? Ranceolomew?

[Tyrant]

  I blame the producers first. Tons of awesome screenplays have been -destroyed- by panels of producers who sit around thinking they know what people want to see but really don't have a clue.

[kodiakthejuggler]

At the risk of being unpopular, this reporter places the blame for all of this squarely on YOU! The viewers!


(extra points to the first person who correctly identifies the "person" who said the above words)

[tgeorgic]

thanks kent