Real Hollywood is not so shiny anymore?

Megan Fox was kicked out of the Transformers sequel. Charlie Sheen steps out of the very cool “Two and a half men”. Disputes, splits, failures, divorces, leaked sex-tapes of the “stars”, DUIs, adoptions turned into a kind of competition, and so on - these elements are probably becoming more characteristic about Hollywood, rather than Oscar red carpets once a year or Hollywood walk of fame.

The world is changing and it seems, yet unnoticeably but steadily, something is changing also in Hollywood. Gone are the times when iconic actors and actresses have been for decades holding the whole world in suspense, causing hysteria when a new movie with the favorite star opened in cinemas.

30-50 years ago the world was slower, there were no mobile phones and no instant emails, no internet movie downloads and no IMDB ratings. Though like today, also then it was called film industry, the industry was different - the art of an actor was deeper and more value and viewer oriented. The film was not rated on web sites, but got its reputation thru the word of mouth, thru real people’s popularity.

Nowadays I wouldn’t call it even industry - it is simply business with all its attributes.

Budget optimization? Sure, no problems. Let’s write a stupid scenario and shoot the film somewhere in Romania - cheap and costs saving. No worries that the viewer and long term fan of the same Steven Seagal or many others who had fallen into this scheme, would immediately feel the cheapness and emptiness of the movie. Who cares about good play when we saved the buck?!

Competition is getting tougher and tougher. A few decades ago real talents among actors and film directors were setting actors’ trends and schools. It was a talents sellers market. Now starlets are appearing like mushrooms after rain. You shoot a movie about half-man, half-vampire, make the starlets fly from one tree onto another and kiss each other, use some computer tricks and spend a generous amount of money on advertising - and here you are, you have new Hollywood instant hotties. But are they really talents?

Megan Fox undoubtedly did play her role in the popularity of Transformers - no one can deny the magic impact of her beauties on the viewers. So what, if she didn’t behave well, we will change her for someone else - after all, there are so many other young starlets around as you can’t even remember their names. It is now a tough and ruthless buyers market.

Charlie Sheen is the main value and attraction of the Two and a Half Men, and is really a talented actor for such roles, whose subtle play did bring such a popularity to the sitcom. Probably he had the right to ask for more. But they blame him for being greedy and it now becomes Charlie’s fault if we won’t be able to see how Jake grows up and follows either his Dad’s or his uncle’s steps. I am terrified at the thought if they would decide to substitute Charlie Sheen for someone else - easy, there are so many starlets around.

The whole life in Hollywood is becoming business. You don’t have enough talent or publicity? No problems - just leak your sex-tape onto the web, or make a reality show in your own house (is it really for real?!). Or be caught DUI and go into jail for a few weeks.

Publicity and being on the news slowly substitutes the talent itself. And only a few remained talents can bring real moral values to the public as it once was when movies were treated as art.

However, this is not the last and worst thing to happen to modern Hollywood.

Avatar was a cornerstone in the evolution of the movie industry. If piracy movie downloads threatens financially the industry, then computerization of movies to the extend and excellence level like in Avatar may gradually remove real faces from films. I do not exclude that technology will soon allow to “clone” an actor into the computer and then make him perform anything. What would be the criteria of the talents and their value, then? Or imagine the star on the red carpet, whom we would recognize only by voices? Who will run Hollywood in a few decades? Those who invest now in internet sites and computer graphic companies?

Isn’t it this, yet invisible but imminent evolution, that turns the current competition in Hollywood into a survival battle with no rules and takes off the shine from the old fame?