‘Skyline’ Producers Floored By Harsh Criticism
Nov 19, 2010 by Mike Eisenberg‘Skyline’ was met with a massive rush of negative reviews – and the producers have responded to the harsh criticism. Take a look at what they had to say.
The Strause Brothers are still trying to find their stride as filmmakers, but two major movies with mostly negative reviews puts them face to face with a rotten tomato. While they have yet to respond to the criticisms regarding Skyline, the film’s writer/producer combo Liam O’Donnell and Joshua Cordes spoke out recently on the topic.
It is easy for a filmmaker to ignore the general public, but the two seem genuinely disappointed by the overall reaction to their space invasion film. Who wouldn’t be? Skyline is currently scoring a 4.7 on IMDb, 26 on Metacritic and 15% on Rotten Tomatoes. These low numbers are enhanced by a plethora of harsh reviews.
We didn’t necessarily feel the movie lived up to its potential. Even our 2 out of 5 stars review is generous considering the choice words from others about the film. But when we look back on Skyline in a few years, will it be the goofy, campy alien invasion tribute the producers seem to believe they’ve made?
In an interview with Cinematical, the producers opened up and responded to the general public distaste for Skyline. The overall tone is one of disappointment, but as the two backtrack on the film’s intent, I can’t help but wonder how many times we’ve heard this before – The Last Airbender, The Happening and Tommy Wiseau’s The Room come to mind (bit of a spoiler in the quotes below).
Liam O’Donnell – “It’s like being exposed to any kind of venom: it takes a while to build up your immunity. People tell you not to read the reviews but I tried to read every one… it was extremely painful initially but now I skip over a ‘Skyline. Worst. Movie. Ever.’ tweet without it even registering… We wanted to make a fun, spooky popcorn movie with brain sucking beasts from outer space — and I think we did that.”
Joshua Cordes – “Yeah, I was pretty floored by the response… And it hurt, because I love movies and people who love them, and were getting reactions like we made something that came out of some dark intentions. A soulless cash grab? Shamelessly capitalizing off the latest trends? Homogenized Oscar-bait? None of those were true… We wanted to make a fun, spooky popcorn movie with brain sucking beasts from outer space — and I think we did that.we had set out to make the movie we made, that embraced conventions that every invasion movie before us had adhered to, and then have fun with them.”
The initial promotion of Skyline was tough to read. But if the intention was to create an alien invasion movie like Piranha 3D, it didn’t seem that way until now.
Some of the criticisms Cordes refers to are a bit drastic – especially the “soulless cash grab.” Let’s consider the background of the filmmakers for a moment. They pursued a passion because they had the means and desire to do it.
Greg and Colin Strause on set with Scottie Thompson and Eric Balfour
Credit should always be given to filmmakers who finish a feature film. No matter the consequences or result, making a movie is difficult – in fact it is damn near impossible. Plenty of horrible movies have come before Skyline and plenty of worse ones will come in the future.
While the intense process of producing a feature is arduous, Cordes and O’Donnell actually downplay the amount of work put into Skyline. While I feel sorry for them at times in this interview, the following comments feel like a blame game.
Cordes -”Also, we wrote, shot, and did all the VFX on this film in under a year. The schedule was brutal and unfortunately didn’t allow us to test the film because it wasn’t finished until the last moment. We got backed into a release date and inevitably the film was hurt by it. Another lesson learned the hard way.”
The problem with making a weak film is dealing with the backlash. The two producers still care deeply about this project and their pride shows in the interview. But it is difficult to gauge this kind of a response, because you have to wonder what role they had as producers if they couldn’t control the production’s speed.
We’ve seen similar expedited productions end in failure. Transformers 2 was pushed through the production process due to a writer’s strike, but that is obviously not the only reason it was a “miss” (well, not at the box office – just in terms of the quality of the film). Surely, the speedy production didn’t help, but Skyline has far more problems than this.
Maybe the MPAA had something to do with it? According to the producers, Skyline was originally designed as an R-rated film, but the final PG-13 rating hurt the film’s initial tone.
O’Donnell – “It really is a dark, apocalyptic R-rated story trapped in a glossy PG-13 body. The original draft was written for an R but it wasn’t really over the top… But then once we got to the MPAA, we had a lot of trouble with the brain ripping shots… It’s a catch 22: if it were hard R, it definitely would have been more embraced by the horror and online critics. But in our exit polling kids under 17, boy and girls liked ‘Skyline’ the best.
Cordes – “Now I wish we’d just said screw it and made a bloodbath. Since we’re getting no street cred for going out and making a movie on our own, maybe the gorehounds could have given some love at that point.”
Of course the Strause brothers went hard R on Aliens vs Predators: Requiem and that didn’t seem to help that film much…
Even though the movie was ill-received, it is still a massive action film that calls for a sequel if possible. Made for only $10 million, Skyline has already made profit. The question that remains is whether or not the filmmakers will respond to the criticism within the sequel or simply follow their own dreams.
O’Donnell – “The sequel treatment is very ambitious and addresses a lot of the issues people have with ‘Skyline’. It’s more character-driven, it’s not set in one location, it’s action-packed. We’re going to have to see how it plays out. International box office has been very strong. Russia alone was around $5.3 million last weekend. I think the film will play great on DVD and cable TV. And because our ending is so crazy even people that don’t like ‘Skyline’ have expressed interest in seeing the sequel. So in one form or another the story will be told.”
At the end of the day, Skyline will prove a financial success. It was marketed well, represented by a pair of major studios (Rogue and Universal) and tackles the latest trend in Hollywood – aliens.
Even amidst the controversy between Skyline and Battle: Los Angeles, they beat the handful of 2011 alien invasion movies to the punch. When audiences are moaning over the number of movies in the genre, Skyline will be sitting pretty on a shiny DVD and Blu-ray.
So here’s the thing… in the grand scheme of things, Skyline is a movie that should not be compared to the likes of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Regardless of the producers’ hindsight comments, the film has some entertainment value, and it is a huge, CGI movie made on a meager budget.
If 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' met 'Skyline'
If you have yet to see Skyline, try and have some fun with it. While I compared it to The Room earlier in this article, Skyline is nowhere near as bad as that movie. Don’t go into the theater looking for the best alien invasion movie of all time either. Next year will have plenty of potential films to take that claim.
If you have already seen Skyline, share your thoughts on the interview. Do you think this is a cop-out for a movie that went horribly wrong. Are their explanations justified and reasonable? More importantly, would you like to see them give it another try with Skyline 2?
Source: Cinematical
Around the web:
Loading ...
It really was a bad movie. But once it’s over, and you get to think about it you remember the funny parts, you remember that the special effects were not that bad. Yes, the story line sucked, so I try to forget that and then remember the end. Realizing that by being pulled away from the light, the humans managed to build some immunity towards keeping their humanity and yes, do become super human when the brain is put on another body (something scientists are still trying to accomplish) and the body fights off the alien mojo and remains human, thereby saving girlfriend and future baby. Now, the baby, yes, mom has also been exposed to alien mojo and is also building an immunity to the transference so, what is that doing to the baby? Gosh, I can’t wait to see what the creators will make of it. If they do right by my ideas, they’ll make the second movie better. We all love a hero. Put Romance, comedy, and a hero in one movie and it will be a hit, so, we’ll remember the tragedy that led to a better 2nd movie. Usually we know the first one is good and all the 2nd and thereafter suck, so, I too said “What the Frack was Skyline about?” and though it sucked, I will be glad I didn’t pay for it at the movies and pray they will succeed with the sequel. Good luck guys. I understand it’s hard to come up with anything new, so, if you are going to do rip offs from other scenes, add some humor, mixed with horror, blood gore, and then give us the hero. Look at Resident Evil. Stupid, be we keep going to see the next one.
Is there going to be a sequel to skyline the first movie?
What if the STORY of the movie was the romance between the male and female lead and him accepting fatherhood? Then, him finding his love & child makes sense as an ending. And, he was the first one to maintain some of his consciousness, who thinks he wasn’t the only one?
I am stunned at how poorly Skyline was recieved. Frankly, while I found the first thirty minutes slow and plodding, I really felt that it picked up its
pace and I was very pleased with the dark ending. Too many invasion movies end with humanity overcoming impossible odds, but I felt that Skyline finished up “realistically” with humans unable to defeat the invaders. The creatures were very innovative and even the acting was well-executed. For my part, I am very much looking forward to them making a sequel. I hope the producers look past the harsh criticism and follow through.
We really enjoyed this movie and look forward to the sequel. We agree with Jack and hope the producers look past the harsh criticism and follow through. This is one of the best movies I’ve personally seen in a while. That’s just the way I dream sometimes. It was like being in one of my nightmares.
I thought the movie was really neat esp. the part where the drones came in & ran the bomb like a WV running back. The only part that got out of hand was when the guy beat the alien to death.. but I loved it & im 33yrs of age.. Can’t wait for 2.
sounds like a bunch of jealous haters good movie could polish it but still good hurry up on that sequal.
well, what can I say? I liked the movie up until the ending. It left me with too many questions… why was his noggin nugget red while the others were blue? what happened after the very last scene? I want to know… I NEED to know. MY mind races with all the possibilities and I need to pick one.
I will patiently but eagerly wait for the sequel.
I thought it was funny
I didn’t know it was supposed to be funny… but I mean really, how many times can an alien come back to life? Does one human brain equal one alien life? Maybe a sequel will clarify that for me 
I will be waiting for the sequel…and the video game where you are the alienized dude trying to escape the ship while escorting/protecting you pregnant girlfriend.
Personally for a small budget film this sky rocketed in my books I love this movie, and as for people saying it didn’t make sense, it is about a bond between 2 partners really if anything the fact the one of the main characters becomes an alien through his conciousness is astounding I mean the sequal will have to be astronomical and not end up like a “Alice is a super human zombie killing machine” He should still get hurt still be able to die and be able to save the world .. but have that sense of if he does he’ll become a goverment experiment and die in the process.. I just hope they do better with the sequal then with the Requiem sequal..
Because they finally got my attention again
I just saw the movie on Netflix. ‘Skyline’ started off a little slow (shades of ‘Cloverfield’) but it really took off and by the end, I was hooked. I’d be sorely disappointed if they DON’T make a sequel.
For a true fan of this Genre, I promise this movie has made my favorites list. After having seen Battle for LA, I think this movie had way more edge and raw invasion feel than most movies of this genre. I think the fact they didnt reveal so much was a EXCELLENT idea! It kept people talking. It kept the conversation going. Even after watching it on the big screen AND on DVD. I have caught more things that help piece the story together. I think there will always be people who dont like certain movies from ANY genre. I personally HATED Avatar. I am a HUGE James Cameron buff, and ALIENS IS MY FAVORITE movie of all time! But still, I felt that movie did not serve my movie needs, and unlike Avatar this movie has been added to my favorite list. As a true fan of this Genre, I give this movie 2 thumbs up
PS
The PG13 market sucks! I must say that if younger generations want to see a R rated movie THEY WILL! I saw Southpark bigger longer uncut 4 times in theater as a underaged teen haha!
I liked that it had some variations from other alien flicks. Sure there were similarities to other movies but they also were brave enough to try a different plot and do the unexpected. Obviously the totally negative reviewers have already had their brains torn out and have definitely been left with no imagination. Let’s give them a camera and all the necessaties and see them do better! Way to go Strause brothers! Thanks for not making another cookie cutter movie…..
I thought the movie was really good. I thought the brain sucking plot was very original and disturbing. The special effects were spot on, and the acting wasn’t terrible. For an opening story line setting movie I thought it was very good and kept you guessing, which is what you should want as a movie goer. I would ONLY rate it as bad if they don’t make a sequel and expand on the story lines. Loved the ending. It takes your mind in a whole set of different directions as far as what you think happens next ie; are there others like him, if so will an Army of them be able to form up and really create an uprising. Will the military catch on as far as destroying the brains of these aliens? And other story lines. All in all I thought it was very good and NOT all movies have to have an ending tying everything up together nicely. That gets boring. The only people upset at at the ending have no creative mindset and NEED to have an ending to satisfy their bland life. People like that are just lemmings anyway. They go through life always doing what someone else does or believing what the majority believe. So when you end a movie in that fashion, you totally upset their comfort zone. “Oh my god, I have to think about what happened next”? Don’t listen to those idiots. They wouldn’t know creativity if it came up bit them in their rear ends. looking forward to the sequel!!!
I LIKED THIS MOVIE ! it left me with the feeling to watch the 2nd part badly, I think that when he looked at the blue light and survived from being captured, he gained some power, he becomes stronger when he gets mad. I CAN’T WAIT FOR 2nd PART OF THE MOVIE ! This movie is more than worth watching it. i really loved it. Im hoping that a 2nd part comes out, i’ll definitely pay to watch it !
My son and I just watched Skyline . Late night Sunday and I picked something streaming on Netflix to watch with my teenage kid. We had fun and thought the whole alien zombie brain sucking concept was pretty cool . Sure the characters were a bit thin and the acting wasn’t Oscar stuff but it was a pretty decent watch . We thought the end was nice as it wasn’t pretty and predictable which is so beige. Would totally see a sequel, but more importantly this mom and kid wanna know….when’s the video game coming out? Nice review and great background too.
Just watched this on Netflix and had a really great time with it! All the “professionals” that bombed this movie are too wrapped up in their own sense of self worth to actually enjoy a movie anymore. You want the real scoop on how good a movie is? Ask us, the “common folk”. This movie was great and I want the sequel!
I saw the movie for the first time today. I was intrigued by the previews and never had the time. So today I sat down and watched it. I was surprised at how well the movie moved along and kept you guessing what was going to happen next. I felt myself cheering when they blew up the ship the first time, but when it”came back to life” I thought to myself. OMG thats great, I thought the movie was over. No, its still going, and I am waiting for a sequal to see where they are going to take it next. 4 out of 5 stars from me.
Loved It! Yeap it would have been R-Rated, but still, i get the point and the idea. The ending, which was a big no, no, for most people was awesome, cause it was placed like the perfect cliffhanger, for those who got it of course. Enough said, bring on the sequel and shut those m#$%#r$#&%#’s up, bunch of haters.
This film was terrific. Please make another.
The critics can go and watch something else.
Not half as bad as many say. However I feel it was poorly implemented. It seemed the characters and the aliens were two different movies baked into one. By themselves they are OK, it’s the lack of connection that really hurt the movie. The CG is great, but the aliens are way too unbelievable. The thing is, that by our tech-level today there is simply no way that we would be so defenseless. I can think of a number of ways that would have killed the alien threat outright, but I digress. There is the second reason I think the movie failed, most people like to see some alien butt-kicking. Had it done that, it would have done better I think. Also, now they have put the hero in a position where he can’t get back (not saying too much for those that want to see the movie) and that opens up for some great opportunities in the sequel. Actually I think the very last moments of the film was the best. It was too slow pacing getting there.
personally i was really surprised by this movie. i never saw it in the theaters and i wish i did, the trailers made me nervous about it and combined with a PG-13 rating i said ‘pass’.
now i saw it on bluray and i found myself really liking it. it was slow to start, but at no point was i confused or not having fun with it. my only complaint is why do all the interesting stuff in movies like this happen to the rich?
By the way, you apparently missed it, being pregnant is what saved her from loosing her head. Which makes complete sense, since the aliens were harvesting our brains, that they would put her off to the side so that they could later get two brains.
No babies or pregnant mothers were hurt in the shooting of either film.