: They do make the occasional good movie (Matrix, Blade Runner)
Blade Runner was exceptional for Sci-Fi, even in its day, but it definitely was not a typical mass-market movie. It happened to do well particularly because it was so well done.
The Matrix - well, I really enjoyed this one, but I really have a problem with fatally flawed premises. Come on - build a huge support system to use humans to generate energy? Where's the fuel? There's no sunlight, so what are you going to use for food? And if you have food available, why not just burn it? Using human bodies would be incredibly inefficient. And if these machines could build a human power plant to get around the loss of solar energy, you'd think they could find a simpler way. I hate it when a movie forces you to suspend fundamental laws of physics.
Now there actually have been some outstanding movies to come out of Holywood in recent years - not many, and virtually none of them Sci-Fi. I agree with Forrest - if someone came up with a really good script and, more importantly, with financial backing, Holywood will make it. The reason we won't see a Hollywood production of Marathon is that there aren't enough of us to generate instant demand (in contrast to Halo), nor is there a run-away block-buster Marathon book, nor is there a Billionaire Marathon Fan who is willing to put up the money to make it. *Sigh* And special effects cost money - no Indy film maker could afford to make a Marathon Movie.
