After several years of dramatic growth, the number of movie production jobs has dipped this year. Observers attribute this to major studios such as Walt Disney Co. cutting back on the number of movies they are making after a string of big-budget flops. So the San Fernando Valley Business Journal asks: Which summer blockbusters have lived up to the hype, and which haven’t? Lisa Lundberg Vice President/Redevelopment Properties General Growth Properties Woodland Hills I’m just not a blockbuster kind of girl, but our 14-year-old son loves them. He wants to be a Spielberg some day, so he sees them over and over. He’s seen “Armageddon” about four times; Daddy saw it with him and was neutral. Our son’s record for seeing a film is “Jurassic Park,” which he saw like 20 times. He saw “Godzilla” and wasn’t impressed. He loved “Titanic” because of the girl he is 14 but if it wasn’t for the disaster in that film he wouldn’t have liked it. I like films with more of a story but I never get to see the ones I like. Rick Balogh (Photo on the page 19 of the June 29 issue of SFVBJ) Vice President and Manager Foothill Independent Bancorp Glendale I certainly think “Godzilla” didn’t live up to the hype. After seeing the Japanese Godzilla films and then this one, I thought the Godzilla monster looked too much like one of the dinosaurs from “Jurassic Park.” “Armageddon” was pretty good but some things were too unrealistic, like when the guys are on the meteor, and it has all those pillars on it. I saw “The X-Files” with someone who likes the TV show, which I’ve never watched. I fell asleep a couple of times during it. Margaret Platt Labor Market Analyst California Employment Development Department San Fernando I haven’t seen too many movies lately but I am a movie fan. The only one I’ve really seen lately is “6 Days, 7 Nights,” which I enjoyed for what it was. There is one other movie that I want to see but I can’t think of the name oh yeah, that meteor movie called “Final Impact,” or whatever it is. Mary Lankester Marketing Director Westfield Shoppingtown Topanga Plaza Canoga Park I don’t like to go to blockbuster films but my husband does. We went to see “Deep Impact” on his birthday and he loved it and I hated it. Those films lack substance, don’t have good stories or character development and are all special effects. I like a good story. It’s a typical girl-guy situation between us as far as our tastes. Bud Mauro (Photo on page 18 of the June 1 SFVBJ) President Southland Regional Association of Realtors Northridge I’ve been so busy that I haven’t been to the movies in many months. The only one that’s caught my eye, that’s been on a lot of bus benches and seems to be doing OK, is “Armageddon.” I wouldn’t mind seeing that one but I’ve got to get out more.
