by Luca Alfaroli · Penpusher · 20 pts
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Most survivor movies fall into the two following categories:
1) the hero/h?ros is/are well defined. The audience knows from the word go who is the protagonist and that he will survive (unless it is a sacrifice theme in which case he dies saving the day).
2) it is not clear who is the main protagonist. We have an ensemble and the main protagonist emerges toward the end after a process of elimination.
The problem is that with Hollywood current predilection with Franchise and big star hero, most movies follow template 1. Nobody and especially no Hollywood executive is paying Tom Cruise, Jason Statham, Bruce Willis, Sly or Arnold to die mid way through a movie. Remember the issue that Steve Seagal raised when he was told to die in the movie "Executive Decision".
It is a shame, because a lot of the old "who will survive" movies had a touch of unpredictability.
Now you know, the slutty girl/stupid horny jock will die, then the token black/Asian guy, the arrogant professor/doctor/lawyer also. However the main star, his sidekick (unless he sacrifices himself for the rest of the team) and the love interest will survive.
I think that the last movie where I was genuinely surprised by the survivors was "Deep Blue Sea": the convict and black cook! Even Samuel L. Jackson's character's death is unexpected. The pretty doctor does not make it, but a lowly brother does! Who wrote that movie?
I think Jean-Marie does raise a valid point for loglines for some movies. How would one write a logline for a movie like "Alien" in which Ripley only emerges as the main character by progressive elimination?
In the best movies of the genre, several people among the team can be the final hero at the beginning, each with a special character trait that makes us like to root for him. This is better for the suspence. Then one turns into a villain, another turns into the mentor, another is killed without turning something,...
e.g. "Mission to Mars", "Red Planet", "2001 A Space Odissey"; and also "Reservoir Dogs", "No Country for Old Men"
Even in movies like Alien or predator, this is just the cast that points the main hero at the beginnig.
