Hoffman Says Film Culture in a Focking State

By James Wray Jan 26, 2005, 6:23 GMT

Dustin Hoffman plays Bernie Focker in the movie

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday the actor said film culture was in the craphouse and that studios just weren't keen on making the sort of films people of his age were interested in.

He elaborated: "You go to the cinema and you realize you're watching the third act. There is no first or second act.

"There is this massive film-making where you spend this incredible amount of money and play right to the demographic.

"You can tell how much money the film is going to make by how it does on the first weekend.

"The whole culture is in the craphouse. It's not just true in the movies; it's also true in the theatre.

"Broadway, and now London is the same, special effects are in great demand. It's not a good time culturally."

He also inferred this was part of the reason he stopped acting for a while: "I just lost that spark I always had.

"A couple of years ago I didn't like the parts I was getting.

"Studios weren't interested in the kind of films that people of my generation wanted to see.

"I thought I would stop and just try writing and directing. I wasn't aware of the depression that set in."

Hoffman earlier denied rumors that he was going to move to the UK, saying although he did want to spend more time there; he would not be leaving the US.

His new movie "Meet the Fockers" is the follow up to "Meet the Parents" and sees Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) heading to Detroit in order to meet the parents of Focker (Ben Stiller). Needless to say they are quite the opposite of the Byrnes. Well who would name their son Gay M. Focker!

"Meet The Fockers" opens in the UK on Friday, further details in our database.