Tag: oppenheimer

Best Movies of 2023- Updated List

AdamLeave a comment

Just as I promised at the beginning of the year, I’m going to give you all an updated list of my favorite movies from last year. I didn’t catch up on as many movies as year’s past but I did find a few new entries along with finding more appreciations towards other ones to justify making an updated list. Unlike before, I’m going to go with my top 15 favorites movies of 2023 as oppose to just top 10 and I’m not including any honorable mentions as I just want to go straight to the list. If you go back to my list in December, you will know what my honorable mentions are and which ones may have even found a spot on this updated list.

Nevertheless, let’s get right down to it!

15.) Air

Air isn’t may not reach the levels of other films of it’s kind such as Moneyball but it’s good enough to stand on it’s own as a well-done biopic with a sharp script, great performances, and spot-on directing from Ben Affleck to make it worthwhile. It can’t quite escape it’s surface level feeling and certainly could have done with an actual appearance of Michael Jordan himself but it’s able to give anyone that is interested in this movie exactly what they want and expect with no interest in deceiving expectations whatsoever.

14.) Evil Dead Rises

Who would’ve thought that 40 years after the original Evil Dead that the series would still have plenty of juice left in it? Evil Dead Rise is able to continue the franchise momentum in pushing itself forward to new territory while still sticking to the roots of what Evil Dead stands for. Here we see mum Ellie getting possessed by the spirits with her sister and children in the fight for their survivals! The characters themselves are engaging, the kills still deliver in fresh and exciting ways, and the creativity that the series is known for is still on display! Even if it’s not quite the very best movie in the franchise, Evil Dead Rise still succeeds greatly at reintroducing Evil Dead to a new generation. Five movies in and it doesn’t seem like Evil Dead is losing momentum anytime soon, making for perhaps the best (or at least most consistent) horror movie franchise out there!

13.) Nimona

Disney’s trash turned out to be Netflix’s treasure with this animated fantasy adventure in Nimona. A movie made for kids that pulls no punches and will likely find a bigger audience with teens and young adults due to the film’s own subject matter and mature themes that come to play. It’s beautifully animated, incredibly engaging, has messages and representation that feels genuine, stellar voice work from Chloe Grace Moretz and Eugene Lee Yang, and Nimona herself is one of the most generally lovable protagonists in recent memory, managing to being the right kind of an “obnoxious” character. If this truly is Blue Sky Studio’s last film they ever do, not only is it grateful that they got to see their final work in a complete form but they were able to save their best film for last in the form of Nimona! Disney will certainly regret letting this film get away from them!

12.) Barbie

The highest grossing film of the year was also one of the year’s best! What easily could have been a by-the-numbers flick for little girls that would have been better off going straight to streaming, Greta Gerwig decides to go beyond that and craft a film about traditional gender roles, identity, and why there should be a proper balance between the matriarchy and patriarchy. Barbie is as clever, funny, and creative as you could expected given the talent involved, with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling being a match made in heaven as Barbie and Ken respectively. The world-building is as strong as it could possibly be with a movie surrounding a toy brand that everyone is aware off, each cast member are clearly having the time of their lives, the soundtrack is one you are likely gonna have stuck in your head as soon as you leave the theater, and it feels so refreshing to see a new summer blockbuster that seems to have to same love and passion it does from both in front and behind the camera. It doesn’t all work 100% and there will certainly be plenty of folks that will take issue with the way it handles it’s themes and messages but for the most part, Greta Gerwig is able to make lightning strike a third time in a row and has made herself a new name to look out for. If you’re a woman, you probably already saw this movie and love it. And heck, even if you are a man, watch it yourself and you’ll probably have a good time as well!

11.) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Of all the feature films that have we have gotten so far involving the TMNT brand, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is probably the movie that has gotten the most things right, aside from the 1990 original. While the animation and art style does take obvious inspiration from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, it’s able to learn the right lessons from it by creating exciting set pieces and inventive visual storytelling. It looks amazing, the turtles themselves are all well-utilized, bounce off each other perfectly and actually FEEL like teenagers, the story feels fresh yet faithful to the turtles themselves, the score is absolutely killer, the action is a lot of fun to sit through, and it’s able to exist in it’s own sandbox as being the kind of thing that can stand proudly on it’s own two feet along with being among the best of what the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have offered throughout their history. While I won’t go as far to say that it’s a perfect film in it’s own rights, it’s certainly a perfect TMNT film and one that will likely be the one to get a new generation into this successful running franchise. And if the next film and the new 2D series that’s in the works is as good as Mutant Mayhem, then this next wave of TMNT fans will have plenty to be spoiled by!

10.) Talk To Me

No horror film this year was able to impact me and hit me harder than Talk To Me. This is a thrilling and frightening tale about a group of friends led by Sophie Wilde’s Mia that uses an embalmed hand as a way to talk to the dead, taking the cast on a wild journey that makes them connect to spirits in ways they would never imagine and will soon learn to regret. It’s able to take it’s genius horror premise and does just about everything you possibly can with it, creating haunting visuals and imagery that is guarantee to stick with plenty of horror fans alike. The story is gripping, the set pieces are incredibly inventive, the scares are absolutely heart-racing, the tension is felt in every second of the runtime, and the visuals metaphors still live rent free in my head to this day. A24 is certainly not the most mainstream friendly studio out there but when they deliver, they deliver HARD! So hard that even the mainstream audience that give their films a F ranking on CinemaScore have to appreciate it! Talk To Me doesn’t just stand as my favorite horror film of the year but I wouldn’t be surprised if I was able to make room for it on my favorite films of the year period. Just superb entertainment all around!

9.) Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon is once again another winner from the great Martin Scorsese. It’s an exceptionally well crafted and brilliantly acted picture that goes to show why Martin might just be the best when it comes to making these kind of period pieces. It’s as every bit of gripping, emotional, and impeccable as you heard, the 3.5 hour longtime while excessive is put to good use, and it’s another reminder why films like this are worth experiencing on the biggest of screens possible. And Lily Gladstone MORE than deserves that Oscar for Best Supporting Actress! I don’t know where this ranks among his very best but it’s certainly a film that will leave an impact on you, one way or the other. As we reach Scorsese’s final chapter of his 80-year old life, this plays out as the proper beginning of the end of one of our finest filmmakers who has ever lived. Because of that, it’s best to enjoy Scorsese pictures as much as we can while the man is still breathing! Let’s do that and STOP asking the man of his opinions on Marvel movies! Please and thank you!

8.) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is able to successfully hit all the beats it needs to give fans and audiences a very satisfying ending to it’s trilogy of what is perhaps the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most surprising and consistently great franchise, along with showing how Marvel can still find ways to deliver quality entertainment, even when it might seem like they’ve reached their limits. It’s able to be funny, dark, sad, engaging, and deliver the highest and most personal stakes of all the three Guardians films that helps make it stand out as possibly the very best in trilogy. I don’t think there was a scene that was as heartbreaking as Rocket watching his friends die right in front of him or as thrilling when the Guardians got together for that one kick-ass action scene with No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn playing. I don’t know what the future holds for the MCU or what awaits for the team members that are still around to fight galactic wars but in the case of this movie, I don’t really care. All Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 needed to do for me was to deliver a conclusion that felt definite, right and satisfying all the same. And on those terms, it was no doubt able to deliver a famously huge third (Pun entirely intended!) I’m glad James Gunn was able to end his run with Marvel on a high note and leave me awaiting his future with DC. A fitting farewell to these lovable a-holes!

7.) The Holdovers

While I certainly enjoyed The Holdovers on my first viewing, it VASTLY improved on me on my second viewing. So much so that this isn’t just one of the best films of the nominations, it’s one of the best films of 2023 period! This is a beautiful and heartfelt Christmas drama filled with engaging and lived in characters, a tremendous screenplay, spot-on direction, and great performances from the entire cast. As great as Cillian Murphy was in Oppenheimer, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Paul Giamatti pull up the upset and take home the Oscar for best actor himself. Anything to see him spotted again at a fast food restaurant with an reward in his hand. In all seriousness, The Holdovers is a genuinely excellent film that will resonate with you the more you think about it and watch it. It’s not just a film you will feel eager to watch every Christmas, but also one to watch for someone that don’t feel loved or appreciated enough in their regular lives. To those people, I can see this film feeling like one big warm hug, which is the best possible feeling for one to have during the holidays.

6.) Past Lives

Past Lives makes for a beautiful and touching tale about two friends, separated as children, being reunited as they confront destiny, their love for one another, and the choices they have made throughout the entire life. It’s a deep exploration of the connections we have with ourselves and the ones we care about along with our struggles that helps us define who we are. It’s about two dear friends that went their separate ways but might have an urge to try to relief the good old days in the here and now. It’s perfectly directed, beautifully acted, thematically relevant, emotionally engaging, and uses it’s slow-burn pacing to it’s absolute full potential. It’s a film where it’s ideas within the narrative are executed about as perfect as it could get. Even in an age where certain folks seem to decry the idea of films having important messages, Past Lives is a reminder why we need films like that, films that teaches us the true meaning of life and why we shouldn’t take or the ones we love for granted. If this is not a least nominated for Best Picture, then the Academy Awards can simply suck it. Give Greta Lee the Oscar right now!

5.) John Wick: Chapter 4

John Wick: Chapter 4 is an exceptional achievement of not just the John Wick franchise but for the action genre in general. Not since The Raid movies has there been a series of action films that dares to go as big, bold, and as over-the-top as this film does. Yes, the action has never been better choregraphed and executed than it has been here. Yes, the cinematography and pure scope have never looked and felt better than it does here. Yes, just about every noteworthy person in the cast get a moment to shine and scenes that stand out so well you can’t wait until someone uploads them to YouTube. Yes, the near three-hour runtime does not feel daunting in any way. Working perfectly as John Wick himself getting pushed beyond his reasonable measures along with director Chad Stahelski and crew of pushing themselves to make the most unbelievable and badass film imaginable. Even if Chapter 4 does bring a logical stopping point to John Wick’s story, it leaves plenty of room of other characters in the series to have their stories to continue if anyone wants to go that route. I’m not one that likes to claim when a movie is “perfect” but when it comes to John Wick: Chapter 4 and is able to deliver the goods with an absolute bullet point, it’s hard to bring up any flaws that bring the experience down. 

4.) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse shows that the Spider-Verse could in fact make lightning strike twice! Everyone involved with the making of this movie wanted to take everything to the next level without holding anything back and they are able to exceed greatly with a sequel that manages to be as good as Into the Spider-Verse and in some ways, even better. The animation might be the very best I’ve ever seen in any film, the entire cast is perfect with everyone feeling like they are absolutely in LOVE with their roles, Miles and Gwen are some of the most best, engaging, and most layered protagonists in any comic book film, the themes and morals of the story still resonate and fits the core elements of Spider-Man perfectly, and there’s plenty of well earned fan service throughout that never gets in the way of the main central storyline. There has not been a film this year I’ve rewatched more than Across the Spider-Verse and I will certainly continue to do so in the future. While it does end on an obvious cliffhanger, it will no doubt make anyone excited to see how they will wrap up the story in the third and final installment. This is the kind of film that not only proves that superhero films are still important (even after the year the subgenre as had) but animation is as important as well! Bring on Beyond the Spider-Verse!

Also, to Phil Lord, Chris Miller, and the those at Sony Animation, PLEASE treat your animators right this time! Don’t put them through hell like you did with Across the Spider-Verse! 

3.) Oppenheimer

Oppenheimer is yet another masterfully made and directed film by the great Christopher Nolan himself, perhaps his biggest cinematic achievement to date. It’s able to tell exactly the kind of sprawling epic story that it aspires to be by acting as a character study first and a biopic second of the infamous man of J. Robert Oppenheimer himself. Every single member of it’s highly recognizable cast is able to completely disappear into their roles and captured their performances perfectly (RDJ better get that Oscar!), it does a great job of exploring the man of J. Robert Oppenheimer (played perfectly by Cillian Murphy) as not just “the destroyer of worlds” but as an impactful flawed man himself, the three hour runtime is put to near perfect use, the score is absolutely riveting and will haunt you in the best of ways, and is able to deliver fully on the theater experience in ways that no other filmmaker than Nolan can do. Even if this is Nolan going for his Oscar, he’s able to do it in such a perfect and organic way that it feels more earnest than forced (Take notes, Alejandro González Iñárritu!). While it’s not quite my favorite film from Nolan (Inception and The Dark Knight will always be very hard to top for me!), this might just be his most important one to date, showcasing why Christopher Nolan will always be a name to attract a mass audience! Speaking as someone that was underwhelmed by Dunkirk and Tenet, Oppenheimer is a glorious return to form for Christopher Nolan and one of the best films of 2023!

2.) The Iron Claw

Talk about a film that will hit you hard in all of the places you don’t want it to and earning every single bit of it! The Iron Claw is a powerful, devastating, and tragic true story about a group of brothers who go through hell and back together. This works as both a heartbreaking family drama and an energetic sports film, with director Sean Durkin being able to find the perfect balance of these two distinct elements. The wrestling scenes are very well directed and choregraphed while never being afraid to being brutal and unhinged as they were in real life. It’s able to tell the story of the Von Erich brothers while not 100% accurate (which was intentional according to Von Erich themselves), is still able to remain translate those events of what took place between the tragic outcomes of this family as about as respectfully as you possibly could. Beautifully directed, beautifully written, and beautifully acted (Zac Efron impresses me with each passing day!), The Iron Claw is one of the best films of 2023 and one that I’m glad I was able to catch before making this updated list. I’m gonna go and cry some more!

1.) Godzilla: Minus One

Perhaps the most surprisingly film to come out in 2023. Who would’ve thought that after so many different Godzilla incarnations over several decades that the character and brand can still find new ways to craft great motion pictures? Godzilla: Minus One not only makes for an instant kaiju movie classic but it’s perhaps the best the character has been on screen since 1954 original. It’s able to pull off that perfect balance of offering exciting Godzilla action and a compelling story with human characters you actually care about, the aspects that many recent Godzilla films have failed SPECTACULARLY at! Even when Godzilla isn’t on screen, you don’t mind as much because of how compelling our main human lead is in Ryunosuke Kamiki’s Kōichi Shikishima. The visual effects are excellent, the sound design is off the charts, and the third act is so tense that it will have you on the edge of your seat. I have a few nitpicks that keeps this from being higher on the list (mostly the detour between the end of the second act and beginning of the climax that dragged for me) but this is DAMN good cinema regardless of those gripes! Between this film, the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters series, and the upcoming Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire movie next year, Godzilla fans have a LOT to look forward to in the future!

Ranking The 2024 Best Picture Nominations

AdamLeave a comment

Another year, another handful of Best Picture nominees to talk about. This year, the Oscars just so happens to take place on my least favorite day of the year aside from my birthday, Daylight Savings time! I find it bizarre how year after year the Academy Awards keeps flip flopping the date of which the Oscars happen. One year, it’s February. The next year, it’s late March. And the year after that, it’s early March. I don’t understand all of that one bit but whatever.

Just like the last couple of years, there are ten total best picture nominations to talk about and rank. I won’t lie, my opinion might be controversial because I don’t I was as over the moon with some of these as most others were. Part of that might be due to personal preference and/or rewatch value but be warned in case your favorites of the nominees didn’t make it high on my list. But anyways, let’s get on it with it and rank the ten best picture nominations from best to worst.

10.) Poor Things

Every year, you have to have at least one movie on the best picture nominations that you acknowledge is very well made and acted but you didn’t care for it whatsoever. That so happens to be Poor Things for me. Yes, the productions values are great! Yes, Emma Stone is as fabulous as ever! And yes, there are a handful of funny moments and unique shots here and there! But, that still doesn’t change the fact that this feels like a porno than an actual movie with a bloated runtime and an artistic vision that comes across as more pretentious than as a real, honest voice from behind the camera. Maybe I’m just not a Yorgos Lanthimos fan as he has yet to make a film that impressed me but Poor Things is the kind of Oscar bait getting nominated that absolutely annoys me. Try filling up that flash with substance next time Yorgos! Only then that I might be on your side!

9.) Maestro

And speaking of well made films that did absolutely nothing for me, Maestro is one that left me feeling cold. The makeup and cinematography are great and the actors do a fine job in their roles but I don’t think this movies does a very good job on giving you an indication as to who Leonard Bernstein is. He doesn’t seem all that different from any other musicians out there and for a movie that suppose to show otherwise, I feel like I would give more info about them by just looking up his Wikipedia page. Not the worst biopic ever but one that left plenty to be desired for me. And if Bradley Cooper really does win for best actor, this will surely be his “Leonardo DiCaprio winning an Oscar for The Revenant” moment! And no, that is NOT a compliment!

8.) The Zone of Interest

This is far in a way the most experimental film of all the best picture nominations. The Zone of Interest tells the story of Rudolf Hoss and his wife and their desire to build the ultimate dream life for themselves and their family. However, Jonathan Glazer just to tells this story in a rather steady pace, trying to get every lasting moment of getting you suck into the film’s atmosphere and get a clear glance of how crystal clear everything in the film looks. There is admirable ambition to be found here but I still can’t help but feel like it would have worked better as a short film than as a feature length film. The fact it takes about three full minutes for even the first shot of the movie to be seen really sets the vibe of the entire picture. While experimental and unconventional, The Zone of Interest is a film that will surely test your patience and it’s only if you feel like it is worthwhile by the end of it which will determine your perspective on it.

7.) American Fiction

Here’s a film about a black author that is under more pressure than ever to make his stories more “black heavy” to make it stand out for his publishers and other authors out there. American Fiction goes into great insight about how mainstream media can’t seem to make black art without involving the negative stereotypes and racism surrounding black folks. Led by a commendable performance from Jeffrey Wright, this is a tight, witty, and thoroughly entertaining drama that dives deep into its subject matter without being completely one sided about it. If it could have stuck the landing a little better, then it would probably be even higher on the list, While I don’t see American Fiction making too much noise at the Oscars, I do hope it encourages studios to make more drama comedy films like and give Jeffrey Wright more recognition for being one of the very best actors working today.

6.) Anatomy of a Fall

The tagline of Anatomy of a Fall is “Did she do it?” I would make a joke review by saying, “I don’t know about you all but I do think she did it” but the film itself is able to be about more than simply that ringing question that is constantly hear throughout the film. This is quite an intriguing mystery that is filled with constant ambiguity and tension throughout that allows for multiple different perspectives from each of the characters involved, so much so that you will likely find yourself switching sides throughout the entire film. I do wish the first half of the film was more interesting and it had 15 to 20 minutes trimmed out but Anatomy of a Fall does make for interesting and accessible film that those that love a good mix of comedy, drama, and mystery.

5.) Barbie

The highest grossing film of the year is also in the top half of best picture nominees! What easily could have been a by-the-numbers flick for little girls that would have been better off going straight to streaming, Greta Gerwig decides to go beyond that and craft a film about traditional gender roles, identity, and why there should be a proper balance between the matriarchy and patriarchy. Barbie is as clever, funny, and creative as you could expected given the talent involved, with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling being a match made in heaven as Barbie and Ken respectively. The world-building is as strong as it could possibly be with a movie surrounding a toy brand that everyone is aware off, each cast member are clearly having the time of their lives, the soundtrack is one you are likely gonna have stuck in your head as soon as you leave the theater, and it feels so refreshing to see a new summer blockbuster that seems to have to same love and passion it does from both in front and behind the camera. It doesn’t all work 100% and there will certainly be plenty of folks that will take issue with the way it handles it’s themes and messages but for the most part, Greta Gerwig is able to make lightning strike a third time in a row and has made herself a new name to look out for. If you’re a woman, you probably already saw this movie and love it. And heck, even if you are a man, watch it yourself and you’ll probably have a good time as well!

4.) Killers of the Flower Moon

It seems like an unwritten role that every new Martin Scorsese film is a lock-in for a best picture nominee but man, does the man keep deserving that honor. Killers of the Flower Moon is once again a winner from the great Martin Scorsese himself. It’s an exceptionally well crafted and brilliantly acted picture that goes to show why Martin might just be the best when it comes to making these kind of period pieces. It’s as every bit of gripping, emotional, and impeccable as you heard, the 3.5 hour longtime while excessive is put to good use, and it’s another reminder why films like this are worth experiencing on the biggest of screens possible. And Lily Gladstone MORE than deserves that Oscar for Best Supporting Actress! It may not be his very best but it’s certainly a film that will leave an impact on you, one way or the other. As we reach Scorsese’s final chapter of his 80-year old life, this plays out as the proper beginning of the end of one of our finest filmmakers who has ever lived. As if we are starting to enter the final chapter of his filmmaking career. Because of that, it’s best to enjoy Scorsese pictures as much as we can while the man is still breathing! Let’s do that and STOP asking the man of his opinions on Marvel movies! Please and thank you!

3.) The Holdovers

While I certainly enjoyed The Holdovers on my first viewing, it VASTLY improved on me on my second viewing. So much so that this isn’t just one of the best films of the nominations, it’s one of the best films of 2023 period! This is a beautiful and heartfelt Christmas drama filled with engaging and lived in characters, a tremendous screenplay, spot-on direction, and great performances from the entire cast. As great as Cillian Murphy was in Oppenheimer, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Paul Giamatti pull up the upset and take home the Oscar for best actor himself. Anything to see him spotted again at a fast food restaurant with an reward in his hand. In all seriousness, The Holdovers is a genuinely excellent film that will resonate with you the more you think about it and watch it. It’s not just a film you will feel eager to watch every Christmas, but also one to watch for someone that don’t feel loved or appreciated enough in their regular lives. To those people, I can see this film feeling like one big warm hug. The fact this is only #3 on this list just says more about how superb the next two films are.

2.) Past Lives

Past Lives makes for a beautiful and touching tale about two friends, separated as children, being reunited as they confront destiny, their love for one another, and the choices they have made throughout the entire life. It’s a deep exploration of the connections we have with ourselves and the ones we care about along with our struggles that helps us define who we are. It’s about two dear friends that went their separate ways but might have an urge to try to relief the good old days in the here and now. It’s perfectly directed, beautifully acted, thematically relevant, emotionally engaging, and uses it’s slow-burn pacing to it’s absolute full potential. It’s a film where it’s ideas within the narrative are executed about as perfect as it could get. Even in an age where certain folks seem to decry the idea of films having important messages because movies just aren’t suppose to have that now for some reason, Past Lives is a reminder why we need films like that. We need films that teaches us the true meaning of life and why we shouldn’t take it or the ones we love for granted. Give Greta Lee the Oscar right now!

1.) Oppenheimer

If were going by pure objective quality, this would probably also qualify as the very best film of the year for me and not just strictly the best of the nominees. Oppenheimer is yet another masterfully made and directed film by the great Christopher Nolan himself, perhaps his biggest cinematic achievement to date. It’s able to tell exactly the kind of sprawling epic story that it aspires to be by acting as a character study first and a biopic second of the infamous man of J. Robert Oppenheimer himself. Every single member of it’s highly recognizable cast is able to completely disappear into their roles and captured their performances perfectly (RDJ better get that Oscar!), it does a great job of exploring the man of J. Robert Oppenheimer (played perfectly by Cillian Murphy) as not just “the destroyer of worlds” but as an impactful flawed man himself, the three hour runtime is put to near perfect use, the score is absolutely riveting and will haunt you in the best of ways, and is able to deliver fully on the theater experience in ways that no other filmmaker than Nolan can do. While it’s not quite my favorite film from Nolan (Inception and The Dark Knight will always be very hard to top for me!), this might just be his most important one to date, showcasing why he will always be a name to attract a mass audience with every film he releases! It’s currently the favorite one to win and if that’s the case, then it will be the second year in a row in which my favorite of the Best Picture nominees will take home Best Picture. It’s time for Nolan to get his due and he will greatly deserve it!

Is Physical Media Dying?

AdamLeave a comment

Back in October, it was confirmed that Best Buy will no longer support physical media of any kind in 2024 and onwards. This includes physical copies for medium like movies, tv shows, video games, music, etc.. There will be no more DVDs, Blu-Rays, 4Ks, Gaming Discs, or CDS (which they already stop selling in 2018) to come from Best Buy! If Best Buy was your only store to get physical copies of the latest big blockbuster or popular soundtrack with no Walmart or Target near by, then it’s digital media or bust for you. That seems to be the way now for Best Buy and it might likely be that way for the majority of stores for the near future!

First and foremost, I have ALWAYS been a supporter of physical media and ALWAYS will. It always feels like a privilege to be able to gain your own personal copy of something have it really be yours. You don’t have to worry about losing it due to services no longer supporting it or wondering if you will have the internet to watch or listen to something of your choice. When you have your own personal copy of something, it means it is yours FOREVER! Unfortunately, as we move forwards towards the future with digital media being more prominent now than ever before, we might just lose that privilege. And that is a very, VERY scary thought!

There have been a few times in recent memory where there has been strong support for physical media. The most recent example is with Oppenheimer, the highly acclaimed film from Christopher Nolan that sold out 4K and Blu-Ray copies during the holiday season. Heck, it took me at least two weeks before I was able to pick up my own copy of it because it was being sold out everywhere. As a matter of fact, my 4K copy I brought was literally the last 4K copy they had available that day. Considering Nolan is someone that has voiced his strong support over physical media, I’m sure he’s very proud of this. However, just like with only a handful of feature films that came out this year that showed courage of the theater going experience such as Barbie, Oppenheimer, and The Super Mario Bros Movie, this is only an exception to the fact that folks don’t care about physical media as much as they used to. Because of that, Best Buy is cutting all support of physical media and there’s a good chance that other main companies such as Walmart, Target, Gamestop, and Barnes & Nobles will follow suit sooner or later.

I can’t begin to tell you how much that scares me. Digital and physical media should always be options that co-exist together, not taking away from each other forever. With the lack of physical media, that lets companies have more control over their consumers products than ever before. Just recently, Ubisoft Exec stated that gamers need to start feeling comfortable of “not owning their games”. If that’s not a sign for things to come, then I don’t know what is.

What happens when the unthinkable happens and you no longer have access to digital media or the piece of content you own doesn’t work. What happens when you no longer have access to the internet? What happens when your movie, game or music doesn’t work because reasons? Most importantly, what happens when the company decides to no longer support their content that requires live services and it’s basically gone forever? They basically just stole your money over content you bought that you no longer have any control over. That just sounds scary.

Companies are becoming greedier than ever and with the confirmation that Best Buy no longer selling physical media, I would expect them to become even greedier now that the first domino of physical media has fell with plenty of more yet to fall. This is a dark and disturbing time and it’s a time that I don’t want to live in.

I will always value and support physical media as long as I live. The physical copies of the games, movies, television shows, and music that I own will always be mine to keep. Even if or when the inevitable happens, the ones I have will always be there, no matter what anyone says. I do not look forward to the day when that is no longer the case and everything becomes digital. It’s only then will people realize the power of something simple as owning their own copy of Avengers: Endgame or The Legend of Zelda: Tear of the Kingdom or the newest hit album from Taylor Swift.

Is The Theatrical Experience Dead?

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There was a time when you went to cinema to see the next big blockbuster, it didn’t just feel like you were in for a new movie, it felt like you were in for a new experience. Whether you loved the movie or hated it, there was a magical feeling of being in the cinema for the next big movie with a sold out crowd on opening night or weekend. I will never forget the experience of watching Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame on the very first night with the crowd being on cloud nine the whole way through. To experience all the laughs, cheers, excitement, and even tears to come from the crowd was something truly special and will always be a lasting memory for me! However, as we approach the end of 2023 and see where cinema is in it’s current state, there is a strong argument to be made about how the magic of watching films in cinema is long gone.

To say that 2023 has been a brutal year for Hollywood and cinema would be an understatement. Not only with the handful of strikes that have gone on for the majority of the year but the way that new franchise installments have underperformed vastly and bombed spectacularly at the box office. It’s not only in terms of flicks involving Disney and superheroes like the media has made it out to be but almost every notable franchise out there minus a few exceptions. And it’s not only one or two specific reasons that stand out for these movies tanking but there are MULTIPLE factors here. Multiple factors that honestly has been years in the making!

Because of that, let’s go over ever single logical factor here! Every single concrete reason as to why cinema is in the state that is in right now and why major changes need to happening if cinema will continue to evolve in the comfort of movie theaters everywhere!

The Covid-19 Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic changed the lives of every single life form on planet Earth. A worldwide plague that forced everyone to quarantine for the majority of 2020 along with parts of 2021 and 2022. Because of that, entertainment around the world was put on hold. Theaters were closed, films were delayed, and productions of basically all forms of entertainment were put on hold. Coming right after a massive year of the box office in 2019, where there were NINE films that grossed over a billion dollars worldwide (SEVEN of them disturbed by Disney), this could not have occurred at a worse time for Hollywood.

This led to many of the big movies that were to come out in 2020 and 2021 being sent to streaming with some occasional theater showings for some of them. With over half the theaters around the country being closed and streaming services being more popular than ever, of course most chose to stay at home and watching the upcoming movies on streaming services. However, that line of thinking of just waiting to watch movies in the comfort of your own homes has clearly played an impact on the way movie goers chose to watch films in the 2020s.

With a handful of exceptions, most new franchise installments that always tended to make a guarantee profit have underperformed or bombed in this post-Covid timeline. A large reason for that has to do with the fact that most audiences would rather wait for new movies to be able for digital or streaming services then shelling a few extras bucks on concessions and theater seats when new movies come out in cinema. The theatrical experiences for most big movies nowadays is just not worth it in the eyes of the consumer.

Strikes-a-palooza

2023 was a year that was litter with strikes going on in Hollywood, with some that either is still happening or most likely to happen soon. You have the writers strike that lasted for nearly five months, you have the actors strike that lasted for four months, there’s a strike going on at the moment with the VFX artists from Disney and Marvel, and if reports are to believe, you can bet that a strike within the gaming and animation industry is likely to occur sooner rather than later.

The strikes involving the writers and actors caused a halt in production of films along with the promotion and marketing of upcoming films being practically non-existent. This caused films like Dune: Part Two to be delayed and films that have been released during it such as The Marvels to suffer severely at the box office. While we might not have felt the direct impact of upcoming films in production that were halted because of the strike, we will certainly feel it in the next two to three years. Just as we all felt the impact of the previous writers strike with films that came out in 2009 or 2010. If the impact wave of Covid is about over, a brand new wave involving all the strikes is about to come. Surfs up!

Too Many Mid-icore Movies

While the other two reasons mentioned is a great argument of the amount of money studios spend on their movies and the amount of moment audience will spend to watch them, maybe the big reason as to do with the actual quality of the motion picture. Maybe it has to do with audience no longer wearing their rose-colored glasses and seeing how it’s become quantity over quality for a lot of franchises right there. Movies that just exist for the sake of existing and not because it’s something the audience actually want to see.

That would explain greatly how films like Barbie, Oppenheimer, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse have been the most notable successes at box office in 2023. Not just because they were names from a familiar brand but because of the strong impact they had on mainstream audiences which led to repeat theater viewings and strong worth of mouth. While not quite the most successful films of all time, it was able to exceed expectations, and possibly even surpass them due to how good those movies actually were. The same thing can’t be said about the other big movies that came out in 2023.

Fast X was seen as more of the same, over-the-top nonsense that has become accustomed to this franchise at this point. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts was seen as a passable if not disposable entry for a franchise that is still dealing with the aftermath of the overblown Bayformers flicks. The Flash was seen as a ugly CGI mess made solely for course correcting and the hope that having Michael Keaton back as Batman along with Sasha Calle’s Supergirl would be enough to overcome any shortcomings. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was seen as an unnecessary and forgettable finale to a series that already had two definite finales beforehand. The Marvels, Shazam: Fury of the Gods, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom might have been considered “good enough” when superhero movies still felt like events but not in the year 2023. And Wish was seen as lackluster of an 100th year anniversary film for Disney that you could possibly imagine. While two or three of these might be enough to guarantee a solid three out of four stars ratings, they all did not receive the best reviews or the strongest word of mouth to make any of these worth buying a ticket for. Because of that, they were not able to make their money back or break even.

Even Good Movies Are Bombing

I’m sure most of you reading this thinks that the easy solution would be just to make better films and more people will be more eager to see them in theaters. While there have definitely been films this year that have accomplished just that, there have been other notable critically successful films that suffered at the box office regardless of it’s high quality.

These include the likes of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning- Part 1, Blue Beetle, and Killers of the Flower Moon. All four of these films were ones that gained mostly very good reviews from critics and received a certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes but still lost money. While plenty will argue it had to do with awkward release dates or going ridiculously overbudget, it still doesn’t change the fact that these were all very good films in the eyes of critics and folks that went to see them but still underperformed or flopped at the box office.

This just goes to show you that even films that are well-acclaimed are not guarantee to be box office hits either. Sometimes a movie bombing has nothing to do with it’s overall quality, it’s that audience didn’t have the interest or knowledge of it’s existence to check them out while it was playing in theaters. There are plenty of good to great films in recent memory in the past that have been guilty of that: Dredd, Edge of Tomorrow, The Nice Guys, Blade Runner 2049, Annihilation, and Doctor Sleep just to name a few. While I’m sure all four of the 2023 films mentioned will find or already has found it’s audience through digital or physical media, the fact they were unable to gain them at the time it came out in theaters goes to show how even well quality films have suffered from other dire consequences.

Overbudgeting At It’s Finest

This is the one that everyone and their mother has pointed out but it’s certainly worth pointing out again. The amount of money that is being spend on these big movies is beyond ridiculous. Going past the traditional of $150 to $200 million budgets to big blockbusters in favor of now $250 to $300 million budgets. You have Elemental and Wish costing $200 million to make, The Flash costing $220 million to make, The Marvels costing $275 million to make, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning- Part 1 cost $291 million to make, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny costing $300 million to make, and even Fast X costing $340 million to make. And that’s not even including the amount of money that was spent on trailers and marketing which you could add at least a few more million with. The overconfidence in box office has certainly been Hollywood’s weakness throughout the entirety of 2023.

I’m sure many people will point out how the larger budgets may have to do with Covid-19 halting many of these projects while they were in development but that doesn’t excuse how others movies released this year which made either just as much, more, or even less than any of the big movies were able to be a financial hit. You have John Wick: Chapter 4 which made a franchise record, 432 million worldwide, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse making over 600 million worldwide, which is a record for Sony Animation, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 making over 800 million worldwide, and The Super Mario Bros Movie making over 1.3 billion worldwide.

When looking at the movies mentioned from this year, only Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was able to have a budget over 200 million dollars and was able to be a financial success. The rest of the movies either underperformed or flat out bombed at the box office. It makes you wonder how in the world movies such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Across the Spider-Verse were able to have a cheaper budget than Elemental despite having more impressive animation and more well known celebrities in the cast. Even so, it goes to show you how easy it is to make back your money on movies if you keep your expectations and budget in check without going too overboard.

If a movie making half or 3/4 of a billion dollars is considered underperforming, the studios need to take a good, hard look at themselves and figure out what has allowed that to happen. If you need to make at or near a billion for your big movie to make a profit, then that just speaks volume how little connection you have with yourself or the general public. Even if Covid was a factor in some extra money being spent, that can’t be the only factor to do it.

It must be no coincidence that the three highest grossing films of the year in Barbie, Mario, and Oppenheimer were all films that only cost 145 million or less. Take a hint, Hollywood!

Theater and Concession Prices Are Ridiculous

Is it me or has the prices for movie tickets and concessions skyrocketed quite a bit to the point of insanity? No matter what time or day it is, it seems like movie tickets nowadays cost a total of at least 12 to 15 dollars with 15 to 20 dollars involving food and beverage. That’s at least 25 to 35 dollars spent on one night at the movies, possibly more if you are going with friends or family members. That is just insane!

While there are certain theater companies out there that offer paid monthly subscriptions that helps save money with going to the movies such as Regal, not all theater companies are like that. At best, you will get a five or ten dollar discount after spending 50 to 100 dollars worth on your local theater and that’s basically it. And if you don’t find yourself using any of those subscriptions, that’s just a few extra bucks you got to fork over just for one or two times at the cinema.

Whether this is due to Covid-19 or the power of inflation, the increase of price in tickets and concessions has to play an effect on the way audience select the upcoming blockbusters they want to see. The movie going experience is more expense now than ever before, almost approaching the level of the expenses of gaming and sporting events. Because of that, it’s obvious the mainstream audience are mostly picking and choosing at random which movies they want to see on the big screen and which ones they would rather wait to watch in the comfort of their own homes. They’ll go see their Barbie and Oppenheimer but they will likely rather wait for The Marvels and Killers of the Flower Moon to come to streaming.

Maybe, just maybe, if theaters and cinema would have the urge to lower the prices on tickets and concessions or offer more events like Cinema Day, perhaps folks might be more willing to check films out in cinema when they arrive on the big screen.

Movies Are No Longer Events

To repeat what I said at the start of this article, remember when going to a movie of a big franchise felt like a cinematic event? Almost as if you are about to witness a moment in history you would be eager to tell your kids and grandkids many years later down the road? Is it me or has the movie theater experience lacked that hype and event feeling at least since 2020 rolled around?

There have been exceptions of course. You have the likes of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: Way of Water, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Barbie, and Oppenheimer that were able to achieve that cinematic feeling for most moviegoers out there. But, those are really only exceptions compared to other franchise films that have come out since then. Instead of the feeling you are about to watch the cinematic equivealant of the World Series in theaters, it now feels like you are watching the cinematic equivalent of a Spring Training game.

When I saw The Marvels and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes in theaters, the things that took me off guard the most when watching them was how uncinematic it felt watching those in theaters, especially compared to the series prior installments. I remember theaters being mostly packed when I saw the first Captain Marvel and the other Hunger Games films when I saw them in theaters, with the feeling that the hype and anticipation of so many folks was about to pay off. When I saw the newest installment of Captain Marvel and Hunger Games, I can only count on hand about eight to ten other folks with me in the theaters, which made about less than a quarter of the whole theater. If that’s not a sign how far the feeling of being in a movie theater has fallen, then I don’t know what is.

I could also give other examples, most recently with Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom set to be an absolute bomb despite the first film being the highest grossing DC film of all time, but the examples I just mentioned really gave me that depressing feeling about how the theater experience isn’t the same anymore and likely never will be.

This is likely because of how most franchise installments nowadays don’t feel like events anymore. Whether that’s due to Covid-19 or being oversaturated with them or just the overall declining quality with most of them, they just don’t feel as grand or rewarding as they used to be. Because of that, what’s the point of going to theaters anymore when you can just wait a couple of months to watch them in your own homes where you will save yourself extra cash? It’s like they said, vote with your wallet and that’s what many moviegoers have done since the pandemic rolled around.

How To Fix This?

There has been plenty of discussions going around on what Hollywood needs to do to fix their current problems. I’ll tell you right now that there is no simple solution to fix all of this. They have dug themselves into massive hole that it will take years to come even close to climbing out of it. If I were to give a simple bit of advice, it’s to probably go back to the “old school” ways of making films.

Don’t feel the need to go overbudget, don’t overthink every single bit of detail, don’t needlessly overwork your VFX artists, use every old fashioned camera trick and editing technique in the book, work at a reasonable time and pace, and most importantingly, make them all feel like films that deserve to be seen in movie theaters. Also, lowering the prices on tickets and concessions would help as well!

Of course, this won’t solve every single problem that Hollywood is currently having, especially with the amount of strikes that are likely gonna occur in the future, but at least it would give a reason as to why the theatrical experience should still be a thing in the year 2023 and onwards. Why going out to theaters to see the newest blockbuster when it comes out is important instead of just waiting a few extra months to watch on streaming or demand!

All of those things and much more need to happen if the theatrical experience is to thrive in the future. Otherwise, streaming and digital media will be the absolute future with no need for theaters and physical media.

Thanks a lot, Trolls: World Tours! You destroyed cinema!