At Long Last, Something New
A film like "One Battle After Another" and a tv show like The Morning Show on Apple TV+ feel so exciting in a sea of the same.
Sometimes it feels like culture became stagnant around 2015. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but in the last 10 years things kind of feel the same. Movies have largely been “requels” and franchise films, while TV has been all “prestige TV” with big-name actors trying to solve murders in small towns. Listen, I have enjoyed a lot of those films and TV shows, but after a while, having to eat the same meal every day just becomes…blah.
Was it audiences rewarding studios by rushing out to these films so the studios kept making them? Was it because all the media companies feel like they are merging and consolidating and not taking chances? Is it because we are so desperate for nostalgia that we will take whatever comes our way? Is it because we have had one national figure dominating attention for over a decade when we are more used to closing a chapter on an era every four to eight years?
Who can say, but I definitely was feeling it. I don’t get the sense that I was alone either.
Something changed at the cinema this year, and a big reason why is because of Warner Brothers. Yes, Warner Brothers, the studio that has been subject to a bunch of constant rumors and frequent ridicule for the past few years. Their first major release this year was Companion, which was a fun and fresh suspense film that was pretty hard to market without giving away the plot (I loved it). Then came the release of Mickey 17 from director Bong Joon Ho, who was cashing his “blank check” after winning the Oscar for Parasite.
It was not a hit. In fact, there were rumors that CEO David Zaslav was looking to replace studio heads Mike De Luca and Pamela Abdy were going to be let go.
Then Minecraft happened. Followed by Sinners and Final Destination: Bloodlines. Warner handled distribution for F1 from Apple Studios and saw it become a worldwide hit. Then Superman, the first film from DC Studios, took flight and soared. In the dead of August, Weapons was released and not only was a hit with critics but spent multiple weeks at number #1 at the box office. Then, the summer season ended with The Conjuring: The Last Rites, which, given how it performed, will likely not be the last film.
Then this past weekend Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another was released and WOW. It is a thrilling movie that feels capital C cinematic. I can’t go into it because not enough people have seen it yet. All I can say is that it was an incredible experience seeing it in 70MM at Music Box Theater here in Chicago. (You have until 10/14 to see it there)
Each time I went out to see one of these films, and I did except for The Conjuring, I felt like I was watching something different than I had been getting of late. Hiring Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess to direct Minecraft with Jack Black and Jason Momoa made it feel just weird enough to really pop. Superman, which was released when the superhero genre is coming back down to earth, felt new and exciting. It played really well all summer as audiences either came back or convinced other people to come out. My mom, who has not liked a comic book movie since The Dark Knight, said “I really liked that” as “Punk Rocker” played through the theater. Despite being part of a long running franchise, Final Destination: Bloodlines was fun and exciting.
Sinners is nothing less than a cultural event. I have seen it in the theater 3 times, and each time the theater was a) full and b) every person was captivated. Weapons is scary, yes, but is also so much fun.
Listen, who knows why all these movies hit the way they did. As William Goldman famously said about Hollywood, “nobody knows anything.” Yet, credit where credit is due, Warner Brothers let some creatives take some big swings, and many of them hit.
Each film was a breath of fresh air.
Which brings me to The Morning Show on Apple TV+. Between the big names and heavy storylines, it has all the markings of “prestige” TV, but it is so delightfully silly and soapy. It’s the anti-prestige TV as it just goes for broke with storylines that are straight out of a soap opera.
My favorite part of the new season is that Greta Lee has moved from supporting character to right in the middle of the circus post-Past Lives. She is having so much fun on this show.
Time will tell if this welcome break from stagnation will carry on through the next few years or was just a welcome respite after a decade of routine. All I can say now is that it was certainly welcome on both the big and small screens.
In Other News:
How much did Disney “lose” from their brief decision regarding Kimmel? Well, the reputational hit might take some time to measure but we do have some hard data on what it cost them in Disney+ money.
talked about it with Julia Alexander over on YouTube. While you are over there be sure to subscribe to the channel.