What the media desperately, desperately wants is to go back to 2014 where they don’t have to hold powerful people accountable and every lie can be dispelled with “both sides”. They’ve spent the last 8 years being dragged kicking and screaming into actually speaking truth to power (sometimes), and they don’t like it…

Delayed golf clap.

To follow up on this, Disney is saying Disney+ will be “profitable” next year (2025). That means they’ll be slightly above zero, then trying to hold on in 2026 and beyond. They may not even reach profitability in 2025, it’s just a projection right now and probably a rosy one.

I said “Netflix model” in my original post, not “Netflix should be a monopoly”. And in specific reference to the value of licensing content as part of your second-run strategy, which studios had been doing for decades, rather than trying to control the entire distribution chain as they have been post-Netflix. But…

The wealthiest people my age I personally know were second-generation family business owners who were cut into the equity by their parents before the companies sold.

This is a point I’ve made often as well. The Netflix model was good - everyone makes their stuff, screens it in theaters or on TV, then licenses it to Netflix as part of their second-run strategy. Everyone makes money and sticks to what they do well.

I love trailers (like a lot of people), but there is a saturation point. I’ve been to the theater 2-3 times since the pandemic, and each time have been surprised at how much foreplay there is between the lights dimming and the movie starting. 3-4 long ads, then ~7-8 trailers. It’s an easy 20-25 minutes.

I think you’re very right on the marketing part. I have no idea what movies are coming out this weekend, or the next, or what movies are coming out at all that I might like. And I think it’s entirely because I’m not watching TV with commercials these days, and have trained myself to ignore banner ads (like a lot of…

This trailer is an excellent example of the difference between funny writers and directors at the peak of their powers vs. once-funny writers and directors in decline.

It’s a symptom of much peace and too much prosperity for too long. Americans think nothing can really go TOO wrong, because it never has in our lifetimes and we’re always on top and we always win.

Just about every network is discovering that exact same fact, which is why they’re all desperately trying to reduce costs on their streaming platforms and relicensing shows back to Netflix.

Oh I 100% agree with you that they both look weird. IMO Wright looks significantly weirder - Tom Hanks does not look like a young Tom Hanks, but at least he looks person-ish. Whereas Wright is clearly CG.

The arguments people/emotional responses people are throwing at you in this thread (which are quite common these days) remind me of the Republican hissy fits about stem cell research throughout the 00s.

I don’t think it’s deliberate, it’s that they can’t actually de-age people accurately - the computer is probably making a best guess based on current facial markers, rather than photo mapping from an old picture. It’s the same reason Robert DeNiro did not look at all like a young Robert DeNiro in The Irishman.

Wow that Irishman clip looks way, way better. He still looks ~50, as opposed to the say 30? he’s supposed to be playing in the film (everyone keeps calling him “kid”), but at least he looks like a human person.

If the quality of what little dialogue is shown here (and the performance of it) is consistent throughout the film, it’s going to be a schmaltzy disaster.

“generally expected to potentially be his final film”

This is a great idea. We can win a marginal culture war battle, while helping Trump into the White House again.

Yeah, Trump was a big name in the 80s and early 90s, but then all his businesses started to fail and he kind of disappeared until The Apprentice.

Run Lola Run was one of the true greats of the late 90s era that birthed a ton of great indy films.