I think the possibility of Barbie being successful is more of a dread portent than you allow, since it would signal to ever-cautious studio executives that Mattel's backlog of brands and IPs are ripe for turning into consumer-churn. Similar to how Bayformers gave us a decade of Hasbro spew, we could soon be seeing Hot Wheels and Nerf movies
I do also worry that the writers' strike might give the studios a breath of fresh air, either by bringing in better writers (like fanfic authors, cruise sales specialists, or completely untrained high school students) or by keeping the eg capeshit off of centre stage long enough for the mass consumer to not be quite so tired of it
Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I read earlier that they're queueing up for an additional 17 more movies based on exactly that. I doubt 17 will get actually get made, but we're definitely going to be seeing some more - I kind of figured we would the moment that the Barbie hype began in earnest, since these days, even getting significant hype can get a season 2 or a sequel set into motion. I just hope that, if they do happen, they don't try to make a Mattel Cinematic Universe and tie them all together. Which they probably will. As for capeshit, I think it'll always linger in some form or fashion, but with the Flash crashing and burning and nothing but misfires and dead ends on Marvel's docket, I think the days of it inundating the theatres is behind us. But you do paint a disturbing alternative.
Wait, SNL is shut down due to the writers' strike?
What is this... what am I.... my heart.... is growing three sizes? It's snowing outside and a fat man in a red suit is throwing candy around? The archangel Gabriel has appeared in the skies and announced a time out to our wretched spiral into the abyss?
Thank you! I saw Oppenheimer on Friday. It was overall quite good, but I thought it did drag a bit near the beginning and end. I would love to comment on Barbie because it really does seem like a cultural event, for better or worse, but my friends and I are going to see it next weekend, and I'm as worried going into it as I am inteigued. I've heard very polarizing reviews. It's either the best movie of 2023 or total trash, with almost no in between. Seems a lot like its being made out as another platform of the culture war.
Given the set design for Barbie causing a world-white shortage of pink paint and plastic, I was kind of hoping it would be some sort of SMB-esque crack fantasy, at least in the Barbie universe, but nothing I've read has lead me to believe that's the case. Unfortunate, since I don't think we'll ever see something quite as gonzo or off the wall as the 90's SMB movie. Not a great movie by any metric, but you can't say they didn't put a lot of effort into it and it's certainly its own thing.
Makes me also lament the fact that we'll never get a Pokemon movie in the same vein. That would be interesting, if nothing else, but I don't think modern Hollywood has it in itself to be the levels of weird to pull it off.
I am old enough to remember when Barbie was just a doll.
I think the possibility of Barbie being successful is more of a dread portent than you allow, since it would signal to ever-cautious studio executives that Mattel's backlog of brands and IPs are ripe for turning into consumer-churn. Similar to how Bayformers gave us a decade of Hasbro spew, we could soon be seeing Hot Wheels and Nerf movies
I do also worry that the writers' strike might give the studios a breath of fresh air, either by bringing in better writers (like fanfic authors, cruise sales specialists, or completely untrained high school students) or by keeping the eg capeshit off of centre stage long enough for the mass consumer to not be quite so tired of it
Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I read earlier that they're queueing up for an additional 17 more movies based on exactly that. I doubt 17 will get actually get made, but we're definitely going to be seeing some more - I kind of figured we would the moment that the Barbie hype began in earnest, since these days, even getting significant hype can get a season 2 or a sequel set into motion. I just hope that, if they do happen, they don't try to make a Mattel Cinematic Universe and tie them all together. Which they probably will. As for capeshit, I think it'll always linger in some form or fashion, but with the Flash crashing and burning and nothing but misfires and dead ends on Marvel's docket, I think the days of it inundating the theatres is behind us. But you do paint a disturbing alternative.
Wait, SNL is shut down due to the writers' strike?
What is this... what am I.... my heart.... is growing three sizes? It's snowing outside and a fat man in a red suit is throwing candy around? The archangel Gabriel has appeared in the skies and announced a time out to our wretched spiral into the abyss?
Like I said, it's one of those things you don't even notice until someone else points it out, but once they do... it does feel nice, doesn't it?
Such a good piece!
For the record, I saw Barbie and Oppenheimer, and loved both.
Thank you! I saw Oppenheimer on Friday. It was overall quite good, but I thought it did drag a bit near the beginning and end. I would love to comment on Barbie because it really does seem like a cultural event, for better or worse, but my friends and I are going to see it next weekend, and I'm as worried going into it as I am inteigued. I've heard very polarizing reviews. It's either the best movie of 2023 or total trash, with almost no in between. Seems a lot like its being made out as another platform of the culture war.
Given the set design for Barbie causing a world-white shortage of pink paint and plastic, I was kind of hoping it would be some sort of SMB-esque crack fantasy, at least in the Barbie universe, but nothing I've read has lead me to believe that's the case. Unfortunate, since I don't think we'll ever see something quite as gonzo or off the wall as the 90's SMB movie. Not a great movie by any metric, but you can't say they didn't put a lot of effort into it and it's certainly its own thing.
Makes me also lament the fact that we'll never get a Pokemon movie in the same vein. That would be interesting, if nothing else, but I don't think modern Hollywood has it in itself to be the levels of weird to pull it off.
I read the Wiki synopsis. It's just Feminist preaching.