9. MoviePass needs to die and something new should take its place
2018 saw MoviePass become not just a household name, but perhaps a paradigm-shifting disruptor that would forever change the face of theater-going forever. But then it collapsed. Hard. And suddenly, MoviePass became a joke, as well as a cautionary tale that film distributors and exhibitors could wave in front of film fans and say, “Hey, you see? You’re going to have to pay our prices eventually, anyway!”
https://twitter.com/ThePlaylist/status/986269346711220224
With the MoviePass experiment coming to a close, we would love to see the company fade away for good, and with it, the company’s failed logic. And in its place, we’d love to see a new company attempt to change the way film fans go to the movies. Whether that’s the first-run streaming idea that has been floating around for years or something entirely new, either way, we’re ready for the next phase of theater-going. Because as ticket prices climb, and studios rely more and more on franchises and tentpoles for profitability, the box office bubble is set to burst eventually. We need the next phase. We need the eventual disruptor. Not just because we’re cheap, either. But because as film fans, we need to make sure more films get made and original ideas can prosper. And to make that happen, we need to change how theaters do business, currently, because 3D just ain’t gonna cut it.
https://twitter.com/ThePlaylist/status/1029039241001492480
10. Can we please have 12 more hours added to each day so that we can watch all the TV in our queue? (aka there’s just too much damn TV content out there)
As mentioned above, 2018 saw almost 500 scripted series air during the year. That’s just an absurd number of shows to wrap our minds around. Granted, not every show is a winner, and not every show is something that everyone will want to see. But with that number of series hitting each year (and more expected in 2019), there are just so many damn shows that our friends and family want us to watch that we can’t possibly keep up.
https://twitter.com/ThePlaylist/status/1055542791869149184
So that leaves us with two options. 1) Scientists figure out how to add an addition 12 hours to the day (roughly enough time for us to binge watch something) or 2) Studios, production companies, and networks just slow down and not turn the era of Peak TV into the era of Too Much TV. Because when you throw that many series against the wall, most of it isn’t going to stick. And sadly, there will be series that deserve the attention, but simply can’t rise above the dreck. You hear about “Sorry for Your Loss?” It’s a show on Facebook Watch (which is a thing, I guess?) that stars Elizabeth Olsen and got great reviews. You probably didn’t watch it though because you were too busy wasting time with Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, FX, AMC, CBS, NBC, ABC, and the dozens of other networks and services out there. We need a solution to this TV watching problem before it becomes too late.
https://twitter.com/ThePlaylist/status/1073303822833836032
11. Hey, major studios, superhero films can be goofy, but please don’t forget about acting, writing, and characters
While 2018 was perhaps the benchmark for quality superhero storytelling in film, with “Black Panther” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” likely to get serious Oscar love, it was also a year that began to show an alarming trend – goofy superheroes can sell tickets. “Venom” and “Aquaman” don’t share many similarities on paper, but in film, they’re basically the same thing. They’re bloated, ugly, terribly acted films that featured enough goofy moments and crazy spectacle to make audiences (and a lot of critics) utter the words “mindless fun.”
https://twitter.com/ThePlaylist/status/1067822451650781184
“Mindless fun” is something that should never enter a film fan’s brain. You can have fun with a film without it being dumb. And yes, superhero films can be silly (and cartoonish) without being insultingly stupid and poorly crafted. CGI, spectacle, and lowest-common-denominator jokes can sell tickets, but they’ll ultimately crater a genre. Before you know it, another “Batman and Robin” disaster is lurking around the corner. So, give us more “Ant-Man” goofiness, or what “Shazam!” looks like it could be, than rely on “mindless fun” that films like “Venom” and “Aquaman” have made popular. Your parents probably told you this when you were a kid, but the logic still stands. Being silly, dumb, and a class clown might make you popular, but it doesn’t make you a good person (or film).
12. Studios, please learn from “Mandy, “Hereditary,” “Sorry to Bother You,” and “Roma” by allowing filmmakers to take risks and be original
Every year, film fans crave something new and different. And thankfully, 2018 provided that in spades. Films like “Mandy, “Hereditary,” “Sorry to Bother You,” and “Roma” showed that if you give filmmakers a platform, a modest budget, and very little studio notes, something special can happen. Now, YMMV on what you thought of each of the above films, but one thing can’t be denied, each was a beautiful and exciting achievement.
Who would have thought a 1970s black and white film about a middle-class family and its maid would be one of the greatest films of the year and be seen by millions of people around the world? Or a metal-album-cover-art-turned-film like “Mandy” would not only be made but find its way on so many Best of 2018 lists? And even though Boots Riley might have polarized people with “Sorry to Bother You,” it’s an incredible feat that the film even exists. I mean, there are fucking horse people and Armie Hammer doing a line of coke the length of a human arm in it!
Let’s see more of that in 2019. Film fans are a niche audience, for sure, but with the expansion of streaming services and people watching more content than ever before, studios can take risks on unique filmmakers with a grand vision and see it pay off in huge ways. So, if there’s more of that in 2019, then there’s no way that 2019 could be any worse than 2018.
