Podcast: Cancelling The Apocalypse! The Playlist Assesses The 2013 Summer Movie Season, So Far

I haven't seen too many of the big apocalypse movies lately, but I found Pacific Rim to be the ugliest I've seen in recent years. All of the fights took place at night and under the ocean (save maybe less than a minute of quit cut-scenes). I saw the first Transformers in theaters and it genuinely looked better than this because the giant robots weren't covered in shadows and fog- they flew around in sunlight and the effects were shown off. Even the Snyder's dour grey palate with Man of Steel looked more lively than Pacific Rim. I did see it through 3-d glasses, so it might have made it look particularly murky, but I was constantly reminded of the hideous Godzilla with Matthew Broderick. And as much as I hate the mercenary projects by Bay and Emerich, as you guys mentioned, I'm not sure there was a single element in the plot or other themes in this film that I hadn't seen in Independence Day, Transformers, Armageddon, or Top Gun.

put this on itunes, please

Very interesting conversation I loved listening. I agree with the sentiment that we will start to see only major blockbusters in big theaters while movies for "cinephiles" as you call them (I think of them as movies for people with brains) will be relegated to smaller 25 seat theaters. I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing at all. It's practically already happened anyways. As long as good movies still exist (which you would have to be completely cynical or just living under a rock to deny that they do) I will be ok with blockbusters making a bajillion dollars off of the masses while people that appreciate film as an art form will have to go see good movies in smaller theaters. This is happening to any art form that is also considered entertainment. Movies and music being the main forms that I can think of at the moment. The Katy Perry's, Justin Beiber's, Michael Bay's, and Adam Sandler's of the world are all the same to me, and they all prove the exact same point. That point being that unfortunately, the vast majority of the public enjoy consuming media that is not intellectually or emotionally challenging or stimulating. As a lover of film and music as art forms, it is kind of a bummer to realize that the majority of my fellow human beings basically only consume entertainment if it is shoved in their faces, rather than seeking it out. Just because it bums me out doesn't make it any less true, so the only thing I can do is keep trying to promote and discover new artists that I appreciate, and to try to spread the word about these artists to as many people as possible. Someone crying "Transformers is the death of cinema!" is kind of missing the point. They're not saving movies by complaining. They should be making their own movies and music that they find artistically satisfying and promoting other artists that have the same attitude towards these art forms. What I'm trying to get at is exactly the point you guys made: we are the minority. It's sad but it's true. But just because we are the minority doesn't mean we have to die off. We just have to keep doing what we're doing and people like us will continue to exist. For now we will have to just keep loving art and have to put up with cringing whenever you're at a family dinner and they suggest going to see Grown Ups 2 as a family outing. Sigh. I'll go see it with you guys, as long as when we get home you'll let me show you City of God, Amores Perros, or anything by Charlie Kaufman.

Why not do a regular podcast?

I feel that del Toro's hands were tied making this film. I find it hard to believe that this is the fully realized version of this concept from the guy who did "Pan's Labyrinth," "The Devil's Backbone," or even both "Hellboy" films, which I cherish as far as blockbuster films go. I did an editorial recently, sort of playing devil's advocate about what "Pacific Rim's" underperformance meant for the state of blockbuster filmmaking, kind of like what you guys touched on, with people rallying behind it and wanting to get more original films made. I spoke more about the idea of getting the auteurs into the studio system rather than getting behind so-called "original" films, for "Pacific Rim" and, as Erik pointed out, "Oblivion," blatantly rip off other, better films. I see "Pacific Rim" the way that I saw "Blade II" for del Toro, and that is a stepping stone to see that if this film is a success, then maybe he will get to make the one he wants, like Nolan having great success with the "Dark Knight" trilogy, and then subsequent success with "Inception." I have tried to get people to see this film, despite its flaws (and no, the first "Transformers" is not more enjoyable than this, del Toro at least strips this film from the crassness of Bay's inhuman touch), because if it succeeds, then maybe del Toro would get to make something like "The Mountains of Madness" adaptation he wanted to do. We'll still get "original" films, but we need visionaries behind them, not someone who is just going to follow orders and adhere to cliches that have been done to death.

I´m about to listen to the podcast but I'm pretty sure it's gonna be interesting (as always). Just wanted to give an idea : you guys should do a cannes podcast. I know it's a little bit late but I remember the one you did last year and it was very good!!