15 Comments

Great analysis. I have friends like that, most of them are public school teachers(gag).

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If a person gets “a hard on “ watching a non-pornographic movie he should seek immediate medical help.

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I think it was a joke.

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I'll avoid it for sure.

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Excellent analysis. Now I don't have to go see it! Thanks, Sasha!

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My first instinct was: "There is no way am I going to patronize garbage." But now I think I will see it for ironic laughs. I may have to ply my wife with spirits to watch it as she might throw up watching it.

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When I read that California and Texas were allies in Civil War I knew right away I couldn’t take it seriously.

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Civil War is a movie I won’t waste my time or money on. From your description, it sounds as bleak as the biased news reports.

Watching the video you kindly posted about Kenosha was so terribly sad. People have forgotten the damage done to that town and the business owners. Just heartbreaking.

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Excellent article.

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With 20+ years in the WGA, I wholeheartedly agree Hollywood has abandoned the audience. But this utterly baffles me because profitability, though always critical, has become life-and-death right now. In 2023, nearly every franchise tentpole failed. With no "stars" or "IP," a positive, human film about "saving children" BEAT the domestic earnings of Mission Impossible and Indiana Jones. While yet another "horrible story about horrible people doing horrible things to each other," Killers Of The Flower Moon's domestic opening: $23M. While a deceptively-deep movie whose main character realizes she lives in a false bubble wholly defined by material "stuff," who decides to leave the false promise of materialism to search for a life of meaning as a "real woman" -- Barbie -- opened with $162M. And made nearly $1.5 Billion. So, what's a smart Hollywood Executive to do? Make more KOTFM? Or more Barbie? It should be obvious, but 85% of deals made in Q1 2024 are for more Horror, Thriller, Dark Dramas, Revenge Pictures, etc. Companies that pay no attention to market data are doomed, yet Hollywood seems DETERMINED to ignore what's failing and continue to present an ever-darker, bleaker, more dystopian view of humanity, and the world -- despite the theatrical audience's near-total rejection. And of course, to force "woke" themes into everything, though if the general audience were polled about their interest in Transgenderism, probably 97% of their responses would range from "don't care" to outright hostility. I highly doubt corporate memos were sent out ordering D-people: "You must push an unpopular narrative, even though we know we'll lose money and go bankrupt." So how is this happening? I DO get that Hollywood is the Kool Kids Club, and you have to pretend to "like" what other Kool Kids like. It's how you climb the Hollywood ladder. But no one gets a pass when their Woke Movie loses money; and when you lose enough, your career is over. How could so MANY people knowingly be working against their own self-interest? Is there some Kool-Aid the studios force them to drink, that shuts off their ability to think rationally? To make them unable to respond to market data, which EVERY other industry in the world depends upon to stay relevant...?

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Today Deadline Hollywood announced a guy started a new production company called "Death Wish Entertainment." While nearly all the movies that have over-performed at the boxoffice for more than a year are in some way positive, hopeful, and in several cases, romantic. I rest my case.

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With 20+ years in the WGA, I wholeheartedly agree Hollywood has abandoned the audience. But this utterly baffles me because profitability, though always critical, has become life-and-death right now. In 2023, nearly every franchise tentpole failed. With no "stars" or "IP," a positive, human film about "saving children" BEAT the domestic earnings of Mission Impossible and Indiana Jones. While yet another "horrible story about horrible people doing horrible things to each other," Killers Of The Flower Moon's domestic opening: $23M. While a deceptively-deep movie whose main character realizes she lives in a false bubble wholly defined by material "stuff," who decides to leave the false promise of materialism to search for a life of meaning as a "real woman" -- Barbie -- opened with $162M. And made nearly $1.5 Billion. So, what's a smart Hollywood Executive to do? Make more KOTFM? Or more Barbie? It should be obvious, but 85% of deals made in Q1 2024 are for more Horror, Thriller, Dark Dramas, Revenge Pictures, etc. Companies that pay no attention to market data are doomed, yet Hollywood seems DETERMINED to ignore what's failing and continue to present an ever-darker, bleaker, more dystopian view of humanity, and the world -- despite the theatrical audience's near-total rejection. And of course, to force "woke" themes into everything, though if the general audience were polled about their interest in Transgenderism, probably 97% of their responses would range from "don't care" to outright hostility. I highly doubt corporate memos were sent out ordering D-people: "You must push an unpopular narrative, even though we know we'll lose money and go bankrupt." So how is this happening? I DO get that Hollywood is the Kool Kids Club, and you have to pretend to "like" what other Kool Kids like. It's how you climb the Hollywood ladder. But no one gets a pass when their Woke Movie loses money; and when you lose enough, your career is over. How could so MANY people knowingly be working against their own self-interest? Is there some Kool-Aid the studios force them to drink, that shuts off their ability to think rationally? To make them unable to respond to market data, which EVERY other industry in the world depends upon to stay relevant...?

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What's larping? I trust not a sexual act.

Suffrage in the desert! Ladies unite!

Sasha, do you know why Tucker Carlson’s adult children are registered democrats despite his conservative views? I'm guessing he's full of shit but it's his money maker.

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Live Action Role Playing.

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One can never be sure can one?

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