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    Modern Wisdom

    Critical Drinker - Why Does Modern Cinema Suck So Much?

    Sat Feb 18 2023
    CinemaMoviesIdeologiesOver-the-top messagingMale heroesStreamingPiracyChinaMovie productionRick and MortySuperhero movies

    Description

    This episode explores the influence of ideologies in cinema, the problem with over-the-top messaging, the shift in movie themes and characters, the decline of masculine male heroes, the impact of streaming and piracy on movies, the negative trends in female character portrayals, the need for change in movie production, the influence of China on movies, reviews and reshoots in movies, the decline of Rick and Morty and future content, and the evolution of superhero movies.

    Insights

    Movies are becoming more flagrant in pushing certain ideologies

    Movies used to be a vehicle for important social movement narratives, but now they are becoming more flagrant and less subtle in pushing certain ideologies.

    Over-the-top messaging misrepresents moderate left-liberal individuals

    TV shows like 'Velma' misrepresent moderate left-liberal individuals by presenting over-the-top messaging that race swaps characters and portrays white male characters as idiots.

    Movies patronize women by portraying them as incapable of overcoming challenges

    Modern movies often patronize women by portraying them as incapable of overcoming challenges and perfect as they are, which sends an unhealthy message.

    The decline of masculine male heroes in movies

    Masculine male heroes are not a viable commodity in movies at the moment, but occasional movies that dare to show them usually do well because people have been starved of this content.

    Streaming has changed the film industry landscape

    Streaming has changed the film industry landscape, making it easier for content to be pirated and leading to the disappearance of mid-budget movies.

    The negative impact of China on movies

    Movies often repurpose content to make it appropriate for a Chinese audience when money is involved, leading to debates about incorporating pro-China messaging or staying patriotic and pro-western culture.

    The need for change in movie production

    Studios need to create content that people want to watch or they will go broke, and Hollywood has recognized its mistakes and is starting to make changes.

    The decline of Rick and Morty and future content

    The scandal involving Justin Royland may be the final blow for Rick and Morty, but there are other TV shows like Cobra Kai season six, House of the Dragon season two, and Stranger Things that are anticipated.

    The evolution of superhero movies

    Superhero movies have gone through four stages: tinkering, mocking, love and thunder, and parody. The speaker hopes the genre will wind up soon.

    Chapters

    1. The Influence of Ideologies in Cinema
    2. The Problem with Over-the-Top Messaging
    3. The Shift in Movie Themes and Characters
    4. The Decline of Masculine Male Heroes
    5. The Impact of Streaming and Piracy on Movies
    6. The Negative Trends in Female Character Portrayals
    7. The Need for Change in Movie Production
    8. The Influence of China on Movies
    9. Reviews and Reshoots in Movies
    10. The Decline of Rick and Morty and Future Content
    11. The Evolution of Superhero Movies
    Summary
    Transcript

    The Influence of Ideologies in Cinema

    00:00 - 07:28

    • Cinema is now a platform for social and cultural ideologies to be pushed through.
    • Movies used to be a vehicle for important social movement narratives, but now they are becoming more flagrant and less subtle in pushing certain ideologies.
    • People are questioning why they would want to watch movies that make them feel awful about themselves and label them as bigots or reactionaries if they push back on the narrative.

    The Problem with Over-the-Top Messaging

    07:16 - 14:13

    • The TV show 'Velma' is an example of over-the-top messaging where every character has been race swapped and everyone is gay except for the white male character who is portrayed as an idiot.
    • Well-meaning, moderate left-liberal individuals would be embarrassed by media like 'Velma' misrepresenting their side.
    • Doctor Strange 2 and She-Hulk are examples of movies that lack subtlety in their messaging, especially when it comes to female characters or minorities.
    • These movies patronize women by portraying them as incapable of overcoming challenges and perfect as they are, which sends an unhealthy message.

    The Shift in Movie Themes and Characters

    13:44 - 21:13

    • Movies used to inspire self-improvement and learning from mistakes, but now they patronize and hinder progress.
    • Modern movies reject the concept of older generations imparting wisdom to younger ones.
    • There is a movement in movies to exclude older mentor figures, especially if they are white men.
    • Hollywood seems to have developed a dislike for traditional strong masculine men in lead roles.
    • Male characters often become the butt of jokes or portrayed as goofy clowns.
    • The cultural shift within Hollywood and exposure of misconduct have contributed to the current state of male heroes in movies.

    The Decline of Masculine Male Heroes

    20:44 - 27:46

    • Masculine male heroes are not a viable commodity in movies at the moment.
    • Occasional movies that dare to show masculine male heroes usually do really well because people have been starved of this content.
    • Top Gun is an example of a movie that combined all the elements and did well.
    • Tom Cruise's performance in Top Gun defied expectations and was successful.
    • The success of Top Gun pleased the speaker.

    The Impact of Streaming and Piracy on Movies

    27:26 - 34:55

    • Streaming has changed the landscape of the film industry, making it easier for content to be pirated and reducing revenue.
    • Mid-budget movies are disappearing, leaving only big blockbusters and low-budget indies.
    • Harvey Weinstein's downfall may have triggered a wave of problems in the industry.
    • Writers in Hollywood today lack life experience and struggle to bring depth to their characters.
    • There is a culture of narcissism and selfishness in Hollywood, where success is valued over personal growth.
    • Stoic men are seen as toxic by Hollywood writers, who prefer emotional and comedic male characters.
    • The portrayal of strong female characters often relies on aggression and dominance rather than compassion.

    The Negative Trends in Female Character Portrayals

    34:28 - 41:36

    • Modern movie portrayals of strong female characters often rely on making them aggressive and domineering, rather than showcasing their ingenuity and hard work.
    • The live-action remake of Mulan presents an unrealistic portrayal of a female character who effortlessly outperforms others without facing any challenges or difficulties.
    • This type of storytelling sends a destructive message that undermines the value of personal growth and improvement.
    • Fanbaiting is a strategy used by studios to provoke fans by changing beloved characters through race or gender swaps, which leads to backlash and criticism.
    • Studios then use the negative comments from extreme individuals to shame fans into supporting their product, even if it is fundamentally flawed.
    • Attempts to change the romantic male protagonist archetype in novels resulted in lower sales, as readers were drawn to assertive and dominant characters.
    • Movie studios may eventually need to create content that people actually want to watch in order to avoid financial failure.
    • There is hope for the future as market demand can influence production studios to make more compelling and appealing movies.

    The Need for Change in Movie Production

    41:12 - 48:29

    • Studios need to create content that people want to watch or they will go broke.
    • The lead time for movies is about three years, so what we see in cinemas now was commissioned in 2019.
    • Hollywood has recognized its mistakes and is starting to make changes, but it will take a couple more years for those changes to be seen.
    • Warner Brothers brought in a new executive who canceled projects that were deemed low quality and unprofitable.
    • Video game studios may have a better understanding of their core audience and receive immediate feedback from fans.
    • Attempts by gaming companies to restrict content have faced severe backlash from fans.
    • Movies today often lack genuine hope and patriotic themes compared to the past.
    • There may be a lack of confidence or negative attitude towards American culture in Hollywood.
    • Fast and Furious 9 and other movies are repurposed for the Chinese market due to financial considerations.

    The Influence of China on Movies

    48:04 - 54:50

    • Movies often repurpose content to make it appropriate for a Chinese audience when money is involved.
    • Disney movies were previously banned in China, but now they seem to have smoothed things out with the Chinese government.
    • Rumors suggest that Marvel actors are being sent on training programs to teach them what's acceptable to say about China.
    • John Cena had to apologize in Mandarin for suggesting that Taiwan was a country, which was humiliating.
    • The pressure on actors to comply with Chinese demands is immense due to the financial implications for the entire studio and cast members.
    • There's a debate between incorporating pro-China messaging or staying patriotic and pro-western culture in movies targeted at China.
    • Game of Thrones disappointed many fans with its final season, but the series House of the Dragon has potential to bring back fondness for the franchise.
    • Season 1 of House of the Dragon surprised people and if Season 2 is good, people will be invested in Game of Thrones again.

    Reviews and Reshoots in Movies

    1:01:31 - 1:08:26

    • Henry Cavill's face changes from scene to scene in the movie due to reshoots and digital removal of his mustache.
    • Paramount did not give permission for Cavill to shave off his mustache, so they digitally removed it later, resulting in a mismatched mouth with lips that don't line up.
    • CGI artists had to work on Henry Cavill's lips frame by frame, which was a disappointing task compared to rendering alien battles and explosions.
    • Nick Cage was briefly attached to play Superman in a failed project directed by Tim Burton. The whole project cost $30 million without shooting a single frame.
    • There were plans for a tie-in with the Joel Schumacher Batman movies, potentially leading to a Justice League movie.
    • The DC Universe (DCU) has been less compelling compared to Marvel's success with well-known characters like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
    • DC rushed their movies and made mistakes without understanding them, resulting in wasted talent, time, money, and potential.

    The Decline of Rick and Morty and Future Content

    1:08:00 - 1:15:16

    • Justin Royland from Rick and Morty has been involved in a scandal with incriminating text messages to women and girls, indicating an alcohol problem.
    • This scandal may be the final blow for Rick and Morty as it had already started losing its core fan base.
    • The show will struggle to continue without Justin Royland's involvement as a writer and voice actor for Rick and Morty.
    • There are no upcoming movies that excite the speaker except for Dune due to their enjoyment of the book as a teenager.
    • Severance is a science fiction drama series that has caught the speaker's interest after watching one episode.
    • TV shows like Cobra Kai season six, House of the Dragon season two, and Stranger Things are anticipated by the speaker.
    • Movies rarely satisfy the speaker, who prefers documentaries or series on Netflix.
    • The speaker has hope in the production lagging hypothesis for future content creation.
    • Genre theory suggests that there are four stages: prototype stage, maturity stage, deconstruction phase, and parody phase.

    The Evolution of Superhero Movies

    1:08:26 - 1:17:09

    • Iron Man and the MCU have gone through four stages: tinkering, mocking, love and thunder, and parody.
    • The Western genre can be used as a good example to understand the stages of superhero movies.
    • Superhero movies have reached the parody phase, where they are often parodies of what they once were.
    • The speaker is tired of reviewing superhero movies and hopes the genre will wind up soon.
    • The speaker's YouTube channels produce new videos every couple of days, with live streams on Thursday nights.
    • The speaker can be found on Twitter and has written novels called The Ryan Drake series.
    • The speaker has a comic called A New Kind of War available for order through Indiegogo.
    • The speaker is also working on a short movie.
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