In the days following the cancellation of Batgirl, it became more than apparent that racism and transphobia played a role. Prior to logging offline for Shabbos, I started seeing social media leaking the film’s plot and test screening reviews. As a transgender woman let alone film/TV critic, I couldn’t be more surprised by what I saw. The fact of the matter is I don’t like that my gut instinct was right: racism and transphobia were…
"Batgirl, Racism, and Transphobia"Category: Opinion
With all of the issues surrounding HBO Max these days, the need to focus on quality over quantity could never be more true. Thursday’s earnings call shows the direction of HBO Max and it’s not one of churning content out just to churn it out. There’s already way too much content out there. You’d be surprised how many people decide to skip the new stuff in lieu of rewatching their favorite programs again. While I…
"Quality over Quantity: HBO Max, Netflix, and Disney+"
If Warner Bros. Discovery shelving Batgirl wasn’t enough, HBO Max quietly removed 6 films launched as Max Originals. The following titles are no longer streaming on the streaming service per a Variety report: An American Pickle Charm City Kings Locked Down Moonshot Superintelligence The Witches HBO Max also quietly removed House Party from its schedule. Did anyone even notice? If House Party is also cancelled completely, the studio is going to have a third title…
"HBO Max Frustratingly Removes 6 Original Films" Warner Bros. Discovery did both Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt wrong in the shelving of both titles from theatrical or HBO Max release. It’s not just the fact that Batgirl featured Leslie Grace in a leading role but that the film already completed principal photography. You have a similar issue with Scoob! Holiday Haunt. The reports out there suggest that it’s practically finished already. But since Warner Bros. owns the film rights for Scooby-Doo, it’s…
"Warner Bros. Did Batgirl Wrong"
Netflix wants to launch its own Star Wars or Harry Potter-type franchise but recreating this sort of movie magic is easier said than done. The Netflix news comes by way of Reuters. “We want to have our version of Star Wars or our version of Harry Potter, and we’re working very hard to build that,” said Matthew Thunell, the Netflix vice president credited with finding Stranger Things. “But those are not built overnight.” Of course,…
"Netflix Wants A Star Wars-type Franchise"
The Gray Man filmmaker Joe Russo is not wrong when it comes to his recent comments that movie theaters are expensive. The average cost of movie tickets keep going up and up. I remember a day when tickets were well under $10 for an evening showing and even cheaper for both matinees and the first showing of the day. Times are changing but increasing ticket costs is not going to help win viewers back during…
"Joe Russo Is Not Wrong That Movie Theaters Are Expensive"
Taika Waititi went from indie film to Marvel blockbusters while bringing his humor to both Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder. I saw one of the worst possible takes that I’ve ever seen about a Marvel movie: comparing Thor: Love and Thunder to Batman and Robin. Both Thor and comic book movies are going to be fine. What makes this take so bad is that Batman and Robin practically killed the Batman franchise until…
"Taika Waititi, Marvel Studios, and Auteur Filmmaking"
Given the never-ending Ezra Miller legal issues, Warner Bros. needs to cancel The Flash, recast, or quietly release the film on HBO Max. If I’m David Zaslav, I would just take the loss and quietly drop the film on HBO Max. Ezra Miller is now in cancelled territory. My interest in seeing The Flash isn’t there, not unless the film gets recast. Is Grant Gustin available? Anyone else? Is it even possible to recast the…
"Ezra Miller: Warner Bros. Needs To Cancel The Flash"
Lightyear underwhelmed at the box office as the Pixar spinoff fell short of $100 million globally over the animated film’s opening weekend. The film’s weekend projections see it finishing its opening weekend in second place at $51 million, second to Jurassic World Dominion. Where the numbers are very disappointing is that the film fell short of Cars 3‘s $53 million opening weekend in 2017. Looking at box office history, Lightyear joins The Good Dinosaur (2015)…
"Lightyear Underwhelms At The Box Office"
Cha Cha Real Smooth makes its arrival on Apple TV+ but the film is the least realistic movie ever written about Bar and Bat Mitzvah parties. There is a pecking order of people receiving Bar and Bat Mitzvah party invitations. I know this because of my own experiences growing up as a Jew and attending so many of them during 6th through 8th grade. Maybe things have changed in recent years but this holds true…
"Cha Cha Real Smooth Is Not Realistic"