THE PANDEMIC FOREVER CHANGED THE MOVIE INDUSTRY

I am somewhat unusual in that, for the past decade or so, I've watched around 50 films/year in movie theaters.  However, for the past 15 months all my viewing has been on TV at home.  While over time I will return for special screenings, the convenience of streaming on Netflix and Prime has forever changed me, for staying home is cheaper and safer.

More recently, these two companies have taken steps to expand their influence.  Amazon Prime bought MGM for $8.45 billion, adding a ton of material for their audience.  Netflix is looking into acquiring or merging with 9 opportunities, including.

• Sony
• Lionsgate, which owns Starz
• ViacomCBS
• Discovery
• DAZN
• Pluto
• Tubi
• Roku
• Spotify
• Others like A24 and STX Entertainment.

However, prowling around Netflix are Apple (they have hundreds of billions in cash available) and Facebook.

I should mention that in my international travels, I've noticed that places like South Korea and Bangkok have made American theaters obsolete.  Bigger and better screens and seats, with luxury options, like spaces for two with pillows and blankets.  In Seoul, a moviegoer shows up and just taps a smart phone, where a seat has been pre-reserved.  I had difficulty figuring out where to buy tickets.  Various varieties of alcohol are served, and for some reason I can't comprehend, Jagermeister, a German liquer, is popular.  Popcorn comes with flavors beyond your imagination.

For your future consideration are the following recent productions.  I will indicate with an asterisk (*) if I've actually watched it, but these ratings come from Rotten Tomatoes.  Mind you, I've found that some productions rated in the 25% range by reviewers, but 85% or higher from audiences, are more times than not, pretty good. 

Amazon Prime:

• Breach (2020), 20/63:  Devastating plague on Earth and interstellar ark gets attacked by a shape-shifting alien force.  Bruce Willis.
• *Solos (2021), 47/82:  Seven part anthology series, each episode with a different superstar, about what it means to be human.  Ann Hathaway, Constance Wu, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, plus others.  I saw the Hathaway first show, which was disorganized and not particularly terrific.,
• Pink:  All I Know So Far (2021), 63/93:  About the musician PINK on her Beautiful Trauma world tour.  Quite a personal life, and I might someday watch it because audiences like it.

Netflix:

• At the time of writing this blog, Lucifer* was Netflix's #1 of the week.  There are five seasons and RT gave it 86/71 overall scores.  Starring Tom Ellis, it is about the devil moving to Los Angeles to operate a night club and helping LAPD to punish evildoers.  Adapted from the comic book character.  Watch two episodes and never returned.
• Dirty John (2018) #3 and rated 80/75 by RT.  Stars Eric Bana about romance in Los Angeles.
• Blue Miracle (2021) was #68/76 about an orphanage in a fishing competition.
• Army of the Dead (2021) film,  #8, 68/75:  about a zombie outbreak, so I certainly won't watch this.
• Ragnarok (2020) #8 , 67/82: life in a small Norwegian town.
• The Kominsky Method (2021), 3 seasons, #9, 90/81, with Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin. I'm close to watching it.
• Who Killed Sarah? (2021), 2 seasons, #10, 86/57.
• Halston (2021) limited series 65/83:  about the fashion designer, played by Ewan McGregor.
• Shadow and Bone (2021) 8 episodes, 87/90: something about extraordinary power and monstrous threat.
• StartUp (2016-18) 3S, S1 36/89, S2 /94, S3 /79.
• Black Holes, The Edge of All We Know (2021) documentary, 100/  :first image of a black hole.  I watch anything with a 100 rating, and will soon view this.

The problem with 100-rated Rotten Tomatoes shows is that there are too many of them, 63.  Those on my short list are: (I'll later stick in the details)

• Ilo Ilo (2014)
• Last Train Home (2010)
• Laura (1944) and Rebecca (1944), seen back to back.
• The Philadelphia Story (1940), but mostly because this would become a twin-bill of the resultant musical, High Society.
• Rio Bravo (1959), mostly because when I saw it more than half a century ago, I thought it was drippy western.
• Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993), which I've seen, but I'm fascinated with chess films.
• Seven Samurai (1953), I must have already watched it a half a dozen times, but it is in my top ten.
• Tampopo (1985), when I went to it more than a third of century, I thought this was a light-hearted nothing.  I need to appreciate why this was scored a 100.
• The Terminator (1984), same story, for who would have thought that this one with Schwarzenegger would rate 100.  It was directed by James Cameron.
• Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) and Maltese Falcon (1941), a good double-bill with Bogey.

Worse, Rotten Tomatoes rates 130 series at 100.  These are for individual seasons, so some have more than one.  Here, I'm already watching more than a dozen of them, and did not realize they were so highly rated:

• Ugly Delicious (2018)
• The Twilight Zone (1959)
• Schitt's Creek Season 6 (2020)...actually I'm only midway through Season 1.
• Mystery Science Theater 300:  The Return, Season 1 (2017)
• Jane the Virgin, Seasons 1 (2014), 4 and 5
• The Good Place, Seasons 2 and 4...I'm still in Season 1 (2016)
• GIRI/Haji Season 1 (2019)
• Fleabag, Seasons 1 (2016) and 2.
• The Expanse, Season 3 (2018) and 5 (2020)... still in the early stages of Season 1
• Derry Girls (2018)
• Dark, Season 2 (2019)...still early in Season 1
• Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Seasons 2 (2016) and 4 (2018)...watched only episode 1 of Season 1
• Counterpart, Season 1 (2017) and 2 (2018)...I didn't know there was a Season 2
• Cobra Kai, Season 1 (2018)...I stopped watching after the second episode...looks like I'll now need to go back and continue
• Catastrophe, all three seasons...watched first episode of Season 1 (2015)
• Breaking Bad, Seasons 2 and 3...am watching the spinoff, Better Call Saul, and there were five seasons.
• Battlestar Galactica, Season 3...never thought to watch it because I thought this came from Battlestar Earth, a John Travolta film that some thought was the worst ever made.
• Babylon Berlin, Season 1 (2017)...started a year ago and need to go back.
• 24, Day 5 (2006)..with Kiefer Sutherland.

The Man with the Golden Arm who saved 2.4 million babies:

Almost equally impressive is Raina Huang, who won a milk tea boba chugging contest, and enjoyed a donut at the end.  You need to watch till the end to truly appreciate her talent.  It's not as much what she accomplished than how she looked doing it.  She is 26, lives in Walnut, California, and could well someday soon appear at that July 4th Nathan's Hot Dog-Eating Contest on Coney Island.

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