No one cares

When it comes to established franchises, it is becoming increasingly clear that

 

Whether we're talking about Marvel, X-Men, Fant-four-stick, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Halo, Call of Duty and so on. No one cares. Perhaps each of these franchises has metaphorically been milked to a point of the well running dry - or that complacency has set in. The result is that their consumption numbers are a shadow of their highest peaks.

The new Mandrake and Grok is poised to possibly break even if they're lucky (NOTE: to break even, it's (budget + marketing) * 2 ... although it should be closer to 2.5 if we're being honest). Whereas low-budget upstarts like The Backrooms, Obsession, and Iron Lung have made back (at minimum) 10 times their money back. 

It's heartening to see brand new worlds being embraced by audiences while they show a palpable apathy towards established franchises. To add to this, these new films are being sourced from YouTube talents, much to the chagrin of the old guard of Hollywood. I, personally, welcome this. I have watched many movies over many decades and I have had zero desires to see anything from Hollywood in a very long time. Perhaps aspiring YouTube filmmakers are the catalyst for a new era of Hollywood, where demographics and focus groups give way to people who simply want to tell a compelling story.

I feel like it's obvious that the audience for modern filmmaking is dying. They're far too focused on agendas, representation, PG ratings and PC sensibilities that they've lost sight of what cinema is all about. We do not need to be preached to. We need to be told a story that doesn't play it safe; nor spoonfeed their plot points many times (AKA the Netflix formula)  just because we're living through the ADD generation. If the film respects the viewer, those who actually wish to be entertained will respond positively. 

And so they have. I would never have thought that YouTube would be the savior of (Western) Cinema but they do look like they're poised to do just that. Now, all we need is, perish the thought, for Steezy Grossman to make his Hollywood debut as the next Jackass. I kid, I kid; he is such a talentless hack. If he makes it in Hollywood, then he is the four horsemen and end times are nigh.

Harrison Ford has lived too long

For any original Star Wars fan, they will be undoubtedly aware of Carrie Fisher's (nee Princess Leia) passing. Unfortunately this was not enough to thwart the release of The Force Awakens but, at least, we won't be having her cameo in any future films, will we? 

Computer graphics have yet to surpass the Uncanny Valley

I stand corrected. Unfortunately I can categorically declare that Harrison has lived too long. We have been subjected to a rehash of his role in Indiana Jones (the horror), The Force Awakens (such pretty horror) and apparently we will soon be subjected to a disappointing rendition of an aging blade-runner attempting to interact coherently alongside the talented Ryan Gosling's antics. One would expect Gosling to play out the role as an emotionless rendition of a blade-runner from Brooklyn. 

Trey Parker is a goddamn soothsayer by this point. It's not that I don't want to have Harrison Ford acting - I just don't want him raping the good will of the films that had made him successful in the first place. Apparently I am in the minority on this as I haven't yet noted the expected droves of people shrieking in horror at the announcement / release of these films. Even if I have the tiniest of inclinations to see these abortive cash-ins, I cannot rightly support this. We are all dumber for wanting to watch or, dare I say it, enjoy them. I watched The Force Awakens (for free) recently and even with a steady stream of Rum flowing through my veins I was unable to extract any enjoyment from the experience. The film was a hollow facsimile of A New Hope with a story which held no gravitas or emotional weight. At this point I liken Star Wars to the abusive husband who promises not to hit you but still does.