Let's get right to it. This year for Christmas I want…
For the theaters to come through the pandemic with as little damage as possible, and for the normal practice of theatrical moviegoing to resume as soon as it's safe. Small indie theaters in particular need all the support we can get. As much as I'm enjoying the pivot to streaming, the sudden loss of such a massive revenue source for the entertainment industry has been a real eye-opener. We're not going to be able to gage the full effect of this for a while, but the longer the shutdowns go on, the worse it's going to be for everyone. But...
For a Netflix film to win Best Picture already, because this is the most fitting year for it to happen, and it really does need to happen to reflect the economic reality of how the entertainment industry works now. Heck, I'm half convinced that Netflix's spending on their campaigns are propping up the whole awards season at this point anyway. I know Hollywood is all about showing solidarity with the theaters this year, but mucking around with eligibility dates and delaying the ceremony really strikes me as bad sportsmanship.
For "Venture Bros." and "GLOW" to get some form of an ending, be it specials, movies, or farewell miniseries. Of all the COVID cancellations, these are the two that really hit me where it hurts. They both seemed to be on the verge of ending on their own terms, only to be cut short by bad luck and bad circumstances. "Venture Bros." in particular has weathered so many ups and downs over the years, I hate to see it go out like this, so close to the finish line. I need more Dr. Henry Killinger, dammit!
For all the new streaming services to find their groove. We're still in early days, and there's a lot of instability - see the Paramount+ rebranding efforts in the works - but I'm hopeful that most of the bigger streamers will survive in some form so that we have a real a la carte system to replace pay cable. This means HBO Max needs to fix their carriage issues, AppleTV+ and Disney+ had better sort out their content deficiencies, and everybody needs to stop playing musical chairs with a few big blockbuster franchises. Seriously, what are the Harry Potter movies doing on Peacock? Right now, whoever can put together a reliable programming guide/content finder site is probably going to be the biggest winner of the streaming age. And related to that...
For more classic films on streaming. It's long been a complaint of the classic film fans that older titles are so scarce on the major streaming sites. The HBO Max and Criterion Channel selections are certainly nice, and Tubi has come through a few times for me, but there are still so many, many titles that seem to be stuck in perpetual digital limbo. To be fair, a lot of the old obscurities have been coming out of the woodwork and enjoying more of the spotlight thanks to increased online presence, but I think there's still a long way to go. And while we're on the subject…
For more content licensing and less exclusivity. The big selling point of many of the streaming services is that they offer exclusive access to certain content, like the "Peanuts" specials on Apple TV+ or the Ghibli films on HBO Max. This often means that the content disappears from other platforms, like "A Charlie Brown Christmas" leaving broadcast television. And this sucks, obviously. Frankly, the "Disney vault" model has always been awful, and easier access usually turns out to be better for everyone in the long run. In fact, kudos to Disney for the rerelease of so many of their library titles last year to help out theaters.
For the new "Dune" to be good, and to make enough money that they can get a sequel greenlit with this cast. I'm dying to see who they'd cast as Feyd Rautha in 2021.
And finally, for all the new films and television shows coming out next year to exceed my expectations, and for those that didn't to improve. Yes, even the Snyder cut.
Happy holidays!
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