Well, this has been a disappointing couple of months, to say the least. Nearly all sectors of the entertainment industry have been going through interesting times, some more interesting than others. As we slowly, slowly try to get back to normal, I'm trying to approach things with greater patience. And this year for Christmas I want…
For the theaters to recover as much as they can, especially the independent venues. I live in an area that used to have a fairly healthy indie and arthouse theater community. Now, nearly every single arthouse theater is gone, and I have to drive at least an hour to the nearest theater that screens any indie films at all. Online screening options have mostly picked up the slack over the last year, but once the pandemic is over, I'm very concerned that the smaller theaters will be gone for good. And I know this is my fault as much as anyone's because I still haven't been in a physical theater since February of 2020.
For the studios to recover as much as they can. Paramount has pushed back several release dates again, because they can't afford to have their major films bomb, even though I suspect they're only delaying the inevitable. Tom Cruise's expiration date as a leading man looms large. Universal and Disney seem to be doing okay with reduced expectations, but Warners' day and date experiment has delivered mixed results at best. I'm very worried that several of their better films from this last year didn't make enough revenue to justify already planned sequels. It looks like the 45 day window is here to stay, but the situation is still changing so fast from month to month. Here's to finding a happy medium that everyone can live with.
For the streamers to continue to improve in all areas. Prime needs to do something about their interface, because navigating it is getting ridiculous. I only still have Apple because I'm not being billed for it for another six months. HBO Max has very good things to offer, but their pricing makes a long term commitment unlikely. Netflix and Disney's decisions drive me up the wall sometimes, but I feel like I'm getting my money's worth most of the time. I feel like I'm waiting for Paramount+ and Peacock to be merged into bigger players. However, the bundling trend worries me. Speaking of Netflix…
For Netflix to try a little harder when it comes to their offerings. This might be a cyclical thing, or maybe I've just been having bad luck lately, but I've been striking out an awful lot with Netflix programming this year. It feels like a fluke whenever they do manage to create something great. Next year they have "Stranger Things 4" and "The Sandman" coming up, along with the return of a couple of continuing series I have some investment in, but I might start putting Netflix into my intermittent subscription rotation with Paramount+ and HBO Max if things don't improve.
For social media to step up their self-regulation. We've seen some gains this year as services like Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit have combated COVID misinformation, but they could be doing much more on a variety of topics. Over on Youtube, there's still too much automation and not enough curation when it comes to kids' content, and the copyright strike system remains a terror. I think the past year has made it clear that self-regulation is impossible, and it's high time for the FCC or another governmental body to get involved.
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.
Happy holidays!
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