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< Back How Do We Measure Box Office Success Considering the Value of a Movie Chris Chaisson 12/18/21 Reading Time: 5 minutes 📸: Photo from Pixabay In recent years, pandemic notwithstanding, the box office has seen record numbers from blockbusters. Despite the prevalence of pirating, many of the highest grossing movies in film history have been fairly modern. The year 2019 set a record for global box office earnings with $42.3 billion. Though this number clearly dipped in 2020, the film industry had seen increased profits despite a plethora of other increasingly popular options for entertainment. Many factors contributed to these unprecedented turnouts. For one, the advancements in visual effects and sound quality make the movie-going experience more appealing, specifically for the biggest action movie franchises ( The Fast and the Furious , Transformers , Marvel , etc.). Additionally, the largest movie theater chains have opened new branches over the years and scaled up their venues to attract customers. Not only are the marquees and glass windows bigger and fancier, but the concessions have become more diversified. Some theaters have even carved out space for restaurants near the entrance and acquired liquor licenses to entice those of age. All these tidbits lead to the biggest contributor to increased box office numbers: movie tickets cost more now . A trip to the movies used to be a fun activity for a group of teenage friends or a young couple that didn’t have money to make more expensive plans. Enthusiastic cinephiles would hang out at the movies all day, maybe taking in two or three flicks and just hanging out with their buddies. What the box office represented culturally has since changed. Now, between the tickets and the concessions, going to see The Avengers cost about as much as going to see the Yankees. The year I was born, 1989, the average price of a movie ticket was $3.99**. While my hands weren’t big enough to hold four dollars at the time, that price provides evidence of a time when attending the movies was a less grandiose experience. Today, the average movie ticket price is $9.16**, and the most popular theater chains are all charging much more. Likewise, many venues have increased the number of private screenings and Q&As in recent years, which are primarily attended by members of the industry or patrons who spend the most money there. Research shows that 11% of the U.S./Canada population accounts for nearly half of all tickets sold, and frequent moviegoers tend to have more key technology products. Both findings reflect a possible class distinction on who attends the movie theater most frequently. As the future of cinema holds more rewards programs, QR codes and email confirmations, movie theaters likely won’t return to the minimally staffed, dollar-matinee feel that they had in the past. Many of them have simply embraced more upscale branding efforts. Whether good or bad, the modern and lavish atmosphere of the Cineplex makes box office sales difficult to compare to the era of more simplistic, communal venues. Returning to the discussion of the highest grossing movies, can we judge a movie’s popularity solely by what it grosses now? Once we account for the change in the cinematic experience as well as ramped up marketing efforts through T-shirts and theme park rides, Orson Welles seems to have been at a competitive disadvantage. What if we judged movies less by the dollar amount and instead checked the ticket stubs? How many tickets were actually sold for any specific motion picture? This re-examination of a movie’s earnings could highlight films that achieved extreme popularity when cost of living was low and other films that simply benefited more from inflation. Though not a perfect equation, I would suggest taking the dollar amount a movie grossed and divide it by the average ticket price of that year. Click the charts below to see what the Highest Grossing Movies vs. Movies with the Most Ticket Sales looks like. Chart by Gross Sales .pdf Download PDF • 133KB Chart by Tickets Sold .pdf Download PDF • 132KB There are very few surprises in these two tables as a whole. The most popular movies are the highest budgeted and most well-marketed, regardless of what measure you use. Nonetheless, contrasting dollar amounts against the number of tickets sold illustrates that some of the most popular movies would be even higher on our list if they had premiered after the industry-wide renovation of modern cinema. For instance, despite an exorbitant dollar amount for American Sniper , the film benefited significantly from an increase in ticket prices. Conversely, the original Star Wars was incredibly popular but premiered at a time when movie tickets were less than $3. Had Titanic been released after theaters introduced their expanded menus and 4K screens, it may have set attendance records never to be broken. Cultural shifts never stop happening, so the future remains to be seen. Maybe movie theaters will scale back down as everyone retreats to their HBO Max accounts. Or maybe they’ll continue their upward trajectory and offer lobster dinners with Courvoisier to wash it down. Either way, it’s always worthwhile to think critically about the record-breaking statistics being thrown in your face. But right now, time for a matinee. 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You Know Where to Find Me shows how far we’ve come in how we view difference < Back You Know Where to Find Me shows how far we’ve come in how we view difference Junk Drawer, 2023 20 minutes Director/Writer: Sam A. Davis Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Sam A. Davis You Know Where to Find Me Playtime (R0KD8JFHXVVCYSM2) 00:00 / 03:51 Chamomile Family dramas Jasmine Movies/shows with heart, positive vibes, warm message Reba Chaisson 2024-01-16 “A mattress. There’s nothing like moving a mattress.” When I was in high school, children with learning or mild intellectual disabilities either attended classes on the school’s third floor or they went to specialized schools that were designed to meet their specific challenges. Early in the 1980s though, mainstreaming, the initiative to move students with such disabilities out of segregated learning areas into regular settings, came along. In addition to reducing the stigma often associated with students with disabilities, the goal of mainstreaming was to socialize them into the everyday culture of kids their age, enjoy school events, and just hang out like high school kids do. What we’ve come to recognize over the last 40 years is that people with learning and mild intellectual disabilities are capable of understanding and doing significantly more than they were given credit for prior to mainstreaming. Back then, for example, the establishment operated under the assumption that many of these individuals did not have the temperament to live with their families or the capacity to even hold down a job. I love this 20-minute short about a kid with a job and moving out of his mother’s home because it pointedly contradicts these assumptions. Frankie is a 23-year-old with a mild intellectual disability, and he is moving into his own place for the first time in his life. Excited about his new place, even if it is just across the way from his mom’s house, Frankie, played by acting neophyte Grayson Deeney, makes an adjustment to a piece of furniture and says with satisfaction, “I been planning this my whole life.” When his housewarming party does not quite turn out as planned, we learn something about his perseverance as he later tells his mom, “Don’t keep looking out the window at me. Love you.” Seemingly alone, Frankie’s mother, played by Noa Graham ( Elegy for a Glacier , The Secret Diet of an Exchange Student ), is soft-spoken and patient as she coaches her son on the appropriate greeting to leave on his answering machine. It takes several (okay, more than several) tries, but ultimately, she leaves him the space to craft a message that is right for him. It is one of the most touching scenes I’ve ever seen. One of the things I find interesting about films centering children with disabilities is that they often show mothers as the sole caretakers of children with disabilities. Unfortunately, You Know Where to Find Me is no different. Perhaps the percentages bear this out, but it would be nice to see fathers depicted as caregivers of their children as well. I wonder how Frankie’s adjustment to his new apartment and experience living alone would differ if someone he identified much more closely with (a father or another male figure) was depicted as being a part of his life. A girl, for example, attends his party. While we get the sense that he likes her, he is clearly inexperienced on how to engage her. Could the influence of a father or father figure have boosted his comfort level in this regard? Can Frankie’s quality of life be even better with the appropriate support? Watching Sam A. Davis’s beautiful short makes me wonder how, for so many years, we could have disregarded people because they present themselves to the world a little differently than most. I like this film because it shows that presenting oneself differently doesn’t mean we’re wrong for the world. It just means we’re different. Available on Film Shortage Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Wicca Book provides a new installment of witchcraft-themed horror < Back Wicca Book provides a new installment of witchcraft-themed horror Darkstream Entertainment, 2020 22 minutes Director/Writer: Vahagn Karapetyan Reading Time: 4 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Vahagn Karapetyan Wicca Book Feast (ZR35JQQ8BEPSKBE7) 00:00 / 04:08 Ginseng Suspenseful and intense thrillers Coca Movies and TV shows about drugs or with disorienting presentations Chris Chaisson 2023-11-29 Horror movies can choose any number of ways to scare their audience. Generally, though, their main characters have some sense of companionship, even as their lives are on the line. If there is a mystery to figure out or a killer to take down, they can still rely on one another for information, protection, or even a diversion. Some movies, however, go the route of isolating their protagonist, forcing them to not only piece together information themselves but also to stand and fight alone. For example, Hush is a home invasion movie that takes place in the woods, following a deaf and mute woman trying to survive a masked killer on her own. But what if the source of evil is more paranormal? Such is the case in the witchcraft-themed short film, Wicca Book . Adapted from the concept of a series of books on black magic, Vahagn Karapetyan’s short Wicca Book revolves around a book of drawings that unleashes a demonic presence and turns its possessor into a witch. Mia (Kika Zachariadou), a young cave diver, comes across the buried book while exploring a cave. After a brush with death in her own home, she unloads the book onto a stranger, only to discover from messages in the book that sacrificing others will make her evil as well. She must retrieve the book and dispose of it for good, but can she do so without coming face-to-face with the evil spirit again? Though it is a little unclear exactly why the book forewarns Mia of what is to happen, the cautionary writings give Mia what every protagonist needs: choices that reveal their character. She initially feels fear of the unknown and seeks to unload the book, but with the knowledge of what will result, she retrieves it and takes it upon herself to take down the demonic presence. Just the same, the book tells her when to unload or retrieve it. She is repeatedly under pressure in terms of when to make a decision, which raises the stakes even higher. The climax puts her directly in a fight-or-flight situation with no one to rely on but herself. Wicca Book creates its unsettling, paranormal atmosphere through clever cinematography from its director of photography, Nikos Kaltsas. It is mostly composed of very tight shots, following whoever possesses the book very closely as they investigate the noises surrounding them, using pans and tilts to follow the characters’ gazes. Most scenes are dark except for the red and white lights silhouetting the demonic presence. The characters, for the entirety of the short, are centered in the shot, which gives the feeling of them being alone with nowhere to escape to. The shot composition is aided by the sound mixing, which puts the viewer on edge from beginning to end. Every subtle movement, such as throwing back bed sheets, opening a door or sliding the curtain to the side, has its sound amplified. In other projects, these sounds may be minute if accounted for at all, but since there is no dialogue and very minimal human interaction, the decision to magnify these sounds heightens the scare factor. Occasionally, there are the muffled sounds of a crying baby or similar noises that simply make the viewer feel as though something is wrong. Last but not least, the music complements these amplified sounds well, as there are several ominous strings, drums, and deep horns that are perfectly timed with the reveals. Wicca Book bares slight similarities to the 2009 film The House of the Devil . In the film, a babysitter shows up to a remote location and becomes the target of a witch and cult surrounding her. While the late 2000s film does not necessarily center an object like a book of black magic in its plot as Wicca Book does, both projects effectively isolate their characters and force them to save themselves. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Dani Abraham A Conversation with Murder, Anyone? Producer Dani Abraham Cup of Tea Critiques has a chat with Murder, Anyone? producer Dani Abraham Chris Chaisson 2023-06-13 Reading time: 14 minutes Producers frequently have to wear multiple hats and perform numerous tasks. The versatility required makes the role hard to define from project to project. Additionally, many producers are strictly asked what it is like to work with star actors and directors rather than the actual responsibilities of their jobs. To get a better idea of what a producer actually does, Cup of Tea Critiques had a conversation with the producer of indie comedy Murder, Anyone? Dani Abraham. She shared with us her specific tasks in the fast-paced production, how working in film differs from working in branded short-form content, and what skills and personality traits have enhanced her producing abilities. Dani began our conversation by contextualizing the director's motivation for Murder, Anyone? and why she considers it to be her first "true" experience producing a feature-length film. [ Murder, Anyone? ] was my first feature where I was involved in the whole movie. I did a feature in 2021 called Tales from the Other Side , and it was a feature anthology. There were a bunch of different segments that made up one feature film, and I did one of those segments. In a sense, that was my first feature. But this one was my first real cohesive story feature. The director of [ Murder, Anyone? ] made it and dedicated it to his dad. His dad passed away a few years ago, and his dad wrote this movie as a play originally. It ran in L.A. for a little bit, and [director James Cullen Bressack] wanted to bring his dad's work to life, kind of immortalize it and put his own little footprint on it as well. So this was really a passion project for James. That in and of itself was already a different experience than something I was expecting. Because ultimately, it was just making this movie so that the director was happy. We weren't making anything for a studio or a distributor. It wasn't for anyone else. I think that's what made it so special. It was really scrappy, as a low budget movie. A lot of people pulling strings in a million ways to make things work. I think that made it different than anything I've ever worked on. I come from a world of branded content, like commercials; that's the stuff I do. There's 3,000 people who are putting all of their expectations on your shoulders; but also, they all have different expectations. This one wasn't that. Everyone knew what they were doing. I think that's what made it so fun, and so magical. The final product was something that everyone was so happy with, because we all knew that's what we were trying to achieve. I hope I get that kind of experience again. Dani gave her insight into the pressures of working on a shoot with a small team (roughly 30 people) with tight timeframes for shooting, as well as how producer responsibilities were divided up. According to Timehop [a smartphone application that collects old photos and distributes the past], we started shooting the same week exactly a year before it came out. We shot for 6 days, which is really short for an 80-minute feature film. Everyone did what they needed to do to make an 80-minute movie in six days with special effects, visual effects, improv and everything else, which made it a very fun 6 days. We're actually doing another one of those this summer and I'm scared, but I feel like if this taught me anything, it's that if enough people who are stoked about something come together, we can make it happen. You just have to work really hard and also be ready for compromise. There were a couple of producers on the project. I was a co-producer. Jarrett Furst was our main producer. He's the guy who was striking all the deals with all of the actors. He's the reason why we got Academy Award nominated actress Sally Kirkland in the movie. She is a riot, she's so fun. She's got so many stories. Jarrett took care of all of that stuff: finding all of the crew, finding people who were willing to work on such a tight budget. Jared is a wizard. What I was doing was managing the logistics of the day. That was everything from figuring out call times for our actors, making sure that they had enough time between makeup and their scene so that no one felt rushed. Basically, my job was to make sure that there were no wasted minutes, which was hard because again, it was a 6-day shoot. You don't know how things are going to shake out. So that was part of my day-to-day, the little things. Making sure everyone is fed and happy. I went to Costco on a Saturday for this thing; I hate Costco. But I made sure we had enough craft services [catered food], so it was a great experience. Dani shared an anecdote exemplifying the producer’s experience. I always joked even back in school that a producer's job is just everything that you didn't have the budget to pay someone else to do. That never felt more real than in this moment, because sometimes you just need this thing done. If there's no one to ask, then it falls on you. For instance, we needed color contact lenses for a scene. And for whatever reason, we just didn't have them. The only place on this day that we could find them was in downtown L.A., and we were shooting [about 40 miles away] in Simi Valley. We don't have runners because we're that small of a crew, so one of my producers gets in a car to drive from Simi Valley to downtown LA to get a pair of contact lenses from one of those little stores in the fashion district, and then drive all the way back. Being a producer is a thankless job in that when things are going well, no one notices, which is a great thing. You don't want people to be noticing when things are happening like that. That was such a learning experience for me too. I come from a digital world. I come from branded entertainment, where I was making stuff for clients like Nike or Sony Entertainment, which was huge, because that was in the movie industry. But it wasn't making a movie, and this was a complete pivot in so many ways. I love branded content, I think it's really cool and unique and special when it's done right and done well. But there's nothing like making a passion project and working with people who care so deeply about a story. Being involved at all was really cool. Being well-rounded in hobbies and character traits allows creatives to take skills from one discipline and apply it to another. Dani dished on what aids her most in producing. Producing is problem solving. And there are problems that come up in your day-to-day life. Every single day. How you deal with those problems are very much derivative of who you are as a person, what your personality is, and how you can handle bigger problems with bigger stakes, like when money is attached to it. I think what's funny is becoming a producer has made me a more patient person in life. Things that would have made me upset or irritated or given me a more emotional reaction have actually made me take a step back and say, “Look at the larger picture. Does this matter in the grand scheme of things?” If the answer is yes, then we deal with it. If it's not a big deal, you can figure it out later, and that's kind of what producing is. It’s problem solving in the moment and being okay when things have to be compromised or when something is ultimately not the biggest deal. We make Tik Toks and social media all the time, right? And you always have to have that foresight of, “What kind of response are you going to get on the internet?” You always have to think two steps ahead of everything. So maybe that's made me a better producer; just learning to think ahead and be two steps ahead. Managing personalities can be tough in any leadership role, especially for amicable people who have to deliver disappointing news. Dani shared her experience with making a difficult decision. I am a nice person. I don't like to make people cry. I will never probably make anybody cry. I’m a people pleaser; I try to make it all make sense for everyone. Sometimes that's not right for the project. Something I'm battling with right now is letting someone know that we went in a different direction. I never want to be that person who ghosts someone on a job. Ultimately, we picked someone else for that job, and the other person is also a friend. Sometimes you have to put friendships aside, and it is what it is. It's nothing to do with their work at all. It has everything to do with the person that we're going to go with; [they’ve] worked with our director before. They're both really talented; just one of them has a rapport already. While writers and directors can dream big, producers frequently have to be the voice of reason. Their job occasionally consists of vetoing certain requests that do not fit within the budget or time constraints, but Dani says that a good producer should first aim to compromise. I typically don't say no; I just say, “Okay, well, how can we make it work?” And then we figure it out. Then you find people who are passionate and excited. I owe a lot of favors, but also a lot of people owe me favors. So sometimes this is a very interesting industry. It's a very favor-based industry. As long as you're a good person to work with and want people to work with you again, you usually can make stuff happen. The project I'm doing this summer is a micro-budget feature. It's a $7,000 budget. It's very small to make a feature film. And I still said yes, and we're still going to make it happen somehow. In spite of her inclination, Dani did have to pass on a particular project. I got offered my first feature script during COVID. And it was an even smaller budget than what I have right now. And they said, “You can do it for $2,500.” And I said, “Let me read the script. And if the script is good, I'll do it. 2500 bucks; it was COVID, we weren't working, and it would have been me and two other people. So it would have been totally COVID safe. No one would have invested anything but our time and during COVID, we had all the time. So I said, “Sure, let me read the script.” And I was so insulted by the script. It was offensive. There were [derogatory terms] in it. On top of that, it kind of insulted my intelligence because there were just typos everywhere. I said, “You know, I think the next one will be it, but not this one.” The guy who gave me the script said, “Well, I will find someone to do it.” That was his response, his little Hail Mary to see if I would still do it. And I said, “Godspeed.” And he did; he found someone to do it… So someone else did it and good for them. And I hope that the movie turned out well.” On occasion, personalities and egos can clash on a film set. Dani revealed her approach to conflict resolution. One of the things that happens a lot on low budget stuff is that there's a lot of cooks in the kitchen. Everyone has equal footing in the game. We're not making money, but this is great for all of us. There’s a lot of fighting in that situation. I've never had to say, “Stop yelling” or “You're embarrassing yourself and everyone around you.” But I've definitely said, “Let's take a step back for a second and think about what's important. if you are that passionate about whatever you're yelling about, are you willing to compromise?” Mediating is hard, because people get feral in those moments. They don't think about anything else. They are just looking at this thing and won't let go, and sometimes you just have to let it play out. But I've worked with good people. Producers often take the versatility gained from their role and apply it to other positions. Dani shared what other jobs she would like to fulfill on a film set. I always wanted to go into development, do more film development, story and creative [roles]. I dabbled in directing for a while. I'm co-directing this [movie] that's coming up this summer. Because I just want to get a taste of it again, see if that is something I want to keep doing. You know, again, this is a story that I'm really into. And it's a little personal for me too. But those are kind of my goals; directing and producing is where I want to stay, writing is something I dabble in. I really wish I had the patience for editing because I do think that's such a cool position because ultimately, you are the one deciding what everyone sees. But I love producing. I like putting things together. I've always liked puzzles. That’s all this is, big puzzle-making. Problem solving as a hobby equals problem solving skills in real life. And then problem solving skills in real life make you a better producer. That’s all it is. It's problem solving, making deals and figuring [things] out on the fly. And then being able to think multiple thoughts at once. Are there more projects like Murder, Anyone? in Dani’s future or will she pivot to another genre? I keep on doing a lot of horror stuff, because a lot of that stuff gets made. It's easy to make, it's cheap to make, and it's being made all the time. My whole goal has always been to make kids and family content. I still do that stuff. That's what I was doing with my branded content before; I was working with a company making science videos for kids, and I loved doing that. I do want to keep doing that. To keep up with Dani’s future projects, you can follow her at https://www.daniabe.com/ Murder, Anyone? is available to rent or buy on Amazon . Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back How Do You Like Your Cinema? What You Said about What You Watch Reba Chaisson 11/16/23 Reading Time: 15 minutes 📸: Licensed from Shutterstock When I conducted interviews with studio executives from HBO and October Films 25 years ago, one of the things they shared with me was that they received tons of scripts and videotapes from aspiring filmmakers, so much that it was impossible to review all the submissions. They suggested then that there is more cinema content available than places to display them. Less than ten years later, television and video technology exploded with the advent of DVDs, streaming channels, and movie websites. Today, we also have smart TVs, smartphones with advanced video functionality, and television on demand. The days of true appointment TV watching (having to be available when our favorite show airs) have long gone by the wayside. Undoubtedly, this new technology has spoiled us. We can pretty much see any show we want, any day or time that is convenient for us, and even any time zone we are in. No longer do we have to suffer through periods where there seems to be nothing on television we like. There’s plenty in terms of quantity and variety – and we can watch it any time we want! Well, maybe. While some of our favorite streaming series drop all the season’s episodes at once (potentially enabling what researchers call “ binge watching ”), others are released to us on a weekly basis throughout the season. We conducted a survey to learn how people like their streaming shows served to them. What we found was consistent with Statista’s finding that the younger we are, the stronger our sentiments on the subject. We asked more than 400 adults to tell us how they like to watch their favorite television series. A quarter of them told us first that they like “Traditional” appointment TV shows. Such shows are typically episodic, consisting of 12–16-week seasons with one new episode per week. Think shows like Chicago P.D. , F.B.I. , Found , etcetera. Prior to Smart TVs and satellite technology like DirecTV and Dish, you had to record the show on your VCR/DVD or be in front of your television when the show aired. Chart 1 - Respondents' Television Preferences Sixteen percent of survey respondents indicated they prefer “Limited series” - short focused serials consisting of 3-10 episodes. Think Game of Thrones , Breaking Bad , and Special Ops: Lioness . Although Limited series (or miniseries) sometimes evolve into multiple seasons, they are initially intended as a single story extended across several episodes. Not surprisingly, more than half (57%), though, told us that they like a mix of both Traditional and Limited series. This is not surprising given the new technologies ushered in over the last 20 years that allow for easy recording of our favorite Traditional shows on the major networks (free TV) and streaming platforms that make them available to us the way a library does books. Pick what you want to see and pull it off the shelf (hit play) when you’re ready. While it sounds blissfully convenient, it still falls short of the utopia many of us want to achieve. Limited Series TV Utopia For those who indulge in Limited series, we asked how they like to receive their content. More than 70% of these respondents indicated they wanted all the episodes available to them at once. This result is not surprising given the technology available that allows for controlling not only what and how much we watch, but when. The respondents seem to suggest that since the controls are already in our hands, why unnecessarily suppress our appetites for a series we are enjoying. Releasing all the shows at once allows for the cinematic experience we prefer. Chart 2 – Limited Series Appetite Much of the remainder of the group (27%) indicated that one episode per week worked for them. This is especially interesting because it suggests that a fair number of people who like focused series are patient enough to let the story play out over time. This could also be tied to occupation or personal responsibilities that make them unavailable for series viewing more than a few hours a week. While they are living their cinematic utopia, the majority, however, are not. We wondered if there were some concerns about serving up all of a season’s episodes at once. The Virtues and Risks of Limited Series TV Utopia Television researchers correlate the availability of all a season’s episodes to us as lending itself to binge-watching, which they define as “viewing suspenseful dramatic, narrative content for a considerable amount of time: often more than three or four hours.” While binging has a negative connotation, it isn’t presented in the research as a one-dimensional concept. In fact, researchers distinguish between “ problematic ” and “ non-harmful ” binge-watching. Problematic binge-watching is the use of television content to distract from everyday worries and feelings of loneliness. These, according to researchers, can lead to complacency and a reticence to persevere at important tasks – something my mother often referred to as malaise. In short, it has the potential to make us lazy and apathetic. Non-harmful binge-watching, on the other hand, is the gratification we receive from becoming immersed in the story and characters on-screen, as well as “critical thinking and social conversations” we develop as a result of the television-viewing experience. Psychology Today also reports on a study that found that not all TV-watching is bad. They write, “Some TV shows are complex and will keep you mentally stimulated. If you have fun or revealing conversations with your friends and family about TV shows, that’s a big plus: Social connection is as good for you as exercise.” Even this, though, should not be in lieu of activities like reading, exercising, and stretching the brain with crossword or jigsaw puzzles. So, while reasonably, non-harmful binge-watching is preferred over problematic, the former can gradually morph into the latter if it becomes our only source of leisure, escape, or activity. Why Limited over Traditional series? For survey respondents who indicated they preferred Limited over Traditional series, we asked them why. What they told us can be grouped into five categories: succinctness of story, quality of show, enjoyment, completeness of story, and self-control issues. Several examples of each are listed in the chart below. Chart 3 – Appeal of Limited Series Respondents who prefer Limited series cite substantive elements of the presentation to support their preference for such shows. The series are shorter, which makes the stories tighter and leads to both presenting conflicts and resolving problems quickly. Importantly, they cite Limited series as having a resolution, which indicates the significance of this to their television viewing experience. Fewer than a handful indicate that they struggle with control issues, noting tendencies toward problematic binging and making conscious efforts to avoid doing so. Think of the recent Paramount+ series, Special Ops: Lioness , with Zoe Saldana, Nicole Kidman, and Michael Kelly. The eight-episode serial was quite complex, layering in several storylines of military action, politics, undercover complications, and the leader’s (Saldana’s character) family life challenges. The complete, suspenseful story with an all-star cast packed a powerful punch, and still left you wanting to see it again – and again and again. It takes a conscious effort to avoid this. Engaging in other social and physical outlets helps us manage this. Why Traditional series over Limited? We also asked those who preferred Traditional over Limited series about the appeal of such shows, which, to be fair, do not all fit the definition of focused content. Mixed with suspenseful narratives like Chicago P.D. , NCIS , and Fire Country are the ultra-popular reality and talent shows like The Bachelor , Survivor , The Voice , and America’s Got Talent . What respondents had to say about watching Traditional series can be categorized into six groups: breadth and length of series, enjoyment, time for investment in the show, anticipation/suspense, lifestyle, and familiarity. Several examples of each are noted in the chart below. Chart 4 – Appeal of Traditional Series Most interesting about the responses is the emphasis placed on the investment of time to immerse themselves in the story and characters of Traditional series. Limited series are too “short term” to develop these elements of a show, so getting one episode at a time is the perfect cadence for them, and in some cases, it suits their lifestyles quite well. Consider the series, Chicago P.D ., soon to be entering its 13 th season. Could Sergeant Voight’s tough but loyal persona be appreciated in an eight-episode Limited series? Probably not. Generally, fans of the show (of which I am one) come to love him because the series, over time, allows for getting to know his depth and breadth of character. Also, unlike a Limited series, the Traditional series are reliable. Viewers are confident they will “stick around for more seasons.” Interestingly, though, a fair number of respondents indicate that they watch Traditional series simply because they grew up on this type of television viewing. Some habits are hard to break – or we simply have no need or interest in tampering with something that works for us. Are Demographics a Factor in Television Preferences? Our data shows that a wide range of people (ages 30-60) enjoy viewing Traditional series, while those younger and 45-60 prefer Limited series. That is, while 64% of Traditional series viewers consist of people ages 30-60, just under a third of Limited series viewers are 18-29 years of age and more than 1/3 rd are 45-60. By far, Traditional series is least preferred by 18-29 year-olds, where they comprise only 20% of Traditional series viewers. Chart 5 – Preference for Limited and Traditional Series by Age Group Data from Pew Research shows that few 18-29 year-olds are married with children. They are also either in college or in the nascent stages of their careers/occupations. It is not surprising, then, that 80% of our respondents reported earning less than $100,000 a year. At this age, some are in college, many are still supported by their parents, and most have few obligations, all situations that allow them to have some disposable income. This life stage, then, affords young people relative luxuries like streaming channels such as Netflix, Hulu, MAX, Showtime, Paramount+, and others, where Limited series are found in abundance. On these channels, the volume and breadth of content are wide and stream around the clock. So, for young people with energy, streaming channels are Limited series utopia on Earth. Other than those over 60, Limited series are least preferred by 30-44 year-olds, where they make up only a quarter of respondents who indicated they indulge in them. Many people in this age group are starting families and simultaneously gaining some traction in their careers/occupations. Although 40% of this group reported making $100,000 or more per year, research indicates they are careful about their spending and focused on shoring up the family’s savings for emergencies and college funds as opposed to paying for premium channels, where Limited series are typically available. Statista recently conducted a survey and found that the most popular streaming channels were, in order, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Hulu. Disney+ is likely one of the few premium channels 30-44 year-olds subscribe to because of its abundance of children’s programs. Amazon Prime is likely another because of its shopping benefits like free delivery. Few Limited series are available on Amazon Prime, however ( Jack Ryan is one of few exceptions), as the channel primarily streams movies and reruns of Traditional series. Forty-five to 60-year-olds make up the largest segment of Limited series viewers at 35%. They are also the highest earners, where 2/3 rd of this group reported having annual incomes of $100,000 or more. They are also homeowners with families that include children who are in college or nearing high school graduation. Now settled into their careers and making a comfortable living, people in this age group can better afford multiple streaming channels. This includes periodically adjusting the household’s streaming channel configuration with the ages of their children – and to their own cinematic tastes. Finally, more than half the people who reported making less than $50,000 per year are over 60 years of age. This is a sad commentary that speaks to the struggles of our older adults, many of whom have spent four or more decades working to be comfortable in their retirement. Unfortunately, it also suggests that this group has little money to commit to streaming channels for indulging in Limited series that they just might enjoy. In our data, this group makes up just 8% of those who watch Limited series. To sum, yes, demographics do indeed play a role in our television viewing preferences. Access to advanced television technologies influences the type of content we watch. Our cinematic tastes vary by age. But the extent to which we can indulge these tastes is constrained by our ability to pay for it combined with our own financial priorities. Understanding this, we have to wonder if the content we watch is a matter of preference or a reflection of what we have learned to enjoy because it is all that has been available to us. How do we explain what we watch? When we consider demographics, it raises the question: How much of what we watch can be attributed to cinematic taste versus conditioning and family budget considerations? Money is typically a consideration in most decisions as the overwhelming majority of us don’t have it like that. But I can’t help but feel for the large segment of society that is unable to engage in the content choices across the many streaming platforms to even see if there’s something there that resonates with them. Perhaps streaming companies can consider demographic factors like age, income, and even disability in developing a sliding fee scale to enhance content accessibility. In any event, while we have come to accept constraints around content access as the norm, we also have to acknowledge that these constraints shape our choices around the content we watch. Responding to questions around attribution are rarely, if ever, simple. Appreciating the complexity of the one posed here, though, allows us to at least ponder the degree to which our content choices are due to cinematic taste or conditioning. It is beyond the scope of this paper to delve further into this. Suffice it to say that undoubtedly, a bit of both plays into our preferences. Summary Comedian, Chris Rock, performed a bit in his Bigger and Blacker show, about arriving home from work and hearing a litany of complaints from his wife about people she had encountered throughout her day – family, friends, co-workers, etc. Tired and wanting his dinner to re-energize, he shouted, “Can’t I just get my big piece of CHICKEN?!” Similarly, and according to the data, most people who prefer Limited series want all their episodes at once. For them, these shows are succinct and of high quality. They are also rich, with well-developed characters, and stories that are complete. Watching them exemplifies the non-harmful binge-watching described by researchers that relates the gratification we receive from becoming immersed in the story and characters, and critically thinking through and talking about the content afterwards. None of our respondents mentioned engaging in conversation with family, friends, or colleagues about the shows. But we can reasonably assume that they do, given that we all generally talk to others about things we enjoy. Why then delay their gratification by releasing one show per week to those who are ready for more? Not doing so reminds me a bit of the famed Pavlov dog experiment - there is a fear that these viewers will engage in problematic binge-watching. This is not an issue for those who prefer Traditional series. They enjoy the breadth and length of the shows, and the fact that they are available only once per week suits them fine. They like how the plots develop over time, and they get to know the characters over time. Seeing the shows once per week gives them something to look forward to. It even feels familiar to them as many of them grew up watching television this way. By contrast, you can even say that people who prefer Traditional series are relatively patient. Regarding Limited series specifically, perhaps wanting all episodes at once primes these viewers to be impatient. To want everything everywhere and all at once (yes, this was intended). But the existing research doesn’t point to this as problematic. Indeed, our data suggests that those who prefer Limited series show no signs of having an unhealthy appetite for such content. So, come on streaming channels! Can you just give these viewers their big piece of CHICKEN?! Survey Demographics References Ehrenfeld, Temma. (2021). Watching (Too Much) TV Is Bad for Adults, Too. Psychology Today , (2021, June 8) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/open-gently/202106/watching-too-much-tv-is-bad-adults-too Flayelle, Maeva, Elhai, Jon D., Maurage, Pierre, Vogele, Claus, & Brevers, Damien. Identifying the psychological processes delineating non-harmful from problematic binge-watching: A machine learning analytical approach. Telematics and Informatics , 74, Article 101880. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0736585322001137#:~:text=Non%2Dharmful%20binge%2Dwatching%20is,by%20negative%20reinforcement%20motives%2Fimpulsivity . Fry, Richard and Cohn, D’vera. (2011). The Households and demographics of 30- to 44-Year-olds. Pew Research Center , (2011, June 27). https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2011/06/27/iv-the-households-and-demographics-of-30-to-44-year-olds/ Pew Research Center. (2019). Millennial life: How young adulthood today compares with prior generation. Pew Research Center , (2019, February 14). https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/02/14/millennial-life-how-young-adulthood-today-compares-with-prior-generations-2/ Rubenking, Brigett and Bracken, Cheryl Campanella. (2021). Binge watching and serial viewing: Comparing new media viewing habits in 2015 and 2020. Addictive Behaviors Report , 14, Article 100356. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853221000195?via%3Dihub Rubenking, Brigett, Bracken, Cheryl Campanella, Sandoval, Jennifer, Rister, Alex. (2018). Defining new viewing behaviours: What makes and motivates TV binge-watching?, International Journal of Digital Television , 9(1), 69-85. https://doi.org/10.1386/jdtv.9.1.69_1 Stoll, Julia. (2021). Share of adults who prefer whole seasons of TV shows on streaming services to be released at the same time in the United States as of October 2019, by age group, Statista (2019, October). https://www.statista.com/statistics/687388/binge-watching-preference-usa/ Woo, Angela. (2018). The Forgotten Generation: Let's Talk About Generation X. Forbes , (2018, November 14). https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/11/14/the-forgotten-generation-lets-talk-about-generation-x/?sh=74d1762676d5 Zandt, Florian. (2023). The Most Popular Streaming Services in the U.S. Statista , (2023, July 20). https://www.statista.com/chart/25382/most-used-video-streaming-platforms/ Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Presumed Innocent zooms in on loyalty < Back Presumed Innocent zooms in on loyalty Apple Studios, 2024 45 minutes Creator: David E. Kelley Reading Time: 5 minutes 📷 : Apple Studios Presumed Innocent Echoes of Solitude (B0URCQ1U3NO0U3AS) 00:00 / 05:45 Ginseng Suspenseful and intense thrillers Sage Movies and TV shows with low-key characters Reba Chaisson 2024-08-04 You would agree that loyalty matters in a relationship, right? This is so with partnerships of all types, especially romantic ones. What would you do if this trust was broken? Sadly, some people react in ways that are counterproductive. For the most part though, people behave rationally — thinking, gaining some perspective on their situation before deciding their next move. You know the usual options, stay or leave. Apple TV’s Presumed Innocent is an 8-episode series largely about that question. Unlike the theatrical release in 1990 starring Harrison Ford, the story is presented in the most riveting way. Jake Gyllenhaal stars in the series as Rusty Sabich, a respected prosecutor who finds himself on the defense side of the table when he is accused of killing his colleague/mistress out of rage. Carolyn Pohemus, played by Renate Reinsve ( The Worst Person in the World , A Different Man ), is found bludgeoned and ritually bound in her apartment. All hell breaks loose when it is discovered that the pair had been involved in a long-term affair that even Rusty describes as his “obsession” with her. Based on Scott Turow’s 1987 novel of the same name, Presumed Innocent dramatically covers Rusty’s trial, giving it a dark suspense/thriller vibe fitting of Ginseng tea . The fallout from the discovery of Rusty’s relationship with Carolyn lands heavy on his colleagues and children much like a cup of Dandelion tea lands on the tongue. Not so much though on Barbara Sabich, Rusty’s spouse played by Ruth Negga ( Loving , Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. ). Barbara’s sedate demeanor and self-effacing presentation tempers the heavy, bitter feel of the show with a Sage-like calmness. Rusty and his predicament are front and center, yet we are drawn to the peripheral story that is Barbara’s personal and private space. Barbara is frequently presented alone, doing laundry, riding a stationary bike in her garage, and listening to Rusty as if she is obligated to do so because she is his partner. Film representations of betrayed spouses are typically depicted yelling and crying. Barbara, however, carries a quiet rage. She rarely speaks, so when she does, her kids, lawyers, and even Rusty listen like she is EF Hutton revealing something subtle yet profound. We only get a hint of her sentiments when she tells Rusty in very simple terms, “I know you. I know you couldn’t do this,” and then remains by his side during his trial. Some might say that considering the extent of Rusty’s betrayal, Barbara’s unusual loyalty makes little sense. Money is not an issue for her family, so she is likely to maintain a comfortable lifestyle if she leaves him. It reminds me a bit of the 1993 film, Indecent Proposal , with Robert Redford as John Gage and Demi Moore as newlywed Diana Murphy. John is so taken by Diana, who is on her honeymoon, that he offers her a million dollars to sleep with him for just one night. Young and broke, she and her husband David (Woody Harrelson) reluctantly but strongly consider the proposal. Like Presumed Innocent , Indecent Proposal begs us to consider what we would do if our circumstances were similar to either scenario. Diana’s situation is complicated by her financial constraints, not by a betrayal of trust. Barbara’s isn’t similarly complicated, yet she stays despite the relative ease of her decision compared to Diana’s in Indecent Proposal . Thus, Barbara’s appeal is her extraordinary loyalty. It gives us pause, piques our curiosity about her, and leads us to question where the red line exists for ourselves. During the story, Barbara meets Clifton, a tall, dark, and handsome bartender with a baritone voice like Barry White’s. She likes him as evidenced by her frequent midday returns to the empty upscale bar, and Clifton, played by Sarunas J. Jackson ( Insecure , Good Trouble ), enjoys her company as well. Interestingly, Clifton serves as our eyes and ears into Barbara’s sentiments on her predicament. He is, effectively, our proxy friend. As she sits alone in her thoughts, Clifton recognizes her from news reports and gently asks about her feelings on the situation. She has no clear answers. He is empathetic, which further enhances his appeal. These interactions tell us, though, that Barbara is reeling. She needs a friend who appreciates her circumstances and has no connection to her troubles. Through Clifton, we gain deep empathy for Barbara and come to appreciate why she seems aloof, detached, and lost. On its face, Presumed Innocent is like the 2023 miniseries, Anatomy of a Scandal , with Rupert Friend starring as James Whitehouse, a wealthy politician accused of raping his former mistress. Sienna Miller plays his partner, Sophie, who, like Barbara, is also loyal and even attends James’s trial. Eventually for Sophie, however, the thousand cuts revealed at trial become too much and leads to clarity of her red line. This line seems to be elusive for Barbara. I love works that lead us to question ourselves and dig deep to gain a deeper understanding of who we are. Whether it is betrayal or some other trigger, we have ideas on what we would do. But what do we do when the situation is no longer hypothetical, when we’re actually starring in a drama of our own predicament? 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< Back Winnie the Pooh and the Public Domain How a New Horror Movie is Shedding Light on an Old Concept Chris Chaisson 3/7/23 Reading Time: 7 minutes 📸: Photo from Pixabay I had the pleasure of watching the recent micro-budget horror movie Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey . The movie has been greeted to rave reviews, being called the quintessential slasher, paying homage to the classics that built the genre. Okay, the last sentence is dripping with sarcasm. This film is receiving exactly zero accolades. Nonetheless, when I stumbled across an article about it in January, I could not contain my laughter for the rest of the day. To its credit, the film was made for under $100,000 and grossed over $1.5 million in the first week of its release. Winnie the Pooh and Piglet as ruthless, vengeful, murderous villains was not on my 2023 Bingo card. Nonetheless, it is the funniest concept I have heard for a movie since Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter , and it was all made possible by Winnie the Pooh’s entry into the public domain last year. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield took full advantage and pivoted drastically from the innocent, heartwarming book series that originated in 1926. For those not familiar, public domain is a concept that represents any creative work that is not protected under copyright. In some cases, the work was never protected, and in others, the term of protection for said work has expired. To highlight the importance of public domain, a revolutionary moment involving this concept occurred in 1993. Tim Berners-Lee and the research organization CERN developed and opened their WorldWideWeb project up to the public domain. Once the project became free and accessible to the public, many users were allowed to expand on it, gradually leading to the vast version of the Internet we know today. In the world of cinema, several popular movies have been remade over the years due to their public domain status. If you enjoyed the Bradley Cooper-Lady Gaga romance in A Star is Born , you may direct your gratitude toward the original from 1937 and its existence in the public domain. The popular tales of Cyrano de Bergerac and Phantom of the Opera have each been remade multiple times, including the most recent installment of Cyrano starring Peter Dinklage. Steve Martin fans may find it intriguing that Little Shop of Horrors derived from a darker original work created 26 years prior that dwelled in the public domain. Additionally, Charlie Chaplin’s masterpiece The Gold Rush and Christmas favorite It’s a Wonderful Life reside in the public domain space, free to be rebooted by any willing filmmaker. What about TV shows? Several westerns remain free for a reboot, including Annie Oakley, Bonanza, The Roy Rogers Show and The Lone Ranger . Maybe to Happy Gilmore’s dismay , The Price is Right also exists in the public domain. Not to be outdone, the most beloved late night talk show of all time, The Johnny Carson Show , is open source and available to re-use. Public domain characters are commonly used in video games, comic books, and merchandise, as anyone who peruses Etsy would know. In video games and comic books, they often serve as hidden characters to be unlocked or in cameo appearances of sorts. While intriguing, there is not often a storyline built around them. While many well-known fictional characters are in the public domain, recent adaptations of them generally stay within the same basic idea. The character of Sherlock Holmes has been in the public domain for some time, but every work created has still depicted him as the sleuth he was in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original project. Similarly, Count Dracula has remained a seductive vampire in all works subsequent to Bram Stoker’s creation. Good or evil, most public domain characters have held onto the same ethos through decades of re-use, which makes the 180-degree pivot of Winnie the Pooh from the most kind-hearted cartoon character to a cold-blooded murderer all the more jarring (and hilarious). While I enjoyed the honey-loving bear just like everyone else as a child, I could not share in the dismay and anger of many moviegoers who saw Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey . I did not feel like it ruined my childhood, as some others claim . On the contrary, I will probably giggle whenever I see the actual children’s cartoon or any installment of the book series on the shelves. There have been multiple “shoot ‘em up” Santa movies in recent years. No one feels that their childhood has been affected in any way by these bizarre renditions. They are goofy takes on fictional characters and historical figures to which we are frequently exposed. The release of this silly slasher got me thinking, “What other characters are in the public domain, and how silly could we get re-imagining their personas?” Here’s a brief brainstorming session: Hercules as a Hot Shot High School Quarterback If Coach Taylor had a Greek mythological figure show up on day one of tryouts, I doubt he’d complain. Hercules could break Texas high school football records lining up under center, so long as his massive upper body stopped bursting through every jersey. Frankenstein as a Substitute English Teacher Given that the green monster is in the public domain, I would not mind seeing him save a boarding school with his love of literature in The Undead Poets Society. Aladdin as an Olympic Bobsledder Bobsledding is right up this dude’s alley! Maybe a little colder than he would like, but high-speed travel was always his thing. Just gotta learn the teamwork element. Alice in Wonderland as a Freedom Fighter in a Simulated Universe This isn’t exactly breaking the mold, since there’s already an Alice in Wonderland reference in The Matrix . Still, watching Alice stop bullets with her hand or beat up hundreds of agents on a playground would be endlessly entertaining. Snow White as an Embattled Basketball Coach In every basketball movie, a charismatic coach leads a team of untrained misfits to new heights, culminating in a big game against a powerhouse school. What greater odds to overcome than having seven dwarves make up your basketball roster? Especially when one of them falls asleep on defense all the time. Peter Pan as a Disgruntled In-Law Okay, I’m not sure exactly where to take this one. But the idea of a grumpy Peter Pan trying to stop his daughter from marrying a guy that looks way older than himself is hard not to laugh at. Cinderella as a Hip-Hop Dancer What if instead of a fancy dress, the crew of mice helps Cinderella into a pair of army pants and a baseball cap cocked to the side? She could be the first dancer to show up to a stepping competition in a pumpkin carriage. You can decide for yourself if any of these top Winnie the Pooh wielding a meat cleaver, but those are just a few drastic re-imaginings of public domain characters. Hopefully, we will see filmmakers experiment and take similar risks with creative works that are open to the public. For more on shows and iconic characters in the public domain, listen to Season 1, Episode 2 of the Cup of Tea Critiques Podcast . Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and more. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

The series examines the drug trade that centers around key dealers, corner boys, addicts, policemen and politicians in modern-day west Baltimore. < Back The series examines the drug trade that centers around key dealers, corner boys, addicts, policemen and politicians in modern-day west Baltimore. Blown Deadline Prod., 2002-08 60 minutes Creator: David Simon Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, HBO The Wire Wade in the Water (SIHXMHIW8JFP2XQP) 00:00 / 04:17 Barley Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Dandelion Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Chris Chaisson 2021-07-25 In the wake of the overwhelming popularity of The Queen’s Gambit , it is fitting to discuss the figurative portrayal of chess that is The Wire . A series that examines the drug trade in modern-day west Baltimore, The Wire centers around key dealers, corner boys, addicts, policemen and politicians that play roles in the city’s condition. The show’s ensemble cast, along with the “hyper-realism” described in the show’s pitch bible, paint the picture of fictional characters that represent very real people. Not just in Baltimore, but in any city with all the same moving parts. Despite the lack of classical training, many of the actors across the five-season series depict solid portrayals of characters across the spectrum. Most interestingly, British actors Dominic West ( Chicago , 300 ) and Idris Elba deliver such strong performances that many fans of the show were unaware they hailed from across the pond. Where does chess come into play? Well, the show centers around cause-and-effect. City politicians reallocate funding for the purpose of their own reelection. Policemen circumvent rules to bring media attention to cases they’re tackling. Dealers team up with one another to get rid of a problematic player. Every move influences the next move, but it’s all part of the same game of chess. However, this particular game never runs out of pieces and the king is never truly mated. “Fighting the War on Drugs, one brutality case at a time.” “Girl you can’t even call this **** a war...wars end.” A frequent criticism of The Wire and shows like it is that they try to make “evil” characters redeemable. The dealers are not just dealers; some are violent sociopaths, or as one lawyer puts it, “[parasites] feeding off the despair of the drug trade.” However, they are also proud owners of pet fish or avid fans of basketball and boxing. Some TV audiences accustomed to archetypes castigate this type of character writing, believing that these figures should be portrayed as nothing but the worst. A counterargument is that humanizing characters like this is perfectly appropriate, as the most evil humans in the history of the world were indeed still human. Identities are rarely if ever one-dimensional. Acknowledging the complexity of the characters and forgiving them for their crimes and misdeeds are matters of personal choice. This choice could very well factor into your decision to binge-watch the series—or not. Another criticism thrown around about The Wire is that it “moves too slow.” This analysis is often lobbed at shows with a large ensemble cast and several storylines, but it’s not without merit. The perception that this particular series trudges along likely exists due to its multi-faceted subject matter. Examining education, politics, crime, law enforcement, print journalism and where these areas intersect takes time. Inevitably, these will include elements that are not guaranteed to be of interest to every viewer. Nonetheless, the many moving parts of The Wire make for great setups, payoffs, and well-rounded characters. Back to our chess metaphor, a move early in the game (castling, trading queens, etc.) can reverberate throughout the next 50 or 60 moves. In The Wire , the significance of a brief interaction can resurface two full seasons later. Does that make it boring? Slow-moving? Possibly. But it certainly means every detail matters. Though polar opposites in genre, The Wire may remind you a little of Game of Thrones . An abundance of characters, life-and-death stakes, and a far-reaching chain of cause-and-effect bring these two series together stylistically, despite one being pure fantasy. Sadly, there is a notable absence of fire-breathing dragons in west Baltimore, but an ensemble cast and the strategic moves of the main characters may be enough to draw you in. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar brings wit and style to a children’s tale < Back The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar brings wit and style to a children’s tale Netflix Studios, 2023 37 minutes Director/Writer: Wes Anderson / Roald Dahl and Wes Anderson Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar Storyteller (AIBRWGF5BI7RHQF0) 00:00 / 03:37 Oolong Movies/shows that make you laugh or involve physical activity like exercise/dance Ginkgo Biloba Youthful, lighthearted, and fun movies and TV shows Chris Chaisson 2023-11-20 Wes Anderson’s distinct style is well-known amongst the film student crowd. His humor, childlike characters, and pastel color palette to tell his stories allow his fans a sense of certainty. The majority of moviegoers buying a ticket to his newest release know what they are getting and know that they like it. Those who do not care for his style will simply not attend. Thus, he is free to experiment within his own style and work with many different A-list actors. The types of characters and stories Anderson writes jive well with children’s stories, as was illustrated in Fantastic Mr. Fox . This may explain his recent short film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s works, including the charming and on-brand work The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar . Anderson’s new Netflix short centers around Henry, a wealthy man who learns of a curious patient featured in a doctor’s report. The patient, treated in a hospital in India, possesses the ability to see through objects despite his obstructed vision. He is not so subtly referred to as “The Man Who Sees Without Using His Eyes,” and he uses his gift for selfish reasons. The doctors seek to use him for a more philanthropic purpose as a teacher of students who are blind, but their plans go awry. Most notable about The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is how Anderson maintains the feel of reading a book. The characters narrate on screen, breaking the fourth wall briefly and then returning to the scene. Their many asides serve to maintain the verbiage that would be read in a children’s book and allow the audience to chuckle at the short’s self-awareness. Just the same, the characters speak at a frenetic pace and in hushed tones, almost as if they are worried about waking someone up. As many readers simply scan the words or read late at night when others are asleep, this detail of the short makes it feel like a bedtime story. The set design of Henry Sugar provides the audience with the feel of watching a theatrical work, many of which are based on novels themselves. Oftentimes, rather than cuts and dissolves, the transitions from scene to scene are simply props and backgrounds being rearranged. Anderson uses the depth of the location, foregrounding his narrator to make breaking the fourth wall easy while putting the other characters farther from the camera. When the actual storyteller appears on-screen, removed from any of the settings, he is in the center of the frame and speaks directly into the camera. In theater, audiences tend to experience these moments from the narrator at the end of an act as the lights around them dim and they address the entire auditorium. All of these elements approximate the story's original form, the beloved children’s book from which it is derived. While the story itself slightly resembles the 1996 film Phenomenon starring John Travolta, Wes Anderson’s storytelling style in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar feels similar to Roald Dahl’s most popular work, Matilda (1996). The popular feature film centers around another gifted character and, while not on-screen, still has voice-over narration that helps it maintain a childlike mood, despite some dark, abusive behavior coming from adults. Anderson proves with his short how helpful stylistic choices can be in paying homage to other great artists. Available on Netflix Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Queen of the South follows Teresa Mendoza from her beginnings as a money changer on the streets of Sinaloa to her rise as head of an international drug empire. < Back Queen of the South follows Teresa Mendoza from her beginnings as a money changer on the streets of Sinaloa to her rise as head of an international drug empire. USA Network, 2016-21 45 minutes Creator: M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller Reading Time: 6 minutes 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Queen of the South Latin Sunset (PCTCZB52I0DZLNEA) 00:00 / 07:05 Coca Movies and TV shows about drugs or with disorienting presentations Ginger Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Reba Chaisson 2022-05-02 The 1981 film, Mommie Dearest , contains an iconic scene showing a woman’s courage and strength in a time when social norms dictated that women be obedient, docile, and dependent on their partners. Starring Faye Dunaway ( Bonnie and Clyde , Chinatown ), the film is based on the life of the late actress, Joan Crawford. The scene depicts Crawford facing destitution after the death of her husband in 1959, who was an executive at Pepsi-Cola Corporation. At a meeting intended to nudge her from his board seat, she stands up at the head of the long conference room table fully surrounded with men in suits, leans forward, and loudly and sternly asserts, “Don’t f*** with me fellas!” It got their attention. Sometimes, business dealings come to this. But there are other ways to get what you want too. Queen of the South follows Teresa Mendoza from her beginnings as a money changer on the streets of Sinaloa to her rise as head of an international drug empire. She is left vulnerable after her lover, Guero, played by Jon-Michael Ecker ( Narcos , Firefly Lane ), is killed under suspicious circumstances while working as a drug runner for a cartel. Realizing her life is at risk and now without the protection that comes with being a member of “the family,” she is forced to figure things out on her own. Her only hope for survival is the cliché “notebook” given to her by Guero, which he then urges her to trade with his boss for her life should anything happen to him. Guero’s boss, Don Epifano (Joaquim de Almeida, Fast Five ), will literally kill to get the book back into his hands. The drugs, crime, and brutal violence in Queen of the South provide the landscape for this story about a woman, and more generally, about how women can get it done, whatever “it” is, in a way different than “business as usual.” The series reminds me of Miss Sloane , the 2016 release where Jessica Chastain ( Zero Dark Thirty , Molly’s Game ) plays Madeline Sloane, a smart political operative in D.C. who leads a campaign to pass anti-gun legislation into law. More than a notion, this makes her the enemy of the powerful gun lobby. Similar to Teresa, Madeline navigates her terrain like chess, with deliberate, well-thought-out decisions at every move designed to get her what she wants, without costly missteps. Played by Alice Braga ( I am Legend , Elysium ), Teresa scratches, claws, and fights her way to relative safety in the U.S. She exhales for only a moment before being captured by Don Epifano’s estranged wife and rival, Doña Camila Vargas, played by Veronica Falcón ( Ozark , Perry Mason ). Running her cartel on the U.S. side of the border, she coerces Teresa into drug mule duties. Unbeknownst to Camila, her new “employee” is in possession of a book her husband so desperately wants, a tool that can be used as leverage against him. Meanwhile, Teresa says and does what is necessary to survive, all while learning about “the business.” In Queen of the South , Teresa and Camila differ in their approach to business growth and management. Their starkly contrasting styles are presented in part to let the audience think about whether women’s instincts are innate or if they vary by personality and socialization. To what degree are their decisions and actions shaped by distinguishing qualities they are born with versus forces like: their exposure to ways of handling people and problems; a focus on individual needs; the constrained set of opportunities available to them. Strong, confident, and commanding of attention, Camila can be brutal in her tactics. She punishes rivals and demands nothing short of obedience from her employees. Teresa learns this when she discovers one of her boss’ business partners is cheating her. Although empowered to teach him a lesson, Teresa chooses to “do nothing.” Later, Camila admonishes her for this. “You were in a position to do something about it and you chose mercy. Women in this business cannot afford to look weak. Don’t ever make that mistake again.” This outlook and management style make Camila more like the traditional merciless cartel leader who allows no room for mistakes. Typically, violence characterizes cartels, but Teresa goes against type and stereotype. Rather than brutal killings and wreaked havoc, she is focused and skilled at negotiating deals with suppliers and competitors, qualities which mark her as a leader to be taken seriously. Even her trusted right-hand expresses concern about her approach to conducting business. Pote, played by Hemky Madera ( Spider-Man: Homecoming , Perry Mason ), fears she is too forgiving, that her kindness and mild-mannered approach will be misconstrued as weakness. But thinking on her feet, quickly devising creative solutions to problems, and holding herself, her suppliers, and even her employees accountable in interesting ways, effectively become her trademarks. Like everyone, Teresa and Camila’s lives have been shaped by societal forces, but their responses to those experiences differ greatly. Camila focuses on outward signs of power which becomes apparent in subtle ways. When she and Teresa attend an upscale event, she sarcastically but sternly asks her, “Now, are you going to wear that dress or are you going to let it wear you?” Teresa changes her walk and demeanor to project power—and following Camila’s advice, wears that dress! Projecting power is key for Camila. Her experiences as the wife of a cartel leader taught her the importance of this in helping to prevent troubles brought about by employee betrayal and business partners who cheat. Teresa garners strength and loyalty by recognizing the depths of humanity and coming up with ways to make it work. The cinematography is bright, with scenes often shot in ideal weather conditions—warm temperatures underneath clear skies. Over the course of five seasons, the series peers into cities in Mexico, the United States, Spain, and Malta. The venues become progressively palatial and the scenery increasingly posh, signifying Teresa’s ascendancy in the business. A far cry from the need to yell at a room full of men, Teresa and Camila make clear in this piece, 40 years after Mommie Dearest , that times have changed and there is more than one way to get the job done. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Game of Thrones Audience Appeal The Enduringness of Story Reba Chaisson 7/22/22 Reading Time: 18 minutes 📸: Licensed from Shutterstock About 20 years ago, I sat down separately with several film and television development executives in Los Angeles to talk about their aesthetic priorities and what influenced their decisions to greenlight a project. I wrote the findings of the interviews in my book, For Entertainment Purposes Only? (Lexington Books, 2000). Each person gave me permission to disclose his or her company’s names because it was essential to lend credence to the views of such influential leaders in the business. Among the people I spoke with were development executives from HBO and October Films, the latter company went defunct in 1999 and now exists as Focus Features. I flew out to Los Angeles to join them for lunch after each kindly responded to my letter (sent via regular mail) to interview them about their work. It was an engaging hour with each. They helped me understand the elements they look for in a film and their rationale for them, as well as some of the challenges they face in the review and selection process. The business priorities of both people were consistent with respect to the goal for a film project, mainly that is is profitable as measured by premium channel subscribers and modest ticket sales, respectively. They also noted that generating "buzz" was important, Hollywood’s term for ‘talk’ and media attention about a project. This helped the project's popularity and increased its chances of critical acclaim in the form of awards and positive reviews. A strong consistency in my talks with all of the people I spoke with, including Smoke Signals (1998) writer/director Chris Eyre, was remaining true to the values of what was then considered independent film. Also described as artsy works with budgets under $20 million, independent film carries the tacit mandate of telling intimate stories with deep characters portrayed with strong acting. These projects differ from major (or mainstream) studio productions in several respects. Mainstream studios typically incur high production costs, emphasize splash over story substance, use high‑profile actors to carry the film, and are motivated to maximize ticket sales at the box office or rake in advertising revenue on television. In short, the focus of major studios is on the commercialization of the films they produce and distribute, measuring a project’s success in dollars more so than accolades. Of course, there are exceptions in that many mainstream films are simply great, with strong stories and acting such as Paramount and Twentieth Century Fox’s Titanic (1997) and New Line Cinema’s Lord of the Rings (2001), both high‑grossing and award‑winning films. But exceptions notwithstanding, mainstream film contrasts sharply with independent film, which endeavors to stay true to the art form by consistently telling compelling stories with high-quality cinematic presentations. Examples of 'indie' films in the '90s were Miramax’s Smoke Signals (1998), October Films’ The Apostle (1997) and Fox Searchlight’s Boys Don’t Cry (1999), all of which won multiple independent film awards and the last even won an Oscar for best acting. Recently, films such as Annapurna Pictures’ If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) garnered Oscar and Golden Globe wins for acting in 2019, and A24’s Moonlight (2016) won the Oscar for best film in 2017. All of these films fit the mold of indie as defined years ago, but there is a spirited debate occurring in the industry today over what indie is. The indie debate concerns what constitutes independent film and whether budget should factor into a project’s classification as indie or mainstream. Admitting my bias here, I agree that budget should not be a factor in making this determination, and instead the emphasis remain on the story and the quality of its presentation. I will save these arguments for another day. But it is worth mentioning that none of the arguments considers where the original programming of premium and streaming channels fits, whether in the form of movies or television series. At this point, even this doesn't matter, though. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, any arguments that assert where these platforms belong in the schema would be moot, now that the channels have become vessels for distributing theatrical releases of films of all types. It will be interesting to see if this changes as the public's sensitivity to news reports on COVID-19 diminishes. Years ago, HBO’s original programming was considered independent because it adhered to the indies' tacit mandates which required: that the film be produced independently of major ones; and that besides profit, the measures for success must lie heavily in the project's critical acclaim. Today, like HBO, companies like Netflix and AMC not only develop award winning movies, but also television series. Their success is measured in the indie tradition of awards and of course, channel subscribers rather than commercial advertising dollars. Because of this differentiation, we consider original programming to be of the indie mold. So, in addition to assessing just how well independent studios have remained true to the sector’s values, I wondered if the aesthetic priorities of the industry 20 years ago reflect the aesthetic tastes of the audiences they seek to attract today. If audience preferences align with studio priorities, it would suggest that it is the appeal of a story that endures, and audiences simply thirst for a good cinematic presentation of it. Given this, the story’s underlying elements could offer insights into what can potentially predict the success of a film or television project. Back in the Day Twenty years ago, DVRs had not yet arrived; VCRs were the recording devices of the day. Cable TV was limited, with just a handful of premium movie channels like HBO and TMC. The worldwide web was on the cusp of exploding into homes and moving into mainstream prominence. Mobile phones were quite literally just a phone, not the handheld microcomputers that we use today to manage our everyday lives and stay in constant touch with friends and family through texts, emojis, social media posts, and instant photos. So, with the technological revolution we have experienced since the turn of the century, have audiences’ cinematic preferences for independent works changed too? This is the question I wanted to explore, and I designed a survey on the HBO series, Game of Thrones (2011) to help me with some answers on this. About GoT Described in part as a fantasy drama, Game of Thrones (GoT) is a television series set in medieval times about a battle over seven kingdoms. The first seven seasons depicted battles among the various factions leading up to the showdown in the final season, which premiered April 14, 2019. In addition to war, the show integrates elements of politics, gender, race, class, and age. GoT’s U.S. viewership quadrupled over its seven seasons, growing from about 2.5 to more than 10 million on average per episode. By comparison, The Sopranos (HBO, 1999-2007) series finale drew 11.9 million and The West Wing (NBC, 1999-2006) pulled approximately 8 million viewers on average. GoT generated a lot of buzz over its first seven years, making it arguably the most talked about series, with cultural critics, pundits, psychologists, and marketers weighing in on its value and offering explanations for its appeal. With these achievements, it can be argued that GoT is an outlier because of its wild popularity. I can counter that it is because of its reach that the show warrants a teasing out of the elements that appealed to so many people. In short, GoT seemed to exemplify viewers’ aesthetic tastes, making it a very appropriate choice for the study. Viewer Demographics The online survey was administered over two days, March 27-28, 2019, prior to the release of season 8. It consisted of 11 questions posed to 540 individuals across the country who were 18 or older, asking about their level of interest in the season 8 premiere of GoT. With a response rate of 89%, the survey contained 482 responses and a completion rate of 86%. The sample yielded a margin of error of +/-4.6% at a 95% confidence level. Sixty-two percent of respondents indicated they were somewhat to very likely to watch the season 8 premiere. Of these, 53% were women. People ages 45-54 made up the largest segment at 28%. Each segment of 18-24 and 25-34 year-olds comprised 19%, for a total of 38%. The respondents’ ages are consistent with those noted by Variety , which identified the key demographic for GoT as 18 to 49 years old. Together, they make up more than 70% of the sample. I was unable to find a mainstream television series that matches GoT’s ratings and breadth of appeal across age groups. Most have a younger or older audience, not both. The series boasts an IMDB rating of 9.5 on a 10‑point scale! ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-2020) comes to mind when considering a mainstream show that rates high among 21-34 year-olds in particular. The action packed, science fiction series had a rating of 7.5 as it approached its eighth season, with approximately 2.3 million viewers. It was twice nominated for an Emmy in the visual effects category only, suggesting that story and depth of characters do not explain the show’s appeal. Instead, its staying power is its ability to draw advertising revenue and its syndication potential. On the older side of the age band is ABC’s Castle (2009-2016). The underrated show is about a writer who partners with a female detective to develop material for his novels, but he falls in love with her along the way. The series ran for eight seasons, and won Emmys for music, People’s Choice awards for Favorite TV Drama, and TV Guide awards for acting. A high quality show with an IMDB rating of 8.5, it pulled strongly among 45-64 year olds . Despite being canceled more than five years ago, the show still enjoys syndication and is quite popular. But in short, nothing comes close to the broad appeal of the Game of Thrones series. More than 3/4th of survey respondents indicated they had at least some college education. Interestingly, Game of Thrones is often described as one of the smartest shows on television, with Walton, a writer for Forbes's , commenting that it was: “[So] smart, in fact, that it can be hard to follow. ” While the educational attainment of the largest audience segment in the sample has some college level education, a fifth of viewers indicated they have attained something less. This suggests that the show’s audience is not monolithic and has something for everyone. The show's appeal is further indicated across income groups. Just under 40% earn $35,000-$74,999. One quarter earn $75,000-$149,999. Thus, the audience is diverse even across income. Together, the sample’s demographics point to Game of Thrones as having a very broad appeal, spanning age bands, education segments, income, and in grabbing the interest of both men and women. Critical Acclaim The critical acclaim of cinematic work is one standard of measure for assessing a film or television production. It manifests in awards and positive reviews that essentially validate several elements: the quality of the story being told; depth of the characters; and strength of the acting. It stands to reason then that a successful production is one that garners a lot of prestigious awards. Awards are the film and television industry’s nod to the strength of a show or movie’s critical elements. GoT won numerous prestigious awards over its first seven seasons: a Golden Globe for acting and multiple Emmy awards for Outstanding TV Drama Series, acting, production design, music composition, and visual effects just to name a few. The show’s accolades are reminiscent of drama series like AMC’s Breaking Bad (2008-2013), Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale (2017- ), and ABC’s Scandal (2012-2018). Like GoT, Breaking Bad and The Handmaid’s Tale won multiple Golden Globes for Best TV Series and best acting performances. These along with Scandal , won Emmys in all or some categories, including Outstanding Drama Series, writing, acting, cinematography, production design, and others. Baffling is a notable series like HBO’s The Wire (2002-2008), which was only twice‑nominated for Emmys in writing and received no Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for acting. The show’s IMDB rating is 9.3 out of 10, second in the aforementioned only to GoT which has a 9.5. One journalist described it as “ the greatest television [program] ever made. ” The explanations for this absence of tangible critical acclaim for The Wire is still being debated more than a decade after the show’s series finale. Nonetheless, accolades such as these attest to the critical acclaim of these shows. But still, do the tastes of viewers support the industry’s notions about GoT? Audience Appeal The most interesting and poignant finding from the survey is how respondents described GoT’s appeal for them. Based on the frequency in their responses to the question regarding what they find appealing in the Game of Thrones , the single, most prominent element that grabs their interest is 'characters.' Blake, a writer with CNN noted that critics often laud the complexity of the characters in GoT. Arya’s character, for example, defies her expected role to marry royalty and instead becomes a fighter determined to avenge her family. And Daenerys, who began as a victim and over time built an army and nurtured dragons, now wields undeniable power. The depth of the characters and their transformation over the series resonate with the experiences and aspirations of many everyday people who strive for strength and courage. There are also other character elements that we recognize in ourselves, such as: the cunningness of Littlefinger; the immaturity of Joffrey; sadly, the brutality of Ramsay; and even the gentility, loyalty, and empathy displayed by Tyrion and Jorah. Viewers relate to these in terms of what they see, hear and in some cases experience every day. Thus, the characters in the series display both broad and deep ranges of humanity, reinforcing the idea that the show has something that appeals to everyone. Second in text frequency are ‘storyline’ and ‘story,’ indicating their high importance for respondents. GoT is a story of race, gender, politics, and the wielding of political and military power to conquer. Examples of these are: the ruthlessness practiced by those in power to keep it and gain more; dark skinned people being brought out of bondage by a blond, white woman; young and older women occupying seats of power like Sansa and Cersei, respectively. Viewers can connect with these elements in large part because they are relevant to present-day issues and events. As I wrote in my book , cinema has historically been tied to the events of the day so it can resonate with people’s lives during that period. For example, a flood of war and comedy productions are released during times of military conflict, the former to reflect reality and the latter to provide an escape from its horror. Recently, Aaron Sorkin, a writer of The West Wing , noted that the series almost did not air because the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke soon after the show was penned. Said Sorkin, “[We knew] we simply can’t do this right now. People will giggle.” Today, strong political divisions and race and gender issues are playing out on television news programs and in social media, making the GoT storyline especially palpable. We found no major differences in the show’s appeal for men and women. Both emphasize characters and story as appealing elements, highlighting drama, action, acting, fantasy, and intrigue as important but relatively minor. The notable difference between the two is the appearance of ‘nudity’ for men and ‘love’ for women. But even these do not come close to the two primary draws of characters and story. Escapism and Anticipation ‘Action,’ ‘plot,’ ‘dragons,’ ‘fantasy’ are also highlighted by respondents, so it is evident that the level of escapism provided by GoT is quite high. Forty‑one percent planned to decorate their homes and/or wear GoT‑themed costumes for the viewing, which exemplifies the degree to which entertainment in general provides for escape from everyday routines. With sports, some fans wear jerseys, guzzle hats and paint the team’s colors on their faces to immerse themselves into the event. With cinema, some viewers carry props and don period clothing and costumes imitating those worn in a film or show. Star Wars and GoT are just two examples of this. More than half of respondents who indicated they were likely to watch the premiere planned to watch it with friends and/or family, and many were preparing for its airing much like football fans do for the Big Game. They shared plans to prepare meals, and 4 out of 10 indicated they were somewhat likely to very likely to purchase a big screen television for the event – a fairly common phenomenon for the Big Game . A handful indicated they would binge on the previous episodes to build excitement for what’s to come in the season 8 premiere. In addition to show loyalty, the constant media buzz about GoT spurs its anticipation even before trailers of the premieres are released. For example, a simple search of Game of Thrones articles yielded more than 209 million results. Even if half of these were duplicates, the sheer number demonstrates the wild popularity and interest in the show by journalists, scholars and viewers. By comparison, a search of The West Wing yielded 126 million and AMC’s Mad Men (8 seasons) 150 million. GoT‑related publications were exceeded only by the AMC series, Breaking Bad (5 seasons), which had 241 million hits, ABC’s Scandal (7 seasons) 336 million and HBO’s The Wire (5 seasons) with a whopping 389 million. College courses have been developed to explore the cultural success of GoT as well as The Wire , and many academics have commented on the appeal of Scandal . Conclusion The findings here suggest that the tastes of today’s audience do indeed align with those of Hollywood’s independent sector of yesterday, and that story is the point of intersection. The multigenerational appeal reinforces this along with the use of terms like ‘characters,’ ‘story,’ ‘storyline,’, ‘action,’ and ‘plot,’ to pinpoint the elements of the show that account for their interest and enjoyment. Viewers simply have a strong affinity for the characters depicted in the show and the quality of the story unfolding on the screen, which is consistent with the aesthetic priorities articulated by the development executives I spoke with 20 years ago. We can say then that these qualities are enduring aspects of a cinematic work in that they stand the test of time. Then, now and very likely in the future of cinema, these elements will be the factors by which the potential viewership and critical acclaim of an independent film or television series are predicted. The fact that many viewers can enjoy these original programs (at times commercial‑free) and in the comfort of their own homes with family and friends is a bonus. Indie contrasts sharply with mainstream works that pull in audiences with the implied promise of adrenaline rush through action, splash, quick cuts, brief interactions among characters, popular music genres, often cartoonish characters, and recognizable actors with fantastic bodies who appear in the presentation. This strategy has worked for the majors over the past 60 years or so, and particularly since the advent of home computers, mobile phones, DVRs, and DVD players. These technologies have made movie tickets easy to buy and shows easy to record, rent, and even purchase. While many of these works are truly enjoyable, indie film and television series offer a different cup of tea. And it is clear from this analysis that its appeal exists across multiple segments of people—and that story and characters are the threads that connect them. (Originally published April 2019) Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Echo shines a light on the gifts of generations past < Back Echo shines a light on the gifts of generations past Marvel Studios, 2024 42 minutes Creator: Marion Dayre Reading Time: 9 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Rye Coleman https://www.instagram.com/coleman811/ Echo Afterpxrty 00:00 / 12:20 Coca Movies and TV shows about drugs or with disorienting presentations Masala Chai Movies and TV shows about toughness and athletic competition Reba Chaisson 2024-11-14 When my husband and I were dating, his family would regale me with stories of his childhood. Most of them were meant to be fun and funny, but there were some that carried a much more serious tone. They would always follow up the ones in the latter group with “He got that from his dad,” “Yeah, he’s just like Great Granddaddy,” or “That boy is just like his uncle was when he was that age.” It helps when older adults in the family are around to pass on these stories firsthand. You can see for yourself the joy they take in having played a part in their loved one’s make-up. They marvel at how their once very young child has evolved to define themselves as an extension of them. Ech o presents such a passing on of generational lore through Marvel’s story of Maya, a deaf and mute Choctaw girl in Tamaha, Oklahoma. The five-episode series opens with Maya who, at about 7-years-old, loses her mother in a tragic car accident and then struggles to find her center. The loss of Maya’s right leg in the crash only compounds her challenges, although this is depicted more as an inconvenience for her than a disability. For such a young child, she expresses no pain or wonderment about her missing leg and seems to take it all in stride. Chula, Maya’s grandmother, blames her son-in-law William (Zahn McClarnon) for her daughter’s death. So, soon after his daughter’s recovery, he and Maya move from their home in Tahama to New York City to start a new life. Shortly after settling in New York, William hands over Maya to someone off-camera for martial arts training, skills at which she becomes quite adept as she grows into a young woman. But when 20-something-year-old Maya, played by Alaqua Cox ( Hawkeye , Flash before the Bang ), arrives at William’s auto shop on her motorcycle one day and sees him killed by a masked man, she handles her grief by indulging in crimes like burglary and motor vehicle theft. It is then that we meet the man who calls himself her “uncle,” and with whom she had become close since moving to New York City and beginning her martial arts training. Kingpin Fisk is played by Vincent D’Onofrio, who is best known for his many seasons as Detective Bobby Goren on Law & Order: Criminal Intent . In his heart-to-heart talk with Maya, he tells her “Let me help you release this rage in a more constructive way. Take your hurt, loss, and pain. Make it into something useful.” Kingpin encourages Maya to use her fighting skills to shake down and often kill his enemies. But when she later learns Kingpin ordered her father’s death, she shoots him and flees back to Tahama on her black motorcycle. While Marvel’s crafting of the villains in this series are somewhat convincing, they are moreso entertaining. One of Kingpin’s cronies, Zane, played by Andrew Howard ( Banshee , Mayor of Kingstown ), is a small-framed British man who often wears sunglasses indoors and pants that are too short. Kingpin himself is a comical villain, a big bald man in a white suit with a raspy voice. While hulking and scary at times, he also has a sense of humor. At one point in the series, he brings Maya dinner, wine, and dessert. Not trusting him, she uncorks the wine and pours it into the sink when he isn’t looking. When they sit down, he unpacks the food and says, “Cookies from La Vane. Are they still your favorite?” She nods in the affirmative. He responds, “Let’s hope those don’t go the way of the wine.” Echo has an age-diverse cast, with actors from pre-adolescence to older adults. Tantoo Cardinal ( Wind River , Killers of the Flower Moon ) plays Maya’s crusty maternal grandmother, Chula, who avoids her, not realizing that she is punishing her granddaughter for the disdain she still carries for her deceased son-in-law. Through her, we learn that when we lose someone we love, as Chula did with her daughter, we sometimes blame others. Anyone in proximity to those blamed is often collateral damage. As he did in the movie Wind River , Graham Greene, who plays Maya’s granddad, Skully, injects humor and wisdom into the series. He flirts with Chula and imparts old-school knowledge to Maya to help her gain some empathy for her grandmother and some understanding of Choctaw culture. Echo is filled with an abundance of spiritual symbolism designed to tell the story of Maya’s ancestral origins. The embedded mini-films or historical pieces consume about ten percent of each episode, and their purpose is not made clear until the final segment. Because of this, watching the series can feel incongruous at times. These moments, however, are key to the series as they elucidate Maya’s struggles with understanding who she is and how she seems to have a special strength and courage, and a gift for combat that is typically reserved for Choctaw men. While some skills were taught to her, others were infused — passed on to her through five generations of Choctaw women who came before her. Despite the important generational depictions linking Maya to her ancestors, watching the show can still be frustrating with respect to the lack of translations for its language use. Choctaw, for instance, is sometimes used by the characters, but on-screen translations are not consistently provided so that audiences who don’t know the language can follow the dialog and story. The same occurs with the frequent signing in the series. Because Maya is deaf, mute, and unable to read lips, she communicates through ASL (American Sign Language). Some of the main characters are fluent in the language, such as her father’s former friend-in-crime, Henry, played by Chaske Spencer ( Blind Spot , Twilight Saga franchise), who also speaks as he signs. Her grandparents, Skully and Chula, know it somewhat and occasionally speak as they sign. Still, other main characters don’t know ASL at all, such as Kingpin, who eventually purchases an AI gadget that does the signing for him. The lack of electronics used in this mostly dark-lit, rural-situated series makes the sudden appearance of leading-edge technology feel like a time warp has been inserted in the middle of an episode and near the end of the series. It is as if the filmmakers decided this on a whim because they suddenly realized that Kingpin wouldn’t be able to communicate with Maya otherwise. The varying degrees of fluency in ASL among the characters, though, is not problematic. What is problematic is the failure of the filmmakers to consider that much of the audience is neither fluent in ASL nor Choctaw, and thus are unable to follow the dialog when the lines are not spoken or translations not made available on-screen. In addition to the images, language is needed to connect the audience to the characters and the story. Foreign films provide full subtitles in well over a dozen languages; Echo provides few for its Choctaw and ASL translations. It is as if a different crew member was assigned to this task every day of filming, and someone forgot to tell each person that they needed to do this. Or it’s as if someone neglected to tell the editor. Or perhaps the project simply ran out of budget. That someone signed off on Echo ’s release without performing appropriate quality assurance is problematic. Unfortunately, the result is a multimillion-dollar series that delivers a frustrating and off-putting cinematic experience for its audience. Music dynamics like mezzo forte , pianissimo , and crescendo give character to music by varying its highs, lows, and even tempo throughout a song. In doing this, dynamics help keep us engaged in the music — making our heads bob, our bodies sway, and even moving us to cry sometimes. Film, as well, should stir such emotional, seemingly natural variances in our responses. Audience members should feel something. Maya’s expressions throughout the series, however, remain unconvincing even when she witnesses her father’s death and gets her metal prosthesis jammed between two railroad cars. These should result in a seismic jolt that sends chills down the audience members’ spines or makes their eyes get big. Instead, each scene comes across as just another scene. As the protagonist in the series, Maya needs to keep the audience engaged in the story by varying the intensity of her facial expressions and body language as needed for the scene. This is especially crucial given her lack of oral speech. The audience can’t hear her frustration so that it has a chance of feeling it. I think, for example, about Marlee Matlin’s characters in shows like Children of a Lesser God and West Wing . The audience knows when her characters are happy, smitten, pissed-off, and even being playful. The comparison is not intended to pit one person who is deaf against another. It is to highlight the importance of being animated on-screen when hearing and speech are not available to you. I suppose it can be argued that these could indicate personality differences between actors. Perhaps. It is still necessary, though, for an actor - any actor, to find ways to engage the show’s audience or they will lose them. There are also happenings in the film that the protagonist can do nothing about. For instance, Henry owns a skating rink in Tamaha. He and Maya are kidnapped and held at the rink by criminal wannabes hoping to hand her over to Kingpin for a bounty. Maya has an opportunity to overtake the incompetent perpetrators, but instead, pushes them out of the room and locks herself back inside. This is confusing to me even after returning from yet another weird David Yurman commercial. Now, no one watching the series to this point is surprised about what happens to the criminal wannabes when Kingpin’s guys arrive. At any rate, Maya eventually escapes the room she could have left some time earlier, and beats six, seven, eight of Kingpin’s men in hand to hand to feet combat, that is, before yet another David Yurman commercial comes on! The writing for this series is perplexing, unconvincing, and frustrating. The problems with Echo notwithstanding, I think sometimes we forget that our strength and courage, while we often own them, are not flukes. Like an echo, much of who we are were passed to us as gifts from those who came across the generations before us. Unfortunately, this theme in the series is clouded by the show’s problems. I once read that Stevie Wonder spent ten years writing his hit song, “As.” He would work on it, walk away from it for a while, and come back to it later to work on it some more. “As” was finally released in 1976 and it was well worth the wait. While Echo didn’t necessarily require ten years, it did require similar nurturing, so that the audience could enjoy the experience and appreciate its themes. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!