What Ever Happened to Video Stores?

I was stopping by Starbucks for my everyday coffee and saw that the Blockbuster next to it was closing. This actually wasn’t my first time seeing Blockbuster close down, so it really wasn’t a huge surprise. Then I realized how “normal” it was to see all these video stores disappear from our neighborhoods.

I mean, who goes to the video store nowadays?

(And then I saw the news about studios suing the bankrupt Blockbuster for some millions of dollars of unpaid fees, which was just really sad... Guys, give the company some break. It just filed for bankruptcy, for god’s sake!)

Anyways, with all the illegal downloading and online resources, it’s a miracle to see someone walk out of a video store, if there are any left in the world. It is convenient and cheap ($0 rental and no late fees!) for anyone who has a computer. Companies like Netflix and Hulu have taken advantage of this system and are continuing to upgrade and develop new and improved ways to provide the newest video content to customers or users.

This Tuesday, Amazon announced that it will join this streaming business system by providing movies and television shows to all the Amazon Prime customers for free. (It’s actually not FREE, free. Amazon Prime customers pay $79 a year for discounts on shipping. If you do the math, it comes out to about $6.58 a month.) The announcement probably pissed off Netflix, which offers a similar streaming service for $7.99 a month. However, Netflix still owns a much extensive list of titles than Amazon and Amazon is also not licensed to release the most popular and current contents just yet. At least for now. Cameron Janes, the director of Amazon Instant Video (the name for this service), quoted that they are positively looking to expand and grow their selections as well as the business. It will be definitely interesting to see how this works out with the rest of the competition. Maybe they will make all these streaming services cheap enough for everyone to legally watch videos and movies online. That will be a revolution.

With all the technology and online services, I’ve even heard rumors about companies getting rid of DVDs and Blu-rays altogether. This is pretty extreme, but I can imagine why such suggestions came up in the first place. There has been this huge change in the film rental system and without a doubt, it will continue to change. Personally, I’m not into the whole renting and online streaming stuff. I usually watch a lot of the movie in the theatre and if I like them enough, I will get the physical thing (I have a fetish for collecting DVDs.) instead of downloading a computer “file.” 

Where’s the fun in that?!

The video stores’ closing down is still a little disappointment, but then again, I’m also the typical American that prefers drive-thrus to moving at all.

No More New Mickey?

The cursed economy has finally reached “the happiest place on earth.” With billions of dollars in their hands, I thought Disney would never have any trouble with money or just simply become stingy. In today’s investor conference in Anaheim, the Disney CFO Jay Rasulo announced that:

“the film studio would focus 80% its resources on franchise properties,”

leaving only 20% for standalone projects.

This means no more surprises from Disney for at least a couple of years.

Even if it had any, it wouldn’t be that great.

 

The news was a big shocker for me. I grew up with classic Disney movies like Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and basically every release that came out since the 90s. (And they’re still my favorites to this day.) The original Pixar films were also admirable with their innovative stories and technologies. I mean, everybody loves Nemo, right? And to disappoint all of these Disney fans with such news! Really? 

We can’t expect to see any of these unique creations come to life because Disney’s afraid to take a chance and lose a few million dollars out of their billions?!?

I don’t know. I think I’m a little bitter.

And the latest Tangled did great with $96.6 million and growing, which is why I’m a little confused with the studio’s decision. I admit that the Rapunzel story was pretty safe, and that it probably wasn’t the best recreation of the classic princess series, but I thought it was a fresh and attractive attempt to draw a large audience with people like me, who were craving for that old-time memories of Disney movies.

And UP! Ahh… yes. The adorable fat boy with the grumpy grandpa. Who would’ve thought? From the ocean to the sky, Pixar definitely takes its imaginations run wild everywhere. Disney and Pixar Studios’ creativity and imagination are what brought them here in the first place. And to see them put such little effort into improving these parts of the studio is a big disappointment.

I guess they had some fun with Toy Story 3, which made over $400 million. But do they seriously expect to make better sequels for other films too? You couldn’t go wrong with Toy Story sequels because they were flexible with the story and the characters (There are a number of toys and a number of ways to play with them.). It’s a rare case to see all three series fulfill the audiences’ expectations.

To prove my point, let me list some great failures of Disney sequels.

1.      Tarzan II (I didn’t know this existed.)

2.      Mulan II (This too.)

3.      Little Mermaid II (Do you see a pattern?)

4.      The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride (Now this is just a disgrace.)

5.      102 Dalmatians (The original is 101 Dalmatians, if you don’t remember.)

6.      Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (Huh? Nemo got lost again???)

7.      Tron Legacy (Not doing as well as Disney anticipated.)

8.      Pirates of the Caribbean 3? 4? 5? 6??? (It’s not that bad… but I lost interest and stopped counting after the 3^rd series. And there’s going to be another one coming out?!)

I understand that Disney is trying to be cautious after some of their losses last year. I give credit to the studios for attempting different styles of movies, like Secretariat, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Princess and the Frog, and Alice in Wonderland. Maybe they just lost their confidence in original movies. Or maybe it’s just Bob Iger, the new Disney CEO who has been emphasizing franchises and brand names since he took the job 6 years ago. I don’t know what to think anymore.

But since the announcement has been made, all we can do now is to wait and see if the franchising will do any good to the studios. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Cars 2 are coming out this year to test the waters, and Monsters Inc. 2 is also rumored to make a comeback in 2012.

Hopefully, these films would fulfill Disney’s and the audiences’ high expectations, so that I don’t have to point fingers and tell the Disney executives that they are idiots.

Trilogy

Hello, World! 

With the worldwide web, most people are exposed to and have access to a number of information and materials. Everyone is an expert or a reviewer of something or someone. So, I have decided to follow this trend and become a critic myself. After pondering on different ideas, I’ve decided to write about film, a very general and probably the most common topic among bloggers. It is a broad subject, so I will limit myself to more modern, mainstream movies rather than the independent films or the classics. This doesn’t mean that I won’t bring them up, especially since independent movies are actually becoming more main stream than before. But with the 3Ds and IMAX, it’s impossible for me to avoid those blockbuster movies that have pop-up graphics and big-named celebrities coming right at you. I’m not hard to please and I’m definitely not here to analyze and evaluate films. You don’t go to the movies to study the theme of the movie or to observe how the director portrayed the character’s emotions by certain camerawork, and all the other crap that film critics talk about. I am a firm believer of movies as entertainment. Movies are there for you to enjoy and seek pleasure, not study and interpret. And I think I can speak for the general audience when I say that. Or maybe not. But what I can say is that I’m just an ordinary person who simply enjoys watching films. 

As to personal taste in films, I prefer light and humorous movies to the dark and depressing ones. Life is already full of despair and hardships, so why expose yourself to more gloomy things? However, that doesn’t mean I discriminate these types of movies. If they’re well-made and touching, it can definitely draw my attention. (For example, I actually liked The Black Swan, despite it being a depressing thriller.) I guess I don’t really have a solid opinion on what I like, but everyone’s preferences change as they grow up and develop their views on personal tastes. For example, children prefer Disney and Pixar movies (while I still enjoy both), while women in their 20s might prefer romantic comedies (now I’m just guessing). Hopefully, as I start this blog, I will figure out what my preferences are. 

After all, my decisions are solely based on my interests and curiosities, thus making my posts presumably unprofessional and personal in many ways. However, I don’t want to say that it’s just pure opinion or an unreasonable gibberish. I want to explore how societal trends and business aspects of films affect the types of movies that are produced and marketed today. In order to do so, I will be reading loads of news stories on what’s happening in the film industry, as well as observing the box office numbers. I will probably review films and share my thoughts about them, but honestly, I’m not an expert in this field. I leave that to the real film critics who know what they’re talking about. In the end, I’m doing this for myself, a hopeful future film investor. I would like to find out what movies are making money and why they are successful, which is the reason why I’m focusing on mainstream movies. If I practice doing this now, I might have a shot in the future. (I know. I should probably work really hard before I actually have the money to invest in anything at all.) I know it sounds kind of awful saying that I’m doing this for money (and a school thing too), but sadly, the materialistic world transformed me into what I am today, forcing me to chase after money. But really, it all comes down to money, right?

Profile: What Would ToTo Watch?

Remember when there were actual video stores that you went to, to rent movies? You would ask the worker about which movies are popular and which ones are not worth even renting. TOTO, or Christian Toto from What Would Toto Watch? is just like that worker from the video store, who will give his honest and upfront opinion on what you should watch for your weekend movie. He may sound like an ordinary guy but surprisingly, he actually has a strong background as “an award-winning journalist and film critic with years of experience.” His blog provides news reports, interviews, and “no-nonsense film reviews,” almost daily for his 44,000 viewers. Despite his reputation as an influential journalist, Toto is very down-to-earth and does not have that snobby attitude some bloggers have. He shares his personal life stories and experiences in his posts, allowing the viewers to connect with him in a more likable manner. For example, he reveals that his father is a video store clerk and how it affected his choice of movies in a video store. This is really difficult to see in film critics who like to talk about the artistic traits and interpretations of scenes in a movie, most of the time. And believe me. They are BORING.

Toto also ends the post with a question, displaying his willingness to listen to others. His writing style is also not completely academic but more casual, not because he’s incapable of writing professionally, but because he’s open to connecting with the audience and communicating interactively. When you observe his film reviews, you can tell that he’s well-educated and really knows what he’s talking about. He goes onto deeper details about the movie, which I admire. The depth of analysis that he puts on a review is quite intriguing as exemplified in his recent review of “The Green Hornet.”

While Toto does not specifically delve into the business side of the film industry, I am greatly affected by his writing style. He gives the necessary news and information in a condensed and witty way, making it much more enjoyable for the readers. This is the aim for my blog as well. I may lack professional skills and depth in evaluation, but I hope to have the humorous and friendly voice by incorporating my personal stories and experiences, while also giving out the necessary news and information. My blog however, would focus more on the financial matters of the film industry and the trends of successful movies today, as I mentioned before. The focus of the blog posts would be different from Toto’s, but I am targeting a similar audience group who is willing to listen to my gibberish and share ideas interactively. And who knows? I might end up with 44,000 viewers too!

Voice Critique: The Fanboy Federation

I’ve always thought the grown-ups who love comic books are nerds or some dweebs who are obsessed with dressing up like Star Wars characters and believe in the possibilities of superpowers (Sheldon from “ The Big Bang Theory ” anyone?). I don’t mean to be mean but it is a little dorky. Eric, blogger of “The Fanboy Federation,” is a perfect example of such stereotype. I mean, his blog name pretty much tells it all. However, he does this in an intentionally exaggerated and silly way as if to make fun of himself for being such a nerd. In one of his posts, he starts the post with a trailer of “The Green Hornet” with a comment saying, “Oh hey, look, a post! Oh hey, look, a movie trailer! ” I raised my eyebrows when I read those first two sentences. I don’t mean to be rude or anything but it seems like a very pathetic way to catch your attention. Hey, but it works, right? 

Eric continues to humor us throughout his blog with his geeky jokes that makes us wonder if he really is a big, wacky loser. He uses phrases like “Right on!” “I screamed like a little girl. (Insert of a black-and-white photo of girls screaming.) Like this, but in color,” and “Duh.” His sense of humor seems to be a failed attempt to sound cool and “hip.” It really is painful to watch, but at the same time entertaining, prompting you to finish the whole post. I think it’s a psychological thing where people just like other people making an ass out of themselves.

But despite his ridiculously imbecilic voice, the content of his blog posts are rather deep. He likes to analyze trends and possibilities in films as exemplified in his “Green Hornet” and “The Villain You Deserve” posts. He touches on things that we don’t really think about and analyzes the changing trends in film. In the Green Hornet post, he goes on to observe Asian actors in American big screens and quotes:

"We send out messages with the intention the audience interprets them correctly. But the message sent is almost never the same as it was received, and thus our interpretations can lead to disastrous results. It’s general reinforcement that shapes generations but largely goes unnoticed. What has happened is that by constantly casting Asians in a villainous role, be it Batman or James Bond, or unattractive and unheroic dorks like Short Round and Long Duk Dong it has tampered with progress in seeing the circumstances as anything but. Jet Li took a backseat role in The Expendables, and the only successful mainstream martial arts movie that has come out lately was Ninja Assassin. And Rain’s face was obscured in the poster."

When you read this paragraph, you lean back, review the things that he talks about in your head, and nod in agreement of his interpretations. He also gives a lot of background information, which helps persuade the audience more respectively. Such quality of writing encourages readers to turn back and really think about what he said behind his stupid jokes and geeky voice. At a certain point, you question your opinion about the guy and ask if he’s being really clever, and if he’s simply mocking the readers by his façade of the nerdy fanboy character. While it is difficult to determine his real intentions, the contrast between his voice and content continue to intrigue the readers into following his thoughts and ideas written in his posts.

With Hollywood producing movies like Spiderman, Batman, and Transformers, I guess it’s inevitable for the nerds to be excited about these superpower heroes coming to the big screens and show their enthusiasms on their blogs. Even my older brother said that watching Transformers was like watching his dream come true. There is no choice but to get all hyped up. Now that we covered almost every comic book possible, I wonder, what will they come up with next?