Episode 61: The Theater Experience

  I watched something like thirty new movies in 2022. I was gonna publish a whole blog doing a detailed ranking of all of them, but the draft somehow killed itself and all that work was for nought. Oh well. This episode will make up for it, at least somewhat. Anyway, here are my top ten movies of 2022:

1. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

2. Top Gun: Maverick

3. Vengeance

4. The Batman

5. Bullet Train

6. Everything Everywhere All at Once

7. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

8. Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

9. The Bob's Burgers Movie

10. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

   I think it speaks to my love for superheroes that three of my top ten were direct superhero movies, and a fourth wasn't a superhero movie, but was about multiversal stuff. But in my defense, even most people outside of the superhero fandom will tell you that The Batman and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever were great movies. Doctor Strange 2 is a little more mixed on its reviews but I personally really liked it.

   You know Martin Scorsese? Man's a real knob. Thinks that because he directed some well-received movies about rich white people arguing about business for three hours that he knows what's best about movies, his opinions are perfect, and that the things he dislikes are to be shunned by everyone. He's known to pick on superhero movies, especially the MCU, and say that they are just summer blockbusters without true love for filmmaking. What a knob.

Summer blockbusters 

  There's nothing wrong with big, bombastic, entertaining movies. That's kinda the point, isn't it? Aren't you supposed to be entertained by movies? So why knock on one for being exactly that? And this entertainment value, these bombastic movies, in this day and age, are enjoyed in one of two ways. You can either watch the movie when it's in theaters or you can wait until it's on a streaming service/available for purchase. Sometimes movies will release simultaneously both in theaters and on a streaming service. If a movie you really want to see comes out like that, what would you do? Would you go to the theater or stay home and watch it? If you're reading this, tell me on our own communication what your answer is.

   I myself am kinda split. On one hand, I would say to go to the theater because of the theater experience. There's a unique value in sitting in a big, dark room with the movie displayed right in front of you on a giant screen. Surround sound, maybe it's even in 3D. Hard to get distracted by your phone and other things because it's not allowed. Plus there's snacks and stuff.

   But on the other hand, it's nice to stay home and just put the movie on your TV. If you wanna use your phone at the risk of losing attention, you can. Plus, movie tickets and concessions can be kinda pricey, but by staying home you're not spending more than you already are on whatever streaming service. You don't have to go out, and you can be dressed in as little as you want and barely have to move.

    So there's pros and cons to each decision. When The Suicide Squad came out, both in theaters and HBO Max, I opted to stay home and watch it on HBO Max. I loved the movie so much I watched three times within two weeks, but that's beside the point. I kinda wish I had gone to the theater instead - with how much I enjoyed that movie, I'm sure it was even better on the big screen.

In Conclusion

  Part of me will always love the theater experience. But in these times, I also love the convenience of streaming and being able to watch new stuff from the comfort of your own home. The future is now, old man. Anyways,

see you next week!