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Streaming services seem to be popping up almost daily. Just within the last year, we’ve seen four major new services join the already crowded market: Apple+, Disney+, HBO Max, and Peacock. One of the other streamers to launch during this time was Quibi. Now, if you’re unfamiliar with this service, don’t worry because everyone else is as well. Quibi seemed to have come out of nowhere, just to leave as quietly as it came. But what led to this service being a failure?
With the popularity of big-budget, high profile fantasy shows popping up everywhere recently, streaming services seem to be looking for the next Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones to fill in that empty void. Shows like The Witcher and the upcoming Wheel of Time, Lord of the Rings, and the Game of Thrones prequel will hopefully continue to provide great, epic fantasy entertainment. There are many other fantasy book series that often get overlooked by bigger series however, they deserve the same, if not more, recognition as the bigger show stoppers. These series could also make for great book-to-screen adaptations, like some of the others. Considering the state of the world right now, we all could use a break and jump into a fantastical world where our problems don’t seem quite as bad.
by Mason Kupiainen With the popularity of big-budget, high profile fantasy shows popping up everywhere recently, streaming services seem to be looking for the next Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones to fill in that empty void. Shows like The Witcher and the upcoming Wheel of Time, Lord of the Rings, and the Game of Thrones prequel will hopefully continue to provide great, epic fantasy entertainment. There are many other fantasy book series that often get overlooked by bigger series however, they deserve the same, if not more, recognition as the bigger show stoppers. These series could also make for great book-to-screen adaptations, like some of the others. Considering the state of the world right now, we all could use a break and jump into a fantastical world where our problems don’t seem quite as bad. The Cosmere Universe by Brandon Sanderson It’s safe to say that Tolkin is the best fantasy author of all time. Considering his novels are constantly being discovered by new readers, and the films based on his novels are incredibly successful, his work will continue to be an influence indefinitely. He was able to create a wonderfully, fleshed-out world with enduring characters. With that being said, Brandon Sanderson may be this generation’s Tolkin, beating out the likes of George R.R. Martin. His version of Middle Earth, the Cosmeriae, consists of multiple series, including Mistborn and The Stormlight Archie with many more books to come in this planned 35 novel epic. His writing style is similar to Robert Jordan’s, with the series having similarities to The Wheel of Time books. Looking past the incredible universe Sanderson has built, he crafts enduring characters that invest you with their stories, making for notable, compelling novels. Like Tolkin, his work feels as if it will stand the test of time and influence the genre in many ways as well. The Burning series by Evan Winter Originally a self-published book that exploded into a mega-hit, the first novel in the series, The Rage of Dragons, has recently joined Time magazine's top 100 best fantasy novels of all time. The novel takes the tropes of fantasy and mixes it with African mythology, making for a new and unique twist on the genre. The story is fast-paced and packed with incredible action sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat. Feeling like a combination of Gladiator and Game of Thrones, genre fans will surely enjoy the breath of fresh air the novel provides, along with getting all the things you expect from a fantasy novel. The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie Originally a trilogy, the series has grown to include standalone novels, short stories, and a new trilogy set in the same universe. Fans of George R.R. Martin will enjoy Abercrombie’s take on the grimdark subgenre, building a dark, sinister world that’s similar to, A Song of Ice and Fire. Abercrombie’s writing style gives a different voice within the crowded genre that feels fresh and original. With gruesome violence, fantastic world-building, and a well-written story, The First Law series will hopefully grip readers with its intense world. Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher Taking two of my favorite genres, hard-boiled crime and fantasy, the Dresden Files follow Harry Dresden as he investigates mysterious crimes in modern-day Chicago. Considering the series currently has 17 novels, many traditional monsters have been explored, including vampires, werewolves, and spirits, while also creating its own creatures. Having the series take place in modern-day Chicago, and having the series be detective fiction, makes the books stand-out from others in the genre. Despite having 17 books so far, the novels are quick reads compared to other fantasy novels and make for easy reads in-between larger fantasy epics. Red Rising series by Pierce Brown A question that gets asked by Red Rising fans is whether or not the series is considered fantasy or not. The series is technically dystopian sci-fi and gets compared to other exceptional works like Ender’s Game or Dune. However, Red Rising has many fantasy elements that make it feel qualified enough to be considered fantasy as well. The series takes place on Mars and follows humanity as they expand their colonization. Incorporating a class system similar to the one seen in The Hunger Games, humanity has split society into a color system with reds being the lowest, and golds being the highest. The original trilogy follows the character Darrow as he tries to infiltrate the elite gold class so he can bring it down. The sequel trilogy expands past Darrow’s perspective to explore other character’s perspectives within the world. With commentary on politics and class warfare, the series takes large concepts, ideas, and questions, bringing them to a fun, entertaining narrative. All of the sci-fi, fantasy, and dystopian elements blend well together to create a unique reading experience where fans of all three genres can enjoy it. Sources: Brandon Sanderson, TIME Featured Image: Vocal Media
When Disney+ was originally announced, I was excited to see the live-action Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe shows that were more closely tied together with the films. Having access to Disney’s vast vault of original classic movies and series was an added bonus that made the service seem like it would stand out among the rest. Once the streaming service finally launched in November 2019, things started off great in terms of content. They launched with The Mandalorian, one of the most exciting shows in recent years, as well as a large library of content, unlike other streaming services like Apple+ and CBS All Access that launched with smaller amounts. However, once The Mandalorian‘s first season came to an end, the streaming service quickly began losing steam and soon became one of the more disappointing services out there.
by Mason Kupiainen When Disney+ was originally announced, I was excited to see the live-action Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universe shows that were more closely tied together with the films. Having access to Disney’s vast vault of original classic movies and series was an added bonus that made the service seem like it would stand out among the rest. Once the streaming service finally launched in November 2019, things started off great in terms of content. They launched with The Mandalorian, one of the most exciting shows in recent years, as well as a large library of content, unlike other streaming services like Apple+ and CBS All Access that launched with smaller amounts. However, once The Mandalorian's first season came to an end, the streaming service quickly began losing steam and soon became one of the more disappointing services out there. Bland Original Content With the exception of The Mandalorian, Disney+’s original content has been quite poor. While I haven't seen all of their original content, from the good chunk that I have watched, the content has fallen between mediocre to terrible. Movies like Artemis Fowl, the live-action Lady and the Tramp, and Noelle have turned out to be awful, with movies like The One and Only Ivan being more bland than good. Their original films and television feel like the worst Disney Channel originals from the early 2000s, almost like they were the rejects for theatrical releases. Promised content getting delayed Due to the coronavirus pandemic interfering with the scheduling of many projects, Disney wasn’t able to release some of their originals this year as intended. Some of their main series that have been delayed are their Marvel shows, which were originally slated to release this year. However, the pandemic interfered with filming shows like Falcon and Winter Soldier, which ultimately caused them to delay the series into next year. Despite the pandemic interfering with some of Disney’s plans, they didn’t have any noteworthy originals coming to the service after The Mandalorian dropped. The finale season of Clone Wars was a nice addition back in February, but with Falcon and Winter Soldier originally scheduled for this August, that would have been five months without any noteworthy titles coming to the service. Sure, Disney+ has many nostalgic movies and television shows, but that’s basically all they’re relying on. Practically all of their films and television pander to younger viewers, not really making it worth keeping the service around just to stop by every once in a while for a quick nostalgic kick. Now, I understand that Disney+ will probably never drop anything R rated on the streaming service; the fact that all of their original content focuses on kids and families makes the service feel worthless for those without kids. Being in college, I don’t have a kid I have to entertain, which is what Disney+ feels like it's meant for, and I don’t really spend time rewatching kids' shows and movies from my childhood. The Mandalorian did a great job of being appropriate for younger viewers, while also entertaining older audiences. Their live action Star Wars and Marvel series are truly the only content at the moment appealing to older audiences, making the service feel like it's alienating a large percent of audiences. Confusing standards One of the first controversies coming from Disney+ came from Splash. When Splash dropped on Disney+, some viewers were angry that they removed a quick butt shot. This wouldn’t be an odd move since Disney seems to want their service to be kid-friendly, and removing any form of nudity that didn’t fit their code isn’t outrageous. However, Disney has dropped X-Men: Days of Future Past and X-Men Apocalypse, and left both the nudity and cursing that they’ve removed from other films. So where does Disney hold their standards? They altered scenes from one film claiming it didn’t fall in line with what they considered wholesome for their service, but left it in another movie. A more recent controversy comes from the release of Mulan. Originally, they dropped this movie on their service with a $30 charge to view it, with the movie eventually being available to all subscribers. Then, only a few weeks later, Disney released the movie to all streaming services, such as iTunes and Google Play, with the same $30 price tag. However, consumers were able to own the film on these services, unlike Disney+ subscribers who can only view the movie as long as they keep their account. Those who purchase the film on other services also get added special features that aren’t available when you get the film through Disney+. Although this feels like a desperate move from Disney to try to make up for lost revenue for not having a theatrical release, it seems like Disney is cheating their subscribers. By not giving subscribers special privileges besides being able to see the movie a few weeks early, it causes the service to feel more pointless, since you aren't getting anything special from being a subscriber. There is still a shred of hope for Disney+ to be one of the better services, but only if they can get over these few hiccups. Sources: Deadline, MobileSyrup, Vanity Fair Featured Image: TechHive
There are certain horror movies that are must-watch, staples for the Halloween season. Classics like A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Shining, Scream, and of course, Halloween are essential October watches. However, there are plenty of other spook-worthy films that should be watched during the month of October that don’t receive the credit they should.
by Mason Kupiainen There are certain horror movies that are must-watch, staples for the Halloween season. Classics like A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Shining, Scream, and of course, Halloween are essential October watches. However, there are plenty of other spook-worthy films that should be watched during the month of October that don’t receive the credit they should. Trick ‘r Treat (2007) A film that didn’t receive the recognition it deserved upon its initial release but has slowly gained a cult following is Trick ‘r Treat. This wonderfully-woven anthology film is similar to the likes of Pulp Fiction. We follow four stories that connect with one-another, with the central character tied to each story being Sam, a burlap sack-wearing child who punishes those who disrespect the holiday. Working as both a creepy, spine-tingling horror film, splashes of dark comedy add a surprising comedic side to an over-all dark movie. Taking place on Halloween night, the film helps get you into the Halloween spirit similar to films like Halloween. https://youtu.be/NJ66Htmmq4M Friday the 13th (2009) Although the Friday the 13th franchise is well-known among the masses, this remake has received poor reviews from both critics and audiences alike. Personally, it surpasses most of, if not all, the films in the series, including the original. By having a higher budget and including all of the tropes of the series that Friday fans have come to love, this film adds to the mythology in clever ways. Being a remake, it takes an interesting approach by combining the story of the first four films and updating it for a modern audience without disrespecting the originals. A few tweaks are made to Jason’s character, but those changes make the film more suspenseful; those notable changes being that Jason sets traps around Camp Crystal Lake, travels around in an underground tunnel system, and has set up a weed farm in order to lure teens. Having a clever Jason versus the previous dimwitted interpretation of the character makes the character and the film much more frightening. https://youtu.be/cCfO1aB8CIE Tusk (2014) Directed by Kevin Smith — the creator behind films like Jay and Silent Bob, Clerks, and Dogma — this is his first horror film and the first film in his planned True North Trilogy. This creature feature follows a young podcaster who travels in search of the strangest, most wildest stories he can find. After coming across a man who was rescued by a walrus, the podcaster gets captured by the man and turned into a human walrus. Definitely the weirdest film on this list, Tusk takes the bizarre concept and never lets the strangeness up until the credits. Not Smith’s best work, but it definitely holds itself up against the rest of his work in terms of there always being something creative to keep the film going in strange directions. At times, the movie will have you laughing only to have you becoming sick and horrified in the next scene. The prosthetics done to transform Justin Long’s character into a human walrus are some of the best in recent years, as well as some of the most grotesque looking. It’s reminiscent of prosthetic work done in horror films from the 80s with the realistic approach taken in the film. https://youtu.be/BCQJnOn0ru0 Doctor Sleep (2019) The long awaited sequel to The Shining, Doctor Sleep takes to the challenge of being a faithful adaptation of King’s original novel while also being a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's classic film. Being true to both, it’s able to please fans of the book while adding in Kubrick’s sensibilities in a beautiful fashion. Despite how great the film is, it failed at the box office, only scavenging together $71 million on a $45 million budget. The film follows Danny, now a grown man dealing with alcoholism like his father, as he must help a young girl with the power to shine escape from an evil cult group trying to kill her. Doctor Sleep improves on many things from The Shining making it a surprisingly better film that develops it’s characters more and has a more intriguing plot that keeps you invested until the credits roll. https://youtu.be/BOzFZxB-8cw The Fly (1986) Another remake on this list, The Fly takes the concept from the original film and improves it in every way. The main thing this remake does differently is embrace the horror aspects while making it a cautionary tale. The character of Seth Brundle is portrayed wonderfully by Jeff Goldblum, who is able to create a charismatic character right from the start. As the film continues and you watch him slowly degrade into a monster, you start to feel for the character because you’ve grown attached to him. The Fly also has some of the greatest animatronics and make-up to ever be in a film. Seeing Goldblum slowly transform into a monster is horrifying to watch and only amplified by the grotesque make-up that is done. It’s incredible work that still is horrific and disturbing to watch today and is far superior than most of the CGI we currently see today. With an incredible cast that brings a certain charm, a well-constructed story with a great message, and incredible make-up, The Fly is a must-watch for any horror and creature-feature fan. https://youtu.be/Z-V3X963DRI Sources: Box Office Mojo, YouTube Featured Image: IMDB
2020 has been a rough year, and one area in particular that is feeling the impact of the pandemic is the film industry. Earlier this year, theaters across the world began shutting their doors forcing studios to either delay their films, or to find alternative ways of releasing them. We began seeing studios sell their films to streaming services or skipping the theatrical release by dropping their films on streaming with a premium price of around $20.
by Mason Kupiainen 2020 has been a rough year, and one area in particular that is feeling the impact of the pandemic is the film industry. Earlier this year, theaters across the world began shutting their doors forcing studios to either delay their films, or to find alternative ways of releasing them. We began seeing studios sell their films to streaming services or skipping the theatrical release by dropping their films on streaming with a premium price of around $20. When the shut-down began, we were led to believe that it would only last for a few short months with everything returning back to normal around June or July. However, as the months ran on and theaters kept pushing back their reopening dates, more movies began getting delayed, or pushed to streaming services. Once theaters began to reopen in August, things didn’t go as planned. Theaters started showing older films with a few new releases, such as Unhinged. However, they could only use the novelty of having films like The Empire Strikes Back and Back to the Future on the big screen for so long. To stay afloat, theaters had to get new and big films in theaters once again. Effect of Tenet and The New Mutants With the disappointing box office numbers for The New Mutants and Tenet, we’ve seen major films like Wonder Woman 1984, Black Widow, and West Side Story get delayed even further. This means that the next major film release won’t be until Nov. 20 with Soul and No Time to Die, unless these films get delayed again. Since there aren’t any major films to release, we may see theaters close their doors again, even though the rest of the world has begun to reopen. Due to the disappointing box office, which caused studios to delay their films once again, theaters won’t be able to support themselves on screening Tenet, New Mutants, and classic films. As said by the president of NATO (National Association of Theater Owners), theaters need blockbusters to survive, and without any new ones coming out for a while, they may need to close once again. Effects of theaters closing Since theaters are already in a tough position after being closed for so long, and now possibly having to close once again, we may see some theaters never reopen. If theaters do close for good, we will see the ripple effect throughout the industry. Gone will be the days of major blockbuster films like Joker, Tenet, and Jumanji: The Next Level. We won’t see franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, or Fast and Furious continue as we’ve seen them expand among the years. Movies like these depend on the theatrical experience, and won’t be able to sustain themselves on streaming alone. Possibly, blockbuster films could continue on streaming services like Netflix or HBOMax, but it won’t be to the same quantity, or quality, that we have become familiarized with. And since studios depend on blockbusters fueling them, this won’t allow them to finance smaller and more prestigious films. How this changes things moving forward Even with films like The Batman, Jurassic World: Dominion, Avatar 2, and Scream 5 back in production, the contents of movies will change, at least for the time being. For example, we will see less scenes in movies that have large crowds and the location for films will become increasingly limited. The cast and crew behind these films will also become limited as studios won’t be able to gather hundreds of people together to make these films. Since they won’t be able to have as many people on set, storytellers will have to come up with creative ways to achieve their vision with their limited resources. In front of the camera, we won’t get to see countless extras walking around in the background of shots. Behind the camera, filmmakers will also have to deal with limited crew members at their disposal. We’ve already seen that major studio films that have returned to production have had to alter the way they film. For example, the Jurassic World: Dominion production has increased their safety protocols by adding a 107-page safety manual. These enhanced safety protocols have included COVID testing all cast and crew before anyone enters the set and having actors do more of their own preparation before shooting, such as setting up their own microphones. The production for Jurassic World has also divided their limited production team into two, in order to limit those on set even more. No matter what the future of the film industry looks like, it’s safe to say that things will likely never go back to how they were before. From how films are made, to how they are distributed, our viewing experience for films has been greatly altered. Depending on how things shake out in the future, whether or not studios keep their films in theaters or bump them, we will not get the same blockbusters that we have become accustomed to. With indie films also being changed, It is safe to say that the world of movies will never be the same. Sources: Box Office Mojo, New York Times, Slashfilm, Vanity Fair, Variety, Vulture, Washington Post Featured Image: Kellyn Harrison
Generally speaking, Netflix doesn't have the best track record when it comes to their original films. While some of their films in recent years have shown that they can produce quality originals, like Marriage Story and El Camino, given the vast quantity of originals they release (nearly one a week), one would expect better quality more often.
Fall marks the time of year when Americans go to haunted houses, carve pumpkins, and curl up on the couch with a bucket of popcorn while walking horror movies. One of the horror flicks that should be at the top of every list is Scream. The film is like lightning in a bottle. It combines horror and comedy while having clever commentary on horror films woven throughout. With an all-star cast including Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Jamie Kennedy who have created some of horror's most iconic characters, the film was able to go on to be a success both critically and financially. But how did this iconic film, not based on any previous source material, begin in the first place?
by Mason Kupiainen Fall marks the time of year when Americans go to haunted houses, carve pumpkins, and curl up on the couch with a bucket of popcorn while walking horror movies. One of the horror flicks that should be at the top of every list is Scream. The film is like lightning in a bottle. It combines horror and comedy while having clever commentary on horror films woven throughout. With an all-star cast including Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, and Jamie Kennedy, who has created some of horror's most iconic characters, the film was able to go on to be a success both critically and financially. But how did this iconic film, not based on any previous source material, begin in the first place?
By Mason Kupiainen Generally speaking, Netflix doesn't have the best track record when it comes to their original films. While some of their films in recent years have shown that they can produce quality originals, like Marriage Story and El Camino, given the vast quantity of originals they release (nearly one a week), one would expect better quality more often. Based on the novel by Donald Ray Pollock, The Devil All the Time is Netflix’s newest original with a stellar cast including Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Sebastian Stan, Bill Skarsgard, and Jason Clarke. The film follows Arvin, a young man dealing with his past while trying to protect those around him from a large cast of sinister characters including a husband and wife serial-killer duo, a sleazy preacher, and a crooked sheriff. Throughout the course of the film, Arvin’s story crosses paths with these characters, leaving him to do what is necessary to keep those he loves out of harm's way.
Originally intended to be released last August and then delayed for a May release, Disney finally cut bait with Artemis Fowl and dumped it onto their streaming service. Based on a series of children’s books by author Eoin Colfer, the film had the potential to spawn a franchise for Disney, but given that it currently holds the terrible Rotten Tomatoes score of 10%, a sequel will probably never happen.
Disclaimer: This review contains spoilers for Da Five Bloods.
2019 was a huge year for movies, with nine films hitting the billion dollar mark. With many of the big blockbusters like Avengers: Endgame, Joker, and Aladdin tearing up the box office, there were many other great films released during this year that didn’t get the respect they deserved. Whether this was due to audiences not having enough time, or wanting to go see one of the bigger films, some of the best films of 2019 didn’t have droves of audiences see them. With this list, I have compiled five of my favorite films from 2019 that didn’t get enough recognition at the box office as they should have.