Spooky Late 20s
Happy Monday. Welcome back to Jacob’s Letter, a free pop culture newsletter full of puns and badly-PhotoShopped dog photos.
I turned 28 this week, which was a day that was great and wonderful and was spent with lots of friends and family, but also kind of freaky — I am officially now in my late 20s. (I know, I know, roll your eyes.)
Opal bared her teeth once while chomping down on a carrot while dressed like the Easter bunny, and it was the scariest she’s ever looked.
But to go with that theme, this week’s newsletter has some scary stuff in it: A review of Shudder’s new “Creepshow” revival, a look at what low summer box office numbers might mean for the economy, some Halloween recommendations and more.
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American Box office B.O.
In total, the North American summer box office for 2018 brought in $4,035,494,613. That’s a lot of money, but it’s down from $4,125,886,112 in 2018, and still better than 2017’s $3,778,314,908. Of this year’s grand total, Disney made up the lion’s share, with “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “Toy Story 4,” and some receipts from “Avengers: Endgame” rolling in.
Besides Disney, the other big winners for the season were Sony, which split part of its proceeds for “Spider-Man: Far From Home” with Marvel (more on that on-again/off-again relationship later) and saw a big boost with “Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood” and “Men In Black: International”; and Lionsgate, which got a huge boost from “John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum.”
But why the decline in attendance this year? Originality and economics. Most of the films released this summer (this year, really) were sequels or reboots. If you want to see something original and you’re not a huge film buff, you’re probably not as likely to leave home when there are so many more original (and cheaper) options on streaming services. And the price of a ticket is roughly what you could pay for the cheapest tier of Netflix.
But the bigger picture here is what this could mean for the country as a whole. It’s not just movie theater attendance that went down this summer. Spending at baseball games, Disney theme parks, national parks and Broadway shows were also down this summer, according to the New York Times. Historically, a reluctance to spend on leisure activity indicates a coming economic downturn — something that’s already been forecasted once this year.
But then again, maybe this summer’s stinky box office odor is just a sign of bad movies and nothing more, and Disney properties like “Frozen II,” “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker” and other juggernauts like “Cats” (don’t act like it’s not gonna take the world by storm) will right the ship.
Movie review: Dad Astra
“I hate to say it, but each other’s all we got.”
Father John Misty does not make an appearance in the Brad Pitt Goes To Space movie “Ad Astra,” but that lyric from “Pure Comedy” is an apt description of this film’s ethos.
It’s the near future. Space travel is commonplace if you have enough money (though a blanket and headphone pack on the spaceship will cost you $125) and Applebee’s and Hudson News have posted up on the moon. Different countries have colonized various parts of the different planets we’ve traveled to. And we’re still searching for intelligent life.
Pitt stars as Roy McBride, an astronaut for the space arm of the U.S. military (no, it’s not called “Space Force”). His father, Clifford (Tommy Lee Jones) is the most revered astronaut in the program’s history, on account of he went on an exploratory mission to Neptune to find other life decades ago and never returned.
His father long thought dead, Roy soon learns that there is reason to believe that Cliff — or the remnants of Cliff’s ship — is responsible for a series of massive power surges going through the solar system that has caused mass destruction and death on Earth. Roy is then sent on a mission to the moon, Mars and Neptune to find out if his father is alive, and to save Earth.
Pitt, who radiated movie star cool and effortless charm as Cliff Booth in this summer’s “Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood,” here dials down his charisma to play the most stoic astronaut to ever put on a spacesuit. Multiple references are made during the film about Roy’s resting heart rate of 80 BPM, even when he’s free-falling from a spaceship (see above GIF). The acting Pitt does here with just the smallest twitch of his facial muscles or the quickest shift in a glance speaks volumes. Most of the dialogue Roy speaks is in voice-over, which some have found grating, but worked for me as I felt it was his character praying, or trying to speak to a father (or a God) that is just out of his reach.
Once Roy goes on his mission, he quickly discovers that all is not as it seems, and must battle space baboons, moon pirates and corrupt humans to find his father.
I won’t give away the ending, but I’ll just say that I figured it was going to be about God somehow, but it's also the most humanist movie I've seen in a while. Plus, it’s beautifully shot, with accurate renderings of space and spaceships and some of the most colorful frames I’ve ever seen. I love movies about space, and this is one of the best.
My rating: 4.5 space baboons out of 5
Guess who’s back/Back again/Spidey’s back/Tell a friend
Looks like Marvel and Sony are staying together for the kids, at least for a little while.
Earlier this summer, Sony backed out of a deal with Marvel that would have allowed Marvel to keep leasing the rights to Spider-Man in the MCU (thus allowing Peter Parker and Spidey to stay in any future Phase IV Marvel films), but would have also cut a lot of Sony’s profits off of those films. I don’t blame Sony for backing out. Spider-Man and Venom are two of the biggest characters they own, and the company hasn’t really had a lot of hits aside from those films.
This week, the two feuding parents were able to put aside their irreconcilable differences to come to a deal that would allow Spider-Man to come back for a third “Homecoming” film as well as another Marvel appearance in a Marvel-produced film. At least, until Sony takes full custody again and Marvel’s parent company exacts its revenge by buying up all of its competition.
Star Wars Wars
While we’re on the subject of Marvel and Disney, this news is twofold.
First, Disney CEO Bob Iger’s latest memoir, “The Ride of a Lifetime,” details how “Star Wars” creator George Lucas “felt betrayed” by the latest “Star Wars” films made in the Disney era.
Per the Hollywood Reporter:
In the book, Iger explains that Disney purchased Lucas' outlines for three new movies when it made a deal to acquire Lucasfilm in 2012 — although that purchase was, in part, made out of a sense of obligation, it's suggested; "[W]e decided we needed to buy them," the chief exec writes of the decision made with studio head Alan Horn, "though we made clear in the purchase agreement that we would not be contractually obligated to adhere to the plot lines he'd laid out."
As it turned out, Disney and Lucasfilm didn't follow Lucas' lead for the new movies, a decision Lucas discovered when Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy and Star Wars: The Force Awakens writers J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt met to discuss the new trilogy, and specifically the 2015 installment.
"George immediately got upset as they began to describe the plot and it dawned on him that we weren't using one of the stories he submitted during the negotiations," Iger writes. "George knew we weren't contractually bound to anything, but he thought that our buying the story treatments was a tacit promise that we'd follow them, and he was disappointed that his story was being discarded. I'd been so careful since our first conversation not to mislead him in any way, and I didn't think I had now, but I could have handled it better."
Well, he might not like what’s just around the proverbial asteroid belt. It was just announced that Marvel czar Kevin Feige will helm a new “Star wars” film.
Again, per THR, Walt Disney Studios co-chairman and chief creative officer Alan Horn said:
"We are excited about the projects Kathy and the Lucasfilm team are working on, not only in terms of Star Wars but also Indiana Jones and reaching into other parts of the company including Children of Blood and Bone with Emma Watts and Fox. With the close of the Skywalker Saga, Kathy is pursuing a new era in Star Wars storytelling, and knowing what a die-hard fan Kevin is, it made sense for these two extraordinary producers to work on a Star Wars film together."
To be continued…
The eyes of the ranger are upon you … again
“Walker, Texas Ranger” is coming back. According to Variety, “Supernatural”’s Jared Padalecki is in talks to take up the duster and revolver of Chuck Norris as everyone’s favorite Texas Ranger.
Nothing’s set in stone yet, and no TV company has picked up the series, but it can be expected to find a home at CBS, where the original aired from 1993-2001. This might be a good fit for CBS All Access, or it might go well with their other new reboot programming with “Magnum P.I.” and “Hawaii 5-0.”
Life, uh, finds a way
Nostalgia is built into the amber-preserved DNA of the “Jurassic World” films, what with the first “World” film remaking the park of the original and bringing back minor characters, and the second one being a soft remake of “Lost World.” The franchise brought that philosophy full circle this week, when it was announced that Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill and Laura Dern would be reprising their iconic roles from the original “Jurassic Park” as Ian Malcolm, Alan Grant and Ellie Satler, respectively, in the upcoming “Jurassic World 3.”
No word yet on what their characters will do in the new film, but hopefully they will talk some sense into whoever looked upon the folly of Dr. John Hammond and thought, “Y’know what? He got it wrong. I can do better!”
Islands in the Stream
“Islands in the Stream” is a new segment where I’ll discuss any and all happenings on the streaming front every week, since there’s so much of it now.
This week: The Food Network is also making a streaming gambit. Discovery (as in its subsidiary The Discovery Channel), which owns the Food Network, is planning to launch its Food Network Kitchen channel for $7 a month. It will feature recipes, cooking shows, and live cooking lessons and will launch in late October.
Trailer Park
Want more trailer news for all the movies coming out this September and October? I have just the thing: Read my fall movie season preview here at jakeharrisblog.com.
“Uncut Gems”
Ladies and gentlemen, behold the film that will get Adam Sandler an Oscar statue. Every now and then, the man who gave us “Little Nicky” and Netlflix’s “Ridiculous 6” puts in a performance that proves he still takes himself seriously, like in “Punch Drunk Love” or “Funny People.” Here, he plays a gem dealer in New York’s Diamond District who is always trying to stay one step ahead of his debt collectors. This trailer even features directors the Safdie Brothers’ patented frenetic paranoia energy. If you want an indication of what this film will be like, check out their 2017 film “Good Time.”
“Bojack Horseman: The Final Season”
Recommending “Bojack Horseman” is always kind of a crapshoot. It’s simultaneously one of the most joke-heavy shows I’ve seen (even if those jokes are largely puns and pop culture references) and also one of the most accurate depictions of sadness and depression put to screen. Plus, it’s animated, which implies happiness, when this show will go through topics like suicide, drug addiction, infertility, depression, ennui, Alzheimer’s and death within one episode. And yet it ends up also being cathartic in its own way.
This upcoming sixth season will be the show’s last, which may or may not have been the intention (Aaron Paul, who voices Todd, says that Netflix canceled the show; other reports have said that Raphael Bob-Waskberg wanted the show to end). Half of the season debuts in October, the other half debuts in 2020.
“The Last of Us Part II”
Yes, this is for a video game. But few video game stories have moved me as much as “The Last of Us,” about a surrogate father-daughter team fighting mutated zombies in a post-apocalyptic America. The sequel has been in the works for years, and now with this trailer, we finally have a release date. If you need me in February, I’ll be playing this.
“The Irishman”
I know I already shared this one before, but this is the full trailer that features more of what to expect re: the de-aging process for Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro. Word on the streets is this is 3 1/2 hours long, which makes the Netflix financing all the more fascinating. When a studio doesn’t want to bankroll a long Martin Scorsese mob epic anymore, expect the streaming services to step in. This could be the future of auteur moviemaking if “The Irishman” does well.
“Dark Waters”
Mark Ruffalo is channeling his “Spotlight” energy in another ripped-from-the-headlines tale about corruption, this time fighting DuPont in West Virginia over contaminated water. Erin Brockovich + Spotlight = Success?
“The Rhythm Section”
For the whole time I was watching this, I thought, “This actress looks like Blake Lively, but she’s got an accent.” It is indeed Blake Lively, seeking revenge for her family while a slowed-down cover of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” plays in the background. This looks like it should have come out in September.
Letter of Recommendation
Movie: Those looking for a great heist film and an Oscar-worthy Jennifer Lopez performance are in luck: “Hustlers” is the film for you. Engrossing from the first minute, this true story of a group of strippers who scammed a bunch of unsuspecting Wall Street bros during the recession is a complex morality tale that never leers at its subjects, and never fully lets them off the hook, either. I kept thinking about "High Flying Bird" with how well this tells a story of a group of people manipulating a system that does nothing but take from them.
Also, every music drop in this film is perfect, especially the Lorde one.
Music: Sturgill Simpson was once called Country Music’s Savior after many people treated him like a trippier version of Waylon Jennings when “Metamodern Sounds in Country Music” came out. Since then, he’s proved he’s not Country Music Jesus — his musical output has reached far beyond what might be considered “traditional” country. His fourth album, “SOUND & FURY,” makes that clear. This 40-minute dreamscape of an album is ZZ Top by way of Ziggy Stardust, the album art of a muscle car outrunning a mushroom cloud of annihilation being the perfect visual representation of the bombast that is this music. It’s not for everyone, but I love it. (I haven’t seen the accompanying Netflix anime, but once I do, I will have a review.)
Listen to it here:
TV: I’ll have a review on this in Book & Film Globe this week (ETA: It’s published here), but those of you wanting to get into the Halloween spirit with something that’s spooky, but not outright terrifying, should definitely check out Shudder’s revival of “Creepshow.” The original 1982 anthology film was known for its practical makeup effects and its dark macabre humor. Streaming service Shudder understands what made the original so compelling. New episodes drop every Thursday.
Book: Speaking of getting into the Halloween spirit, folklore master Neil Gaiman’s short story collection “Trigger Warning” is the perfect length and the perfect mixture of genuinely touching and genuinely spooky. A small, page-and-a-half story about a genie who encounters someone who is already content and doesn’t want any wishes is the sweetest thing I’ve ever read, while another campfire tale about a man who ventures to a cave with a man who maybe killed his daughter is truly chilling.
Friday News Dump
A list of online stuff I really liked this week:
Getting to see Garth Brooks play a surprise South by Southwest show in Austin a few years ago was a huge highlight of my time there, and I’m so happy that my former colleague Amanda O’Donnell got to see a surprise Garth show too. (via Amanda O’Donnell in Austin 360)
The worst part about “Ad Astra” is that it wastes Liv Tyler in another “astronaut wife” role, just like in “Armageddon.” This article lobbies for her to just be allowed to play an alien or an astronaut for once. (via Kate Knibbs in The Ringer)
Read this story about a couple who searched for their dog and try not to cry, I dare you. (via Mike Baker in the New York Times)
Fifteen years later, LOST is still groundbreaking TV. (via Emily VanDerWerff in Vox)
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See you next week,
Jake