1+ hour, 8+ min ago  (683+ words) The Mandalorian and Grogu" is a shockingly self-contained and low-stakes movie. Is that good enough for Star Wars? After years of TV shows and franchise mismanagement, it feels like a miracle that a Star Wars movie is in the wild…...

6+ hour, 23+ min ago  (980+ words) Ahead of the new "Mandlorian and Grogu" movie, I rewatched all three seasons of "The Mandalorian" (as well as the last three episode of "The Book of Boba Fett"). So naturally I needed to rank the episodes. In cases where…...

3+ week, 9+ hour ago  (298+ words) From the reaction to the new "Resident Evil" trailer to the hoopla over the "Mario" and "Michael" reviews, media literacy is dead. Fandom has become an engine of mass hysteria, which could set a dangerous precedent for the future of…...

1+ mon, 3+ week ago  (490+ words) Project Hail Mary" is a box-office hit, and reports indicate Amazon is interested in a sequel. Hollywood has to tread carefully between launching much-needed new franchises and respecting the original movie. The bad news: Some of Hollywood's most reliable franchises…...

4+ mon, 3+ week ago  (995+ words) The 2025 domestic box office is expected to be close to the 2024 total. This was predictable, and might be the new normal. 2026 was always better on paper, but even that isn't as strong as it once was. Variety: "The Movie Theater…...

5+ mon, 1+ week ago  (876+ words) Disney is investing a billion dollars into Open AI and licensing hundreds of characters to the company. Is it a case of Hollywood cozying up to Big Tech and encouraging AI slop? Or is it a savvy, proactive move by…...

8+ mon, 2+ week ago  (587+ words) A new NRG survey suggests Gen Alpha is the most likely generation to prefer watching movies in a theater versus at home. But when it comes to their favorite franchises, most of them are based on video games. Just four…...

1+ mon, 4+ week ago  (342+ words) Avengers: Doomsday" and Dune: Part Three" are both still scheduled for the same day. Should Disney be worried? Spider-Man: Brand New Day" broke trailer viewing records apparently. So what? Wonder Man" was (surprisingly) renewed, and a check-in on Marvel's comic…...

2+ mon, 3+ week ago  (1007+ words) Welcome to the fourth annual Alternate Oscars! Or The Traversies? I still haven't come up with an actual name yet. When I first launched this newsletter I wrote my own "alternate universe" Oscars, selecting different nominees (and winners) for the…...

2+ mon, 1+ week ago  (209+ words) Happy Oscars Sunday! One of my favorite days of the year, despite the insufferable discourse that pops up every year from people who only watch movies this week, or think they only movie they watched in a given year should…...