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How do?

So there’s been a couple of year in review threads, and one about top games of the past decade in the Video Game forum.

But nothing to really cover just how much the world of media changed in the same period.

First up, we’ve had the vast, vast majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sure, it kicked off with some style in 2008 with Iron Man and Hulk. But it wasn’t until 2010 that Iron Man 2 came along, swiftly followed by Thor and Captain America in 2011, then Avengers Assemble in 2012. After that? The rest as they say, is History.

Not only is it the first time such an ambitious attempt was made at a shared universe, but we still see other studios trying to replicate that success.

Then, there’s Online Digital Streaming. Netflix started digital streaming in 2010, according to Wikipedia. And again, the world never looked back. Indeed, as with the MCU the trailblazer has been copied many times, albeit with more success than the MCU’s would be competition. In terms of such platforms, I’m currently signed up to Netflix, Amazon Prime (with two sub, erm, subs. Universal and Shudder), and WWE Network (far cheaper than paying for individual PPV). Oh, and Now TV because it’s far cheaper than Sky, without all the drivel channels I honestly cannot believe anyone actually watches.

In its wake, we of course lost Video Stores. This is something that really hit me this weekend, as my now 4 and a half year old God Daughter and I held our first Movie Night ( complete with Popcorn). It went well, even if she found Labyrinth a bit too scary. Ended up watching Coraline. But I do regret her never having the Trip To Blockbuster. You know the one. There’s a film you definitely want to rent, and will probably grab a couple of randoms. And once in a while, said randoms turn out really, really good! But the world must move on, and us with it, sadly. I guess the nearest approximation would be to do a proper snack shop instead?

We also saw the rise, and arguably fall, of Event TV. Particularly, Game of Thrones. Few if any shows like it before it came along. And it’s early seasons were absolutely wonderful. Opinions differ more as the seasons wind on, but none can deny its overall impact. Walking Dead too, the first to my knowledge proper Horror TV series that wasn’t anthology in nature. Again, like GoT it’s been a bit wobbly. But it’s still a significant milestone.

I mean, compare the previous decade? For me it was a morass of god awful (opinion only) reality TV and cheaply made shows. And endless repeats. This of course ultimately ties back into the Streaming Revolution. No longer were content producers bound solely by advertising revenue. And I don’t need to watch a repeat unless I’ve expressly chosen to.

Latterly, there was of course the return of both Star Wars and Star Trek to the wider public consciousness. No comment on opinion here, as I don’t want this thread to devolve in that way. But both are pretty significant slices of the wider SciFi pie, which had largely sat out the previous decade (Trek more so, I think?)..

Overall, an awful lot happened in 10 short years. Not only the type of medium we consume, but how we consume it has changed forever more. I mean, I’m currently bingeing Supernatural. 12 seasons on Amazon Prime at no extra cost. That alone in terms of DVDs is near the cost of the annual Prime sub, let alone all the other gubbins I find to enjoy.

Pretty sure I’ve missed fair chunks of the decade, so I’d like to hear from you

In terms of the business, the rise of streaming and the limited return on non-blockbuster movies means that we'll see fewer and fewer mid tier major movies in theaters. Studios are chasing blockbusters, or sending it straight to streaming.

Artistically, the above is one of the reasons for the rise of prestige TV, which technically kicked off in 1999 with the Sopranos (and had hints prior with shows like HOmicide, The West Wing, and the Shield), and grew huge in the 00s (the Wire is probably the apex of the genre), but from 2010-2020 movies didn't drive the middle brow culture, it was all television. Mad Men, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones all drove the conversation. The fringes also allows some truly wacky art (Twin Peaks: the return) and ambitious, risky mini series (Watchmen).

In terms of geek content, we've probably never been better served, with superhero, Trek, SW, and Pixar, but these are all IP that had been around for decades. There was room for some newer properties like Hunger Games and Game of Thrones, while other rebound properties like Jurassic Park or even Harry Potter were a mixed bag. It's easy to sit and bemoan the sequels and reboots in lieu of fresh stories, but it's a bit of a cheat to lump all the Marvel stuff as a sequel. Movies like Black Panther or Guardians of the Galaxy introduced characters nobody outside of comics knew about. Still, it's a shame to see no really new IP.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
The 2010s really completed the "sequels, reboots, and sidequels" approach to movie making. The top movies of 2019:

Avengers: Endgame
The Lion King
Star Wars: The Rise of Skyw…
Frozen II
Toy Story 4
Captain Marvel
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Aladdin
Joker
Jumanji: The Next Level

So, depending on how you count Joker and Captain Marvel, you have two remakes, six pure sequels, a sidequel, and a reboot. All are family friendly action/adventure aside from Joker.

For 2009:
Transformers: Revenge of the fallen
Avatar
Harry Potter and the Half-B…
Up
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
The Hangover
Star Trek
The Blind Side
Monsters vs. Aliens
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

so, no remakes, one reboot, four sequels, and five original stories. Also, there's R rated comedy, non-action drama, and the most heartbreaking five minute opening to a move I've ever seen.

Now, let's go all the way back to 1999:
Star Wars Ep. I: The Phantom Menace
The Sixth Sense
Toy Story 2
Austin Powers: The Spy Who …
The Matrix
Tarzan
Big Daddy
The Mummy
Runaway Bride
The Blair Witch Project

That's one remake (Tarzan)(Yes, I know that the Mummy is technically a remake of the old 30s movies, but that's stupid and we all know it. if anything, the Mummy is an unofficial Indiana Jones sequel), two sequels, and six completely original movies, including a romantic comedy, a horror movie, and more!

It's not just a quirk of the year. 1998 had only two remakes in the top ten (Dr. Doolittle and Godzilla) and no sequels, while 2000 had one sequels (Mission impossible 2) and one quasi reboot (how the Grinch stole Christmas).

The movies that drive our culture are very different. I'm almost 40, so the movies from 1999 seem much more interesting than the movies from 2019, but obviously the movie going public disagrees.

Because I went down a rabbit hole, it looks like the seeds for the modern IP recycyling plant took seed in the mid 90s. In 1996 you had two remakes and a reboot (101 dalmations, nutty professor, and Mission impossible). It took a while for retreads to take over, with a 50/50 mix through the mid 2000s, and six retreads in 2007: Spider-Man 3, shrek 3, transformers, a Harry potter, a pirates, and a bourne). but only four in 2008 (Dark Knight, Indy 4, Madagascar 2, and a Bond), five in 2009 (see above) and five in 2010. By 2011, 8 movies were sequels, and the other two were MCU (thor and Cap). By 2017, all top ten were retreads, wonder woman being very technically a sequel to BvS. Adding fresh superheroes is the best we can hope for in 2019, with Black Panther the closest thing to an original story.

I think the last ten years have highlighted that companies are continually refining the business of making profit, and not quality entertainment. Despite a relatively reliable and solid worldwide economy, film companies are ever more risk-averse (and this isn't a critique...shareholders gonna sharehold).

You're seeing the same "safe", "all-profit" approach in music, automotive companies, etc. It's just a natural thing. The massive amount of data available to companies is allowing them to better evaluate and predict profitable practices.

China is finally emerging as a strong market for film consumption. A lot of films casting/storylines/etc. are neutered or adjusted to make sure the film is palatable to a Chinese audience, etc. The ever present nature of social media has also made companies more risk averse and is pushing large companies to play it far more safe, to avoid the wrath of whatever current trends are.

This may all sound like a critique, and it is...but perhaps only of the major motion picture studios. They're content (and rightfully so) churning out formulaic, safe, massive-budget films that appeal to a broad and simple audience. At the same time, tech and the internet have made amateur film making astoundingly good in many cases. Streaming services pick up quite a bit of small studio stuff. YouTube (which'll kill itself in a few years at the rate it's going...) made being a YouTuber an actual profession/lifestyle. Loads of content creators out there making a healthy living by playing video games, or simply commenting on current events, or the movie industry, etc.

What's amusing is that a semi-prominent YouTube creator is likely to get more views of their channel/videos in a week than a major television network show. TV and the big companies haven't figured out how to address this yet, either...because mainstream TV is very likely doomed with the availability of so much online content on-demand.

Interesting to watch for sure. I've never gone to the theater less than the past few years though. The number of "gotta see it" movies have dwindled to maybe 2-3 a year for me.

I think a key change in recent years, whose effects are only just starting, is the rise of Patreon and other direct funding systems (e.g. Twitch subs). No longer do you have to buy a subscription package to a TV channel/magazine/whatever in order to get that one thing you really like, you can spend the same money (or less) directly with the creator (minus fees of course). This creates a much more personal and involved relationship between creator and audience and potentially allows continuing or even greater diversity, as smaller projects can be viable. But it also puts more and more of us in little bubbles, where we only consume the stuff we like, which no one else has ever heard of.

one thing also worth noting is the decade saw the rise of Disney.

Avengers: Endgame (Disney)
The Lion King (Disney)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Disney)
Frozen II (Disney)
Toy Story 4 (Disney)
Captain Marvel (Disney)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (Sony in conjunction with Disney)
Aladdin (Disney)
Joker (WB)
Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony)


Compare that with 2009

Transformers: Revenge of the fallen (Paramount)
Avatar (Fox)
Harry Potter (Warner Bros)
Up (Disney)
The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Paramount Pictures)
The Hangover (warner Bros)
Star Trek (Paramount)
The Blind Side (Warner Bros)
Monsters vs. Aliens (Paramount)
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (20th century fox)

Looking at this, in 2009 paramount and warner bros seemed to be the "big kids on the block" with major franchises of their own (transformers and twilight where big franchises at the time) Disney had a presence but wasn't even the top ANIMATED film of 2009 (that distinction going to Ice Age dawn of the dinos)
flash forward ten years and Disney is completely dominant, the only animated films on that chart are disney movies, of the non animated top ten movies, most are disney, and of the three that are not, 1 essentially is working hand in glove with disney to the point most people proably assume the spidy stuff is disney. one is a super hero movie that arugably is riding on the coat tails of disney's sucess in the super hero movie. and only Jumangi really stands apart as it's own thing.

the question is how long will this dominance last?

BrianDavion wrote:
one thing also worth noting is the decade saw the rise of Disney.

Avengers: Endgame (Disney)
The Lion King (Disney)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Disney)
Frozen II (Disney)
Toy Story 4 (Disney)
Captain Marvel (Disney)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (Sony in conjunction with Disney)
Aladdin (Disney)
Joker (WB)
Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony)


Compare that with 2009

Transformers: Revenge of the fallen (Paramount)
Avatar (Fox)
Harry Potter (Warner Bros)
Up (Disney)
The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Paramount Pictures)
The Hangover (warner Bros)
Star Trek (Paramount)
The Blind Side (Warner Bros)
Monsters vs. Aliens (Paramount)
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (20th century fox)

Looking at this, in 2009 paramount and warner bros seemed to be the "big kids on the block" with major franchises of their own (transformers and twilight where big franchises at the time) Disney had a presence but wasn't even the top ANIMATED film of 2009 (that distinction going to Ice Age dawn of the dinos)
flash forward ten years and Disney is completely dominant, the only animated films on that chart are disney movies, of the non animated top ten movies, most are disney, and of the three that are not, 1 essentially is working hand in glove with disney to the point most people proably assume the spidy stuff is disney. one is a super hero movie that arugably is riding on the coat tails of disney's sucess in the super hero movie. and only Jumangi really stands apart as it's own thing.

the question is how long will this dominance last?

2009 I saw seven of those. M vs. A is one of my favorite movies.
2019 I saw none of those with no intent to watch them even on on free TV.