#retroblasting #fandom #franchises Support us on PATREON: / retroblasting Michael looks at franchise filmmaking and wonders... "What happened to allowing stories to end?"
I'm already looking forward to "It's OK for Stories to END 2" The next one needs to be more nihilistic, but also have lots of Marvel style humour and have a suitably open end.
“There’s a fine line between being truly timeless and running yourself ragged trying to become timeless, old friend.”- a paraphrase of Optimus Prime, 1984
Years ago I would have loved to have sequels to The Goonies, The Monster Squad, The Secret of NIMH (a real one), The Last Starfighter or Buckaroo Banzai......now I realize idiots run the asylum. Leave the classics and cult classics alone.
I’ve made the argument time and again about “Star Trek: Enterprise” that, had it been a unique science fantasy series in the production style of Berman-era Star Trek, it would’ve done a lot better. I wonder if the problem is simply the sheer ease of access to entertainment that’s made it less enjoyable. There’s something about how rare anime was in the 90s that made seeing Dominion Tank Police, the Tenchi movies, or Gundam on SyFy or Cartoon Network fun. Streaming tv and music also takes away from the anticipation of the communal experience. Yes, you can find colleagues at work who watch the same shows you do more easily, but is the anticipation as fun? I wonder if something like KOFY TV 20’s Annual Dance Party tv marathon would work these days, or how many others tune in Saturday nights for Svengoolie to replicate the classic “creature feature” concept. The last vestige of this experience I have held on to is Jim French’s Imagination Theater, which I listened to religiously every Sunday night while working pizza delivery and evenings in the college dorms.
It's cause back than (mid 70's through like 1995) Movies had to only check 3 boxes. Good script ✔ interesting characters ✔ & _is it Fun_ ✔... > Today these same Producers think they need to check 500 boxes. Most of which are based on ridiculous identity politics sensibilities. Which Most of the time- also use messaging and "what not" an end up destroying whatever the production is.
@@chrisbullard5901 I have had a similar thought quite a bit recently. I think we have TOO much. I agree with our comment about the communal experience. When there were less channels, less releases it just seemed that we all could enjoy these wonderful works with many of our peers. But now there are so many options from new shows/films to the countless reboots, spin-offs and continuations that it is easy to get overhelmed by the number of choices.
I remember finishing the Back to the Future trilogy for the first time as kid. The train smashed through the screen and up it came, "THE END". I cried because I knew it was finished and my journey with Marty and Doc was done. I loved it and went about watching those three stories over and over again to relive the adventure. There have been supplemental materials over they years, the animated show, the ride, comics, but a part four would only ever cheapen the experience of that trilogy and how wonderful it is. Here's hoping BTTF never joins the ranks of Star Wars, Star Trek, Ghostbusters. For a movie that was only ever meant to be a one and done, I'm so glad we have the sequels and they knew when to quit.
Oh, god yes. Hollywood's obsession with never letting stuff go is at its worst in the late 2010s-early 2020s. If you don't have anything else to say, don't bother.
@@LUCKO2022 TV (especially basic cable) went to crap in 2000 with the invention of fake reality trash TV shows starting with that fake as hell survivor bullcrap. Oddly enough survivor failed in the ratings at first as nobody was interested in it at all....it was only after the cast began fighting with each other to the point of wanting to kick each other off the set that the idea of voting cast members "off the island" was created by the writers and producers and is what proved to be the catalyst that saved the series and genre. The audience didn't give a crap about watching the cast trying to "survive" on a so called desert island(in reality it was filmed on a studio soundstage in hollywood) the audience was fixated on the drama of who was gonna get "voted off" the island this week.
Brilliant as ever, Michael. I couldn't agree more with "The End" being more satisfying. There is a direct connection between Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and Avengers: Endgame. The signatures of the actors on screen at the end of both films were a clear message to the audience that this was the end.
The producers and directors of Endgame have even come out and said this. It's not a coincidence, it's a tip of the hat and nod to how graceful Star Trek 6 did it. Which is why I am personally done with the MCU. I got my ending. And I think a lot of other people feel the same way.
@Joseph Dickerson Indeed. I saw an interview where they said the same thing and I agree that Endgame was a very satisfying ending for me and the MCU. Star Trek VI was a perfect 25 year ending for the original crew. I am interested in the upcoming Doctor Stange film, mainly because the first one was well done and it's an extremely bizarre character's world to portray. The fact that they accomplished it and Cumberbatch's performance makes me want to see it.
But then Star Trek Generations has Malcolm McDowell say, "time is the fire in which we burn" which makes it necessary. It would have been great to see Ricardo Mantalbàn's Khan survive Star Trek II and quote more books: "“I am what you designed me to be. I am your blade. You cannot now complain if you also feel the hurt.”
This is very smart and something adults really need to come to terms with. It's something I've been expressing for years, usually to the anger many of my friends and fan groups who continue to demand more sequels and then scratch their heads in confusion as to why they're disappointed when they get them. We've infantilized ourselves for cheap entertainment and the results have bled into every aspect of our lives wherein we can no longer engage reality in an effective manner.
Excellent video. Sometimes the truth can be harsh and difficult to swallow. And now the question remains: Will our generation (kids from the 80's) have the courage to stop recreating and watching "old stuff" and finally understand there is a big world of new ideas (movies, books, comic books) waiting to be presented for our kids?
I grew up with Harry Potter, now I know that it was far past your generation but it was my childhood. Every kid was excited to see the end of the seven book eight movie series. And when our beloved characters stood together at a train station waving their children goodbye, that was it, and we were happy. Now however things are far different with a 5 movie prequel series answering questions that were good because they never had answers. I never needed to know how Harry Potter's kid was doing at school. So I have to agree with you, all stories need to end.
I was thinking as soon as I started the video, “ I think it’s because we fear death” and yep you mentioned it. Couldn’t agree more. Even these movie stars are wanting to quit and move on with their lives and we won’t let them. So studios need to recast parts and we complain about it.
I'm an adult, a part of Gen X and I don't like all the remakes/reboots/spin-offs, what have you. I feel no embarrassment in my love of the original products, childish they may be nowadays.
About 20 years ago I remember an online debate about whether or not there should be a sequel to "Ferris Beuller's Day Off." My opinion then stands now: It works perfectly as a stand-alone film.
Not a day goes by where I don't miss a time when there were only 3 star wars films. The franchise has become so stretched out and fatigued that it's truly heart breaking. I only continue to watch out of morbid curiosity to see how an ip can be so badly and unnecessarily mistreated by so many people, so many times.
I agree, though I only have enough morbid curiosity to check out synopses on youtube by people who are critical of them. I had enough curiosity for episode seven because it was well received at first, but I waited until it was on TV and am glad I did as I would have hated paying for a movie ticket for it. I had a bad feeling they were going to mess up Star Wars when they announced the new movies. I know some people like things such as the Mandalorian, and I'm happy for them, but for me, I just ignore anything but the originals and that works for me.
I tolerate the prequel trilogy because for better or worse they are 100% George Lucas’ vision. The only thing from the Disney era worthy to fit in with Episodes I-VI is Rogue One, I ignore everything else
@@Bingo_the_Pug Yeah Disney is simply gonna milk that franchise to the last drop and then engage in another power grab of another unsuspecting franchise to exploit until the cash stops flowing into their bank account. For Disney right now it's about marketing and tying the franchise into their park attractions in much the same way as six flags continually exploits the DC comics franchise in their parks as a simple cash grab.
I always loved the idea of The Terminator franchise ending with Kyle Reese stepping into the time machine so that the story would become the eternal snake eating its own tale....and unending circle, you can watch forever. But the kept doing time travel stories....even in the tv show.
Well said Michael. I realized almost a year ago that “these aren’t for you”, was becoming fact as things were changed to bring in new people or our children as you succinctly put it, “to enjoy our thing”. I also think this attempt to hold onto them makes us like them less. So, I walked away. I continue to enjoy what I liked but have let go and have walked completely away from what there is today. It has made my entertainment more enjoyable and I cherish it more because it is limited again. Another brilliant video.
BRAVO 👍🏾 👍🏾👍🏾 I really wish you would do more videos like this. Your insight to these topics are much needed. These video essays are why I watch your channel. Keep them coming…. Er oh wait that’s the topic of the video 😂
Wow so on point. This is pretty funny as I was actually just debating with somone this week if The Thing (1982) should have a sequel. It was insane to me that somone would need more then the conclusion we got for that story. I also see what your saying about our generation having a real aversion to growing old and dying when in reality it's what happens to everyone. I actually kinda fear the day they say we've conqured death but that's just me.
Great video Michael. I have two young boys and I always planned on handing down my MOTU and GI Joe's from my youth. More so they had more to play with. Instead it sometimes feels like they are retreading my childhood with the same franchises being the focus in the media. As much as they like MOTU Origins, Transformers, GI Joe Classified I often take a step back to ensure they are choosing something they want.
I like a lot of sequels to a lot of great movies (in my opinion). But, your points are 100% valid and I love your insights! What a great and well thought out video! Thanks for all that you do RB!
Terminator movies are truly the most egregious examples of unneeded sequels. I TRULY believe Shaq is to blame for telling media he would love to be in a Terminator movie in the 90's and then a bunch of people kept asking for it.
Great video. Of my two favorite movies, one is lost in sequel hell (Jurassic Park) and one is blissfully complete (hopefully); that being Gladiator. Really great insight, and a great presentation.
Even in pro-wrestling, this has often been the case. Sure, there´s a time limit in that wrestlers eventually get so old they have to stop performing in the ring, but that can take decades, while the wrestlers get worse and worse as performers. A lot of what hindered that line of entertainment was having the same old tired headliners main-eventing long past their primes, coming out of retirement several times, repeating storylines and trying to recreate the same matches and feuds long after it got old, not allowing new superstars to be made, who could have fresh storylines.
Also, to be blunt, it takes a lot of talent to consistently come up with fresh new stories, and sometimes that deep pool of creativity seems to run dry.
@@autobotstarscream765 that is true and it´s much easier to say something sucks than to make better content yourself. I still feel it is often better to make the same kind of story with new characters than keep using the same characters. I think that´s also the point of the video.
@@rokkvi1 Indeed, I'm just musing on why that's so rarely done, especially in dying media like pro wrestling that no longer commands the power, wealth, and cultural significance to consistently pull the cream of the crop in from all fields like when it ruled the world in the 70's-90's culminating in the Attitude Era, with the 00's and the Ruthless Aggression Era feeling like the end of the golden years and the beginning of the transition into low-shelf niche status and even self-deprecation.
Very well though out and argued. Stories are supposed to have a beginning, middle and end. An example I have given before of how actors and directors of Hollywood do not always know how to end a story is how Harrison Ford wanted to kill off Han Solo. He said Han's story was over and he wanted to end the character. But Han's story was integral in Leia's story. She was the person who had selflessly devoted herself to the rebellion and now she was discovering she loved this scoundrel who was, at first, only interested in himself. At the end of the first act of RotJ, Han's story was finished. he had grown to become someone who would let his prized possession, the Millennium Falcon, be used by someone else as he selflessly did his part to fight against the Empire. But Leia had still not fully accepted her love for Han until she answered him with, "I know." When they ended up together, her story was finished. Lucas wanted to have a more somber ending with Han dead, Leia on her own trying to rebuild the Republic and Luke gone to re-establish the Jedi. It would have been an ending that would have left many fans soured on the whole franchise. The ending we got was an ending where hope paid off and completed everyone's story with a satisfactory ending. Your entire examination clearly shows, that in the case of Star Wars, how the sequels threw the original trilogy all out the window and gave us a mess with NO satisfactory ending at all while at the same time making the original trilogy all for nothing with the Emperor surviving, Han and Leia separated, Luke Disgruntled with the Jedi... Oops sorry, Spoilers.
Stories,like all things; must all end eventually. It's only natural. I feel like Return of The Jedi was the perfect end to "The Skywalker Saga" and don't get me wrong,I don't mind and even enjoy some of the extended universe stuff like books,comics and video games but I feel like the story of the Skywalker family should've ended there.
Come 2005, and the final prequel, Revenge of the Sith, also worked as a perfect ending to the "Skywalker Saga". We knew things would get better, and the movie left us off with all the questions we had from prior entries answered, the characters at where they are when we first met them in the original Star Wars, and a hopeful image to round things out. It might not be a finale in the traditional sense, but dammit, they should've stopped there rather than getting sold to Disney to make the Sequels.
@@michaezell4607 Ayup. It could've worked, but Disney (and to an extent, Lucas himself who appointed Kathleen Kennedy) approached this in the worst way possible.
Star wars worldbuilding is perfect to explored new places and event outside the main story. Espiode 1-6 was a self contain story. The story ended at Return of the jedi but left entire galaxy to explore both past and future.
This is why I didn't watched any MCU stuff (aside from Spider-Man) after Avengers: Endgame, I might be the only one who thought that it ended the MCU perfectly and like a full course meal, I was so content and happy that I never really bother to watch Wandavision, Loki etc despite hearing good things about it.
This is a complex issue, and you did about the best job that anyone could with distilling its many dimensions into a 28-minute video. I only differ in the amount of sympathy I have for our cohort, which is to say only a slight bit more. The conditioning we experienced as kids was profound, and (due in part to Reagen-era deregulation) omnipresent. He-Man and GIJoe weren't just in our toy box or on Saturday morning TV, they were fully integrated into just about every meaningful event of our childhood. The day we first met our eventual best friend in the school cafeteria, He-Man was posed heroically on our lunch box; the last time we had a sleepover at our grandparent's house before they moved away, GIJoe was on our pajamas and on our sleeping bag; the best birthday we can remember ever having as a kid, TMNT imagery was on the balloons and the paper plates and maybe even the birthday cake itself. Meaningful events during crucial developmental windows in childhood, all indelibly stamped with the IPs we loved and were constantly exposed to. I can't dismiss this as having significant weight in explaining some of the differences experienced by previous generations. Like I said, it's a complex set of phenomena, and it may be impossible to disentangle our cohort's concept of self from the experience of many of these IPs, precisely because of how integrated they are with that which is sacred: memory and the past. And, if I were to put my cynic's hat on for a moment, this is something that the likes of Disney (who have spent a lot of time and money monopolizing the sole ownership of these IPs) understand very well and have no reservations about exploiting. But that's a whole other thread. Again, great job with this video. Hopefully it will give viewers some food for thought, maybe even help to reframe how they interact with culture and how they think about themselves. Kudos.
My explanation is as simple as this, and it's ironically a Batman reference: entertainment executives are a superstitious and cowardly lot. If you greenlight a pre-existing property with a pre-existing fan base and it flops, you can say to the CEO or the shareholders "hey, look at all the research that this material had a built-in audience, don't fire me, I had the right idea, the people under me didn't execute." Yes, the general audience goes to the reboots and deboots and preboots but, ultimately, it's because it was marketed so hard to them, not because that's all they wanted. They would go to see new stuff if it was offered and pushed. But it's safer for executives so it doesn't happen. They would rather keep their jobs and fail at their jobs than risk striking out in pursuit of a home run with a new property. And their tail wags our dog as consumers. There are other lesser factors, of course, but I think this is the heart of the matter.
And if their product is reviewed by the "fans" as the terrible creations that they are, then the studios, directors, and actors refuse to acknowledge their mistakes or biases. Instead, they blame the epitomes "toxic fans" or make up some excuse about how its the audiences that are awful.
@@n.d.m.515 IMHO that cuts both ways though. There are a lot of people who don't get that these massive corporate products that are largely made to appeal to the lowest common denominator intentionally weren't made with their specific tastes in mind. Say what you want, but sometimes there's a lot of truth in "these weren't made for you".
Another problem I see from the youth of today is that our parents/elders would pass on their movies, comics, books, and stories to us; now the youth of today refuse to expect or watch anything old (examples I don't watch black & white movies, I don't want to read a movie or the now current annoying word problematic). I have gotten lucky in some situations for example after The Shape of Water came out I had tons of people wanting to borrow The Creature from the Black Lagoon from me (since that was one of the key inspirations of Del Toro's movie). It is now a chore for me to share the likes of the Universal Monsters, The Three Stooges, The Marx Brothers, Hitchcock films, and so on due to pure ignorance. I 100% get what Michael is saying about the kids of the 80's and 90's but a lot of it is also the stupidity of the society in general.
I would be careful with your assuming the older generation was more accepting of older material. That wasn't my experience growing up, as black and white still had a stigma back then. Books were just as disliked as now by the youth. On the other hand, we at least had new material coming out that was worth trying. This new generation has terrible media and just accepts it as the best ever, although a few have their eyes opened to the garbage they are getting fed.
@@n.d.m.515 I will bet money that in 20 or 30 years, a lot of that "garbage" media of today will be held up my many as the superior "classics" they grew up on. It's always been like that. I think part of us in the 80's/90's generation(s) just have trouble accepting that we're aging out of the pop culture window. Stuff isn't being catered to our tastes any longer because we're no longer the target demographic.
@@prufan That argument relies on two faulty assumptions: 1. That no one does/will like certain content at least in part because it's "woke" not in spite of it. and 2. That things that are seen as divisive hot buttons today will come across as acutely to people viewing that work decades from now. Neither are true, or at least not necessarily so.
@user-do2ev2hr7h Not really, my friend. It isn't just nostalgia. Movies and shows today are just written badly. Whether you call it WOKE or crappy politics, Hollywood is currently in a Dark Age
"Zombie Franchises." I'm stealing that. The power of Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country (a subtitle that clearly refers to death and endings, as you know) is that it is a goodbye to the original crew and a definitive END.... Which is why I absolutely loathe Star Trek Generations. Kirk's story was OVER. But... Nope, gotta bring him back. Because money. And let's not even talk about what they are doing to Picard's character in that new series. Trek is most definitely the biggest Zombie Franchise out there. And you are 100% right about Doctor Who. Capaldi should have been the end... Because what followed cheapened the series as a whole.
Sick of the hate for Whittaker’s seasons in Who. Yes, they tried something different with Chibnall, and it was not well received. But that is the beauty of Doctor Who, and why it is such a unique show: the main character can regenerate, and become a new, but still, essentially, the same, person. And people are always resistant to change. The usual process, even since the first regeneration of Hartnell to Troughton, is as follows: . incoming actor - oh, they could never find a decent replacement for . This has happened with every regeneration, and nearly ended with the cancellation of the show, when Tennant decided to leave. Now, I have NOT liked every actor who played the Doctor. Was not a big fan of Colin Baker, endured Sylvester McCoy, as there would be no Who without him. Loathed Matt Smith. But the show was still worth watching. Doctor Who is unique in that the story never needs to end…
@@Wolf359inc I know the show. So does Michael. And if you like the new seasons, good. But if you are defending a new version of the thing you love because it is... The thing you love... Well, you may have reinforced Michael's point. I love Star Trek. LOVE it. Like, have a wall full of Trek tie-in collectibles. And more in boxes in storage. I've spoken at the official Star Trek Convention as a guest (in the tech block). But new Trek is bad. Really bad. Just because I love a thing doesn't mean I have to watch every single permutation of that thing. No one should waste their time on bad ANYTHING. Even if it has their favorite IP associated with it. Life is too short.
@@JosephDickersonUX oh, I don’t disagree that new Trek is bad. Bad is being kind. With regard to Doctor Who, I am riding out the storm. I like Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor, but she has not been given much to work with, to let her shine, and it is a shame we won’t get to see her written under a different showrunner (unless RTD2 gets to do something with her in the 60th. I am looking forward to RTD2 - if it’s more of what we got when he revived the show, I will be fine with that. But Davies has grown since then, so I have high hopes of something even better than what came before. I love “RTD2”, and frankly am surprised there is no meme of an Astromech, with Davies’ face on it… :)
*Sequelitis is due to IP Squatting and wealth concentration. Makers/owners of hit properties have decided it's safer to build on an existing franchise and cater to an existing fanbase, by making a sequel or a reboot, than to take the risk of making something new that could be entirely passed over and ignored.* 🧐
I’m sure others can come up with their own good examples…..but for me, an 80 year old Indiana Jones, in Part 5, is the ultimate embodiment of this video’s message.
For me, Doctor Who ended with The Husbands of River Song. And Ghostbusters with Ghostbusters II. And Star Wars with Return of the Jedi. We need to stop pretending quality is going to be there always, specially when incapable people is behind most of productions, scripts or visuals (by the way, I liked Ghostbusters Afterlife, but I take it like a different movie from a different time).
Yes, bur we as fans need to take responsibility. It's only partially Hollywood's fault. What it IS most responsible for is weaponizing fairness. "I can't be fair about a movie until I've seen it." Only then it is too late. The money's paid and no one at the studios care what you think. Fans needs to stop screaming "No spoilers" and do a little research. If you are set back by what you find, don't go paying for the ticket. And besides, the movie's going to be around forever if you change your mind. But it is imperative that moviegoers treat buying that ticket like they check the motor of the car before they buy it, or the foundation of the house before they buy it, or the expiration date of the food before they eat it. We need to stop "being fair," do the homework, and make an educated decision about seeing a movie BEFORE we pay.
Doctor Who ended for me when the 10th Doctor died in the snow instead of regenerating into Matt Smith because after that, it lost it's storytelling and went right for international praise instead of integrity.
I pray that this is the last Jurassic world movie, I haven't even watched anyone tear it apart on RU-vid. To know anything about anything that happens in that movie will be too painful, I don't even want to know how bad it is anymore.
What really drove this home for me, was the last episode of The Mandalorian. It is better for what we love to die with dignity and when we have consistently positive memories of it, than for a corpse to continually be resurrected, re-animated, and defiled, over and over again.
Love your content, man. Stumbled across your channel when I was researching a recent purchase and have been binging ever since. Voice comes off smart and authoritative. Ideas are clear, concise, well researched and articulated. And the wit is gold. Wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment here: All good things must/should come to an end.
You've said it all, so no need to add to it, but 100% agree. The corporate mentality has seeped into the fandom, itself, to the point where I see people constantly using words like "content" and "IP" to describe their favorite movies, which is just nauseating to see. Perhaps I'm spoiled, having grown up in the 80's with so many "one-off" great films that were just allowed to be great on their own. The *ONLY* example I can give of a totally successful modern sequel to a classic film that's been made recently is the "Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance" series, which was almost miraculously wonderful; I still don't think the work that was put into that has received the credit it deserved.
I’ve only made it halfway through this video and I feel it might already be The Best RetroBlasting Video You Guys Have Ever Made. Excellent topic, excellent narration, excellent writing, excellent examples, excellent editing. Thank you for publicly saying what some of us have felt needed to be said for a long time. Sadly, it will likely fall on deaf ears for the creators/studios who need to hear it.
You mentioned the finite number of the doctor regenerations. I think it is accurate. After that number, the doctor was gone. Anything since will be a shadow.
23:55 Ironically, Star Wars already had a gigantic bookshelf of squeakquels and spin-offs that people actually liked, then Disney bought the franchise and somehow felt the need to chuck it out and start over with the whole new cash cow farm depicted here.
Because the audience of people who actually liked that stuff was really small compared to the amount of people exposed to a new film or even streaming content.
@@Tim85-y2q Idk, I'm probably dating myself here but I remember some EU stuff being pretty big for side stuff back in the day, like how some LucasArts SWEU games and game series and their tie-ins were becoming mainstream household names among the general gamer population such as KoToR, Jedi Knight, Shadows of the Empire, Rogue Squadron...
@@autobotstarscream765 Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying some of that stuff wasn't very big for what it was, but nothing beats the scale of heavily promoted mass media. Consider that the lowest grossing of the prequel trilogy grossed over 1 billion at the box office (roughly in the neighborhood of 100 million paid admissions). When you add that to the number of people who are exposed to them via streaming, home media etc. and it eclipses what even a best selling novel or 90's PC game could hope to achieve in terms of cultural footprint. It's also worth keeping in mind that a lot of these legacy franchises now do much of their business in overseas markets that don't have the same nostalgic connections that we do. (in fact, for all the chatter about how the SW sequel trilogy under performed because it disappointed fans, much of that was down to it not playing nearly as well as expected in Asian markets.)
Some of these stories and franchises need to end. As a lifelong Star Wars, I've come to despise a lot of the new stuff coming out now-not because it's different from the original, but because it's just overload. I was under the impression that the Book of Boba Fett was only a limited series, but now folks are already clamoring for a second season-and the episodes we got weren't the best anyway. This video was SPOT ON. Thanks for sharing this.
I discussed this topic with a friend after we watched the original Predator. It would be great to see the mercenary team in another movie similar to The Expendables, being the best of the best, but that was not the point of those characters. They were created simply for us to be told how awesome they were in past missions then see them die against a stronger opponent. As much as I would LIKE to see them in more tales, you need to realise that their story was told. Their entire purpose for being was that first story.
Great video expose, my dude. Like Don Henley wrote in his sublime 80's tome The Boys of Summer where he summerized The Boomers with one single poignant lyric: 'Out on the road today, I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac...' *SPOILER: his generation sold out* I think you just perfectly articulated ours. The reason Generation X was coined generation x was because we were this unquantifiable variable going into the new world order of the then upcoming future. Now that once open road of possibility and unlimited promise ahead is a well-ridden beaten path wasteland of squandered potential left behind eating dust in the rear view mirror.
I know this may be an odd take, but "our fathers and grandfather's" were drafted into war. Even without a draft however ( I realize there were wars in the 90s and 2000s, just no draft since the end of Vietnam). Our fathers and grandfather's were expected to grow up. Many vintage comic book and toy collections were discarded. Even for myself, while I stopped " playing with toys" when I turned 12 and entered the 7th grade, I still watched cartoons, and then after highschool I stopped caring what my peers thought, and immediately started collecting again. I don't mind that stories end. I'm quite ok with it. Endgame was my end to the MCU. I haven't watched anything from phase 4,and I'm ok with it.
Yeah, thanks. One of the things I hate is that everything gets a sequel or reboot these days, honestly it is exhausting keeping up with stories that never end. My favorite films and TV shows are ones that have an ending and I don't need sequels to. MASH doesn't need a sequel, Joker Doesn't need a sequel, The Adventures of Robin Hood doesn't need a sequel, Hill Street Blues doesn't need to continue, Star Wars reached its end point with Return of the Jedi, Babylon 5 ended on the perfect note and we don't need more adventures. We don't need a sequel or reboot to everything. Some stories just end and that is what makes them so good, their endings. One of the reasons I love the Nolan Batman trilogy is that it does end, it tells a story and then it ends. Imagine that. Thank you for bringing up Death Wish, it is one of the best examples of what you are talking about. When I say the first Death Wish is one of my favorite films of the 70s people look at me funny because they don't understand how good that film was because the sequels ruined the concept. It the first Death Wish he doesn't even get the guys who murdered his wife and he nearly loses his soul just going after random thugs but at the same time it shows that living in fear is no way to live either. It is complex and powerful but most people will not give the original a chance because the sequels were so bad.
So well put; as always Michael, thanks! A Beautifully written and edited (loved the use of Big Fat Quiz & Would I lie as retorts;) ) -Video essay on modern pop culture. Not once resorting to 'everything new is awful' but instead inviting us to ask why we need eternal continuation ... Found the addiction and tolerance comparison to ring very true, -we're never going to recreate that high from 1982 for example - or any other year. Perhaps by voting with our feet/money, we could issue in a new era of creativity in Hollywood/Media? -& let our children have their own classics... who knows? Excellent work though :)
