I'm not in the same boat yet re: Star Wars, but give me a few years and I probably will be. I'm sufficiently in love with the characters of the new trilogy that I'm deeply on board, but already the feeling of its being special is starting to fade. And I've definitely fallen away from the peak of my fandom back when I was thirteen or fourteen. I've forgotten more about the EU than most people will ever know, and it's a relief, to be honest. I'll always dearly love the OT and all the memories and feelings I have associated with it, but I think the best thing for me at this point is to see other people for a long while. Revisit em every few years, enjoy the warm fuzzies, and leave em behind knowing I can always drop back in.
Re: your broader point on blockbusters, though, I'm definitely in the same boat and it's exhausting. It's fucking scary to realize that the last movie to have a really significant, lasting impact on pop culture that wasn't based on an existing property was . . . Inception? In 2010? That's a seven-year dry spell for any pop-cultural touchstones that are based on nothing but an artist's fucking imagination. And while the MCU didn't start that problem, I have a deep loathing for it because it's what codified the very specific model of "producer-driven spectacles that look like network TV shows and have absolutely zero consequences because they don't want to piss off the focus groups and have to serve as commercials for the sequel."
Don't get me wrong, there's still loads of great film these days. But I can count on one hand the number of truly impactful, artful blockbusters made in the last five years. (Gravity, Fury Road, Dunkirk, Interstellar, and . . . Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, maybe? And all of those are either based on pre-established franchises or had to be "earned" by their directors' working in giant franchises first.) Even as a fan of the new Star Wars films, I'm under no illusions that The Force Awakens is a genuine piece of art like Empire was. There's just no room for that anymore. If you want art, go to the indie movies, almost none of which are actually making real money. For every Get Out there's a dozen equally excellent films that barely broke even. And that gets into the whole problem of the collapsing theatre industry . . .
I don't know, man. There's so much to be excited about in the world of cinema and there have been so many movies just this year that I've loved to death, but whenever I get to thinking about the blockbuster bubble it's just draining and sad and ugh.
Anyway, this is just a bunch of rambling at 1 in the morning and I'm not sure what my point was. It's just a fucking bummer, man. *goes to watch 20th Century Women and feel better about life*
Last edited by Abbie (2017-09-30 06:17:25)