tony stark built this in a cave! with a box of scraps!!!
Fam this no plant buy is going badly - I bought four more plants. :( But I'm all done! Promise! But maybe I'm not because I tried to propagate my three-foot tall plant and now it's not rooting (less than a day after I cut it) and I'm a MONSTER I killed my BABY!
Ahem.
I've just been listening to the Newcomers Podcast with Nicole Byer and Lauren Lapkus and it's been fascinating. They have different seasons where they watch things that people have watched already - they've done the Fast and Furious movies, the Lord of the Rings, and now they're on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It's hilarious because they know most of these franchises by osmosis, but not really any of the specifics. For the MCU, they have not like any of the movies, and it's fascinating because they have the unique ability to watch them with fresh 2022 eyes. A lot of the movies, particularly the ones made before 2015, can't handle such a close read. One that they tore apart was Iron Man (2008).
Now, if you know anything about me, is that I became a film major based on three things:
In fact, how the MCU became the MCU truly fascinated me. Like -- take the characters no one cared about, hype up their origin movies, and then bring them together for an incredible beatdown? The fact that DC hasn't managed to get that and they have some of the most ICONIC super hero characters. But how many times are they going to remake Batman or Superman in order to get it right this time? You can't just have the icons - you have to make good movies.
Except... not anymore, I guess. Or were they ever good?
As much as I enjoyed a lot of the movies, rewatching them, especially the older ones, is a choice. If you want cringy, rewatch The Avengers (2012) (which is almost 10 years old with this newsletter's date, making me approximately eight billion years old). The line about being an ant doesn't want a quarrel with a boot? Does not sound cool! Half of the quips feel dated and awkward and weird in a hilariously uncomfortable way. And Iron Man has some uncomfortable commentary that's about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the face and not done particularly well. And my god, I will not speak about Iron Man 2 (2010). I know what they were trying to do but oof.
It really began to sink in when I watched Captain America: Civil War (2016) and cheered with the rest of the theater when I first watched it, but when I went back to an empty theater to watch it again, none of it held up. And I'm not going to lie - the epic scene at the end of Avengers: Endgame (2019) was INSANE to witness in a full crowd.................... but rewatching it alone can feel a little flat. Are these movies better to experience in a room of fans and on the big screen? Disney would certainly like us to feel that way, with $18 dollar tickets and $20 dollar popcorn, but as I get more comfortable watching new movies at home.... I don't want to.
To be honest, I don't watch the MCU films really anymore. I slowly started petering out with The Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) (no pun intended), and then with Ant-Man (2015), and now, I'm kinda bored of it all. I remember when I was in college, there was an article how Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, had movies planned out until 2028 and that seemed unfathomable and yet, here we are. Also, did you realize that 2020 was the first year we had no new Marvel content AT ALL since 2009? And that it will probably never happen again!? I am tired.
Even the new Thor trailer, which I was excited to see as I really enjoyed Thor: Ragnarok (2018) (because it had Hel!!! My GIRL! [I love Norse Mythology]), and it started with guitar riff from Sweet Child o' Mine. I was hyped -- and then I saw the Guardians of the Galaxy characters and was immediately tuned out. I don't care if it makes sense! I don't want them!!
I don't know if it's over saturation, too much interconnected things, fan culture, the monopolization of the film industry by one massive corporation, or maybe I'm bored, but I personally cannot wait until the era of the super hero is over. I love a good story, but damn, until they do something creative, far reaching, or just plain different, I might just let others have their fun.
But I will admit - put Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014) or Black Panther (2018) on TV and you will have me enthralled for the entirety of the film.
I can't just complain about the MCU - lemme bring up some other things as well.
Ahem.
I've just been listening to the Newcomers Podcast with Nicole Byer and Lauren Lapkus and it's been fascinating. They have different seasons where they watch things that people have watched already - they've done the Fast and Furious movies, the Lord of the Rings, and now they're on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It's hilarious because they know most of these franchises by osmosis, but not really any of the specifics. For the MCU, they have not like any of the movies, and it's fascinating because they have the unique ability to watch them with fresh 2022 eyes. A lot of the movies, particularly the ones made before 2015, can't handle such a close read. One that they tore apart was Iron Man (2008).
Now, if you know anything about me, is that I became a film major based on three things:
- Lady Gaga's Bad Romance Music Video
- Inception
- But more specifically - Iron Man (2008)
In fact, how the MCU became the MCU truly fascinated me. Like -- take the characters no one cared about, hype up their origin movies, and then bring them together for an incredible beatdown? The fact that DC hasn't managed to get that and they have some of the most ICONIC super hero characters. But how many times are they going to remake Batman or Superman in order to get it right this time? You can't just have the icons - you have to make good movies.
Except... not anymore, I guess. Or were they ever good?
As much as I enjoyed a lot of the movies, rewatching them, especially the older ones, is a choice. If you want cringy, rewatch The Avengers (2012) (which is almost 10 years old with this newsletter's date, making me approximately eight billion years old). The line about being an ant doesn't want a quarrel with a boot? Does not sound cool! Half of the quips feel dated and awkward and weird in a hilariously uncomfortable way. And Iron Man has some uncomfortable commentary that's about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the face and not done particularly well. And my god, I will not speak about Iron Man 2 (2010). I know what they were trying to do but oof.
It really began to sink in when I watched Captain America: Civil War (2016) and cheered with the rest of the theater when I first watched it, but when I went back to an empty theater to watch it again, none of it held up. And I'm not going to lie - the epic scene at the end of Avengers: Endgame (2019) was INSANE to witness in a full crowd.................... but rewatching it alone can feel a little flat. Are these movies better to experience in a room of fans and on the big screen? Disney would certainly like us to feel that way, with $18 dollar tickets and $20 dollar popcorn, but as I get more comfortable watching new movies at home.... I don't want to.
To be honest, I don't watch the MCU films really anymore. I slowly started petering out with The Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) (no pun intended), and then with Ant-Man (2015), and now, I'm kinda bored of it all. I remember when I was in college, there was an article how Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, had movies planned out until 2028 and that seemed unfathomable and yet, here we are. Also, did you realize that 2020 was the first year we had no new Marvel content AT ALL since 2009? And that it will probably never happen again!? I am tired.
Even the new Thor trailer, which I was excited to see as I really enjoyed Thor: Ragnarok (2018) (because it had Hel!!! My GIRL! [I love Norse Mythology]), and it started with guitar riff from Sweet Child o' Mine. I was hyped -- and then I saw the Guardians of the Galaxy characters and was immediately tuned out. I don't care if it makes sense! I don't want them!!
I don't know if it's over saturation, too much interconnected things, fan culture, the monopolization of the film industry by one massive corporation, or maybe I'm bored, but I personally cannot wait until the era of the super hero is over. I love a good story, but damn, until they do something creative, far reaching, or just plain different, I might just let others have their fun.
But I will admit - put Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014) or Black Panther (2018) on TV and you will have me enthralled for the entirety of the film.
I can't just complain about the MCU - lemme bring up some other things as well.
- I listened to a fascinating podcast about how email took over the world, with my FAV, Anne Helen Petersen, where they discuss how email has managed to really penetrate every part of our lives. From intense marketing campaigns, to pretending like you're doing work so you answer four emails a day (*stares at one person in particular*), email used to be something I checked once a year and now must check maybe 800 times a day on average. Augh!
- I stumbled across some baby otters being weighed and I'm no longer the same person. I didn't realize my voice could squeak that high!!
- Anne Hathaway is hilarious and I love her and why don't you also take a look at what her favorite romantic comedies are?
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