Cinema seeks to find way through maze of streaming, sequels, corruption

Ever since the peak of the pandemic, the paradigm of media consumption has shifted from the days of cable television and neighborhood cinema to short-form content platforms such as TikTok (and its various copycats), the juggernaut of a video-streaming platform that is Youtube, through the ongoing saga that is known as the “Streaming Wars.” However, despite this renaissance of pop culture, there has been a seemingly downward spiral in the quality of what has been produced for these behemoths amidst the scramble to return to some form of normalcy.

This is most prevalent in Marvel’s Phase Four, as the attempt to make up for lost time affected both audience perception as well as the state of the employees. Once studios began to get back on their feet after having to delay many of their projects, VFX artists were in demand more than ever before. Yet the greed of the company usurped any common sense to tend to the needs of the artists, leading to long hours of crunch and an overall sloppy product as seen in projects such as Thor: Love and Thunder and She-Hulk coming under fire for “bad” visual effects. However, part of why the quality has deteriorated has stemmed from leadership changes within Marvel’s parent company, Disney, as well as former chairman Victoria Alonso reportedly being the one behind the toxic workplace.

Another key factor in the “decline” of cinema can be attributed to the fact that almost all of the stories being told on the silver screen are either reboots, extensions of old franchises, or spin-offs. Nearly every big-name property has made its way back to theaters within the past decade alone, with Jurassic Park, Top Gun, and even Toy Story popping back up in the same year alone (in the forms of Jurassic World: Dominion, Top Gun: Maverick, and Lightyear, respectively). Although these films still rake in the big bucks, they leave the viewer feeling as if they just watched the same old schlock as before (most of the time). 

The impact of these big-name franchises dominating the industry also affects any potential hype for newer stories being told, passed over by the automatic association for casual audiences to go with what they know. As seen with the initial release of the now Oscar-winning movie, Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, the general public was cautious at best to explore what the movie had to offer, with only the most hardcore A24 fans knowing of its existence while the rest of the masses were too busy witnessing a magical man meddling with the multiverse in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. It wasn’t until the film’s second run in theaters that it garnered the recognition it has come to be known for.

Streaming services themselves have also served as a double-edged sword for the companies in charge of them, with most acting as media dumping grounds for whatever content they don’t think will do well in theaters. Not only do audiences not get a chance to try to support fledgling projects in the box office, but also companies don’t even bother to give a shot to potential money makers. It is almost as if they’re setting it up for failure off the bat, leaving a bad taste in the film industry as a whole. 

So, is cinema dead? Absolutely not. If anything, this is just the beginning of a new era in the world of entertainment and how it is consumed. Perhaps what cinema once was known as for many has gradually been phased out, but the central idea is still there. Art constantly evolves, and that doesn’t mean throwing out the old to make room for the new. That’s what art is all about, building on the old to create new.

by Evan Parfitt

Published April 24, 2023

Oshkosh West Index Volume 119 Issue VII