The Founder's Brew- Vol.3
This week's topics: Has Disney lost its Magic, A Hit and a Miss, and a page from the Commonplace Book
Has Disney Lost Its Magic?
Full disclosure: I was a total Disney nerd when I was a kid, and I loved going to Disney World. I collected character figurines (which I hope to pass on to my children) and even took a tour at Disney World, where I got a peek behind the curtain, although I'm sworn to secrecy. Just kidding, or maybe not.
I say all this because I don't want any of you to think I'm writing this to beat up on Disney. They have been firing on all cylinders these last 18 months, so they are a ripe target. I'm writing this because I want to see Disney return to the glory that so captivated me as a kid and which, quite honestly, I fear they are losing.
What started all of this? Well, full blame goes to my son, who is seven years old (almost eight, as he would almost certainly tell you.) He came home last week with the "I am Walt Disney" book from the school library. For those of you who don't know the, I AM books, written by Brad Meltzer, are an excellent introduction for kids to ordinary people who have done extraordinary things. My son and I settled down to read the book. As we read along, I began to realize what a pioneer Walt Disney was, particularly in the field of animation.
From Steamboat Willy to Snow White, Disney turned animation into a proper art form. I didn't even know that he was a founding member of Cal Arts whose alumni include Sofia Coppola, Don Cheadle, and Tim Burton. The guy was a true visionary.
I happened to read the book the same night that an Eternals ad happened to run, and I realized at that moment that maybe just maybe the innovative spirit that drove Walt's early years has been swallowed up by corporate largess and stagnant thinking. Granted, I have not even seen the Eternals, but something about it felt all too familiar as if I knew the story already without buying a ticket. Now, I have heard fantastic things about Luka, so maybe this rant is born out of my adult cynicism more than anything else. Still, I can't shake this nagging feeling that innovation and originality may be a part of Disney's past rather than its future. A PIXAR movie every two years that does feel innovative and original may help stem the tide, but I think more is needed. I'd love to see the same boldness and creativity that drives James Cameron to become the heart and soul of Disney. Why not use the Imagineering team to come up with more stories? That division seems to burst with creativity. I'll take that over the remakes of animated classics, movies based on Disney World rides, and ANOTHER Marvel movie where the world is in peril, yet again. As if anyone wants to see a film about Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, although I'd probably see it if Tim Burton is directing it.
Again, I say all this not necessarily to pick on Disney, but I think they represent a significant problem with entertainment today. There is no drive to chase stories that feel magical and captive the imagination. It's all about built-in audiences and pre-existing IP, blah, blah. I want to walk into a theater and feel like my 10-year-old self after a spin on the Haunted Mansion; cynicism be damned. I believe Disney can do that, but only if the spirit of Walt can walk those halls again.
Hits and Misses
This week, you get a hit and a miss all in one film, and that film is DUNE. The long-awaited Denis Villeneuve-directed sci-fi flick has finally arrived at the theaters and, of course, on HBO-MAX. So why both a hit and a miss? Well, it's decidedly a hit based on some of the reactions on social media this past weekend, and I did check it out on HBO-Max. It is an impressive piece of filmmaking, and the story captures the viewers' attention. Still, it's a miss because, despite the global numbers, which haven't been half bad, a $41 million domestic opening is damn near a disaster, especially with the upcoming week two drop-off that we've seen from other HBO MAX releases the last few months. Let's also not forget to mention the $165 million production budget (minus P&A, of course, which probably pushes it well over two.) So, it seems they got some of the excellent word of mouth that films thrive on these days, but that didn't necessarily translate into box office numbers. That said, they have now greenlit a sequel which makes this more hit than miss (or they need a franchise in the production pipeline.) Hello DUNE HBO-Max Spin-off. See above.
Pages from the Commonplace Book
This week's quote comes from the original "slash," multi-hyphenate, and supposed namesake of that DiCaprio guy: Leonardo DaVinci. Leo, take it away:
"He who has access to the fountain does not go to the water jar."
I think there are several ways to look at this quote. One interpretation goes as follows and ties in nicely to what I wrote above: why go to the jar where the water is sitting for who knows how long when you can go right to a fresh source. Now, I'm interpreting this as a fountain in Leo's day where one could drink versus today where no one would be caught dead drinking from a fountain.
Disney: Go back to the fresh fountain and junk the jar. Bring back the magic.
This week on Hollywood Breaks:
We're tackling that Derek Thompson tweet, and if you don't know what I'm talking about well, you should listen.
See you next week!