Sweet Aunt Petunia’s plaid knickers! It’s another in our series “Summer Blockbusters and Summer Not”! And guess what, True Believers (and False Deniers, for that matter), we’re checking out the fourth (or fifth, depending on how you count them) iteration of Marvel’s First Family, The Fantastic Four! Roger Corman set the bar pretty high, I know, but we only hope! So enjoy as Fantasti-Max and Fantasti-Mike regale you on our Fantasti-podcast as to what is Fantasti-great in the movie and what, if anything, Fantasti-sucks! Crack open a cold Fantasti-drink, sit back in your Fantasti-chair and . . . Mike, this is the last time I let you talk me into using one of Marvel’s Fantasi-AIs to “tune things up”! I’m gonna Fanstati-smack you right in your Fantasti-face! Dammit, how do I turn off this Fantasti-filter?! Marvel you can Fantasti-kiss my Fantasti-[fantasti-redacted] you bunch of [fantasti-redacted fantasti-redacted fantasti-redacted] AAAAHHHHHHHHH! Just give a Fantasti-listen, won’t Fantasti-you?
Poll question: what summer blockbuster do you remember anticipating most when you were young? Leave a comment or call our Misty Water Colored Memories hotline at 617-398-7266.
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I am old, even older than Mike! Blockbusters were a new concept when I was young. As a teenager I remember being very excited to “The Empire Strike Back” as Sat wars was such a welcome surprise a few years before. The Christopher “Superman” was something I had to see right away, as it was really the first high budget comic book movie. I wasn’t huge fan of Superman but I was of special effects and I had high hopes this might bring them to a new level. Now I am not sure “blockbusters” exist anymore, as you can’t stand in line for a day to watch something on streaming with hundreds of other people. The cinema experience is often a letdown of people on cell phones and projectionists not paying attention to the focus, not to mention outrageous prices. So films might be popular but I think the blockbuster age is over.
Oh, don’t be silly, Vince! No one is older than Mike!
Sadly, I think you raise a valid point; the whole “blockbuster” phenomenon seems to be fading; if a movie doesn’t smash records immediately, the attitude seems to be “oh well, it’ll make money in the overseas markets or on streaming or other home video.” Now I’m sad . . .
I am not social at all but even I miss the old experience of the cinema and feeling the audience’s reactions. Comedy, horror and most other genres benefit immensely from shared experience. I met so many like-minded people back in the day after sharing a look during a scene in a crowded theatre leading to coffee or drinks and discussion. Streaming doesn’t offer any of that!
So true. There is nothing like the experience of sitting in a dark theater, surrounded by others who are as enthralled by the movie as you are, gasping when something shocking happens, laughing at the jokes, cheering when the villain gets taken down. Streaming can’t compete with the crowd experience.