Hey everyone, I’m back! Quick personal update; while I was taking a break from Watchable the past couple of months I started a new full-time job. I plan to keep Watchable going, however, I’ll be implementing some format/style changes. If I’m really feeling a review, I’ll write one. But, for the most part, I’ll be focusing on a monthly watchlist and a new style of post you’ll start seeing soon. Stay tuned!
Movie theaters are important, we should save them.
This past weekend was one of the biggest and most anticipated film weekends in recent memory. Barbie and Oppenheimer, or Barbiheimer, dominated social media over the past month or so, following two incredible, yet very different, marketing campaigns. The marketing team for Barbie put on a master class (and got a little lucky). The Oppenheimer marketing team had some great trailers, but did much less, and greatly benefited from their connection to Barbie.
Now these two movies would never be connected in anyone’s mind if they didn’t share a release date. Barbie is rated PG-13 and runs just under 2 hours. Oppenheimer is rated R and runs a full 3 hours. Barbie is a fun, colorful, comedy with heart. Oppenheimer is an intense, dark, anxiety-inducing film about who Christopher Nolan believes is “the most important man in the history of the world.”
You’d be hard-pressed to find many similarities between the two, aside from their release date. Yet the past few weeks Barbiheimer dominated the internet, and at least within my circle, IRL conversations too. Brands jumped at the opportunity to create engagement on social media by playing into the hype. My feeds were full of posts half pink, half bombs exploding. Both films received more free marketing than they could have ever dreamed of.
Not only was the hype for both films sky-high, they’re both actually really good! I was expecting Oppenheimer to be fantastic, which it was and then some. I was expecting Barbie to be a fun, relaxing movie. I wasn’t expecting Barbie to garner Oscar speculation, but it is. I could see it being nominated for production design, hair and makeup, adapted screenplay, directing, and even some acting categories. I can’t believe I even just typed that, but it really does deserve the recognition. Oppenheimer is obviously in the conversation for multiple Oscars, rightfully so. We’re over halfway through the year, so we’ll have to see if anything else shows up to compete.
This isn’t a review of either film, so I won’t be spoiling anything or talking much about the actual films for the rest of this post. Instead, I’m going to share my theatre experience and some links if you want to read more about the phenomenon that is Barbiheimer.
By The Numbers
Oppenheimer Rotten Tomatoes (as of 7/25)
Audience: 94%
Critic: 94%
Barbie Rotten Tomatoes (as of 7/25)
Audience: 90%
Critic: 90%
Oppenheimer Box Office (as of 7/25)
Domestic: $82,455,420
International: $97,958,000
Worldwide: $180,413,420
Barbie Box Office (as of 7/25)
Domestic: $162,022,044
International: $194,300,000
Worldwide: $356,322,044
*New opening weekend record for a female director
The Movie Theatre Experience
Movie theatres have been struggling. I remember the days when I’d go to the movies with my family or friends and there would be lines to buy tickets. Theatres were usually pretty full. Back when midnight releases were a thing, they would be sold out and I remember times leaving the theatre at 2 am with crowds of people.
Last year I joined the AMC Stubs A-List (not an ad but it’s literally the best subscription in the world! AMC, if you’re listening I’m open to working together). So, over the past year, I’ve seen about 70 new films in the theatre. I have been the only one in the theatre multiple times, and often I’m in there with just a few other people.
Both my 5 pm Barbie and 9 pm Oppenheimer viewings last Thursday were in fully packed theatres. It reminded me of those midnight premieres with all the hustle and bustle, bathroom and concession lines, and that moment when you walk out of the theatre with a large group and hear everyone chattering about the film they just watched. It was an awesome, nostalgic feeling, that I hope isn’t just a one-time thing.
There is something about watching movies in the dark with strangers that enhances the experience. I’m not just talking about the larger screen or better audio or movie theatre popcorn. I’m talking about the collective experience you have with strangers. Comedies are funnier when you’re in a room full of laughter. Suspense is greater when you can feel others around you on the edge of their seats. Drama hits harder when you hear sniffles and see the people next to you wiping away tears. Movie theatres are one of the last places we can have that kind of collective experience.
The only two others that come to mind are live concerts/theatre and sporting events. However, a movie theatre demands your full attention. Phones off, no talking, gotta pee? better do it quick. Unlike watching a movie on streaming, you don’t have control. There is a set time the movie starts and you can’t pause. You can’t check your phone or go make a sandwich because you might miss something important.
I don’t know if Barbiheimer will save movie theatres. Part of me is hopeful I’ll get to have more experiences like this, reminiscent of those midnight premieres. Another part of me knows that streaming and short-form videos (i.e. TikTok, YouTube, etc.) have fundamentally changed the way most of us consume media, and it’s hard to imagine the theatre experience being what it once was. However, I’m still optimistic.
Go Deeper
Mattel Bets Big on Barbie (The Journal.)
'I've Never Seen Anything Like This': Why Barbenheimer Has Box Office Analysts Reeling (IGN)
I didn’t discuss the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike, however it is very much worth mentioning. The cast of Oppenheimer walked out of the London premiere when they were informed a deal wasn’t reached and the actors would be joining the writers on strike. Apparently the studios’ plan is to let writers go broke before resuming talks in the fall … WHAT THE F***?
If we’re going to save movie theatres, we’re gonna need movies to watch in them. I don’t see how this is good for the studios, who already are subject to public destain when there isn’t a strike. Now they’re openly saying they want writers and lower profile actors losing their apartments and homes rather than agree to a deal paying them a living wage. It’s crazy.