We've been thinking about the future of movies, which many people say looks dim. Theaters are shutting down, and those still open struggle to make money. We've got too many franchise films, and movies based on dumb stuff like toys, and even good directors keep selling out.
But people have been fighting for the future of movies for a long time, trying crazy gimmicks like smell-o-vision. We'll always have some good films to look forward to (including one that will release in 93 years), and streaming movies at home is bound to get better in the future.
Here's a look back at the facts we learned, about cinema's future and, uh, just about movies in general. The links all lead to full articles with much more info, so click every one that interests you, and maybe you'll get a chance to ride in a van with Danny DeVito.
Despite all the talk about how drive-ins were making a lasting comeback, we now have fewer drive-in theaters than before COVID, with even more set to close this year.
They might have more luck with their other popcorn ventures: packaging the stuff for grocery stores and delivering to people's homes.
This was a stunt organized by a cognac company, to advertise their brandy that takes 100 years to age.
Far from punishing him by blackballing him, Disney went on to promote him from The Falcon to the new Captain America.
The resolution's just fine, but they still compress the footage, which is one reason streamed movies look so bad.
It starred Sofia Coppola's father Francis and Akira Kurosawa.
And yet some networks are predicting that they'll soon be broadcasting their big event TV episodes in theaters.
Also Lena Dunham's Polly Pocket, which sounds like something a character would say on 30 Rock.
He wasn't the lead, but he became so famous afterward that they marketed the film with his giant head, which made it look like a horror pic.
Disney seems to be doing this with many of its films that aren't tent poles, and especially with those made by 20th Century Studios, even though such movies might do just fine at the box office.
Top image: August Schwerdfeger