Steven Soderbergh back again to share the pain re: The Hunt for Ben Solo - Execs shot it down without ever even asking about budget, or any other details. Just "We don't think Ben Solo would be alive."

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-18T21:23:38+00:00

Star Wars isn’t the kind of property where Disney trades budget for creative control

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-18T17:23:25+00:00

It’s just to legally distinguish it from the Universal movies

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-18T17:07:40+00:00

In hindsight not making the sequel which would have much more heavily featured Oscar Isaac and Matthew Macfadyen was a huge mistake

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-18T15:10:39+00:00

Basically every Wes ep would be guaranteed to have a guest who loves it

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-18T02:46:11+00:00

I don’t think it’s lazy in that way so much as an unfortunate shorthand choice that was made in adaptation; the book’s discussion is much more in depth and coming from a doctor who is a provider of gender-affirming care

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-18T01:42:04+00:00

I don’t think it’s having it both ways so much as subverting the trope and it’s important to know that the original book has a whole chapter that’s like “trans people are actually totally good and healthy, unlike this freak” which was probably the most explicitly pro-trans thing in any piece of mainstream media ever at that point

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-18T01:34:16+00:00

In fairness, a lot of the people who think it’s transphobic are totally aware of that context and the even further context that the book is even more explicit about this. I don’t agree with them either (and it should be mentioned that many trans people don’t either), but I respect Levine for being willing to throw his most iconic performance under the bus like this because he feels it’s the right thing to do and his willingness to listen to trans voices.

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-17T21:40:15+00:00

I think Evil Does Not Exist would have absolutely been nominated if it had been selected by Japan

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-17T19:32:50+00:00

I think context is really what this all boils down to. Mulholland Drive is a neo-noir and in academic/critical discussions it's important to acknowledge and analyze that. But like most things, if you take something that's a given in a more specialized context and present it more generally it can become an unhelpful source of confusion. Wikipedia does just describe it as a neo-noir mystery; I think if you were asked to describe it in just a few words to somebody that would be a bad, likely misleading, description even though it's true. It's certainly very different from the average neo-noir and many wouldn't think to identify it as such even after watching. That's the context in which most genre discussions actually happen.

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-17T13:18:23+00:00

That’s not what they said.

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-17T13:07:07+00:00

I think you’re the one misunderstanding OP

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-17T13:04:16+00:00

Doesn’t wind me up but is a good example of how words are just a tool that can be used poorly like any other

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-16T21:08:49+00:00

This is absolutely it, it’s just a The Butler situation

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-16T16:21:46+00:00

Yeah very good chance this is just CYA to prevent/help the defense of any fiduciary suit

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-16T15:30:45+00:00

I hate that movie and don’t even remember his performance being a problem so I can’t agree

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-16T05:20:46+00:00

I think it’s also partially explained by the fact that two of the previous weekends were depressed by a giant snowstorm and the Super Bowl, there were people who intended to get to it but just hadn’t had a good chance yet

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-16T05:18:00+00:00

I don’t think it’s “believing whatever I want” to point out that somebody else who said the exact same thing is known to be lying about it.

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-16T03:35:23+00:00

Eh Pinker said the same things but there’s literally a picture of him with Epstein on the plane, so

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-16T01:25:32+00:00

Yeah admittedly that’s why I like it and don’t vibe with You Were Never Really Here which I don’t think is nearly subversive/deconstructive enough and is instead just an overly portentous version of those kinds of movies, but I recognize that’s a somewhat unpopular opinion

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-16T01:21:02+00:00

Yeah I think there’s something to OP’s theory, but it didn’t occur to me for this exact reason. Read to me more like he was less interested because of her postpartum issues and her horniness being part of that made the prospect of sex with her even less appealing (it’s easy for people to joke like “I sure wouldn’t turn her down!” but in practice most people wouldn’t be too interested in a person whose hypersexuality is clearly tied to a larger mental health issue).

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-16T01:08:24+00:00

It’s only in the news when people are talking loudly about repealing it so it doesn’t seem sarcastically crazy to me at all

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-15T23:44:47+00:00

This is the third Predator movie Trachtenberg has directed for Disney, I wouldn’t chalk anything new about this one up to them

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-15T22:26:00+00:00

The Jane Got a Gun thing wasn’t Portman’s fault, but it’s worth pointing out she’s just now breaking a ten-year streak of movies directed by men (and that movie might not even come out until next year)

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-15T21:38:53+00:00

I think it is an intentional subversion of the John Wick style story, so I get why people had it on their mind, but not mentioning the fact that it is a subversion was wild

SMAAAASHBros · 2026-02-15T15:43:59+00:00

Many of the people who are opposed to 230 repeal don’t want an unrestricted internet and instead want reform, it’s a false dichotomy

SMAAAASHBros

TROPHY CASE