[Weekly Update] Currently on break

How has 2023 treating everyone? For some reason, I'm feeling more optimistic than usual. Maybe it's because I'm on break and no longer under pressure.

Anyway, I've been playing Sifu. That game kicked my butt. Maybe shouldn't have enter the game at the hardest difficulty.

CHANNEL UPDATE

Nothing big has changed. Our next video will be about Hong Kong cult film I Love Maria, followed by a video on kung fu food fight movies and or explanation for the Mahjong scene in Crazy Rich Asian, depending on how easy the food fight movies are to find.

The break has given me a lot more time to think and digest video ideas. Hopefully that'll translate into a good video!

There's a new web animated series called Yao-Chinese Folktales that's been getting a lot of attention in China. Usually, long form entertainment is not what this channel is about. But I might take a look and, if I feel strongly, make a video about it. Let me know if you've seen it.

MEDIA TALK

The trailer for Renfield came out and... I both love it an hate it? It's a pretty safe and not very funny trailer. But the promise of Cage as Dracula alone is enough to get my attention. Nicholas Hoult is also a really talented actor. The make-up and costume in the trailer also shows effort. So, there's a lot of potential here.

If this movie is an indication, I hope it shows that 2023 will be a year of off-beat, strange movies. It worked out amazingly for Everything Everywhere, and I hope studios payed attention and make more mid budget films that take risks.

I already expressed my excitement for Cocaine Bear in a previous update, so I won't go into it again. I'm just happy there's a major studio out there making weird film like this.

The highest budget one is, of course, Barbie. I'm surprised we still have no idea what this movie is actually about. Every image coming out of the publicity seems like a meme waiting to be captioned. This movie is either going to surprisingly amazing, or amazingly bad. Either way, it'll be an experience I remember. That's more than can be said about Jurassic World Dominion.

James Gunn strikes back with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. While, no doubt, this movie will not be as off beat as others, it bears a pretty significant importance for the future of high budget films: Depending on how successful this film is, and how much James Gunn's personality shines through, future directors may receive more control over their movies accordingly.

After seeing the soulless Disney Pinocchio, that's both high budget and rushed, and has no personality what so ever... I really hope we get to see artists make art again, instead of watching disposable products.

Anyway, there is one movie I really wished it to be weird, but likely isn't: The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Everyone knows how strange and absurd the logic in that game is. Yet, so far, none of the trailer captures that off beat adventure feel. The worst thing the movie can be is a 2 hour long homage to the games, which isn't bad per se, but I do wish for more.

But that's my current out look for Hollywood movies in 2023. Do you have any movies you are looking forward to seeing? Are you going to see Oppenheimer? Do you think Nolan can convey the terror and beauty of a nuclear explosion, the same way he portrayed that black hole in Interstellar?

Or do you just want to see Keanu fights Donnie Yen in John Wick 4? Because I know I do.

See you next week!