This is gonna sound counterproductive, but I like to do things when I want. Haha. I am very random. I think it adds a little spice to life. I have no set schedule or routine. Nothing wrong with that if that's your bag, but it makes me feel trapped. Anyway, expect a new major blog post sometime next week. Maybe a few actually.
-That guy they call Mikey Bee
If it's not clear, I love movies. From the big blockbusters to the small indie darlings and everything in between. Now that we are halfway through the year, I want to take a look at the theatrical selection and ask, is this the best you've got, Hollywood?
Mean Girls (2024)
Already off to a bad start. A remake to a cult classic that adds very little in the way of new, fresh ideas. Just a tired and lazy soundtrack that no one's bumping to.
Argylle
On the surface this should have been a hit. An original spy film from the makers of "Kingsmen" with hyper-stylized action, rauncy humor, and a cute animal sidekick. What could go wrong? Turns out the mixture of different wacky elements wasn't blended well and left a bad taste in your mouth.
Madam Web
Sony loves to take the most obscure characters from Spider-Man comics and turn them into movies. Quite frankly, no one cares. Honestly, I could do a whole rant on just this one film.
There are a lot of examples of poorly recieved films. I don't have time to go through them all. It's crazy how many of them just came and went in a blink of an eye. Mostly franchie films, gasping for air. Did you know we had a Ghostbusters film this year? What about Kung-Fu Panda 4? They were alright. Just like everything this year. The scale is from trash to meh.
There are some expections. I enjoyed the latest Planet of the Apes film. Even with being one in a long running series, it still has something to say. Inside Out 2 was very nice and sweet and now the highest grossing Pixar film of all time.
Deadpool and Wolverine are right around the corner. That's sure to get the geeks excited, I being one of them. But beyond that, is there anything that can save this lousy year? Transformers One? Just kidding. Even Gladiator is getting a sequel, and Twister. The 90s are making a comeback.
In all seriousness, Hollywood is scared. Reboots, sequels, and direct-to-streaming. They are no longer in the business of taking risks. What will be the next Star Wars? And don't say Baby Yoda: The Movie. We need to start trying something new, empowering new voices, experimenting with new visions.
Hopefully 2025 will be better. But what do you think? Am I out of touch? Did you like Despicable Me 4 ? Do you plan on watching Wicked? What am I missing? Please let me know.
_see ya at the movies!
Mikey Bee
Updated: Jul 10, 2024
Hey wow, starting things off with some controversy! I really don't mean to ruffle any feathers out there, I just want to talk.
Ai or Artificial Intelligence if ya nasty, is the latest buzz word in the tech industry. From Google to Apple, you just can't escape it. Companies are banking on this emerging innovation. It looks great for your stock portfolio but there are some serious concerns.
Let's back up a little. Ai was not invented by Chat GPT, it's been around for ages. Even while I type this there's a little red line that pops when when I spell things wrong. That's Ai. You ever play a video game and the enemies seem to adapt to your play style? That is also Ai. Honestly in these cases Ai is pretty harmless. It's a tool for us to use, but what happens when the tool takes over the whole job.
Imagine a hammer building a house by itself. That's what we are starting to see now. What may start off as a gimmick can quickly morph into a valuable commodity. Let me show you what I mean.
A few years ago I was playing with Dall e 2, an image generator and made this:
It's uhhhh Joe Biden as a robot. Pretty ugly stuff. Man, I can't even look at it. Haha sorry folks. Anyways.... that was made in like 2022 as an experiment. It would not fool nor harm anyone. But we have come a long way in such a short amount of time. It is possible to make dear old Joe do anything with Ai. Roller skate while hula-hooping, eating an ice cream cone, just for fun. OR you can get devious and make him do all sorts of unsavory things in hopes to throw the election. And that's just the president! Imagine what they could to me! or you or anyone!
So it can be embarrassing but do people really fall for that crap? Take a look at your parents Facebook, see what they are reposting, look at the comments.
It will look as fake as this and people will still write "AMEN GOD BLESS AMERCIA!!!" under it. Like come on now. The dangers of duping folks is real and easier than before. Back in my day, the mid 2000s, you would have to know Photoshop to fake an image. It was really hard work, but if you were good at it you could make a decent living. We are seeing freelance graphic designers go the way of the dodo bird.
That's just the beginning. Artists and animators are also losing employment opportunities to generative Ai. They are not alone, writers too. Heck, anyone with a creative passion is at risk of losing their job. I bet you anything, by 2025 we will have a movie being promoted as the first fully Ai produced film. No real actors, writers, editors, sound designers, etc. etc. It might be a big ball of hot garbage but it will come out and make a heap of money for the studio.
Losing your job is pretty sad. What's even worse is we live in an economy that doesn't provide basic human necessities without a price. There I go, getting political again.
So what can we do? Well I don't want to say take an axe to your computer, believe it or not I think we can be friends with the robots. I really don't want any hostilities between man and his latest creation. Like Kenny Rogers once said, "You gotta know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em" .
Dear creative people, don't fold up, you just gotta out play the game, that's what I'm trying to do. No one can replace your unique vision, your spirit, your passion, your energy, your mind, or your link to other humans. My friend Chris did the art for my book "Confused at the Buffet". I am so thankful I went with him instead of leaving it up to some random bits of code to bring my idea to life. It worked out pretty well!
If you used Chat GPT because you're lonely, that's fine. Let it be a help to you, but don't forget to do the hard work and chisel out your masterpiece, like only you can! You will go far, I believe in you! Things will be okay.
Also if you're concerned about the rise of Ai please contact your local congressperson.
-The one and only Mikey Bee