NickSchaden

The Netflix-Warner Bros merger is a potential disaster for the movie industry

12.15.25 | film | ∞

Netflix planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery for $82 billion could deliver a massive blow to the movie industry. There are hurdles to cross — antitrust regulators, Trump’s whims, and a hostile bid from Paramount. But a record breaking $5.8 billion breakup fee signals high levels of confidence that the deal will close.

If it does, the consequences will be profound: lower quality mainstream films, rising subscription prices, theater closures, a shrinking video on demand and Blu-ray market, and reduced access to classic films. Many filmmakers will lose their jobs and have a less competitive market to distribute their movies. The waning cultural relevance of film will accelerate.

Netflix, of course, disagrees. Ever since the news broke, CEO Ted Sarandos has tried to assuage fears of a theatrical collapse and mass industry layoffs. But based on the streamer’s past behavior, the results will likely be far worse than they suggest.

The mid-budget film crisis and Hollywood’s failure to react

12.01.25 | film | ∞

Once again the box office is in crisis. Almost none of the fall dramas and comedies have succeeded financially. These films — original stories not based on existing franchises, often star-driven with budgets lower than a typical blockbuster — are struggling.

Cue the think pieces and finger pointing. Variety faults subject matter that isn’t entertaining enough. The Hollywood Reporter suggests problems with a wide release model. Industry podcast The Town blames moviegoers trained to ignore all but the biggest event movies.

But the main problem is demand, not supply. Younger generations are less interested in movies than older audiences are. Films are just one option among endless digital entertainment alternatives, from TikTok to PS5 gaming. No supply side fix — lower ticket prices, longer theatrical windows, fresh original screenplays, or new release strategies — can reverse that trend.

Warner’s success could be a turning point for Hollywood

11.17.25 | film | ∞

In an era where the major studios mostly release sequels, reboots, and superhero movies, Warner Bros. took a more diversified approach this year. Half of its 2025 slate came from original screenplays without connections to popular intellectual property, roughly double the rate of its competitors. Unlike original films from Sony, Universal, or Disney, most of WB’s were R rated, high budget, and gave filmmakers wide creative control.

WB’s approach has proven lucrative and consistent. They are the first studio to surpass four billion in revenue this year, with fifteen number one weekends, and nine movies with opening weekends over $40 million. I predict WB’s success will push majors and mini-majors like Amazon MGM to expand their high budget lineups beyond franchises. It’s a smart financial movie that also helps keep movies culturally relevant.

It may seem odd to anchor such cultural weight to massive studio conglomerates. But these companies produce most of what mainstream audiences watch. Disney, Universal, Sony, Paramount, and WB bankroll films with broad genre appeal, recognizable stars, and huge marketing campaigns. For casual moviegoers who only see a few movies a year, there’s a good chance at least one of them came out of the studio system, whether in theaters or on streaming platforms.

Sony UXP-X700U: a smart 4K player for most

10.27.25 | Technology | ∞

We’re in a challenging market for 4K Blu-ray players. In today’s streaming-dominant world, the demand for physical media has dropped sharply, leaving minimal competition for 4K hardware. Most players are old and expensive.

Thankfully, the Sony UBP-X700U stands out as an excellent choice. The player is reliable, quick to operate, relatively quiet, and supports Dolby Vision. It’s also new hardware when most rival alternatives originate from 2019 or earlier. There are a few annoyances, primarily around manual settings adjustments, build quality, and a dated user interface. But with a relatively affordable $300 or less price point, the X700U’s offers excellent value. It’s my default recommendation for most people who want to enjoy 4K Blu-rays at home.

Xbox’s price hikes could doom its future

10.08.25 | Gaming | ∞

Xbox has had a rough year. Leadership has flip-flopped on exclusives, shut down multiple first party studios, carried out mass layoffs, and cancelled multiple games. It’s also facing active BDS boycott due to Microsoft’s ties to the Israeli military. But simple economics may be Xbox’s undoing. The aggressive price increases on Xbox hardware and subscription services have made the broader Xbox ecosystem — Game Pass, Series consoles, ROG Ally handhelds, and the Microsoft Store — increasingly unappealing.

Xbox products are simply too expensive. An Xbox Series X in the US costs $100 more than a PS5 and $200 more than a Switch 2. The upcoming Xbox co-branded ROG Ally X sells for $999, roughly double the price of the market-leading Steam Deck. That’s a problem when Xbox has a smaller game library and customer base than Steam, PlayStation, and Nintendo.

Even with those disadvantages, Xbox’s primary selling point has been their game subscription service Game Pass Ultimate (GPU). While rival services from Nintendo, Sony, mainly feature older games, GPU offers many big budget PC and console titles, including all of Microsoft’s first party lineup, on day one. But GPU now costs a prohibitive $30 per month. That’s the same cost as five full price games over a year, a steep ask when most gamers spend far less on their hobby.

Trust the creators with film restorations

09.23.25 | film | ∞

Over the past few years film restorations have exploded in popularity, driven by demand from reparatory theaters and UHD Blu-ray collectors. Boutique labels like Criterion, Arrow, and Shout Factory have upgraded once shoddy releases into pristine 4K transfers. The projects span a wide range of decades and genres, from Barry Lyndon to RoboCop, High and Low to Se7en, Hard Boiled to A History of Violence.

But restorations often generate controversy. Critics argue the restorations go too far, distracting from a movie’s original artistry and aesthetics, and in some cases edging into remake territory. For example, the 2021 restoration of Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love shifted the color palette towards greens, muting the the reds and whites of earlier releases. Many complained the colder color palette dulled the movie’s lauded costuming and cinematography. Similarly, David Fincher’s updates to Se7en used digital touchups to replace actors heads, change backgrounds, and reframe shots. Online debates broke out on whether Fincher’s edits ultimately helped or distracted from the final picture.

The restoration debate is ultimately about ownership. Should restorations honor the creator’s intent or the audience’s original memory? And how far can you restore a movie before it becomes a different work altogether?

Making smart film recommendations

08.21.25 | film | ∞

Smart, tailored film recommendations are one of the best ways to get friends and family more into movies. The right selection can open someone’s eyes to great cinema beyond Netflix originals and the occasional blockbuster at the local multiplex.

For many people, it’s not that movies are universally bad, it’s they rarely encounter films they really love. Local theaters show few films outside of big franchise blockbusters. Theaters are often old, with expensive tickets and unruly audiences. At home, algorithmic-based streaming recommendations tend to be poor and unfocused. Finding good movies can feel like chasing a moving target. Digital rental and streaming release dates are often unclear. Movies regularly shuffle in and out of streaming services every month.

However, through streaming services and digital rentals, a mainstream audience can access more high quality movies than ever before. Good recommendations in this landscape need minimal resistance. Access and convenience are key. Focus on movie recommendations from digital services your audience already uses regularly, be they monthly subscription services or rental stores. Services like JustWatch help to browse what’s available across multiple services.

The case for SteamOS hardware in a fragmented gaming industry

08.04.25 | Gaming | ∞

Imagine a small box running SteamOS that easily pairs with a TV or monitor. It would be more powerful than a Switch 2 but cost under $400. This kind of hardware flopped a decade ago, but today it could attract a large audience. Against a gaming industry that faces widespread challenges, Valve stands out as one of the few companies to potentially disrupt the market with small form factor PCs. Sony and Nintendo wouldn’t face immediate threats from such a device. But the strengths of this Valve branded hardware — lets call it the Steam Machine 2 (SM2) — would be hard to beat. The SM2’s simplicity, breadth, and price would be virtually unrivaled.

This hardware would offer a largely console-like experience out of the box, refined through years of SteamOS iterations on the Steam Deck. Players would also get access to the largest, most diverse gaming library available. Steam’s catalog is practically endless, including longstanding franchise hits, indie viral streaming sensations, and most of Sony’s and Microsoft’s first party titles.

The SM2 would also be comparatively affordable. The hardware would be cheaper than a Switch 2 or PS5, without multiplayer access fees in the form of a PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass. Unlike games sold on console or physical marketplaces, most Steam games go on deep discount several times a year.

Films that define the 2020s

07.14.25 | film | ∞

Now that we’re halfway through the 2020s, I’ve been thinking about which films will be regarded as the best of the decade many years from now. To stand out among tens of thousands of movies requires widespread critical appreciation that deepens over the years, along with enough originality in a film’s plotting or construction to keep it to memorable decades later.

Using that logic for the 2010s, I’d include films like Children of Men, Mad Max: Fury Road, Phantom Thread, The Social Network, and The Tree of Life. Each movie is broadly appreciated today, regardless of how many wins it received from various critics groups and craft guilds they received at the time. Each also stands out for its bold, original filmmaking, even if the film’s distinctiveness may not be apparent at first glance.

Take Phantom Thread, which has the outward appearance of a stately, serious period piece. But Paul Thomas Anderson injects enough humor and cattiness to make the picture play like a romantic comedy. He adds modernist flourishes like coded S&M and a partner who grows from muse to equal.

We undervalue how challenging it is to be both critically lauded and steadfastly original. Most movies that regularly crowd top ten lists and win Oscars succeed in one area but not both.