Posted on 06/24/2026 6:05:36 PM PDT by simpson96
Why is nothing new happening in film?
You’ve noticed. Sequel after sequel, unmemorable plots, films you don’t care about discussing the next day.
Yeah, it didn’t use to be like this.
Filmgoers in the 20th century had a bonanza of new genres or styles of film. Every decade birthed two or more. Film started in the 1910s with a big dose of Charlie Chaplin. Sound entered the picture in the ‘20s, and the films got bigger. The 1930s exploded with Gangster Films, Spectacle Films, Musicals, and Slapstick Comedy. In the 1940s came Power Women Films, Film Noir, and Italian Neorealism. The 1950s birthed the Teenager Films (”teenagers” didn’t really exist until that), Alien Scare Films, and Biblical Films. All of these genres were brand new to audiences at the time. Exciting stuff.
The 1960s blew the roof off film with a slew of new directors. The French New Wave (and all the rest of Europe) brought Godard, Antonioni, Tarkovski, and Fellini. And the start of Hollywood Maverick Films followed, with directors like Coppola, Lucas, and Friedkin. That Maverick filmmaking continued into the 1970s, where we saw the birth of the Blockbuster Film. (Yes, at one point it was a new concept.)
The 1980s birthed The Sequel as a genre of its own, as well as Buddy Cop Films, Big Glossy Comedies, and more Blockbusters. In the 1990s, we again got something new in film: Indie Film.
Starting with 2000, though, this continuous birthing of new film genres and styles stopped. You could still find a good film or two, but there was no new movement or genre, really. And you deserved one.
We should have had one in the 2000s. It was a fresh decade, century, and millennium all in one. The decade’s first half gave us more strong Indies from directors like David Lynch and Darren Aronofsky, and more blockbusters and their sequels. But, right when one would expect some new genre or style in film, Tech entered the picture in the form of “user-generated” online video and social media.
Filmgoers were understandably distracted by these two new tech engagements, which began pulling them away from filmgoing and shot fear through the hearts of studio executives. They didn’t want to suffer the same fate as the music industry just a few years before, so they went into fear mode. They were already dealing with DVD rentals and sales — major Studio revenue - taking a dive, thanks to Netflix’s online video hosting. They doubled down on what they felt was “safe”: more sequels and more films based on established IP (comic books, old TV series, nostalgia games and toys). No new film genre in that decade.
In the 2010’s, we got even further away from any new film genre or style. The top-20 box-office films consisted of 15 sequels, four new comic-book films, and one remake.
Not only had Indie film production waned, but original mid-range-budget films ($20-50m rom-coms, comedies, and dramas) were rare. There was a gap. So, while the studios went headlong into their “safe” films and endless sequels, tech companies (now streamers) filled in that Indie and mid-range budget film gap. This was great — at first. Many filmmakers celebrated what looked like a revival of those films the studios had abandoned. And thanks to the streamers, new films (and series) from Spike Lee, Cary Joji Fukunaga, and David Fincher emerged.
However, streamers have the DNA of tech companies, not film studios, and their hunger for “user scaling” overwhelms everything else. They needed to expand into other countries fast and also make sure their current subscribers didn’t quit. The result was not films and series, but “content” — just stuff for their websites. For foreign countries, they had to have content you could understand without knowing the language: action, horror, thrillers. To keep current subscribers, they needed stuff that you could have on in the background, a “second screen” to keep you company while you scrolled through your Instagram and answered emails on the “primary screen” of your phone or laptop. Some excellent films were still being done, but they were outliers. Basically, instead of getting a new film genre or style that would thrill us in the 2010s, we got the Content Conveyor Belt.
So far, the 2020s seem the same: no new film style or genre. There are 13 sequels in the top 20 box office films. Not great. The streamers, meantime, are making more and more “specious films” — films that look as if they have value (big stars, big marketing campaigns) but actually don’t. And now, as if on cue, there’s generative artificial intelligence (GAI), which allows Studio and streamer executives to cut labor overhead. If you can “generate content” without dealing with and paying filmmakers, actors, locations, and crew, your quarterly profit margins will really shine.
Because using GAl can eliminate most of the people who make a film, it will cause the structure of the film business to collapse. However (a big however), great filmmakers are not going to stop making films. It’s what they do; they can’t help themselves. A new film business is growing, one that is real and raw and human. When the audience becomes sick of the GAl content that is about to kill their culture altogether, these fresh new films will be waiting for them on the other side.
The Birth of the New is coming. And you deserve it.
Woke and censorship killed movies and music
Where can I watch a screening of “Citizen Vigilante”
I’m sick of the “retired CIA or hitman or navy seal who’s trying to live a quiet life, is dragged back into a life of violence to rescue some kidnapped girl” movies.
I’m also sick of lesbians, gays, handicapped and any other minority being included in every part of every movie for the sake of wokeness. Idris Alba is a good actor, but James Bond?
The new genre is multi-season soap operas on a grand scale. The Sopranos, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Game of Thrones, The Shield, Deadwood, Justified, Lillihammer and scores of other series have replaced the movies.
The 90 minute movie is no longer the only game in town. Big screen TV and high speed Internet have simply added the theater to your home.
Same here. The series came out in 2015 and had 5 seasons. I can’t believe I never heard of it until it appeared on Netflix a few days ago. It’s very good and was clearly made with input and the cooperation of the U.S. Navy. I love it when I discover a series I like that already has 5 seasons in the can. Binge city.
I just saved it to my Watch List. It says “Recently Added”
I kike the 5 seasons too
Thanks. I was never a big follower of tv shows but I do recall occasionally seeing Family Ties and liking Michael J. Fox’s character. He’s the only actor whose name I would remember today without looking it up.
I don’t like Maggie Q movies either.
That is why it is time for civilization to collapse. ;-D
Second Hand Lions
I remember that show. I thought it was pretty good.
This is a cut n paste from copilot that I found interesting... a little bio on the movie...
🚢 What real ship played the USS Nathan James?
The fictional destroyer USS Nathan James (DDG‑151) was primarily portrayed by the real U.S. Navy destroyer USS Halsey (DDG‑97). History vs. Hollywood
Additional Arleigh Burke–class destroyers also stood in for filming:
USS Halsey (DDG‑97) — main filming ship
USS Russell (DDG‑59)
USS Dewey (DDG‑105)
These ships were used to represent the Nathan James throughout the series. hub.sivo.it.com
🎥 How they filmed the series
The production team filmed on real active-duty U.S. Navy ships, not studio mockups. This gave the show its authentic look.
Key filming details
Filming took place at Naval Base San Diego and surrounding waters. History vs. Hollywood
The Navy allowed the crew to film aboard USS Halsey and USS Dewey, and even sailed the ships out to sea so cameras could shoot 360° without land in the background. IMDb
Many background sailors you see on screen are actual Navy crew members performing their real duties. IMDb
The USS Iowa museum battleship in San Pedro was used to portray the Russian Kirov‑class battlecruiser. hub.sivo.it.com
This approach gave the show a level of realism that CGI or studio sets couldn’t match.
📘 Is the USS Nathan James a real ship?
No — the USS Nathan James is fictional.
No U.S. Navy ship has ever carried that name. History vs. Hollywood
The name comes from the 1988 novel The Last Ship by William Brinkley, which the TV series is based on. History vs. Hollywood
🔢 Why the hull number is DDG‑151
In the book, the Nathan James was DDG‑80.
For the show, they changed it to DDG‑151 because the real USS Roosevelt already uses DDG‑80. History vs. Hollywood
🛡️ Fun details
The fictional ship’s motto: “The Spear of the Navy.”
The real USS Halsey’s motto: “Hit Hard, Hit Fast, Hit Often.”
(The show intentionally mirrored Halsey’s coat of arms.) History vs. Hollywood
The ship’s dog in the show is named Admiral Halsey, a nod to the real ship’s namesake. IMDb
⭐ Summary
Real ship used:
→ USS Halsey (DDG‑97) — primary stand‑in for USS Nathan James
→ Supported by USS Russell and USS Dewey
Filming style:
→ Shot on real Navy destroyers and the USS Iowa museum ship
→ Real sailors appear on camera
→ Navy cooperated heavily to ensure authenticity
Fiction vs reality:
→ USS Nathan James is fictional
→ Hull number changed for the show
→ Name originates from the 1988 novel
If you want, I can also break down:
How accurate the show is to real Navy operations
Differences between the book and the series
Specs of the real USS Halsey vs the fictional Nathan James
We also saw "obsession" another sort of remake.. think "Big" mashed into "fatal attraction" .
Obsession gave my wife and I a whole car ride home conversation that ended with " you love me enough, I dont need anymore"
Thanks for confirming that Oppenheimer is not all that. I will stick to older movies. Anything before 1995 and whatever from then to 2005.
I have noticed too many super hero movies. I did not even care for their comic books in the 1950s or 1960s. Same for so many modern “John and Mary must SAVE THE WORLD (OR UNIVERSE)” type movies.
Our sixplex theater was built about 25 years ago. I went one time in 2010 to see the remake True Grit. The rest of the movies have all been silly superhero, SI-FI movies or horror shows.and a kiddie show. It closed a few months ago now we have no local theater.
I don’t even watch modern movies on DirecTV.
I still like the OLD movies with great story lines and plots. Not today’s regurgitated garbage.
We used to go to the theater a few times a month back before 2000.
Well most of that is not true. Blockbusters weren’t a new genre. They were exploitation movies, only with a budget. Basically they take a Roger Corman script, give oy a serious budget, and you get Jaws, and Star Wars, and all that. But it wasn’t really a new genre, just proof that if Corman wasn’t so cheap he could have made good movies.
As for the 2000s, shared universe superhero movies would be a new genre then, OK sure they’re still exploitation movies, but it’s a new take. Also Saw came out then and you got the birth of torture porn horror, not a good genre to be sure, but new. And while Blair Witch came out in 1999 the found footage genre really got traction in 2000.
As for now indie is doing great, Justine needs to look up A24 and Angel. Indie studios making good money, and even getting awards. On the new genre screenlife is the big thing, movies taking place largely within computers, apps, browsers. Most of the movies in that genre aren’t very good, but it’s certainly new.
Justine needs to stop obsessing on the highest grossing. With few exceptions the new stuff rarely makes fat cash while it’s truly new. You gotta look below the fold, to those indies she apparently doesn’t know exist, to see where the interesting stuff is happening.
Now the death of mid-budget comedies, yes, that is a thing. And not a good thing. A lot of people have talked about why all the major studios have walked from those. Nobody’s got a good answer. But it is definitely something lacking the last 10 to 15 years.
Because, if we don't, civilization will collapse.
I think our civilization undergoing collapse, and this is nearing its end phase. Our government fails to act on behalf of its citizens, the judicial system doesn’t do anything just, people adhere to impossible or destructive beliefs, the post office and countless other agencies of order malfunction. Trust is very low and violence is up. We are getting quite barbaric.
Other writers on film have noted how genres “hybridize.” A sci-fi film may be a Western at heart. A Western might be a gangster film at its core. A gangster movie can be a family drama or saga. Other writers point out the themes like “the quest” that underlie various genres.
“Girl boss” movies may be the latest genre, or something that cuts across many genres. Before that the 1990s indy slacker film was the last genre. GenX 90s films dealt with the problems of being young so well that succeeding generations didn’t have anything new to say.
And they didn’t have the money. Funding is king in American movies. You don’t get the money unless you can present your idea as a sure crowd pleaser. It’s possible that a little film might earn a profit while the big superhero movie costs the studio millions and earns nothing — but the little picture is too much of a gamble for Hollywood.
Maybe there’s something new being done overseas — or maybe film is finished.
The Thin Man films were A grade made a few years apart. Many of the others were the TV of their day. After TV became big, these series died out. The modern sequels are something else.
Blondie
Charlie Chan
Sherlock Holmes
and many others
That and no one knows how to light a movie scene anymore either. Most of them are drab and dark and uninspired.
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