Morbius (2022)

[calsnowskier]

Redbox? They still in business?

It is amazing how the industry has changed in the last 10-15 years. Blockbuster was the monopoly. Nobody could touch it. Until the 1-2 punch of Netflix and Redbox. When they got their footing, Blockbuster just couldn’t compete anymore. And with as HUGE as Blockbuster was, that all happened essentially over night (maybe 2 years?).

Now Netflix successfully completely altered their business model (completely gutted their DVD business and went 95% streaming instead) while Redbox has been completely unable to get any kind of footing in the streaming market, essentially killing their future outlook.

Sorry for the rabbit hole, there. Sometimes it is just fun to look back at the path traveled.

 

[Niner Outlaw]

It is amazing how the industry has changed in the last 10-15 years. Blockbuster was the monopoly. Nobody could touch it. Until the 1-2 punch of Netflix and Redbox. When they got their footing, Blockbuster just couldn’t compete anymore. And with as HUGE as Blockbuster was, that all happened essentially over night (maybe 2 years?).

It's always crazy to see how a seemingly small decision can boost or doom a company. Blockbuster's fall happened in about 5 years, but it started way back in 2000...

Back in 2000, Blockbuster tried a streaming thing with Enron, but the deal fell apart before it ever hit the public (b/c...Enron). Later on that year, the founder a rather new company called Netflix proposed a partnership with Blockbuster where it would essentially buy Netflix for $50mill, and Netflix would run Blockbuster’s brand online and Blockbuster would promote Netflix in its stores. Blockbuster rejected the proposal as ridiculous--after all, they were the unquestioned leader in the rental movie business.

4 years later, the all mail-order, no late-fee Netlfix, along even newer Redbox, had become a significant competitor. So Blockbuster's CEO got the board to agree to discontinue late fees (which were the backbone of Blockbuster's high profitability) and heavily invest into a Blockbuster digital subscription platform. Profitability fell sharply, and a year later, the CEO was ousted, a new CEO installed, and the new guy discontinued the old CEO's changes. Although profitability went back up, revenue steadily declined every year after that.

By 2007, Netlfix started streaming content to its subscribers, Amazon had entered the streaming market, and even though Blockbuster had started a netflix-style subscription service a year earlier, it was more expensive than Netflix, and too little too late, it fell off after initial popularity. Blockbuster went bankrupt in 2010.

 

[calsnowskier]

It's always crazy to see how a seemingly small decision can boost or doom a company. Blockbuster's fall happened in about 5 years, but it started way back in 2000...

Back in 2000, Blockbuster tried a streaming thing with Enron, but the deal fell apart before it ever hit the public (b/c...Enron). Later on that year, the founder a rather new company called Netflix proposed a partnership with Blockbuster where it would essentially buy Netflix for $50mill, and Netflix would run Blockbuster’s brand online and Blockbuster would promote Netflix in its stores. Blockbuster rejected the proposal as ridiculous--after all, they were the unquestioned leader in the rental movie business.

4 years later, the all mail-order, no late-fee Netlfix, along even newer Redbox, had become a significant competitor. So Blockbuster's CEO got the board to agree to discontinue late fees (which were the backbone of Blockbuster's high profitability) and heavily invest into a Blockbuster digital subscription platform. Profitability fell sharply, and a year later, the CEO was ousted, a new CEO installed, and the new guy discontinued the old CEO's changes. Although profitability went back up, revenue steadily declined every year after that.

By 2007, Netlfix started streaming content to its subscribers, Amazon had entered the streaming market, and even though Blockbuster had started a netflix-style subscription service a year earlier, it was more expensive than Netflix, and too little too late, it fell off after initial popularity. Blockbuster went bankrupt in 2010.

Amazing story, the rise and fall of Blockbuster. It should be (and probably is at this point) a required study in all MBA programs.

 

[BusSport]

Cast poster:

 

[BusSport]

Uh-oh on the first reactions:

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

Uh-oh on the first reactions:

Not surprised. With the Spiderman exception, what superhero movies have been good from Sony? I thought the Venom movies were terrible.

 

[calsnowskier]

Not surprised. With the Spiderman exception, what superhero movies have been good from Sony? I thought the Venom movies were terrible.

I liked the Norton Hulk movie (that was MCU — Norton was recast to Ruffalo), but even that wasn’t a home run.

 

[wildturkey]

Uh-oh on the first reactions:

Sony fuck ups aside, I've had doubts ever since the project was announced. It's not like Morbius is some classic and beloved character. I'm sure he's got a cult following, but he's somewhat obscure. And I know every time that kind of statement is made, people point to Guardians of the Galaxy and its success, but GotG were fun. Morbius has always been kinda lame.

 

[calsnowskier]

Sony fuck ups aside, I've had doubts ever since the project was announced. It's not like Morbius is some classic and beloved character. I'm sure he's got a cult following, but he's somewhat obscure. And I know every time that kind of statement is made, people point to Guardians of the Galaxy and its success, but GotG were fun. Morbius has always been kinda lame.

Ironman as well. He was picked to start the MCU because he was a b-tier character that wouldn’t be ruined if the movie flopped.

 

[mall3013]

I've been waiting for 2 frigging years for this film to come out. Going opening night. I just hope I'm not disappointed.

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

I liked the Norton Hulk movie (that was MCU — Norton was recast to Ruffalo), but even that wasn’t a home run.

I didn't mind that movie either, but that was Universal.

 

[calsnowskier]

I didn't mind that movie either, but that was Universal.

Congrats. You passed my test.

 

[wildturkey]

Ironman as well. He was picked to start the MCU because he was a b-tier character that wouldn’t be ruined if the movie flopped.

Iron Man was more popular though. If Iron Man was "B tier" as a known character, Morbius is like G Tier

 

[calsnowskier]

Iron Man was more popular though. If Iron Man was "B tier" as a known character, Morbius is like G Tier

Fair. Ironman was a bigger character than morbius, but IM was still NOT a big A-list character. We forget that now since the character has blown up since the movie, but he was FAR from mainstream.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

Fair. Ironman was a bigger character than morbius, but IM was still NOT a big A-list character. We forget that now since the character has blown up since the movie, but he was FAR from mainstream.

Wouldn’t say far from mainstream either. There were Ironman cartoons well before the movie. That’s kind of how I judge mainstream.

Thing with marvel was that they never had anyone as big as Superman or Batman.

But I do agree that Ironman wasn’t exactly a marvel big until this universe.

Really the avengers were not even that big. X-men and the fantastic 4 were the big teams.

 

[calsnowskier]

Wouldn’t say far from mainstream either. There were Ironman cartoons well before the movie. That’s kind of how I judge mainstream.

Thing with marvel was that they never had anyone as big as Superman or Batman.

But I do agree that Ironman wasn’t exactly a marvel big until this universe.

Really the avengers were not even that big. X-men and the fantastic 4 were the big teams.

Prob was, Marvel was facing bankruptcy, and they didn’t think there was much of a cinematic future for comics, so they leased out the movie rights to all their IP that had any value (F4, XMen, Spidey, Hulk, etc). Their best asset when they decided to launch the MCU was the Avengers.

A lot of their IP has reverted back to them (Defenders, primarily) and they bought XMen and F4 back. But Sony continues to reboot Spidey, just so they don’t lose the rights. I am not sure how Universal still owns the Hulk’s rights (I would assume through some agreement with Marvel in order to include him in MCU movies??).

 

[Blackshirts BLVD]

They probably should have used Morbius as one of the villains in the Spiderman movies first and if liked, build off from there.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

They probably should have used Morbius as one of the villains in the Spiderman movies first and if liked, build off from there.

Does anyone know whether blade will be in this and if he is being rebooted??

 

[calsnowskier]

Does anyone know whether blade will be in this and if he is being rebooted??

I seriously doubt it. Blade is getting launched in MCU-proper (staring Mahershala Ali) and will apparently be starting with some kind of matchup with Black Knight (Kit Harrington).

The Venom-verse is technically in an alternate reality from MCU-proper.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

I seriously doubt it. Blade is getting launched in MCU-proper (staring Mahershala Ali) and will apparently be starting with some kind of matchup with Black Knight (Kit Harrington).

The Venom-verse is technically in an alternate reality from MCU-proper.

It’s very annoying that they even have these movies if they can’t make these references.


Both venom and morbius are very incomplete without the Spider-Man story IMO.