Don't Underestimate a Star

So if you know me you know that I was a big fan of the Netflix show "Stranger Things" and I had wanted to see Hopper in the Santa Claus comedy movie, but I didn't get to the theater in time to do so. I didn't even check how many rotten tomatoes it got, but the trailers made me laugh and I still want to see it. Maybe next Christmas.

The actress who starred as Eleven in "Stranger Things" and the actress who starred as her friend Max both moved on with their careers (with Enola, the Sherlock Holmes style detective show) and with the movie "The Whale" which did give an actor an Oscar. Very good for the actors coming through from Netflix to show that theatrical arts are still alive and well and in Thespian hearts.

I'm extremely picky about my viewing. I am a fan of Henry Cavill, not just because he's stunning to look at, but because "The Witcher" was a show that kept me interested in Netflix. I didn't even get to watch the three seasons in completion before I heard that Cavill was leaving the show for artistic differences, and that was really a bummer to me because I was of the opinion that Cavill and "The Witcher" were going to be the best thing to happen to Netflix during the goodbye to "Stranger Things".... I'm disappointed with how it all fell apart, but Netflix is not the only "station" or "channel" that experiences these types of ups and downs with actors, shows, and/or fanship.

Another actress who has long held my attention is Katherine Langford, who also continued her career (from starting with the very controversial "13 Reasons Why") to moving on with Cursed, which in my opinion was ten times more interesting, more visually stimulating, and better for her career than the first poltical type of show she started with.

It's not just my fantastical nature appreciates shows like "The Witcher", or "Cursed", or "Stranger Things" - but because THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT. I don't want to watch another remake of "I love Lucy", nor do I want to watch another remake of "Star Trek" or "Star Wars". Classics are classics and I don't like when they get recycled for lack of creative output or just because actors and writers are bored. Entertainment is not supposed to make me feel envious, but include me in some way and make me feel like watching that is better than my tuna sandwich on stale bread.

Many people are into the MCU or the DCU hero type of films and shows, and there's a reason those have held our attention for so many years as the money keeps going cha-ching or the tomatoes keep flying at box office crashes. It's because most of us can relate to the feeling of wanting more purpose and pomp than what ordinary go to the bathroom and go grocery shopping does for us on a daily basis. Who wouldn't want to be a Hero or get rescued by a Hero? It appeals to all of our inner fantasies. We are so tired of listening to politics and seeing the ugliness of life in a suburban or city nightmare where the Nuclear family is the Nuclear war and we all want to vomit and run away even at the risk of danger. So we cheer for characters like John Dutton (in a popular cowboy show like Yellowstone) even if there is violence and controversial topics being covered, simply because the Montana lifestyle takes us away from the cold metallic traffic of ugly city life where there's tons of people, yet nothing but isolation and loneliness and boredom based on economic factors and prejudice. I think it's ironic how both Kevin Costner and Henry Cavill both decided to quit very popular shows where their acting was thrilling and obtaining large fanship, yet their peronsl opinions and personal integrity would not compromise to a team of artists who were not being fair or loyal to the original vision. I can respect both of them for "sticking to their guns" on those creative differences.

Television or movie or theater viewing is all up in the air in current times. My mother used to say "Everybody wants to be a hero" but today I will echo her wisdom (after analyzing all the "news" about current affairs) to say this: "Everybody wants Entertainment to be Entertaining." I had already told my son (a huge fan of the arts and entertainment venues) that I don't have a great attention span anymore in regards to "shows" or any form of entertainment if it doesn't catch my attention right away, I'll change the channel or do something else. Also, if it makes me feel in a way that I don't want to feel (like upset or angry as the Daily News does so often) then why would I want to waste my eyes, my ears, and my life injesting such garbage. Entertainment is not about the writers or the actors. It's about the viewers, whether they pay for cable or get it free or cheap. Without the viewers, no one will talk about the show and the show may as well not exist. That's important to the creative team (producers and directors) who often change the rules and the players to increase the cha-ching and the stats. But when you have a shining star who is the main reason the show is a success, you don't mess with that or it's like the Titanic hitting the Iceburg and they all go down.