Lifestyles

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Help! I Can’t Stop Watching

this Video! :-)

#LoveIt

Sci-Fi Lovers:

Is the Summer Block Buster Ever Coming Back?

There are so many missing aspects of our Pre-Pandemic lives leaving us to wonder how much of that lifestyle we will be able to recover. Few experts would argue that living under the stresses we have endured since 2019 has had an impact. But even before the pandemic forced us into isolation, we were witnessing a shift in the way we consume entertainment media, most notably for me, the movies.

As a diehard Sci Fi fan, I often had to fight back mild outrage when a friend would say “Hey I saw the Avengers” and then add that they watched it on their phone when asked which theater. As someone who got in line over an hour early to “experience” the movie in IMAX I cannot imagine limiting that experience to a 5-inch screen and earplugs. But eventually I noticed the growing availability of streaming content. More and more the movie studios and other media outlets were catering to a new way of consuming their product. A way that was increasingly less social. Tablets and Smartphones were replacing the 65” TV. The time between theatrical release and streaming availability was growing shorter as well. Obviously, media giants realize this is where the money is going to be made moving forward. And then came the pandemic which really accelerated this shift. Movies as a mass social event became less a victim of changing tastes but an actual prohibited activity. So, with all these social dynamics at play I must wonder if the “Summer Block Buster” theater experience is becoming extinct.

I am probably dating myself by lamenting this loss but there were several cool things about the old summer movie seasons that were distinct from other annual seasons. For instance, it was all about fun. The summer season was not known for Oscar contenders but instead it was about good old fashion movie going fun filled with Transformers, Fast and Furious Cars, Space Adventures and of course Superheroes. When at their best these movies were the anthesis of Social Distancing. They brought us together is a very special way. I remember the packed audience in the Air and Space Museum theater erupting together in spontaneous applause as Gal Gadot first appeared in full Wonder Woman costume and the spontaneous cheering and applause when the credits began to role following the first Avengers movie. That type of shared enthusiasm will be missed if we completely move away from this platform.

I’m not saying it’s all bad. There are advantages to this shift in movie consumption habits. For instance, I have noted steady increased quality in content designed to go straight to steaming. Although intended for more intimate viewing on smaller screens the quality is frequently movie theater level across all metrics including Screenplay, Acting, Directing, and especially Cinematography and CGI. Its also interesting to note that some media giants have proven quite capable of turning out exceptional content for this medium even though they struggle with their theatrical releases. The Star Wars Universe is an example. I think most fans would agree that the non-theater productions such as the animated Clone Wars, Rebels and Bad Batch along with their live action offerings such as Bob Fett and The Mandalorian have been more enjoyable than many of the full-length theater releases. The D.C. comics-based stories released on the small screen platform also tend to be better than their theatrical counterparts.

I’m not sure where this is going ultimately but I have faith that even if highly anticipated summer Sci Fi movies start becoming available almost immediately for streaming there will be enough die-hard fans and folks looking for fun date night activity to keep the theater experience a viable and possibly a preferred option. -Rich-

**Dr. Anthony Brown**

“**Mentoring, Mastering and Making a Difference”**

Ellen DeGeneres is being selective with her guest as she prepares to closeout her celebrated talk show this month. Recently, she welcomed famed quarterback Drew Brees for conversation and words of wisdom. Drew offered these words …

… “life has three phases - mastering, mentoring, and making a difference.” Mastering, he suggested, is our individual and collective efforts to master something – a subject at school, a sport, a trade. Phase two was mentoring, sharing what you’ve mastered with someone coming behind you, and then that final phase he mentioned was, making a difference. I appreciate Drews perspective and would like to offer some reflections, paramount being I believe more than being consecutive phases, one after the other, these phases overlap, reappear, and intersect, as we navigate life’s journey.

Something I have been saying often, as I prepare to celebrate my 60th birthday, is “I have more days behind me, than I have ahead of me”. With this reality, I want to be even more sensitive to mastering, mentoring, and making a difference. Isn’t mastering more than just a phase? Shouldn’t we be life-long learners – always seeking to master something. Right now, I am trying to master an understanding of retirement planning and how to close-out what has been a great life of impact, influence and gratefulness. There is always something to master. And never forget the non-tangibles that must be mastered -- things like communication, relationship development, understanding ourselves, and accepting – for those of faith, God’s divine orchestration of our lives.

Mentoring is on my mind often as I look forward with gratefulness and humility toward the “limited days ahead of me.” I am sensitive to the fact that I have limited time to share, impact, develop, and mentor those who are coming behind me. So, for those who will listen – and even for those who won’t (smile), I am a constant teacher, sharer, and revealer of the twists, turns, ups, downs, highs, and lows, which have shaped my life. Finally, “making a difference” is more than a phase. I feel it should be a lifelong quest – instilled, even in children, a commitment to positively impact the spaces The Lord allows us to fill.

I’ll add a “shout out” to Ellen, someone I feel has mastered, mentored and made a difference. And, these were her words, “she is not done yet.” And I’ll close with a challenge for myself and those reading now – never stop mastering, mentoring, and making a difference. Many of us have more days behind us than we have ahead of us.

Note: Find out more about my desire to make a difference through the Dream Foundation, a non-profit I started 15 years ago at www.dream4it.net.

Be blessed!

- Anthony-

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In any relationship—platonic or romantic, it’s always good to often take a beat and do a self-evaluation. Own the areas where you could do or be better…and actually do it; have the courage to apologize when you’re wrong or have offended…and adjust your behavior; be more aware of and accommodating to the other’s needs and love language(s); and be more transparent and honest about your apprehensions and fears. It’s true: the way you choose to show up with people determines the strength or weakness, the longevity or shortness, and the depth or surface of your interactions. Self-awareness and consistent effort will help to make it last forever. #perspective #growth #lifelesson

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