WGA Deal & Netflix’s Last DVD

Welcome to Watch with Comfort, a newsletter that helps you enjoy what you watch! We break down what people have been watching this last week and what's worth your time! I'm also collecting a news and editorials that deserve your attention. Hope you enjoy and see ya next time!

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The Top 5 Box Office Weekend (Sept 29-Oct 1):

1. Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie - $23m (Opening)
2. Saw X - $18m (Opening)
3. The Creator - $14m (Opening)
4. The Nun 2 - $4.7m
5. The Blind - $4m (Opening)

Box Office Notes:

• Holly guacamole did we have a lot of openings this weekend! Shame that Paw Patrol and Saw beat out The Creator. At the same time, for a new Sci-Fi IP, The Creator is not doing bad. Hopefully it does better next week.
• Dumb Money also saw a wider release this week, but it barely charted. Safe to call this one a dud.
• Expendables 4 continues to flop. It earned another $4m this weekend. Bringing its current total to about $13m. Again, for a budget of $100m this is not great…
• Has anyone heard of The Blind? Because I haven’t.

Top 5 Streamed Titles (From Aug 28 - Sept 3):

1. Suits - Netflix/Peacock
2. One Piece (2023) - Netflix
3. Who is Erin Carter? - Netflix
4. Bluey - Disney Plus
5. Grey’s Anatomy - Netflix

Streaming Notes:

• Very surprised that Ahsoka dropped off the list this week. I have a feeling I’ll see it again though. As the show reached its climax it gained a lot of positive press and word-of-mouth so I bet more people will watch it as time goes on.
• Happy to see the live action One Piece on the list. As far as Anime adaptations go I think this one is the best we’ve received. Not perfect, but enjoyable.
• I’m seeing a lot of familiar names as I make this list every week. I’m starting to wonder if people even WANT new shows. With the exception of One Piece and Ahsoka, two pretty major debuts, it’s mostly the same shows topping this chart every time it’s updated. I want new shows to be good, but when Hollywood execs see numbers like this I doubt they’ll put any effort into it.
• Suits just cannot be stopped!

The WGA Deal is great, but it misses the point

• The WGA signed a deal, ending their strike. I’m very happy my friends can start getting paid again (although the actor’s are still striking, so maybe not). Rather than share a puff piece from the trades, this article outlines how the deal misses the big picture.
• I think it raises some great points as to why Hollywood/Unions are not acknowledging longer-term threats (like true AI filmmaking and the rise of YouTube & TikTok).
• I want what’s best for my friends, and this article articulates how the fight is not over yet.

Netflix Ships their Last DVD

• It’s easy to forget that Netflix started as a DVD rental service. That service is finally shutting down, with Netflix allowing its last customers to keep the DVDs.
• There’s also a nice piece on how that service worked that’s very interesting.

Martin Scorsese bashes Marvel, praises Christopher Nolan

• Another day, another Scorsese vs Marvel internet debate. Last time this happened was at Marvel’s peak popularity (when the last Avengers movies were coming out).
• This time, director Martin Scorsese is in a much better position to criticize Marvel. The franchise has gone severely downhill since his last remarks.
• And Scorsese cites director’s like Christopher Nolan as better filmmakers to follow. Nolan, whose works include Oppenheimer and The Dark Knight, is a fantastic example to point to.
• Scorsese is also about to release Killers of the Flower Moon, which will probably be a critical and commercial success.
• Normally I don’t cover Hollywood in fighting like this, but I think it’s a discussion worth having.

Tubi using ChatGPT-4 for recommending content

• Technically this isn’t a new innovation. Streaming services have used AI to recommend content to customers for years. But it’s a first for ChatGPT. I’m curious if the results will be different from, say, Netflix’s or YouTube’s recommendation engines.

YouTube Pilot Harbin Hotel FINALLY gets a series order

• This story might seem small, but I think it’s the beginning of a broader trend.
• Hollywood has historically snubbed YouTuber creators. That’s slowly changing as YouTube starts get Hollywood agents.
• But this is the first time a TV show pilot that premiered on YouTube has been picked up for a series. and it took YEARS!
• Very happy for the creator, and I think/hope we’ll see more creator’s labors bear fruit (did I mention I have a YouTube channel lol).

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• Home Theater Setup that gets NO NOISE COMPLAINTS
• WATCH how The Creator might change Hollywood forever
• Tom Hanks is not in this ad (AI strikes again)
• CollegeHumor rebrands to “Dropout,” launched streaming service
• CNN MAX launches
• Comcast Data Caps adding $100 a month to bills
• Disney Plus password sharing crackdown begins (in Canada)
• Glad to see Pluto TV Succeeding
• Streaming Companies fight the government TOGETHER
• Star Wars fans have another silly argument
• Robin William’s daughter criticizes AI recreations of her father’s voice

This one will probably be easy. But I want to give a hint this time.

The earlier story about Netflix sending their last DVD? This still is from the ACTUAL last DVD sent by the service (reportedly).