The first ‘Babylon’ trailer is full of sex, drugs, and Oscar anticipation

Paramount
Para
Dropped the first trailer for Damien Chazelle Babylon this morning. It’s a rare red band trailer with minimal violence, but with actual nudity and heavy profanity, in the story of 1920s Hollywood’s dangerous transition from silent films to talkies. As a fan of , it’s well-worn territory. sing in the rain When the artist I can prove it. Many of the pre-Hays Code films were racier and more progressive than much of what passes for adult films today, but it’s a broader conversation. is. It’s full of fascinating people (Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jovan Adepo, Lee Jun Lee, Jean Smart, Tobey Maguire). It looks almost identical to Chazelle’s previous films.

Whiplash, La La Land When first man Sacrifice to accomplish great things, the sometimes mundane and unglamorous aspects of making great art and history, and how success in one’s field can feel like regular work. Oscars 2014 Many of the season’s flicks Whiplash, The Imitation Game, Theory of Everything, Birdman When Selma deal with (to paraphrase Malcolm McDowell in one episode late in the season heroes) push-pull between important life and happy life.somehow Babylon I can’t say Coming out on Christmas Day in a limited release and wide release on January 6th, the Covid-era could return in the New Year to become the breakout hit of Oscar season. 1917 It was three years ago.

one big reason Spider-Man: No Way Home Having jumped from $260 million in mid-December to $804 million domestically ($812 million when recent reissues are counted), it will face near-total opposition in early 2022. because it wasn’t. Morbius Until early April scream January’s only big shot. Also, there were no Oscar season hits in late 2021, and no hits to continue grossing in early 2022. house of gucci Earning $52 million domestically from its $22 million Thanksgiving opening weekend, it was the closest it came, but it was almost done by Christmas. final duel, last night in soho, west side story, king richard When Licorice pizza It was either a box office miss or a minor success at best. All of them were widely released by mid-December 2021.

What we didn’t get early in 2022 was a platform release in late December. It rode a wave of good reviews, attention and consumer buzz to a successful widespread release in January. Think about it, just in the last ten years, zero dark thirty In 2013, american sniper 2015, both la la land When hidden figure 2017 When 1917 Of course, that’s just the big guys. Well, it’s not 2010/2011 anymore. So don’t expect a movie like this one. Black Swan, The Fighter, True Grit When king’s speech to make a lot of money at the same time Little Fockers When Tron LegacyBut Sam Mendes’ World War I action drama opened with $37 million on its way to $159 million domestically, just two months before Covid became a global problem.its launch Revenant, Gran Torino When Lone Survivor 2016, 2009, 2014.

One possible sign of a theatrical recovery is if at least a few of this year’s big Oscar contenders break out commercially.No, it doesn’t look like Darren Aronofsky’s Passion Play whaleA potentially Oscar-winning performance by Brendan Fraser playing an obese man would be a blockbuster.or son, empire of light Also Armageddon time, despite the estimated quality. But more “fun” entertainment could bring people to the theater.Think of a movie like Steven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical film favermans (Thanksgiving), David O. Russell Christian Bale/Margot Robbie/Chris Rock/Anya Taylor-Joy/John David Washington Caper Amsterdam (October 7), Maria Schrader’s “Reporters Who Beat Harvey Weinstein” Drama she said (November 18) and Babylon. ever since Babylon It’s the “go to platform in December, go wide in January” route and can follow in the footsteps of (whether you win something or not) beautiful heart chicago When million dollar baby.

Or, conversely, 3 hours of R-rated fuss is too much for older moviegoers who don’t want to see an R-rated movie with actual R-rated content (more than an F-bomb or two) may prove to be ).That’s why Harvey Weinstein fought to get PG-13 for Judi Dench Philomena Late 2013, That’s Why Lionsgate Finally Released Johnny Depp’s PG-13 Cut Mordecai on DVD. But I don’t like it when it offers taboo products in high-quality or crowd-pleasing packaging. once upon a time in hollywood It was short, wholesome adult twisted entertainment. The Woman King, Amsterdam When favermans for the next three months. The Oscar race starts this Friday, at least as far as moviegoers are concerned. First, let’s hope someone shows up in Sony’s fantastic Viola Davis action flick.