With the acquisitions of Lucasfilm and Marvel, Science Fiction and Comics themselves - as they exist in the public imagination - became the property of Disney. After some initial success, and up to Endgame what might be one of the most effective and lucrative cinematic engines of all time, they have waned in dissipation and arrogance. Even the cool stuff they manage to get out on accident is catching strays because they've fucked this up so royally. Disney has invented a machine that kills golden geese.

People like to pretend that bad movies are good movies so they can look cool. Some of these things constitute what I have begun to denote mentally as Sites of Conflict; i.e., culture war shit. I'm conversant in the form, having had a variety of experiences with it over a substantial period of time. As an Elder Statesman, it demeans me to seek clout on either side of these fissures. I'm constitutionally unable to engage in this kind of performance, which makes me uniquely unsuited to an age where engagement is the coin of the realm. Alas! Good taste has no doubt deprived me of a great many things.

I had a conversation with Kiko after having watched the Fantastic Four trailer five or six times, and he was more or less disgusted by it. As was Eric. I went into the comments hoping to find succor, and saw many who were not yet ready to believe. And why should they be? We've all given them a ton of money for some really bad shit; we paid them to destroy it. It's bad vibes. The faith, like an errant interstellar ray, is gone.

I have been wondering when hope would return as an aesthetic - as an aspiration. Ronia called the Fantastic Four trailer "silly," and she means that in a good way. It's about a magic family that loves each other. Now, maybe it's just because everything is so fucking bad. But I think I'm ready to watch something where goodness is at least possible.

(CW)TB out.