Category Horror

May 6 2024

Top Ten Worst Comic Book Trends

As we enjoyed last weekend’s Free Comic Book Day event, it reminded us comic book fans about the trends we love to gripe about with the comic book industry. We’ve been griping about these trends for decades and while some have gone away, some new or persistent trends are plaguing the comic book industry.  With that said, here are the top ten worst comic book trends plaguing the industry today.

10. FOMO = Increased Back Issue Prices

Fear of Missing out (FOMO) often plagues many comic book collectors who desperately go out of their way to get the latest trending comic. This was especially bad during the beginning of this decade when any mention of a character appearing in an upcoming movie would cause prices for back issues to explode overnight. This frustrates normal collectors trying to complete a run and at the same time ends up fleecing naïve collectors who have to get the latest trending comic book. Just look at The Amazing Spider-Man #210. A couple of years ago it was highly sought after because it featured the first appearance of Madame Web. Anyone think that book is still in demand after the Madame Web movie bombed?

9. Comic Book Prices Keep Going Up

Right now, the average comic book costs about $5 per issue. Back when the medium first started, a single issue would cost less than a dollar. What used to be a relatively inexpensive hobby, at least for older readers not dependent on their parents’ allowances, is now pricey especially if anyone is trying to buy all the comics that come out on an average month. This has led to overpriced special issues, such as an issue #100, that are priced around $10 and not worth the price as they often turn out to be anthology books featuring forgettable stories instead of monumental events.

8. The Overabundance of Mini-Series

When comic book mini-series first appeared on shelves, they were often devoted to characters who either were brand new or not popular enough to warrant an ongoing series. The limited series served as testing grounds for both the characters or creative teams. Usually, this lead to some characters becoming breakout stars like the Punisher or Wolverine or gave exposure to promising writers or artists. Nowadays, it seems like there is a new mini-series everywhere you turn and often they are about established superheroes like Batman or Spider-Man. Why couldn’t these stories be told in their own titles? Sure, a particular mini-series story may not fit with the ongoing storyline but why not just run the stories in between runs of creative teams? If the famous “Kraven’s Last Hunt” storyline was released today it would have been a mini-series with variant covers and more whistles.

7. Comic Books Villains Turned Anti-Heroes

This is an annoying development with many classic comic book villains. They become so popular that the publishers wind up giving them their own solo titles where they become anti-heroes that we can relate to. The most famous or infamous example is Venom. When he first debuted in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man, Venom quickly became one of Spidey’s deadliest and most popular foes. Unfortunately, Marvel Comics saw the character as a gold mine and increasing his appearances in the Spider-Man comics was not enough. No, Venom was given a bunch of mini-series where he faced off against other popular Marvel characters until getting his own title. The problem with this is that Spider-Man was deprived of a solid villain who could no longer be seen in the same way since Venom became an anti-hero.

6. The Multiverse Concept

The Multiverse is a great concept that lets creative teams conjure up interesting stories outside of the limiting comic book continuities. Sometimes these stories featured the deaths of popular characters, which was unthinkable in regular comics. Great examples include the classic The Dark Knight Returns mini-series and Kingdom Come. But leave it to the comic book companies to dip into the well one too many times. DC and Marvel have released too many stories that take place in separate realities that dilute the impact of the stories and the characters. Just look at what Marvel is doing with the so-called Spider-Verse. What was a fun storyline in The Amazing Spider-Man that introduced imaginative and outlandish variations of Spider-Man has now become a means to throw up countless mini-series (see Number 8) with Spider-Man variants. On a broader scale, Marvel is going all out with a relaunched Ultimate Comics line that features our favorite characters in a different reality. This probably makes speculators happy as they look for the next Spider-Gwen but the rest of us don’t care and this leads us into the next worst trend.

5. Derivative Characters and Families

Legacy characters like Batman, Superman, or Spider-Man usually spawn a family of characters that are derivatives of them such as Batgirl, Superboy, Scarlet Spider, Red Hulk and so on. When some of these new heroes first appeared, they replaced the main characters and picked up the mantle and inspired fascinating takes on legacy characters. Steve Rogers’ Captain America led to Sam Wilson Captain America or Hal Jordan Green Lantern spawned Kyle Rayner Green Lantern. Other times these characters were just young knockoffs of popular heroes. The most recent example is Spider-Boy, one of the dumbest characters ever introduced to the Spider-Man family. Speaking of families, the problem with these characters based on legacy characters is that they dilute the original character. There should be only one Batman (who works best as a loner superhero), one Spider-Man, one Captain America, one Superman; except when it comes to Green Lantern since that character is just one of many Green Lanterns in the galaxy.

4. Too Many Crossover Events

Remember when crossover events were truly special and had consequences? Ever since the success of Secret Wars and Crisis on Infinite Earths, crossover events across comic book titles have overtaken the release schedules of comic books. Often these events spill their way into regular titles and interrupt their ongoing storylines to squeeze in a tie-in story related to the crossover event. This is very annoying when following a run that builds up a certain momentum only to come to a crashing halt just to cram in an issue devoted to a crossover tie-in. Meanwhile, anyone who doesn’t follow a certain title feels compelled to buy it just to get the complete story if they were following the crossover event. We all know why these events happen (hint: $$$), and they are a good way to introduce readers to titles they often do not read, a good example was the “Unity” event in Valiant Comics way back in the 1990s. But there are too many of these crossover events now which has made readers tune out.

3. Meaningless Character Deaths

This has gone on for decades in comic books where the villains apparently were killed off only to reappear issues later with some implausible explanation for how they survived. However, this has recently happened with our superheroes, the best example was the famous “Death of Superman” storyline that made headlines and introduced new characters to the Superman family. But too often, these superheroes have been killed off just to tell stories of mourning only to have them resurrected. It has gotten to the point that a death of a character has no emotional impact. Seriously, did anyone believe for a moment that Ms. Marvel was actually dead when she was killed last year in The Amazing Spider-Man #26? The event was filled with empty platitudes and forced emotions. Note to comic book companies: If you kill off a character then that character should stay dead.

2. Variant Covers Everywhere

Pumping out so many variant covers to comic books is just a ploy to get collectors to spend more on the titles. It is also annoying and confusing for anyone who just wants to get a particular comic book to follow a story. Of course, no one is forced to get all the variant covers, which would be too expensive for average fans. But some completists can go insane and broke trying to find elusive covers that instantly go up in price at comic book stores. Another dilemma is that a person may only want the regular cover but sometimes that is hard to do, and that person is forced to buy a variant cover, which would be a nightmare for an OCD collector. Another very annoying trend with the variant covers is the tendency to put out covers that feature characters that do not have anything at all to do with the comic book! For proof, just look for any recent issue of The Amazing Spider-Man which is guaranteed to have Spider-Gwen or Black Cat on the cover even though neither character appears in that issue.

1. The Constant Cancellations and Relaunches of Popular Characters

This is the worst trend with comic books today and the most annoying. In the old days, a comic book would have a run that spanned hundreds of issues with creative teams coming and going from titles. It was fun trying to get the complete run or at least some significant key issues. But ever since the 1990s, comic book companies have been intent on canceling comic book titles only to relaunch them a short while later with a brand new number one issue. This is done to increase sales and attention to the comic book. While this may please some collectors who can now legitimately claim to own a copy of Daredevil #1 it annoys the rest of us who get confused when trying to complete a run. In the end, it’s just a tired marketing scheme that will not benefit the comic book in the long run. Want a long, successful run of a comic book title? Just focus on telling great stories. The word will get out to fans who will seek out the title and make it an enduring success.

José Soto

Apr 16 2024

The Post-Superhero Film & TV Era

As we move further into this decade, it is apparent that the superhero era in films and TV shows has ended. We all know about the hurdles many recent superhero films and TV show have faced with diminished quality and profit. Guaranteed would-be hits like The Marvels or The Flash failed spectacularly last year and help cement that the superhero films and TV shows are no longer as popular at they were in the previous decade.

This does not mean that there won’t be anymore superhero films or TV shows or that they will never be popular again. There are several superhero films and TV shows in various stages of development and it is possible that a new era could arise. It has happened before. Back in the early 2000s, superhero films became dominant in films thanks to the success of Spider-Man and X-Men, but they then diminished in quality and several films did not perform well. However, as we all know the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) exploded on the scene and launched an even more successful and popular era of superhero films and TV shows. It is similar to what has happened with the comic books that inspired these live-action films and TV shows.

As comic book fans know, comic books have had their ups and downs throughout history with different ages. When they first came into prominence in the late 1930s they sold very well, but by the mid 1950s comic books declined in popularity and sales until the release of Showcase #4, which revamped the Flash and introduced a new age of comic books. Essentially, the eras come and go in cycles with comic books as they reinvented themselves and there is little reason to doubt this won’t happen with superhero films and TV shows. For all we know this year’s Deadpool & Wolverine will usher in a new age of superhero films and TV shows. Or it may be a while as other genres capture the attention of viewers as they offer a fresh new take on superheroes.

So, until then what genre can replace the superhero films and TV shows in terms of prominence and popularity?

It is too early to tell, but we have a couple of contenders: video game-based properties or monster-based properties.

The MonsterVerse based on giant kaijus like Godzilla and King Kong has proven to be unexpectedly popular, while Godzilla Minus Zero blew away audiences and critics with its high quality and success. There are plans for films based on classic movie monsters like the Wolfman and Frankenstein’s monster, which could fulfill the failed promise of the so-called Dark Universe from ten years ago. The only issue with these monster films is their limited scope in terms of story. It is difficult to make compelling stories that focus on giant monsters while ignoring poorly developed human characters. But it is possible, again look at Godzilla Minus Zero.

On the other hand, video games have provided ample material for filmmakers to mine from. The most popular video games are based on science fiction, horror and fantasy and everything in between. In the past, films based on video games fared poorly as filmmakers were unable to translate what made the games so popular into film.

However, there have been many recent films and TV shows based on video games that were wildly successful and were well received. These include Sonic the Hedgehog, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Last of Us, The Witcher, Halo and most recently Fallout. Although the quality and success of these projects varied, it is clear that they are becoming more and more prominent in theaters and in streaming services. These properties are just the tip of the iceberg of available video games that are practically begging to be adapted to live-action. There are plans to produce films and TV shows based on The Legend of Zelda, Death Stranding, Borderlands, Minecraft: The Movie, Metal Gear Solid, Mass Effect and Bioshock. Of course, we will also be getting sequels and new seasons like Sonic the Hedgehog 3, The Last of Us, Knuckles, Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, and Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. The subject matter of these projects range from alternate history, hard sci-fi, horror and animated cartoons.

Will these films duplicate the success of the MCU and other superhero films and TV shows? It’s hard to say at this point, but do not be surprised if some video-game based property explodes and captures the public zeitgeist. The Super Mario Bros. Movie was able to do this given that it earned over $1 billion when it was released last year. It’s possible that the sequel could earn more money and cement the Mario Brothers as the next big thing. Or maybe it will be some other video game property. The future is wide open for video game-based films and TV shows to dominate the public consciousness.

Apr 7 2024

Rise Of The MonsterVerse

While cinematic universes based on superheroes have fallen out of favor and other attempts at creating different kinds of cinematic universes have faltered, the MonsterVerse has actually thrived lately. Just look at the unexpected success of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which when released last week earned much more in the box office than originally projected. Given the success of the latest MonsterVerse film, another sequel is warranted but to date there are not any concrete plans for more films or TV shows. Expect that to change shortly.

The success of the MonsterVerse surprised many people because a lot of attention in the past was given to the superhero film franchises which were more successful. However, as we all know, the superhero film franchises have struggled lately, which created a void for other film franchises to fill, hence the rise of the MonsterVerse. For some time, it was thought that creating a film franchise not related to superheroes was impossible, but the MonsterVerse proved the naysayers wrong.

Originally, the first film in the MonsterVerse, the 2014 American reboot Godzilla was not intended to launch a cinematic universe. Yet, a few years later the birth of the MonsterVerse was confirmed with 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, which was set in the 1970s while Godzilla was set in modern times. But both films featured the secretive Monarch organization which studied the titans or kaijus that were appearing in the world. Cementing Kong: Skull Island as the second film of the franchise was its post-credits scene which teased Godzilla and other giant kaijus from the Toho Studios Godzilla films.

The next entry in the MonsterVerse was Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 2019, which was a true kaiju epic featuring favorite Toho kaijus like Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah along with new and interesting titans. Sure, critics hated the film and it only performed so-so in the box office, but Godzilla: King of the Monsters struck a nerve with fans who where enthralled with the worldbuilding and the explosive monster scenes.

The next logical MonsterVerse film had to be one where King Kong fought Godzilla, which excited many fans. Godzilla v Kong was released on streaming at the same time as it was released in theaters in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it made a lot more money than people expected and was well received. It was the culmination that many eagerly anticipated ever since Godzilla was teased in Kong: Skull Island.

Due to the success of Godzilla v Kong, the MonsterVerse expanded into streaming with two TV shows: the animated Skull Island and the live-action MonsterVerse prequel/sequel to Godzilla, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Both TV projects received positive reactions and helped with the worldbuilding of the MonsterVerse as events from the TV shows were referenced in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

Of course, this brings valid complaints about having to watch previous films or TV shows in order to fully understand what is going on. But does the plot really matter? Sure, the scripts of the films are an issue, especially with the more recent entries and there will come a time when fans will tire of the monsters fighting and want to see some more meat in the scripts. But this is possible as seen with Godzilla, which was a more grounded and mature film. Fans back then griped about the somber tone of Godzilla and the lack of monster action, but it turns out they were not ready for such a film and clamored for the big kaiju battles that dominate the films now. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters was also a more level-headed project that explored the background of Monarch and took time to get us to care about the characters. Perhaps the next MonsterVerse film should find a way to showcase these characters, even though part of the TV show is set in the past.

So, why did the MonsterVerse succeed as a franchise where others failed? Part of it has to do with the fact that even though the films and TV show feature spectacular special effects, their budgets are modest compared to the superhero blockbusters. This makes it easier for them to be profitable even if the box office returns are not as outstanding. It’s actually remarkable given that the battles and scenes with titans are the highlights of these films. Also, unlike some other film franchises, the MonsterVerse took time to properly set up its world. Legendary Pictures, the film studio behind the MonsterVerse, did not at first set out to create a film franchise and even when it did, the set up was natural. This method also created demand, after Godzilla: King of the Monsters many fans demanded to see Godzilla go up against his rival, Kong. A King Kong versus Godzilla film was not rushed out but carefully teased. This was not the case with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. To Legendary Pictures’ credit, they are giving fans what they want which is basically big kaiju fights and scenes with topnotch special effects.

As great as things are for the MonsterVerse, the film franchise will have to evolve in order to survive. Better scripts and more human character developments are essential, as well as more imaginative worldbuilding that unlocks the potential with the titans. What can be done with the titans and Monarch has barely been tapped and hopefully the MonsterVerse will be explored further with future TV and film projects.

Mar 29 2024

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Is Pure Goofy Fun!

Well, no one can say Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire can be compared to Godzilla Minus One, but it was still fun.

The latest film installment in the Monsterverse cinematic universe reunites everyone’s favorite kaijus Godzilla and King Kong, who last faced each other in Godzilla vs. Kong. That film left the two titans living in two different worlds: Kong in an underground realm called Hollow Earth while Godzilla remained on the surface and as the undisputed king of the monsters. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire takes place a few years later where Godzilla starts stomping around the world, destroying cities while battling other kaijus, and absorbing radiation to charge himself up. This catches the attention of the Monarch Organization, which monitors the behemoth kaijus throughout the world that have made their presences known in the Monsterverse.

Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) is a linguist at Monarch with an adopted daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), who is the sole remaining member of her tribe that lived on Skull Island. Jia has been having visions that serve as a warning and Ilene recruits a podcaster, Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), to decipher Jia’s visions, He figures out that the visions are a distress signal from Hollow Earth. Meanwhile, down below on Hollow Earth, Kong is trying to find other giant apes like him and eventually discovers a tribe of such apes, but they are hostile and ruled by a giant, red-furred tyrant called the Skar King.

After King Kong comes up to the surface world to get his tooth infection taken care of by a free-spirited veterinarian called Trapper (Dan Stevens)—yes, that actually happened, Ilene, Jia, Bernie and Trapper voyage to Hollow Earth to find the source of the distress call. Once there, the four run into the last remaining members of Jia’s tribe who are telepaths and they learn that long ago, the Skar King and his ape tribe tried to conquer the surface world, fought Godzilla and were trapped in Hollow Earth.

During his encounter with the giant ape tribe, Kong is bested by the Skar King and is forced to flee with his new-found friend, Suko, a young, red-furred giant ape that is patterned after Grogu or Baby Groot. The human quartet from the surface world run into Kong who was badly injured during his fight with the Skar King and his forces. As Trapper treats Kong, the rest have to find a way to get Godzilla back to Hollow Earth to help Kong fight the Skar King, who plans to escape to the surface to conquer it.

Yes, this admittedly sounds goofy, and it is. But Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is so damn entertaining and it’s simply a fun watch that is fast paced and exciting. Basically, this is the quintessential film for you to turn off your brain, not question the film’s logic and just go with it. By the end of the film, anyone will be rooting for our heroes during the climatic battle with the Skar King and his minions. That battle was actually pretty epic and the film is a throwback to the more juvenile Godzilla films from the ‘60s and ‘70s that we all enjoyed as kids. The script is obviously the weakest part of the film, but everything else was well done. Who cares about collateral damage as famous landmarks and cites are destroyed as these giants tussle? How many people were killed as King Kong and Godzilla faced off in Cairo? Never mind that the Pyramids of Giza were destroyed! Or that the film copies elements from popular films and TV shows like The Avengers or The Mandalorian. Leave those concerns home and keep munching your popcorn as the film makes you feel like a little kid again. This is the kind of film to not think too deeply about and have a laugh-filled blast.

The actors give it their all with their limited character development, while King Kong is the clear star of the film.  His dialogue-free scenes give him a lot of pathos as the lonely giant gorilla tries to find others of his kind and dealing with the fact that when he does so it was not what he expected. Godzilla’s screen time was not as prominent as in other Monsterverse films, but that’s okay. His scenes are awesome to watch, although some of them were silly like when he uses the Roman Coliseum as his resting place to get some shuteye. Yet, he and Kong still inspire much respect whenever they display the full might of their power.

While Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is just goofy, surface-level fun, it is unfortunate that the film came out after the more serious Godzilla Minus One and even Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the TV show set in the Monsterverse and is required viewing for fans of the film franchise. It can be too easy to dismiss these kaiju films especially the ones from the Monsterverse as silly nonsense, but they can achieve a more mature and thoughtful tone, which was seen with the first Monsterverse film, 2014’s Godzilla. Of course, many complained that that film was too serious and didn’t feature enough monster destruction. Fair enough, but it seems as if the recent offerings have swung too hard in the other direction to the point that they cannot be taken seriously. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters struck a fine balance and if more Monsterverse films are made they should emulate the mood of the TV show. The filmmakers should aim for something higher instead of playing it safe and reveling in epic kaiju battles. But enough of that griping, just go see Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and have some fun.  

Jan 22 2024

Wither Physical Media? Or The Downside Of Digital Streaming

By now, we all know about how physical media is dying, especially after the retailer Best Buy announced last year they would discontinue selling DVDs, Blu-rays and 4K disks this year. This is largely due to the prevalence of digital media and digital streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Max, and so on, and declining sales of physical media. These platforms made it much more convenient to access and watch your favorite films and TV shows without the bother of physically getting up, searching through your DVD/Blu-ray library and inserting disks into a player. However, something has been lost with the downfall of physical media. Or is it truly dead?

By announcing that physical media was doomed, interest has increased in fans and collectors to obtain the remaining physical media, especially in secondary markets, as fans are now actively hunting down copies of their favorite films. What helped drive the hunts was a major flaw that became clear with the rise of digital media: the availability of a favorite film or TV show.

On paper, digital media and streaming takes care of the problems with buying and collecting physical media, namely storage and the ease of accessing your favorite Star Trek episode. The problem is the streaming market has become so diversified that these services feel like you’re accessing incomplete libraries. A draw of streaming was the vast libraries they boasted. This was the case when Netflix was the only large streaming service years ago, but with the coming of Disney+, Max and other streaming services, these companies understandably took their toys and went home. Good luck if you subscribed to Netflix to watch the latest Marvel superhero film. You might get Morbius or some knock-off film, but if you want to watch Iron Man or Avengers: Infinity War you’ll have to subscribe to Disney+. The same thing happened if you wanted to watch Star Trek. While you can watch some of the films on other services, for the “complete” Star Trek library you have to subscribe to Paramount+, which offers little else that would interest the average Star Trek fan. And by “complete” we have to keep in mind that Paramount+ cancelled and removed Star Trek: Prodigy from their service. Now you can only see that show on Netflix, which will exclusively stream the second and final season of Star Trek: Prodigy.

Anyone sees where this is going? Essentially, you have to subscribe to all the major and even minor digital streaming services to be able to access the films and TV shows you want to see. That is if they have the rights to stream them. Anyone want to see Outland? Never heard of it? No surprise. Outland was a sci-fi crime drama that starred Sean Connery as a sheriff on a mining station on IO. It copied the gritty and grounded look of Alien but was a well done film. Now where can you find it. Sure, anyone can buy it digitally, but why should they if they are supposed to easily access it on digital streaming? Also the money spent to download Outland is comparable to buying a physical disk.

The same issue has been noted online with the sci-fi film Cocoon. It was successful back when it was released in the 1980s, it even won Academy Awards, but it is unavailable on physical media and you have to hunt for it on streaming. Then there is the situation with trying to watch the original version of Star Wars, no bloody Episode IV or other silly subtitles, and where Han shoots first! Many fans hoped that Disney+ would have streamed the original vision of George Lucas, but to date that has not happened. The only way to see the unaltered Star Wars is by purchasing old VHS cassettes, laser disks, and DVDs. Of course, the quality won’t be 4K but at least it is accessible to you and owned by you.

The problem with buying digital downloads of films and TV shows is that you don’t actually own the downloads. Disney+ boasted that with its service you could download their content to watch anywhere on any device. But do you get to keep the downloads if you unsubscribe? If you can please drop a comment below.

Many owners of the PS5 learned the hard way that their digital downloads are not theirs to keep forever, as it was announced late last year that any Discovery+ content that was purchased and downloaded would be removed from PS5s. So, what is the point of buying downloads if you cannot keep them? With DVDs and Blu-rays, the disks are yours forever, you can watch them at anytime just as long as you have a player, which are very cheap these days. Of course, a problem with all the media platforms is the availability of old and obscure content. There are countless sci-fi, fantasy and horror films and TV shows that have basically disappeared since they are not streaming (usually due to rights issues) on any service and if they had a DVD or Blu-ray release, they have gone out of print a long time ago. This makes me glad that I never got rid of my DVD copy of Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners since it is a favorite that cannot be easily seen these days.

What can a genre fan do? Sure you can subscribe to every streaming service but that is expensive and you’ll be stuck paying for subpar services just to access a film or TV show, which can be removed at anytime, often without notice. This happened to me when I was binging Snowpiercer on Max and stopped watching it a few episodes away from its season finale. The next day the entire series was removed from Max. This streaming service was infamous for removing other genre content because the parent company did not want to pay residuals to writers and so on. Such content included Raised By Wolves and Westworld. Anyone who intended to watch the complete series is out of luck these days.

Another thing that makes physical media superior is that many disks come with unique interactive menus and features that you cannot get on a digital download. Some like The Lord of The Rings films are renowned for the exhaustive content on their Blu-rays and 4K disks like extensive behind-the-scenes features, production art, games, and of course deleted scenes. You certainly won’t get this much material in a download!

The best option is to shop for obscure products on second-hand online services that specialize in obscure and out-of-print DVDs and Blu-rays. But be prepared to pay a lot. Then there is cable or satellite TV. Yes, the point of streaming services was to enable viewers to cut the cable cord, but many times, cable is the best place to watch obscure genre films. However, while sales these days of physical media are past their heyday, they are still being made. It is easy to see a time when physical media makes a comeback like vinyl records did as streaming services and digital downloads become more expensive and inconvenient for fans. But for now, make a point of actively seeking out and buying your favorite obscure sci-fi film like Silent Running or the original version of the Star Trek TV shows. You never know if an increase in sales would have an influence on the decision makers in Hollywood. Besides a Blu-ray or 4K disk library definitely looks cool on display in your homes!