Netflix is a giant made of smoke and mirrors. This is at least the impression you might get given the streaming giant’s difficult-to-assess success: The provider rarely publishes metrics that can be compared with regular box office figures. But that doesn’t stop Netflix boss Ted Sarandos from praising his company as the perfect provider for highlights like Barbie or Oppenheimer. And for that, to reap a lot of anger.
Netflix boss makes controversial statements about Barbie and Oppenheimer
Sarandos told the New York Times:
[Barbie und Oppenheimer] would have been great for Netflix. They would have enjoyed an equally large audience on Netflix. Therefore, there is no reason why films should work better for everyone in a certain frame size. My son is an editor. He is 28 and watched Lawrence of Arabia on his phone.
Sarandos’ statement is met with rejection and anger on X (formerly Twitter). “No, [Barbie und Oppenheimer] would have flopped terribly“, it is said, or “Streaming cannot replace the cinema experience“. A third person simply judges: “Watching Lawrence of Arabia on your phone is so stupid“.
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Should you watch one of the most visually stunning films of all time on your iPhone? Can any movie be a Netflix success? Why not, Sarandos seems to suggest. But the discussion is being conducted with tough tactics: “Then ask him, why eight out of ten Netflix movies are absolute garbage“, scoffs one of the streaming boss’s opponents.
“Say that to Christopher Nolan’s face and you won’t leave the room alive“, another believes. A third explains: “A film shot on 70mm and shown in IMAX has nothing in common with TV“.
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Since the Corona pandemic, the streaming market has become a existentially threatening competition Cinema lovers like Christopher Nolan now require streamers to agree to the longest possible cinema release before the film appears on Netflix and Co.
Oppenheimer, Barbie and the combined “Barbenheimer” hype indicated a renewed enthusiasm for big-screen events. Nevertheless, many fear for the future of cinema, which explains the vitriolic reaction to Sarando’s words.
Podcast: 8 brilliant westerns that are worth watching, and not just for Yellowstone fans
Whether thanks to series hits like Yellowstone and 1883 or Tarantino masterpieces like Django Unchained: the Western genre is experiencing a popularity like never before. For all fans, we have selected the best Westerns that you can stream right now.
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The 8 Western highlights presented on Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ and MUBI include both absolute classics and lesser-known insider tips. There is something for every genre fan: Our recommendations cover a full 55 years of Western history between 1964 and 2019.