In April of last year, as the final season of “Game of Thrones” approached its finale and “Avengers: Endgame” had just arrived in theaters, critic Matt Zoller Seitz identified the confluence of the two events as a pivotal moment in the entertainment industry, marking “the decisive defeat of ‘cinema’ by ‘content.’” He writes, “Both are mega-entertainments that are meant to be experienced on the largest screen possible (theatrical or home) in the presence of others. Both will ultimately be viewed on the handheld device that 65% of you are using to read this essay. They're just two more pieces in the content stream, bigger and shinier than all others, but ultimately things to discuss on social media, bond over, and quickly move beyond.” In the year and a half since, the distinction between movies and television has continued to blur, nearly to the point of indistinguishability, with the pandemic-driven closure of movie theaters providing the final push. As that industry threatens to collapse—
#145: The Diamond Sea
#145: The Diamond Sea
#145: The Diamond Sea
In April of last year, as the final season of “Game of Thrones” approached its finale and “Avengers: Endgame” had just arrived in theaters, critic Matt Zoller Seitz identified the confluence of the two events as a pivotal moment in the entertainment industry, marking “the decisive defeat of ‘cinema’ by ‘content.’” He writes, “Both are mega-entertainments that are meant to be experienced on the largest screen possible (theatrical or home) in the presence of others. Both will ultimately be viewed on the handheld device that 65% of you are using to read this essay. They're just two more pieces in the content stream, bigger and shinier than all others, but ultimately things to discuss on social media, bond over, and quickly move beyond.” In the year and a half since, the distinction between movies and television has continued to blur, nearly to the point of indistinguishability, with the pandemic-driven closure of movie theaters providing the final push. As that industry threatens to collapse—