From Cleopatra to Lawrence of Arabia there have always been movies that certain filmmakers have felt need to be told in more time than an hour or so.

But it does seem like in recent years, especially prior to 2020, Hollywood studios have released a host of these three hour epics. Especially in the genre of the superhero movies which have been trying to outdo themselves in both spectacle and feature length.

While enjoyable as many of the films have been, is it too much of a good thing? Are we eating ice cream for breakfast more than we should? While neither the blockbusters nor the desire to go to the theaters are probably not going away any time soon, have these types of films finally burned themselves out?

With the rise of television shows like the Mandalorian, Book of Boba Fett and most recently Obi-Wan Kenobi, people seem to be gravitating towards the 30 minute serialized stories these shows have to offer on streaming. Is this a reflection of our TikTok culture that desires the quick fix of entertainment rather than having to sit through three hours of the latest Avengers or Batman film? And with the budget of some of these shows rivaling that of the blockbusters, will there come a time where the desire for “the cinematic experience” no longer be there?

With the rise of streaming (which was accelerated out of necessity due to the pandemic) it begs the question, why deal with the potential of annoying people who can’t keep quiet at the movies, when you can just enjoy these movies from the comfort of your own home? You can also stop the film and take a bathroom break.

Which cannot be done in the theater.

In this episode Bret, Jamie and Wayne discuss the pro’s and cons of this brave new world of entertainment and what it might this mean for the future of the entertainment industry.

How we enjoy movies this week on the Mental Suppository.

Mental Suppository Podcast