Here’s actor Brian Cox, as always open and honest and critical, this time attacking Marvel and DC, claiming superhero movies have killed cinema. He says television has taken over, creatively and artistically.
Cox shared his thoughts during a panel discussion at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in Scotland, adding that he believes television has overtaken cinema in terms of quality. (via THR),
“What’s happened is that television is doing what cinema used to do,” Cox said. “I think cinema is doing very poorly. I think it’s lost its place, partly because of the grandiose element between Marvel, DC and all that. And I think it’s actually starting to implode. You kind of lose the plot.”
I’m all for criticizing Marvel and DC, and in some ways they have watered down the quality of Hollywood movies over the last 10 years. However, television is in no way better quality than today’s cinema.
If Cox had made these comments in 2008, he might have been right — back then, new episodes of The Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Mad Men and Lost were all airing simultaneously. The trend toward high-quality television continued for another decade or so, but today, “peak TV” as we know it is dead.
Of course, it’s easy for Cox to say that, as he starred in the most critically acclaimed series of the last five years: HBO’s “Succession.” However, there have been numerous reports that “Succession” may well have been the last gasp of “prestige television,” including from The New York Times, The Washington Post, Financial Times, The New Republic, The Guardian, And Forbes.
“Succession” should be seen as the end of an era that began with “The Sopranos” and lasted for two more decades. Now that television’s boom cycle is over, networks are moving toward more conservative, less experimental programming and relying more heavily on formulas and algorithms.
Meanwhile, cinema, though in a shaken state, remains the more artful visual medium. That is, if you’re willing to think outside the box and watch more than just the latest blockbuster. In 2024, and with four months left before the year ends, I counted about 30 films that I thought were above average. On television, I could probably count the number of great shows I’ve seen this year on one hand.
