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via [After ‘Elemental’ Bombs, Can Pixar Restore Its Box Office Touch?](https://variety.com/2023/film/news/elemental-box-office-bomb-pixar-1235648044/)

>Pixar has been struggling since the pandemic, when its corporate overlords at Disney used the pedigree of the animation brand to prop up its new streaming service. During that period, new offerings “Soul,” “Luca” and “Turning Red” were sent directly to Disney+ and family audiences became accustomed to expect those movies at home.

> “It’s more expensive for a family of four to go to a theater when they know they can wait and it’ll come out on the platform,” Docter has since admitted to Variety.
>

I don’t think that streaming is part of Pixar’s problem. The real problem is that Pixar went from making highly original thought provoking animated movies to every movie being some sort of sacchirine growing up & learning life lessons trope. Pixar needs to be original, but all their recent movies are just rehashed derivatives. The success of Spider-Man across the Spider-Verse or Puss in Boots or Minions is proof that animation movies have legs, but Pixar has in reality, become boring. Even Spiderverse is all about growing up, but it never feels or tries hard to be that way. Pixar movies try too hard to message something. I am still hoping Pixar will rediscover its magic again, but with Disney owning it my hopes are way too low at this pt.

I finally finished Better Call Saul last night. Jesus what an absolute torture season 6 was. This series lost all its charm post Season 3 and Chuck’s demise. Till then it was probably one of the best TV shows all around – but beyond that point it felt like it became so much more about the cartel, nacho, lalo, salamancas and associated storylines and less about Saul and his life. They try so hard to connect the threads but it all just feels loose and flimsy. Yet another series that would’ve been served well by ending Season 4 itself rather than drag it for 2 more seasons and ruin what would’ve been a classic. I dont know how anyone thought Season 6 was anything less than painful.

I want to feel bad for those trapped in that submarine but I am unable to build any empathy towards these ultra rich people who can throw 250k a head on a submarine trip helmed by what seems like a shady company. I hope they survive but I dunno I just do have any empathy for all of this. I guess it’s hard being super duper rich.

Apple support as expected was pretty fucking useless. So I have no clue what happened to my Paris photos, but on the other hand Google photos somehow had a copy of it – and it probably has it because I had created a shared album and put them there. It has retained photos and videos in those albums. Phew! Also a lesson learnt that I cannot trust iCloud to manage my photos, at all. A backup solution is necessary (and I do have amazon photos as well!) but a good idea to keep checking past photos. As for apple, they wish-washed their “cant do nothing about it now” way.

Saw a poster for “Law & Order Matters: Vote Republican” outside on highway somewhere. Ah the irony – i am sure the motherfuckers wont hold their bastard king to the same standard, but yeah tell us what matters. Conservatives really are the absolute worst people out there. They belong to the gutters.

We loved Spider-Man across the Spiderverse so much we are planning another run tomorrow night at the theaters. Jesus the last time we actually a saw movie more than once in theater was… Inception. While kid wants to see it for entertainment I am still so enamored and floored by animation of this movie. Its like a gazillion things happening all at once and the amount of color, movement and the palettes that keep changing is just a sensory experience like no other. It is true what you read in reviews – the animation in this movie feels just so far ahead of its time already.

Spider-Man across the spiderverse was just stunning. Storytelling, music, pacing and most of all the animation – absolutely everything was just pitch perfect. This is absolutely one of the best animations ever made, not the just the best Spider-Man movie ever.

Ok this morning after commenting on [@pratik](https://micro.blog/pratik)’s Louvre photo I went back to see the similar image I had taken last year – and it turns out all my photos from that day are missing. i have not deleted the photos, but they are neither on google photos or icloud! What gives? In fact I have so few photos from inside Louvre I have no idea what has indeed happened to the photos and where they disappeared? Surely things dont just delete out of iCloud just because? This gives me the scares!

We did not realize signing up for a summer swim team would result in these many swim meets and practices when coupled with her regular swim practices and meets too. The kid is exhausted and it’s only week 1. 7 more weeks girl and you will come out stronger and better then when you went in.

My ex manager at work and I have always had very cordial relationship. She has been my mentor, manager, peer, colleague and a good friend of mine over the years. Though we haven’t worked with each other in years we always make it point to meet for a lunch every 2-4 weeks to catch up. Due to busy schedules we couldn’t connect for last few months and finally connected this week. Like always one of us foots the bill alternatively, and this time was my turn.
But this post is not about that. Casual conversation at home about lunch goes. I mention this time our lunch spot, a burger place I chose was not very good and it was just meh. It was serviceable and not something we’d do again. Well, my dad didn’t take too well to this. If it was my ex manager why did I take her to burger place? I m like not a big deal here honestly. Then he is like I should have pre-vetted the restaurant before taking her there so she wouldn’t be unhappy about the burger place. Then he goes off on tangent about how I don’t know how to keep relations at work or with people. What was supposed to be a simple casual convo about how we both didn’t like the burger place somehow became about me not being good enough, as always. I don’t know if he realizes this is why I almost share information only on need to know basis with him because there is no knowing how it all comes back to me in some form. Even if it was in jest (it wasn’t) these are kind of convos I find meaningless and mostly hurtful coz it just makes me feel bad. But fuck it, this is the least of my headaches to think about (but I didn’t stop thinking did i, coz I had to blog it?).