All I Want For Christmas is Nostalgia, Reboots, and Resurrections

My wife holding our daughter, Monroe.

Hours after my first blog post, my wife was induced into labor, and twenty-four hours later, we were introduced to our second daughter: Monroe. 

Our first daughter was born over a decade ago, so it feels like we are sort of doing a reboot of our parenting lives. We have hit the old reset button on when we can walk naked (or if you're from the south, nekked) around our house again. Sorry for that mental image. 

My Polaroid SX-Land Camera and a photo of my oldest daughter, Meadow.

One of my favorite ways to capture memories is with my Polaroid SX-70. The images are finicky and are almost always "flawed" in some way which is part of the charm. These images feel aged and pulled straight out of time immediately upon taking them. A better photographer could probably take flawless Polaroid images, but I think something would be lost, at least for me and my sensibilities. What can I say? I am a slut for nostalgia. Especially when it comes to my photographic sensibilities.

Though, I think I am starting to get my fill of nostalgia in my media. 

Spiderman: No Way, Man!

Like I said, I am a slut for nostalgia, and Spiderman: No Way Home is a bit of nostalgia porn. 

SPOILERS, SPOILERS, SPOILERS! 

If you haven't seen the latest MCU offering, then leave now!

Most people have picked up on the fact that the newest Tom Holland Spiderman doesn't just bring back past spiderman franchise villains but also past iterations of Spiderman. It's a Bukakke of nostalgia that really works for the most part. I can't lie; seeing my childhood spiderman, Tobey MaGuire, fighting alongside other spidermen made my 33-year-old heart grow three sizes! 

However, I can't help but wonder what kind of legacy a film that relies so heavily on nostalgia can have? How would the movie hold up for someone who has never seen another spiderman film? It was a blast at the moment, but I can't imagine No Way Home having the sort of lasting impact that Spiderman 2 has had. 

Plugging Back in: The Matrix Resurrections 

To say The Matrix impacted my adolescent mind would be an understatement. I was wearing a trench coat so much it started to really worry my parents. I saw both Reloaded and Revolutions in theaters. I had every intention of seeing Resurrections in theaters but, after the birth of my daughter, my ability to get out of the house has become limited, and HBO Max became so enticing.

Boy… am I glad I saved my money. 

I wrote the following on my social media: 

Sad is the word I'd use to describe THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS. It's clear that Lana Wachowski didn't want to make the film but did it because she knew WB would do it without her anyways--it's literally written into the very text of the film. All 2 hours and 28 minutes felt like watching a hostage situation.

This may be a bit too harsh, and I'm sure the movie works for some folks, but for me, it didn't. The really frustrating part about the movie is that it has some fascinating ideas. However, it never dives deep enough for me. For a film franchise that revolutionized action films and consistently put forth exciting concepts and ideas, it didn't scratch my Matrix itch.

The Matrix Resurrections felt like a film where the filmmaker is grappling with their feelings regarding the work they are best known for that they've possibly outgrown. And, in some ways, The Wachowski’s may even disdain what the franchise their work has become.

These are all really interesting ideas however, in my opinion, Lana Wachowski never explores these concepts in a fulfilling way. 

Who knows, maybe I'll give it a rewatch in a year or two, and my opinion will change, but at the moment, it felt like an empty experience. 

Where do we go from here?

Again, I'm as guilty as anyone regarding throwing my money at anything that tickles my nostalgia fancy. Still, even I have my limits, and I think I am sick to my stomach with member berries. Is this all media has to offer? Continuous reboots and nostalgia porn? I think it's about time my generation puts down our toys and stops forcing them on our children and our children's children. 

I'm ready to unplug. 

I member! You member?

Final Thoughts:

Being the parent of a newborn sure has changed over the past ten years. The hospital doesn’t provide pacifiers!!!

Man, Willem Dafoe is an incredible actor.

I still love Keanu and Carrie Anne. I’d like to see Carrie Anne Moss in a lot more movies.

I hope you have a safe and peaceful holiday with your loved ones.