Benzinga - by Anthony Noto, Benzinga Editor.
Each week, Benzinga Buzz compiles the latest entertainment news into a cohesive column for your consideration. Read on for the latest updates — both useful and irreverent.
As summer comes to an end, let's take a look back at two of the most popular movies to debut in quite a while: "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer."
Both films, directed by Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan, respectively, earned a decent amount of loot. Both films were praised for reviving the movie-going experience — however long it'll last.
The fact that Russia didn't appreciate them is a clue as to how important they were to national discourse.
Russia’s Deputy Culture Minister, Andrei Malyshev, blasted both films, saying they "do not meet the aims and objectives set out by the head of state, to preserve and strengthen traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.”
Maybe the Kremlin would have celebrated Barbie's big-screen debut if she was jailed for "hooliganism." Or perhaps the J. Robert Oppenheimer biopic would have been more enticing if the esteemed physicist cheerfully suggested abducting children instead of dropping a bomb. Would that have better illustrated Russia's values?
To be fair, so-called patriots here in the U.S. didn't enjoy Barbie, either.
"I don't know why Mattel (NASDAQ: MAT) would turn over its [intellectual property] to filmmakers who clearly hate the IP,” Ben Shapiro, the conservative talking head, says in his 42-minute review, where he creepily sets a doll aflame.
"The irony is that the Ken aspect of the film is about people like Ben, but it goes straight over his head...," one commentator responded on YouTube.
Another viewer who apparently missed the message is X owner Elon Musk.
“I took a tequila shot every time Barbie said patriarchy … only just woke up,” Musk wrote.
Comedian Bill Maher also didn't like "Barbie," calling it so 2000 and "late."
Who enjoyed the "Barbie" movie? California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, hailed Barbie for championing climate activism, “hitting the roads in her electric vehicle,” and destigmatizing mental health care.
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