Timeless Camp Tradition: The Remarkable Madame Web
Will Donahue '24, the Chief Copy Editor, shares his thoughts on the recently released movie "Madame Web." Despite the movie being a camp classic due to its earnest attempt to cash in on the trend of superhero cinematic universes, Donahue found it to be unforgettable.
The theater where he watched the movie was freezing cold, but the movie never bored him. In fact, it was the only movie he had seen in theaters so far in 2024, following his New Year's resolution to see one movie in theaters every week.
Donahue notes a short-lived boom of fantasy movies in the 1980s, but believes that Gothic horror is a genre that is in need of a comeback. He laments the author's lack of control during the making of "Madame Web," as the movie was made with extensive reshoots and ADR (dialogue dubbed in post-production).
The film was produced and financed by Sony Pictures, as it is part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, which Sony started independently of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after acquiring rights to Spider-Man characters.
The year 2023 has seen multiple box office failures, including The Flash and Indiana Jones. Donahue has written about the struggles of movie theaters in 2023, and the cold theater where he watched "Madame Web" is a testament to the difficulties faced by the industry.
Some kids in front of him were vaping during the movie, a distraction that he could have done without. But despite the distractions, he found himself captivated by the movie.
In the 1940s, movie musicals were the supreme genre in Hollywood, and Westerns became the dominant genre in both film and television in the years following the 1940s. However, Donahue '24 considers the movie "Wonka" a chocolate-flavored mistake and believes that creatives had less control in Hollywood during its making.
Despite the challenges faced by the movie industry, Donahue remains optimistic and looks forward to seeing more movies in theaters in the coming weeks. He encourages others to support their local theaters and continue to enjoy the magic of the big screen.
