📀Netflix's Dying DVDs, The Rise of Phonk, and Meow Wolf Denver

get out the drifting tires

Sep 19, 2022

Hey friends! How is your Monday treating you?

We’re drawing close to October now . . . and it’s time to start playing Horror Games and watching Horror Movies.

Anything that doesn’t involve attics is fair game to me. The attic in our house is very hard to access - and I haven’t been up there yer. *Cough* Sinister *Cough.*

We’re still working on a patio for the backyard - I’ve been finding a lot of junk in the dirt, and I’m very curious to know what was in this corner years ago. A junkyard?

Lots of broken pavers, cans, metal, bits of a mug, hose . . . .

Buying an older house is such an adventure - you never know what used to be there!

Did you hear about Adobe buying Figma? Crazy stuff.

As I told a friend - from a competitive standpoint i find it sad that Figma fell into the jaws of Adobe, but from a utilitarian standpoint - it’s hard to argue against future native integrations of various Adobe suite products with Figma.

Here’s a meme that sums up the year 2028 for Figma.

moms against farmville @freezydorito

We laugh now, but think of all the changes IG has been through in just a few years. . . .

Anyway - I’ve been making steady progress on Cyberpunk. I’m at the “point of no return” so I’m working my way through sidequests before I finish out the game.

I still need to watch the Netflix Anime . . .

Let’s dive in, shall we?

📀Netflix’s Dying DVDs

The Year is 2007.

You’ve just got your hands on the Transformers DVD from Netflix.

You have popcorn and candy ready to go. Life is good.

Fast Forward 15 years and the only DVDs you probably have on the shelf is a extended / collectors edition of Lord of The Rings, Star Wars, or maybe Game of Thrones.

Now - we scroll for 30 minutes on Netflix/Hulu/Disney+ before we even watch something.

I’ve only bought 1 DVD in the past 6 years, and it was a copy of Dead Snow to give to a friend.

Netflix’s DVD business is still alive - but for how long?

Haven’t been there in awhile? Here’s the link.

Just a decade ago, the physical media library possessed by Netflix was well beyond 100,000 titles strong, offering a staggering degree of diversity that essentially made it the equivalent of the best-stocked video store in the world. At its peak, in fact, the number of DVD titles possessed by Netflix would have dwarfed the entire streaming libraries of all the major streamers today … combined. (source)

In a way, we’ve devolved since then. We traded in the DVD equivalent of the Library of Alexandria (with a few day wait time) for streaming services that constantly lose content.

Here’s my personal list of services that I use - and i only buy Crunchroll, Shudder, and Paramount Plus when there’s stuff I want to watch - aka - I have a list prepared to get my money’s worth.

It’s absurd - and there’s a growing segment of people who’ve already thrown up the skull and bones.

Will there ever be a legal streaming service that will match the power of Netflix’s DVD collection? Nah.

Netflix’s DVD site is the best we’ve got or will likely ever get.

What we’re left with is a service perpetually in decline, but one that is still offering some content that can’t be replicated elsewhere for hardcore film geeks like myself. The service provided by DVD.com literally gets worse on a quarterly basis, but many subscribers still sticking it out will likely continue to pay for it until it’s finally shuttered, mourning all the while. Because when it’s gone, there’s not going to be any replacement. We’ll always have the memory, at least, of that time a decade ago when Netflix possessed the single greatest film library that anyone had ever assembled, or likely ever will assemble. Perhaps in 2030, when we’re all paying for 100 different streaming services, each with access to half a dozen movies, those glory days will be more fully recognized. (source)

Maybe there’s some hope though. Vinyl has made a huge comeback - why not DVD’s in 5 years?

When the act of renting a DVD might be Avante Garde, so to speak.

Read this fantastic article by Jim Vorel to get all the nostalgic vibes on Netflix’s DVD business.

DVD's Go Spin

The Rise of Phonk

Do you listen to Phonk at all?

It’s one of the most popular trap/rap subgenres around right now - with much to owe to TikTok.

Maybe you’ve even heard a phonk song on a silly noodle and bun video.

It’s hard to explain other than - Ok so imagine you’re driving a sick car at 2 AM with the squad, drifting on the highway at 100 MPH. This is that soundtrack.

This music video captures the soul of Phonk if you want to get a better idea!

Did you enjoy that? Now watch this one to REALLY get into the vibe.

I discovered the subgenre by accident back in 2020 with this song. It’s possible that I heard others previously - but this one was the first that stuck out.

At the time - I thought it was just a continuation of the “deathcore rap” genre I had previously discovered.

“Wait what’s that” you ask. Here’s an example.

It wasn’t until the last two years when browsing TikTok that I realized Phonk was a whole new genre! I’ve been wondering . . . where did this genre come from?

So I went to Reddit to find some answers.

The mention of Memphis tapes (90’s Memphis Rap) was deeply intriguing. This sent me on a hunt to find some old Memphis tapes . . .

Listen to this for a few minutes - and now those Phonk beats make a lot more sense . . . It’s Memphis rap/beats with trap/modern electronic sensibilities.

Here’s Spotify’s Phonk playlist to spice up your Monday!

It’s really good - and has all the hits.

or - check out my Phonk Playlist.

🏠 Meow Wolf Denver

I’ve talked about Meow Wolf in Las Vegas before - but I didn’t realize they had a location in Denver too!

It’s even BIGGER than the Las Vegas location.

. . . the company’s largest and most ambitious project at 90,000 square feet, as well as its most narratively complex. Guests will explore four floors and more than 70 immersive, interactive installations designed by more than 300 creatives, including more than 110 Colorado-based artists. There’s also an in-world fast-casual restaurant called HELLOFOOD café, whose menu features items from local businesses like Raices Brewing Company. (source)

If you aren’t familiar with Meow Wolf - think Chuck E. Cheese/art exhibit. Each location is an art exhibit you can explore and interact with.

Just look at this beautiful place.

Doesn’t it look amazing? It’s so intensely detailed - like getting to walk around / interact with some kind of movie set.

I found a picture from the press kit to show you.

The image above is from C Street - one of the many mind blowing exhibits.
The artists/designers do a fantastic job of creating a world that feels surreal.

I wonder how much inspiration they took from Warehouse Kawasaki - the Kowloon City inspired arcade that closed down in 2019.

Someday - I hope to travel to visit the various Meow Wolf locations but for now - I must sate myself with YT walkthroughs.

Check out the website at the link!

Convergance Station