I love Spaceballs

HELP! My quest for interesting content goes beyond LinkedIn. One year ago, I saw a Mel Brooks tweet about the upcoming sequel to Spaceballs, a movie I love so much I keep it on my DVR.

I’ll probably go see Spaceballs: The New One in a theater. I’ll love it, and it will disappoint me. How could it not, when the original was so strange and unforgettable? Though I’m terribly sad that John Candy, who brought the legendary mawg, Barf, to life, won’t be in it. 

Something else really clicked about Mel’s tweet (https://x.com/MelBrooks/status/1933196954273755322): his hilarious, poignant commentary on the sorry state of movies today. I have only seen the original Star Wars trilogy, the first two Jurassic Parks, the first Avatar, none of the Harry Potters, and barely a handful of the others referenced. 

Even so, I’m tired of sequels and prequels, of remakes, spinoffs, and reinterpretations in an era when there should be an endless abundance of compelling, unique, human-imagined content available. I went to see one movie in a theater in 2025. I have more “continue watching” tiles on streaming services than movies finished.

This “same, same, safe” approach, this homogenization of everything, is making life, platforms, and entertainment (whether in a theater, or on a TV, laptop, or phone) so bland. Our lives, stories, and experiences are vast and diverse, yet the powers that be invest in formulaic, repetitive takes.

Movies can be transformative and sticky. We can look back and remember those scenes and ourselves in those moments and cry, swoon, laugh, or cringe (not everything stands the test of time…).

I long for *my* good old days of movie watching–the 100+ movies I saw while studying abroad with an unlimited movie pass, the monthly foreign DVD subscription a friend bought me, the middle school antics my friends and I got up to with cash in hand and parents at work (RIP summer blockbuster season). But, I doubt we’ll see those days ever again. The Tribeca Film Festival accepted a 100% AI movie, film economics have changed massively, and consolidation and costs have left large swaths of creatives without industry jobs. Our viewing habits evolved too (though, the blame here is not entirely on us).

I don’t want to be bored forevermore! (Thankfully, we still have books). Terrible content gave me no choice, but the future of content gives me a reason. I want to spend views and dollars downstream (with one obvious exception), so recommendations (old, new, upcoming, odd, in English or not) are welcome! 

And, if you haven’t seen Spaceballs (the first one), rush to a screen and report back! If you’re up for a watch party in 2027, hit me up. Until then, may the Schwartz be with you!