The Daily Valet. - 2/10/22, Thursday

✔️ Are Movies Getting Too Long?

February 10, 2022

Thursday, February 10th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

If you’re not watching these Olympics, you’re missing some great TV moments.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Are Movies Too Long Now?

It feels like Hollywood is testing our limits

Do movies seem longer to you? I thought it was just my dwindling pandemic attention span, but the data shows the average run time for popular American films has slowly increased since the ’80s.

But some media analysts argue that it’s not all films. Just the big “event movies” that we make an effort to see—like Spider-Man, Dune, No Time To Die and other million-dollar tentpoles.

Pacing is so important when it comes to films, and perhaps even more so when it comes to the superhero movie subgenre. But don’t tell that to Robert Pattinson—his upcoming The Batman looks damn cool but clocks in at an obscene two hours and 55 minutes. It makes one wonder, is this entertainment or a feat of endurance?

For three hours, I'm gonna need more snacks. Of course, some critics appreciate the “grandeur and scale,” and think we should quit complaining and strap in for a 6-hour ride, but others vote for bringing back intermissions.

According to the Los Angeles Times, more than half of moviegoers now look for a movie’s runtime before deciding to buy a ticket. And in a possible sign of things to come, younger audiences are more apt to do so.

Psychologist Rachel Cavallaro tells USA Today that the pandemic has definitely had an effect on our attention spans. That, and many of us are hooked on short-form media like YouTube and TikTok—the combination of which has made our psyches even less receptive to content over a few minutes.

↦ FYI: In the ’80s and ’90s, there was pressure for Hollywood to keep movies short enough to fit on a standard VHS tape.

Canada Protest Blockade Continues

The latest protest is stalling trade and traffic between our countries

The busiest border crossing between Canada and the United States was still partially blocked Wednesday as a major protest against COVID-19 mandates spread beyond the Canadian capital, where it has caused havoc for nearly two weeks.

Canada's transport minister said the protests are hurting supply chains, as nearby auto factories began halting production. Apparently, there were other factors affecting production as well, including severe weather and a shortage of semi-conductor chips.

Interestingly, 90% of Canadian truckers are vaccinated, and the U.S. also requires truckers to be vaccinated before crossing the border, so it would make little difference to their jobs if Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau changed his country's rules.

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security is now warning authorities that such protests could soon begin in the U.S. and potentially impact the Super Bowl as well as the State of the Union address.

↦ FYI: Canadian trucker groups and big-rig operators have denounced the protests, particularly as symbols of hate have appeared.

Partner

Not into the stock market? There may be a better option for you ... and bonus, its often a much safer bet.

A Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough

A giant machine just proved a near-limitless clean power source is possible

There's no silver bullet to the climate crisis, but nuclear fusion might be the closest thing to it. The energy process that powers the stars offers an unlimited supply of zero-carbon low-radiation power. Scientists have generated fusion energy before, but they have struggled for decades to sustain it for very long.

On Wednesday, however, scientists working in the United Kingdom announced that they more than doubled the previous record for generating and sustaining nuclear fusion. The process fuses two or more atoms into one larger one, unleashing a tremendous amount of energy as heat.

Today's nuclear power is created by a different process (called fission) which relies on splitting, rather than fusing, atoms. But that process creates waste that can remain radioactive for tens of thousands of years. Fusion, on the other hand, is much safer and requires only small amounts of naturally-sourced fuel, including elements extracted from seawater, reports CNN.

Wednesday's achievement is seen by many as validating recent efforts to build a bigger fusion reactor at a facility in southern France. The most ambitious fusion lab ever built, it's a collaboration between over 30 countries, including EU member states, China, Russia and the U.S.

↦ FYI: Operating the power plants of the future based on fusion would produce no greenhouse gases and only small amounts of short-lived radioactive waste.

Olympic Redemption

These victories are why we’re watching

Nathan Chen had to wait four long years for his Olympic redemption, but on Thursday morning in Beijing, he left nothing to chance with a masterful routine and won the first gold medal of his already storied career.

You've no doubt heard how as the young favorite going into the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, a mistake-riddled short program kicked him out of medal-contention. But he returned in 2022 a new man with more maturity, a whole heap of quad jumps and the goal of enjoying his Olympic experience. And now he's the first Asian American man to win gold in figure skating ever.

It's a similar story to snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis. Near the finish line of a gold-medal-winning run in 2006, a notorious blunder kept her from winning. She tried and tried at the next three Winter Games, but kept coming up short.

But on Wednesday, on her fifth Olympic try, at the age of 36, she would not let gold slip away again. Jacobellis finally captured her storybook ending while also delivering the United States its first gold medal at the Beijing Games. That’s what I admire about these Olympians so much. Taking one of the worst days (which played out in front of the whole world) and pushing through it to come back stronger and succeed.

↦ Meanwhile: Chloe Kim made some Olympic history as the first woman to win two gold medals in halfpipe snowboarding.

In Other News

↦ National Archives Asks Justice Dept. to Investigate Trump’s Handling of White House Records

↦ Ukraine Authorities Bust Russian Bot Farm Running 18,000+ Fake Social Media Accounts

↦ Period TV Shows and Movies Have Been Teaching Men How to Dress for Decades

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Snoop Dogg

Putting the ‘wood’ in Hollywood

Samsung

Partner

Get Rewarded for Trying Something New

Let Alts provide you with a fresh financial perspective

Inflation is rising and a lot of stocks are down. Perhaps you were curious about crypto and bought some Bitcoin, but even that's been unstable lately. But did you know there are other things you could be investing in? Investments that are unaffected by all the chaos currently swirling around us.

We're talking about “alternative investments,” which can be anything from domain names and watches to islands and farmland. These assets are a powerful way to grow your money compared to other investment classes. But not all alternative investments are created equal. You need to know which ones are a smart bet. And that's where Alts comes in.

The newsletter cleverly covers over two dozen categories of alternative assets, from comics and video games, to sneakers and cars. And it's not just offering information, but actionable intel and deep quantitative analysis so you can become a better investor. So what do you have to lose?

↦ Sign Up: Join 25,000+ investors and sign up for free

What We’re Buying

Harmony is currently offering up to 60% off past season styles and it's a good sale. What I love about the brand is that they focus on fit, function and timeless garments such as this beautifully worn-in denim jacket. Need a piece that will always stand the test of time? This jacket is (and will always be) the answer. Made in Italy from 12oz. cotton denim, the jacket is on the more contemporary side—meaning slim—so it'll be a must have layering piece now and well into spring. So treat yourself to a luxury staple while it's half off.

↦ Get It: $205.77 / $102.87 by Harmony

Partner

Express Your Love Purely

Personalized lip balm, from $20 (for a 4-pack with a 26-day turnaround)

Treat your Valentine to some self-care with hard-working yet indulgent Burt's Bees products. Since 1984, they've developed a cult following for their soothing grooming and beauty products that are rooted in nature. Everything is consciously crafted from ingredients responsibly sourced from nature. Their products are not tested on animals, formulated without phthalates, parabens, petrolatum and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), and come in recyclable packaging. In short, you can feel good about these products making you look and feel your best. Herewith, a few of their most popular gifts.