It’s time to run! And book a Lagree class! And casually wear a football shirt! Whoa, when did we become such jocks? The cult of the body dominated our society in the past few years. But what will happen when we get bored with it? We already ran the marathons. And we already acquired a strong, stable core. And we already saw enough workout routines online. What will be the new frontier of our goal-setting? Welcome to the Nerd Out issue, our take on the world where jocks evolve past the stereotype. Smart is the new sexy, and it’s changing brand marketing. (Aeneas & Jovana, Mutant's creative strategists)
Across Europe, places like The Garden and The Nickel in London, Il Kino in Berlin, and De Uitkijk in Amsterdam are evolving from cinephile hideouts into cultural hubs. These spaces are not about nostalgia. They represent a shift in how audiences want to experience movies. Fatigued by franchises, viewers are turning away algorithm-fed content, seeking intentional programming and the human connecion that comes from seeing films made for someone, not for everyone. 06 07 06 As the Manhattan’s historic Cherry Lane Theatre reopens its doors, the message becomes clear. A new kind of cinematic resistance is forming. It goes beyond blockbuster hits, shining in small independent venues that are reclaiming film as an art form. A24’s revived Cherry Lane and filmmaker John Wilson’s Low Cinema in Ridgewood are just some examples of the growing movement pushing back against IP-driven franchises, AI- generated scripts, and CGI- heavy specacle. The movement is shaping the online spaces, breathing an air of nostalgia to streaming platforms. Letterboxd, with the announcement of its new feature: the Video Store, is a prime example. Unlike typical streaming services, the Video Store will not be subscription-based. Instead, it’s a pay-per-view model: “just the films you want, whenever you want”. The feature is inspired by the feel of the neighbourhood video store. The platform will consist of shelves, informed by community behaviour and the content will include: festival standouts that haven’t yet found wide distribution, previously long- watchlisted films, restored and rediscovered classics and limited- time “drops”.
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