Obviously the Barbenheimer competition, but could it also be that the general expectations of movie fans have suddenly shifted or turned along with the zeitgeist, and that audiences suddenly want more than just action distractions? Out of the blue they’re suddenly hungry for more story, more artistry, more thematic heft, more feeling? I’m asking.

Tonight’s Spirit Airlines flight from Detroit to LaGuardia has been bumped three times. Latest projected LGA arrival time: 11:20 pm. Not much chance to catch a Connecticut or NJ train once I finally arrive at GCS or Penn Station, which will probably force me to fork over $200 for an LGA hotel room.

Will Spirit Airlines do the right thing? I think not.

Actual Spirit Airlines response: “It’s the weathah. Sorry ‘bout that.” Bullshit — the weather here and in NYC is completely mild and uneventful.

SPIRIT AIRLINES FLIGHT 313 UPDATE DTW-LGA
Your estimated departure time is now Jul 31, 8:28 PM. We’re sorry for this delay.

SPIRIT AIRLINES FLIGHT 313 UPDATE DTW-LGA
Your estimated departure time is now Jul 31, 8:48 PM. We’re sorry for this delay.

SPIRIT AIRLINES FLIGHT 313 UPDATE DTW-LGA
Your estimated departure time is now Jul 31, 9:22 PM. We’re sorry for this delay.

8:00 pm update: Team Spirit has suddenly decided to accelerate the departure time…maybe. The 8:01 departure is bunk, of course. (It’s now 8:21 pm.) They’re improvising, playing it by ear.

Announcement from female Spirit rep with a Detroit accent: “We’re gonna be boardin’ very shorely” (not a typo).

Posted at 8:58 pm:

Friendo sez…

39 years ago I was part of a unit publicity effort in support of Tim Burton’s Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure ‘85), which shot in the late summer and fall of ‘84. I never met Paul Reubens but I watched him behave and perform a lot. Funny, fascinating dude.

I’m sorry that he’s succumbed to cancer, but when your number’s up, it’s up. Hugs and condolences…life is way too short.

It’s been 43 years since I had my one and only viewing of William Richert’s Winter Kills (‘79). I didn’t just dislike this paranoid, overly-flamboyant fantasy fiction about the JFK assassination — I was infuriated by it. But I’ll give it another shot. What the hell. It’ll play the Film Forum and the New Beverly later this month.

An ambitious, deeply felt, consummately crafted biopic…yes, agreed. But overpraise can hurt a film as much as negative reviews…calm down.

Description #1: A two-track Jeff and Sasha chat — first about the evolution of women’s #MyTurn complaint-and-identity culture of the last 30 or 40 years (mostly Sasha’s story), and a second about Barbie, box-office, various projected Best Picture contenders, etc. Again, the link.

Description #2: Jeff calls Sasha from Grand Bend, Ontario, and one of the big subjects is Barbie, of course — will the blowout box-office launch Greta Gerwig‘s film into the Best Picture race? And if so, how many Oscar nominations are we talking about?

Plus a rumination on happiness for women and how Isabella Rossellini has found it by running a farm in the Hamptons. We also discuss film festivals and the landscape of the awards race.