By TeeJay Small
| Published 1 hour ago

If you’re at all familiar with the catalogue of acclaimed filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, you might have already heard about his bizarre 10 movie rule. The self-imposed rule centers around Tarantino’s commitment to the concept of quality over quantity, as the aging director seeks to keep his pantheon undiluted by dozens of movies of wildly varying worth.

To maintain this high watermark of excellence, he plans to release only 10 feature films before he retires. Many years ago, fans saw this as an admirable concept, ripe for a Criterion box set of nothing but 10/10 bangers. But these days, it looks like that mission statement is doing more to harm Tarantino’s brand than help it.

According to a write-up in Variety, Quentin Tarantino is currently taking a break from helming his 10th and final film in favor of directing his very first stage play. The show, which has been described as a “swashbuckling comedy,” will be titled The Popinjay Cavalier, based on a script from Tarantino himself. If you’re interested in catching it live, it’s already on pace for an early 2027 debut, though no cast details or venues have been announced.

While this play sounds like an interesting side quest for the filmmaker, it is a bit jarring considering he’s currently nine films deep into his 10-film legacy. If he does stick to his retirement plans, this play seems like the exact kind of thing that he should be doing after his untitled final project. To my eye, it seems like Tarantino has become overwhelmed by pressure of his own making, corralling himself into a set of nebulous guidelines.

The freedom to play it loose and experiment has obviously been present throughout many of Tarantino’s greatest hits, including Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, and The Hateful Eight. Like many A-list directors, he’s taken some big swings, like swapping genres to deliver a few cutthroat Westerns, or moving production units overseas for a multinational opus. Now that his self-imposed swan song is rapidly approaching, he may be experiencing some heavy existential dread as he weighs which of his many ideas to produce and which to relegate to the “what-if” pile of cinema history.

Scrapped And Potential Projects

Tarantino has already scrapped numerous projects since the release of his ninth film, 2019’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. He was rumored to be working on everything from a Star Trek movie, to a third volume in the Kill Bill series, to a First Blood remake, with Adam Driver to star as Rambo. Each of these projects eventually fell through, as the director labored over his final outing. Eventually, Tarantino confirmed that he was working on a 10th film titled The Movie Critic.

Unfortunately, The Movie Critic was scrapped right before filming was set to take place, leaving the future works of the two-time Oscar winner in limbo. Since then, Tarantino’s script for The Adventures of Cliff Booth has been handed over to David Fincher, and all other Tarantino motion pictures seem to be suspended indefinitely. Last year, Quentin Tarantino elaborated on his choice to hand over the screenplay to Fincher in a discussion with The Hollywood Reporter, stating, “I love this script, but I’m still walking down the same ground I’ve already walked. It just kind of unenthused me. This last movie, I’ve got to not know what I’m doing again. I’ve got to be in uncharted territory.”

From Reservoir Dogs To Swashbuckling Comedy

Clearly, the decision of what to do next is weighing heavily on Tarantino. Still, it seems like the clear solution would be freeing himself from the shackles of this 10-film rule, and cutting loose with a flurry of new projects that allow him to explore whatever he wants. Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Stanley Kubrick each have dozens of directing credits on IMDb, and no one questions their lasting legacies.

When asked about his current workload, Tarantino told Variety, “I’m writing a play, and it’s going to be probably the next thing I end up doing. If it’s a fiasco, I probably won’t turn it into a movie. But if it’s a smash hit? It might be my last movie.” So, maybe The Popinjay Cavalier will be the filmmaker’s dramatic closer. Still, it’s hard to imagine a filmography that kicked off with Reservoir Dogs ending with something described as a “swashbuckling comedy.”

Uh oh! Looks like Bonnie Blue‘s bad act finally caught up with her!

The British adult content creator who made a controversial move outside an embassy in London has now been charged and will appear in court next month.

Bonnie Blue went viral last year and early this year for having sex with a mouth-watering number of people in a bid to break the world record, but later announced that she had gotten pregnant after one of the encounters.

Bonnie Blue’s Court Date Set For Outraging Public Decency Charge

The adult film star, whose real name is Tia Billinger, was charged on Monday, March 16, with outraging public decency after the stunt she pulled last December. The star was captured simulating a sexual act while holding the Indonesian flag outside the country’s embassy during a protest last year.

She recorded the moment and posted it on social media, with her being surrounded by hooded men in masks. The media personality told everyone watching that she was arrested in Bali previously, which was why she decided to simulate a sexual act while holding the country’s flag.

Bonnie’s arrest in Bali was on suspicion of the creator making pornographic content online as she rode in a pickup truck labeled “Bang Bus,” leading to her deportation. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson in London told TMZ that Bonnie will appear before a judge and face the criminal charges at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on April 22. The case has been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, which has authorized charging Bonnie.

The Content Creator Was Slammed For Her Pregnancy Claims

In February, the adult film star revealed that she had gotten pregnant weeks after she had an unprotected sex marathon with 400 men. As shared by The Blast, Bonnie explained that her body was undergoing a series of changes, which is why she proceeded to take a test. In her words:

“I’ve been sick, a headache, and when I say headache, I mean like mega migraine. Foods have been making me feel sick, but then also some foods I want to eat instantly, or else I will be sick.”

She admitted to the camera that she was really nervous, and when the test kit read as positive, she made plans to carry out an ultrasound. Following Bonnie’s revelation, social media users tongue-lashed her for being so careless, adding that the means by which she got pregnant would be the worst story to tell any baby.

Bonnie Blue’s Sex Spree Was A Breeding Mission For Her

The British adult content creator broke a record that was earlier held by Ariana Jollee in 2004 for having sex with 65 men. Bonnie’s headline-making mission took place at Lord Davenport’s mansion, where some willing participants waited in line for more than 7 hours for their turn. Bonnie confessed that she was initially concerned about the amount of fluids she would have to take for strength and stamina, fearing that she might just drown.

However, she was sure she wanted men who wanted to be dads the most and who were the strongest swimmers to get a very fast pass to the front of the queue. The adult content creator even had to push the date back to align with her biological clock, since the entire act was a breeding mission.

Advertisement

As for any eventual pregnancy, Bonnie addressed the question at the time, describing it as a problem for another day, but assured everyone that she would reach out to the participants to discuss it. The content creator added that she also took DNA samples and contact details from the participants to identify the father of her child.

Dan Dangler Did Not Agree With The Adult Content Creator’s Ways

Fellow creator Dan Dangler reacted to Bonnie’s pregnancy announcement, urging her to seek help and claiming that she was not being completely truthful about some facts in her situation. As stated by The Blast, fans had claimed Bonnie was faking the positive pregnancy test, claiming it was just a rage bait and the creator’s usual mode of operation.

Bonnie had earlier claimed she was pregnant in February 2025, only to clarify that she was not expecting. As for Dangler, she noted that if Bonnie was going to do something as outrageous as sleeping with 400 men, she should not be surprised at getting pregnant from it.

The content creator had previously addressed her struggles with infertility during her previous marriage, revealing last year that she was unable to get pregnant naturally. In Dangler’s words: “You can’t tell Us Weekly you need IVF and then tell YouTube you got pregnant from a mansion full of strangers two weeks later. One of those stories is a lie, and honestly, I think we all know which one.”

Bonnie Blue Accused Of Portraying OnlyFans In A Negative Light

Last June, OnlyFans star Sophie Rain added her voice to the growing criticisms towards some adult content creators who have turned the platform into a clown show. Rain specifically highlighted Bonnie’s behavior, accusing her of bringing undue attention to OnlyFans at the expense of its original mission.

Sophie stated that OnlyFans was built for women’s empowerment, for women to take control of their bodies by having a space where they make money on their own terms, from their own sexuality and sensuality, not to fake pregnancies, marriages, and throw cake at people in public.

Advertisement

Sophie added that the consequences of Bonnie’s actions would reflect on content creators’ efforts to maintain professionalism. She claimed that brands have stopped taking them seriously, and she has gotten tired of explaining that not everyone is doing circus acts for clicks.

The Bachelorette‘s Taylor Frankie Paul played coy about her relationship status after recently sharing a video with a mystery man that got fans talking.

When asked about her TikTok with the unnamed man during the Wednesday, March 18, episode of Good Morning America, Taylor replied, “[That is] somebody that’s in my life, yes.”

The 31-year-old reality star wouldn’t elaborate further on his identity so as not to spoil her Bachelorette journey.

“But [I] can’t give away too much,” she noted. “That would ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it?”

Taylor took to social media on Sunday, March 15, to share a video of herself with a man in the background who some fans thought could be a finalist from The Bachelorette. “Sorry kinda busy,” she teased in the caption.

One day later, Us Weekly confirmed that production on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives was “shut down” following an alleged domestic dispute between Taylor and her ex Dakota Mortensen.

“The Mormon Wives cast [is] honestly terrified to film with Taylor right now,” the source exclusively told Us, noting that “the women have made it clear they don’t want to be around her because they see her as a major liability.”

According to the insider, the Mormon Wives cast “believed Taylor was in a better place” after she filmed her season of The Bachelorette and that their Hulu reality show “was heading in a different direction.”

“Now, many of them feel they’ve moved past the point of dealing with this kind of behavior and simply don’t want to be put in that position again,” the source continued.

Taylor and Dakota, 32, have faced their fair share of ups and downs since they started dating. After multiple attempts to work on their relationship, Taylor chose to look for love on season 22 of The Bachelorette, which appeared to shut the door on her romance with Dakota.

Related: Mormon Wives’ Taylor Frankie Paul, Dakota Mortensen‘s Relationship Timeline

Taylor Frankie Paul and Dakota Mortensen‘s complicated romance was thrust into the spotlight on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives — and their relationship status remains unclear. The couple started dating before the show premiered on Hulu. Dakota was Taylor’s first public boyfriend after her divorce from husband Tate Paul due to a high-profile “soft […]

Advertisement

“There was no other reason for me to do this other than I wanted to get outside of Utah and the toxicity that I’m in and venture off and really do something for myself,” she exclusively told Us in her recent cover story. “Who gets this opportunity as a single mom to just purely focus on dating and love and yourself? It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That is why I was there.”

Despite her history with Dakota, with whom she shares 23-month-old son Ever, Taylor was determined to move on.

“It was a choice. Ready, at the end of the day, is a decision,” she stated. “I made the decision to leave for two months and try. I reassured [the men on The Bachelorette] that was why I was here.”

Taylor concluded, “I’m happy in the moment. [The season] ended in a Taylor way. Some people may know what that means, and some people might not.”

Days before her season premiere, Taylor broke her silence on her issues with Dakota during an event on Tuesday, March 17. “There’s more to the context to everything and it’s unfortunate. … It’s another premiere that’s been taken away from me,” she exclusively told Us. “I’ve never enjoyed a premiere for any one of my shows. So it’s just been very sad.”

The Bachelorette season 22 premieres on ABC Sunday, March 22, at 8 p.m. ET and streams the next day on Hulu.

Kerry Washington recognized she was in the midst of a “real mental health crisis” before seeking treatment for an eating disorder.

“The thing that actually got me to get help with my eating disorder wasn’t the food itself, wasn’t the behavior with the food,” Washington, 49, said during her Wednesday, March 18, appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. “It was the suicidal ideation.”

Washington explained that she was “trying to escape life” at the height of her struggles.

“I was using food and exercise as a tool to not be here,” the actress explained. “I need to figure out how to be in life. I was terrified that I was being so mean to myself.”

Related: Kerry Washington Says Parents’ Fighting Gave Her Panic Attacks at Age 7

Carl Timpone/BFA.com/Shutterstock Kerry Washington is opening up about her life in her new memoir, Thicker Than Water — and she’s leaving no detail untold. In an excerpt shared by Oprah Daily on Wednesday, August 9, the actress, 46, revealed that her parents’ strained relationship led her to develop “panic attacks at night” at the age […]

Washington continued, “I was in so much pain that inflicting more pain was the only way out of my pain.”

The Scandal star previously spoke about her eating disorder struggles during an October 2020 interview with Essence, revealing her battle with binge eating.

“I used food as a way to cope. It was my best friend,” Washington said at the time, explaining that she would sometimes eat “until I passed out” and then “go to the gym and exercise for hours and hours and hours.”

During Wednesday’s “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Washington explained that she decided to seek treatment when things were “the worst” in college.

“It was the first thing that got me on my knees, ever. The first time I ever prayed was to get out of this insanity,” she recalled. “My entire life revolved around what I was eating or not eating, how many calories I was burning.”

Washington went to both group and individual therapy at the time. She also worked closely with a nutritionist.

“​​I think if you’re the one struggling, it’s trusting your gut,” she said. “If you know you need help, don’t let anybody tell you that it’s not a big deal.”

Washington — who invested in the online platform Equip, which helps with eating disorder recovery — explained that eating disorders are still difficult for doctors to diagnose.

“If you’re struggling, don’t minimize it,” she said. “If you need help, ask for help. You don’t need to suffer alone. You don’t need to live in pain. You don’t need to engage in activity that takes you out of life.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. If you or someone you know struggles with an eating disorder, visit the National Alliance for Eating Disorders website or call their hotline at (866) 662-1235. Text “ALLIANCE” to 741741 for free, 24/7 support.

By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 minute ago

Whenever a horror flick is deemed “the scariest movie of the year,” I approach it with guarded enthusiasm. I understand the marketing behind it, and the assumption that if you only watch a couple of new horror movies every Halloween before retreating to your tried-and-true cozy slasher classics of yesteryear, then it makes sense. When The Conjuring came out in 2013, I remember my casual horror friends being blown away by it, and rightfully so. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a great movie. But I watch horror movies all the time, while they burn through Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street every year like clockwork and not much else.

That is all to say I wasn’t buying it when I learned that 2017’s Veronica is considered one of the scariest movies on Netflix. It’s essentially a Spanish-language version of your classic Ouija board haunting plot, so my expectation was more of the same but with subtitles (don’t settle for the English dubs). To my delight, this movie actually rules and is scary as hell.

Now don’t get this twisted. If you’ve seen a number of movies like this, it’s par for the course. Veronica, and its prequel, 2023’s Sister Death, are pretty standard in their storytelling, but execution is everything here. Sound design, cinematography, and a bunch of competent yet unknown actors, unknown to me at least, make for a solid viewing experience. Even better, the world being built here is solid franchise territory. Though I’d be lying if I said writer-director Paco Plaza should keep going with the premise.

He struck the perfect balance between worldbuilding and only showing the viewer just enough without shattering the illusion. If he keeps going with more sequels and prequels, I fear the magic will evaporate and we’ll get lesser films because the lore will push past the point of believability, similar to the later Conjuring movies that saw a noticeable drop in quality.

Veronica Is Your Classic Ouija Board Plot

Set in 1991, Veronica begins at the end as a detective surveys the crime scene that is our titular protagonist’s house. Text on the screen states that the events in this film are based on his police reports, and everything rewinds to a few days earlier, when the seeds for the present disaster are planted. We’re introduced to 15-year-old Veronica, her younger twin sisters Lucia (Bruna Gonzalez) and Irene (Claudia Placer), and her youngest brother Antonito (Ivan Chavero). Veronica’s mother works late-night shifts as a waitress and is mostly absent during the day because she’s sleeping, which relegates household tasks and secondary parental duties to her eldest daughter. Their father is deceased and will eventually become the primary source of conflict.

This family dynamic is important in Veronica because she’s a very responsible teenager. She rounds up the kids every day, handles meals, and gets them ready for school. By all measures, she’s a good kid. But she’s also a teenager, and teenagers do stupid things because their brains aren’t fully cooked yet. The endless list of responsibilities, compounded by how much she misses her father, pushes her toward a Ouija board that she plans to use with her friends Rosa (Angela Fabian) and Diana (Carla Campra) during school while everyone else in their class watches the solar eclipse on the rooftop. After successfully reaching the other side and contacting her father, Veronica convulses, screams bloody murder, and wakes up in the nurse’s office.

Terrified about what happened, Veronica keeps the incident a secret and continues to run the household, but things start to slip. She sees shadowy figures in the night and falls into trances. When these episodes occur, Veronica loses track of time and finds herself hurting Antonito when she snaps out of it. While in the trance, for example, Veronica believes she is fighting a demon off her little brother. When reality returns, it looks like she’s trying to strangle him while he sleeps.

Veronica escalates in this fashion, as you would expect, and some of her visions are genuinely disturbing. On their own, the beats are fairly standard, but Pablo Rosso’s cinematography, Marti Roca’s editing, and Chucky Namanera’s score push the film into elevated horror territory before the term was completely run into the ground.

Sister Death Builds The Lore Out Perfectly

Though the blind nun nicknamed Sister Death (Consuelo Trujillo) has only a minor presence in Veronica, her backstory is fully explored in the film’s prequel. In Veronica, Sister Death, who blinded herself when she was younger so she would stop seeing the demons haunting her, acts as a spiritual guide who tries to help Veronica fight off the demonic forces at play. In Sister Death, set in 1939, we learn this origin story and see how everything falls into place.

Here, the solar eclipse mythology is expanded as a young Sister Death, actually named Narcisa (Aria Bedmar), encounters evil spirits that seem to follow her wherever she goes at the all-girls school where she teaches. There’s an unfinished game of hangman drawn on her bedroom wall and murmurings of a sadistic spiritual presence known as Socorro (Almudena Amor), who has it out not only for Narcisa, but also Sister Julia (Maru Valdivielso) and Mother Superior (Luisa Merelas).

Back to back, Veronica and Sister Death are beyond solid entries and genuinely terrifying at times. The former leans into the possession plot better than I could have imagined, while the latter provides the backstory with enough detail to sell the premise, but with enough mystery to keep you enthralled. My fear is that if we get a third or fourth film set in this universe, the whole thing could fall apart. Nothing is overexplained here, and that restraint works to the mythos’ advantage, generating a healthy number of scares for casual and die-hard horror fans alike.

Though I don’t think Veronica and Sister Death are the scariest horror movies streaming on Netflix, I’d put them on the same pedestal as A Classic Horror Story and The Black Phone for sure. Now all you have to do is watch them and find out for yourself.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 33 seconds ago

Sometimes, blockbuster franchises go so far off the rails that it can really skew your perspective of earlier films. The Jurassic World movies are a great example of this: Fallen Kingdom was a braindead horror movie, Dominion was a lazy nostalgia fest, and Rebirth was a soulless schlockfest. Because of this, many movie lovers have written this franchise off and are waiting for the next asteroid to conveniently make this entire franchise extinct.

However, the film that originally brought all this “dino DNA” back to the big screen is still a very solid blockbuster unto itself. Thanks to a talented director and some solid talent all around, Jurassic World (2015) is a movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat with both CGI spectacle and surprisingly good character development. It’s currently streaming on Netflix, making it easier than ever for you to return to the cinematic universe first made famous by Steven Spielberg.

They Just Won’t Stay Extinct

The premise of Jurassic World is that a new CEO has decided to revive the original Jurassic Park concept, making it bigger and better than ever, despite the highly publicized tragedies portrayed in earlier films. It works at first, and the newly-minted Jurassic World is a hit with almost everyone, including the visiting nephews of the new park’s operations manager. But Chaos Theory wins out again, and once the dinos inevitably get loose, it becomes a race for survival for everyone involved. This includes an experienced raptor trainer, a scheming security chief, and a geneticist who witnessed the rise and fall of the original park.

The cast of Jurassic World is mostly filled with faces new to the franchise, including Chris Pratt (best known for Guardians of the Galaxy) as a charismatic raptor trainer and Bryce Dallas Howard (best known for Jurassic World: Dominion) as the park operations manager and his ersatz love interest. One of her nephews is played by Ty Simpkins (best known as Tony Stark’s kid sidekick in Iron Man 3), while Vincent D’Onofrio (best known for Men in Black) plays a shady security chief who wants to weaponize the raptors. Surprisingly, Jurassic Park alumnus BD Wong (best known outside this franchise for Mr. Robot) returns as the brains behind the ill-fitting park’s revival.

A Dangerous Gamble Pays Off

As with John Hammond’s original decision to bring back the dinosaurs, the studio’s decision to revive Steven Spielberg’s prehistoric powerhouse of a franchise was quite the gamble. Fortunately, it paid off: against a budget of approximately $215 million (some estimates go as low as $150 million), Jurassic World earned a whopping $1.671 billion. That made sequels inevitable, although the next three Jurassic World films could be summed up by Ian Malcolm from the original Jurassic Park: “Now, that is one big pile of sh*t.”

When Jurassic World came out, the general consensus regarding this revival of Spielberg’s blockbuster franchise was that it was good, not great. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 72 percent rating, with critics praising the movie for being a visually stunning thriller that’s great for those just looking for a bombastic good time. They did note that this revival doesn’t offer nearly as much innovation in terms of effects and storytelling as the original Jurassic Park. Casual moviegoers enjoyed the film as a spectacle of violent action unto itself, and the film has a notably higher 78 percent audience score.

A Thrill Ride Millions Of Years (And Dollars) In The Making

You probably know all about how bad the later movies get, so let’s cut to the chase: why would you return to the original Jurassic World? For one thing, the movie is a cinematic spectacle that takes the theme park thrills of the earliest film in the franchise and takes everything to a whole new level. There is wonder in seeing these fantastic creatures brought back to life, and there is pathos in seeing them harmed by new threats like the Indominus Rex. Mostly, there is nailbiting intensity as you watch a cast of likeable characters escape seemingly certain death in scene after scene.

Speaking of the characters, the real secret weapon of Jurassic World is the cast: while Chris Pratt is very played out these days, he is at his affable best in this movie, channeling all the charm of Star-Lord and transforming his character (not to mention himself) into a modern-day action hero. Additionally, he has solid chemistry with Bryce Dallas Howard, and their sparking chemistry echoes the ferocious flirtiness of Han Solo and Princess Leia. With these characters, Colin Trevorrow shows that he understands something very fundamental to these prehistoric blockbusters: that the audience must care about your flesh and blood characters before they can care about your next-level CGI.

We’re Just Along For The Ride

Also, if you’re a real fanboy for the original Jurassic Park, Jurassic World wears its nostalgia very proudly, going so far as to include an in-universe character who’s a huge JP fan. Is this just some straight-up member berries fan service? Absolutely. But it’s done so well that this adds extra appeal for any ‘80s and ‘90s kids who grew up endlessly quoting Steven Spielberg’s seminal work (like yours truly).

Obviously, Jurassic World isn’t going to dethrone Jurassic Park as the greatest dinosaur movie ever made. However, it is arguably one of the best films in this long-running franchise, one that will constantly remind you of why you fell in love with this tangled tale of dinosaurs and destruction in the first place. With heart-racing thrills, memorable action, and a talented cast giving it their all, Jurassic World is a perfect little paradox: it’s pure schlock, but it’s blockbuster schlock, and some of the best we’ve gotten in nearly two decades.

Will you agree that shlock, uh, finds a way, or is Jurassic World the kind of movie you’d rather feed to a raptor? The only way to find out is to stream this high-flying blockbuster remake on Netflix for yourself. The streamer is currently showing the sequels, but trust me: this is one franchise that you’re better off forgetting that it ever got any follow-up films!

By Robert Scucci
| Published 26 seconds ago

Tired of every single piece of media looking and sounding the same? Netflix lighting. Overprocessed basslines and drum beats on your favorite songs. That kind of stuff. Have you noticed that movies you rightfully thought looked crappy 15 years ago suddenly look amazing when compared to the slop that’s coming out today? It’s no coincidence. The problem we’re running into is that everybody is using the same new stuff, with the same presets, and getting the same results.

Now don’t get me wrong. I love my new tech. I recently bought a new computer that allows me to work more efficiently. I have a smartphone like everybody else, and having a camera in my pocket whenever my kids do something funny is awesome. New technology is great because it offers convenience and lets you streamline daily tasks in ways that were previously unthinkable.

However, there’s one issue, and this is a big one: all of our photos look the same. Every new TV show looks the same. All of our music sounds the same. We’re gaining convenience but losing personality in the process, which is why I genuinely believe that leaning into older technology will eventually lead us to the creative renaissance we’ve all been waiting for.

Don’t Be A Vintage Snob

As a musician who mostly uses equipment that’s at least 20 years old, I’m technically using vintage gear. The case I’m making here isn’t meant to argue that vintage gear is better than modern gear. Most stages have gone silent, with everybody running amp modelers straight through front-of-house PA systems. It’s great. You can roll into a small venue without lugging in a ton of heavy equipment, dial in your tone, and let it rip. The mix is operated by iPads, and it’s super easy to lock into a room. What I’ve noticed, though, is that everybody is using the same kind of technology now, presets and all. Because of this, everybody is starting to sound the same.

I’m not talking about genre or stifled creativity by any measure here. Great songwriters and performers still exist in droves. They’re all just playing through the same, new stuff in most instances, and you can hear it.

So much so that when I lug out my beat-up speaker cabinet and the discontinued amplifier that powers it, combined with an instrument that has electronics inside of it that are made differently than instruments that are made today, I get compliments about my tone. Here’s the thing. My tone is nothing special or groundbreaking. In some contexts, it’s probably extremely basic. It’s just unique in a world that demands uniformity, and people forget how easy that is to achieve. I have no secret sauce here. I just combined the components I could afford, fiddled around with them for a bit to make them work well together, and got what I got.

My gear is vintage, but I’m not going to tell you that vintage equipment is better and modern equipment is worse. I still use modern plugins when I record at home for the sake of efficiency, but what I use in a live setting is considered remarkable, simply because it’s becoming less common.

Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention

Lately, I’ve been looking for old camcorders. You know, the kind my parents had when I was in high school and my friends and I were trying to recreate our favorite bits from Jackass. Most of these devices, I’ve found, are extremely proprietary. Meaning you can’t just plug a decades-old Sony Handycam into your MacBook Pro and start editing. You’ll need a multitude of adapters and some patience to convert the footage so it works on a modern workstation. In some cases, you’ll even need to convert tape to digital just to watch the footage on a modern display.

But that’s where the magic happens.

That old equipment you used to plug into your TV via AV cables can now be edited using modern apps like CapCut and DaVinci Resolve. That grainy aesthetic you were looking for is real instead of created with preset filters. Congratulations. You put some work in, and now you have something unique compared to your peers.

The reason The Hateful Eight looks so amazing is because Quentin Tarantino sought out vintage Ultra Panavision 70 lenses, which are exceedingly rare today. Because of the extra effort put into the production, which required extensive workarounds, like adapting to extreme weather and harsh lighting conditions, the 2015 film looks like a classic roadshow from the 60s.

Out With The New, In With The Old

We live in a time where technology changes faster than we can keep up with it. It’s exciting, sure, but it’s also incredibly easy to fall into the preset trap that makes it impossible to stand out. Sitting here writing this, I’m beyond glad I have a word processor and a mechanical keyboard that allow me to work quickly and hit deadlines. But the ancient typewriter sitting in the other room opens up an entirely different creative headspace when I need to think about a project more deliberately.

My typewriter is louder than the final showdown in Dunkirk, and I can only bust it out when I know I’m not going to annoy the hell out of my family with it. When I intend to start blasting out words with machine-gun cadence and reckless abandon, I suddenly realize I have to be more careful. The thing doesn’t have a working backspace key. The keys sit at a steep incline, making it brutal on the wrists over extended periods of time. The hammers lock together if I type too fast. I’m forced to slow my roll and type with intention thanks to those limitations, and sometimes that’s all you need to find the perfect word for the page. Those words may never get published, but there’s something to be said about tinkering with old technology to create something new.

Maybe those typed pages get scanned, drawn on, rendered in Photoshop, and manipulated long after the ink dries. It may not be high art, but it’s allowed to exist on its own terms.

The moral of the story is that we need to tinker. We need to be curious and think past the presets. Modern tech isn’t going away, nor should it. But when you stop and think about how to use something with its own unique set of limitations, the world opens up. Even better, when you learn how to combine these things, the sky’s the limit.