Lost Weekend’s value to me is to see movies that I ordinarily would not see. The reason that I would not see these movies are because foreign films do not make the share holders of American entertainment corporations the money that a blockbuster would. And independent movies? I think that’s going to be a mix of both a lack of profitability compared to an Avengers movie, for example, and that there may be less of a demand for movies that ask more of the audience or take story telling gambles.

A few weeks ago, I happened upon a TikTok video made by @drcasanovabrown called “Bring back my white bands!”, in which he asks the question - why aren’t White people making new bands like there were back in the same time I was growing up. That’s a good question. There were new rock bands to pay attention to every month it seemed like. But not now.

I asked some friends - where are the bands? Why had they dried up? The answer that I think is best was this YouTube video from Renegade Cut called “What Happened to Music on the Radio?”. I think it’s worth the seventeen minutes to watch it, but I’ll spoil it for you - it’s because rich people influenced federal law that allowed for those rich people to consolidate most of America’s media channels into conglomerates which are controlled by a small group of decision makers as to where to spend that corporation’s money on finding and promoting artists, and then distributing their music.

I think, for movies - there is no difference. This has happened as well. Many of these foreign and independent films do find their way to streaming services, but if you want to see them - you probably have to do some work to figure out that the movie exists and you’d like to watch it. The streaming services typically do not market these smaller films. Movie festivals such as Lost Weekend is one of the primary methods that I have for finding these movies.

Those missing rock bands? They do exist - they’re just of little interest for entertainment corporations because solo acts cultivated by those corporations are cheaper and more controllable and marketable than a new band every month. I’ve found out, you’ve got to seek them out and find them themselves.

American culture produces a tremendous amount of terrific, creative art, but the rich do not have it in their interests to put it in front of you.