Podcast Summary: “Netflix and the WB Just Killed Off Movie Theaters”

Free Thinking Through the Fourth Turning with Sasha Stone
Date: December 6, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Sasha Stone explores the seismic merger between Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing that it marks both a climax and a coda for Hollywood’s golden era, and potentially the death of the American movie theater. Stone discusses the cultural and political forces that led to this moment, critiques the industry’s fixation on ideological messaging, and laments Hollywood's loss of connection with mainstream America. The episode weaves in critical tweets, analysis of the business, and reflections on the future of cinema in the streaming age.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Netflix-Warner Bros. Merger: The Final Nail

[00:08-01:22]

• The $82 billion Netflix takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery signals another step in corporate monopoly and Hollywood’s self-destruction.
• Stone draws parallels to previous industry-shaking mergers, e.g. Disney buying Fox, and frames the move as ending what Hollywood once was.
• Quote:

  "Netflix will be among the most powerful corporate monopolies replacing what Hollywood used to be." — Sasha Stone [00:21]

• Cites a tweet describing the deal as “beyond catastrophic for films... the worst possible option won this bid.” [01:01]

2. Hollywood’s Alienation from America

[01:22-02:36]

• Stone contends that Hollywood lost its audience long before the merger:

  "America gave up on Hollywood because Hollywood gave up on America." [01:22]

• Streaming platforms enable content producers to ignore box office performance and audience preferences, leading to “virtue signaling paradise” and declining standards.
• The silent majority is increasingly ignored, with the industry insulated from criticism due to its new economic model.

3. Death of Movie Theaters

[02:36-03:59]

• Tweets and opinions highlight the irreversible decline of movie theaters, emphasizing box office failures and changing audience habits.
• Quote:

  "They know Hollywood can't hypnotize us into supporting contempt dripping robots, joyless Message films and $200 million vanity projects that hate the very fans who once paid the bills." — (Bile Holt, as quoted by Stone) [03:00]

4. The Two Hollywoods: Blockbusters vs. Prestige

[04:02-05:21]

• Stone delineates Hollywood’s split after early 2000s blockbusters (Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings):
  • The blockbuster lane focused on global branding.
  • The prestige/Oscar lane became more political and niche, heavily influenced by Barack Obama’s cultural engagement.
• Industry data shows a stark decline: 900 movies in 2019, down to 624 recently, with profits shrinking drastically.

5. COVID-19 and the Great Awokening: The Killing Blow

[05:59-07:20]

• The “one-two punch” of the pandemic and an industry-wide push for identity politics (“the Great Awokening”) is cited as central to Hollywood's collapse.
• Stone criticizes new Hollywood for prioritizing DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) over storytelling and audience connection, leading to films that feel more like sermons than entertainment.
• Quote:

  "Every movie must have significant actors of color... Why would anyone want to pay money to have them shove their ideology down our throats?" [06:15]

6. Nostalgia, Decline, and the Last Hits

[07:20-08:46]

• Stone visualizes deserted multiplexes, comparing their fate to that of record stores.
• Theater-going is becoming exclusive to big cities, with the rest resigned to Netflix scrolling.
• Quote:

  "We'll never have the same cultural impact as a great movie when we're all under one roof sharing a story. It's yet more separation, more isolation, more Internet, more social media." [07:55]

• The rare exception: Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, which briefly revived the notion that Hollywood could lure audiences back.

7. Award Shows and Culture Wars

[11:30-14:00]

• Even as recent blockbusters (Oppenheimer, Barbie) ignited excitement, Stone argues it’s “too little, too late.”
• He critiques Oscar trends, noting the industry's preference for political or ideological content (“woke screeds”) over mainstream crowd-pleasers.
• Cites Curtis Yarvin's harsh criticism of “One Battle After Another,” describing it as “the worst movie ever made, a religious film” for progressives. [13:35-14:00]

8. In-Depth: “One Battle After Another” & Industry Meta

[14:00-18:33]

• Excerpts from Marc Andreessen and a guest discuss Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another:
  • Film is a time capsule of 2022 “messaging.”
  • Adapts Pynchon’s Vineland with modern progressive politics, becoming “Antifa: The Movie.”
  • Quote (Marc Andreessen):

    "He clearly wants to make these people into mythical figures. And then it's just very clear at the end he's like, yes, and I completely endorse and support all of this." [17:25]

• The movie underperforms in the US, but profits overseas thanks to Leonardo DiCaprio.

9. Hollywood’s Priorities: Message Over Market

[18:33-19:15]

• Stone points out that old Hollywood prized audience and box office; new Hollywood doesn’t punish financial failure if the politics are right.
  • “New Hollywood cares less about the money and more about the message.” [18:57]

10. Critical Reflections — The Industry in Crisis

[19:15-20:10]

• Guest "Critical Drinker" summarizes 2025 as Hollywood's worst year in decades, with foreign markets overtaking, high-profile flops, and a content drought.
• Quote (Critical Drinker):

  “2025 hasn't exactly been a bumper year for Hollywood, has it? In fact, ... one of the most depressing 12 months in cinema history.” [19:16]

• Mantra “survive until 25” has failed; recovery is deemed unlikely.

11. What’s Next? Counterculture or Collapse

[20:53-22:11]

• Stone foresees AI’s looming threat to the industry.
• Hopes that Hollywood’s “extinction event” might make room for independent, countercultural filmmaking:

  “Maybe they can make movies Hollywood or Netflix never would. ... What better way to rebuild a counterculture?” [21:50]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Streaming's Impact:

  “With streaming, there is no free market pressure, no quality control... Best of all, you can ignore the silent majority that has tuned you out long ago.” — Sasha Stone [01:56]

• On Wokeness & Hollywood:

  “It is religious for them. It's already won many awards and is on track to win best picture. Trust me. Hollywood has no desire to save itself.” — Sasha Stone [18:18]

• Curtis Yarvin on 'One Battle After Another':

  “Shitty people will watch this shitty film and love it.” [13:50]
  “Corrupt art is the pathognomic mark of a corrupt society.” [13:54]

• Marc Andreessen on Paul Thomas Anderson:

  “He clearly wants to make these people into mythical figures. And then it’s just very clear at the end he’s like, yes, and I completely endorse and support all of this.” [17:25]

• Critical Drinker on the State of Film:

  "A summer movie season of tired sequels and declining franchises that never really took off, and a fourth quarter that’s delivered nothing but disastrous flops and unwanted propaganda flicks." [19:32]

• On Audience Alienation:

  “We loved movies and celebrities for what they gave us, not for who they are. We don't care. We don't need them to fix us or teach us or lecture us..." — Sasha Stone [20:53]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------| | Merger Announcement & Monopoly Argument | 00:21 | | Hollywood-Alienated from Middle America | 01:22-02:36 | | Decline of Movie Theaters Discussion | 02:36-03:59 | | Box Office Trends & Prestige vs. Blockbuster Split | 04:02-05:21 | | COVID & “The Great Awokening” as Final Blows | 05:59-07:20 | | Nostalgia and Theater Experience | 07:20-08:46 | | Tom Cruise and Top Gun: Maverick Clip | 08:46-11:30 | | Oscar Trends & "One Battle After Another" | 11:30-14:00 | | Marc Andreessen on the Paul Thomas Anderson film | 14:00-18:33 | | Box Office & Awards – Message Over Market | 18:33-19:15 | | Recap of Hollywood’s Disastrous 2025 | 19:15-20:10 | | The Case for a New Counterculture and Looking Forward | 20:53-22:11 |

Conclusion

Sasha Stone’s episode is a deeply critical, sometimes acerbic obituary for the classic Hollywood system, blaming industry insularity, progressive ideological fixation, and the streaming age for the death of movie theaters and American cinematic culture. The episode weaves together economic analysis, cultural critique, listener and pundit commentary, and select anecdotes. It ends with a wary hope: that from Hollywood’s ashes, a new, countercultural cinema might rise.

For more, see sashastone.com or Sasha’s Substack.