"101 Damnations" ("Cruella")
Cruella DeVille (c) Disney
2021 was a strange summer for films. After nearly eighteen months of the world being in isolation from the threat of COVID-19, the goal to vaccine the entire population was well under way. Businesses were finally able to reopen, but there were limitations. For movie theaters, screenings were only allowed to reach forty percent capacity and there had to be two empty seats between each group. Meanwhile, to recoup the projected box office revenue they lost, some studios took a gamble by debuting a few of their most highly anticipated releases in both theaters and specific streaming services.
Such was the case for "Cruella". If a person was still apprehensive being amongst large groups, they now had the option to view it in the safety of their own home on Disney Plus for a one-time $30 premium fee. For the average filmgoer, it was a win-win scenario. For the studios, it kept the stockholders happy. To theaters however, the decision severely cut into their overall revenue. But these were trying times.
Another business hurting from the year-long quarantine was electronic manufactures. 2020 was already settled as the launch year for the next generation of videogame consoles. Microsoft debuted their X-Box X system shortly after Sony unveiled their new Playstation 5. And although retail outlets were temporarily closed, it was business as usual for them online. However, again due to factories being closed for nearly a year, there was a massive shortage on parts and supplies, especially microchips. What limited number of consoles retail stores received sporadically to sell online would sell out within seconds. And to make matters worse, some shady individuals would use code bots to snatch as many consoles as they could, only to sell them on E-Bay at twice the price. It was the worst console launch in videogames, and seven months later, there was no sign things would improve anytime soon. If you were able to get a PS5 or an XBX, it was as if you had won the lottery.
Put all those things together and it's not a stretch of the imagination to assume Disney's most cruel villainess would hoard as many Playstations as she could get her boney little fingers on. - Jake