VOA文化艺术2023--Barbenheimer: Two Movies, One Day

Barbenheimer: Two Movies, One Day

Two of the biggest summer movies are being released on the same day, July 21st, Barbie directed by Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer.

The release of the movies has gotten a lot of attention on the internet and in social media. Many people are buying tickets to watch both films on the same day, creating the double feature event called "Barbenheimer."

The word "Barbenheimer" is a portmanteau or blend word of, not only the letters of the words, but their meanings as well. There is even some disagreement about how the word should be spelled: "Barbieheimer" or "Barbenheimer" or even "Boppenheimer."

Studios often target films in different genres² for release on the same weekend. Oppenheimer is a serious drama about the man who supervised³ the development of the atomic bomb. Barbie is a colorful film about a popular line of American toys played by real people.

Directors Gerwig and Nolan have enthusiastic fans online. Some people are fans of both. When a new advertisement is shown for one movie, both show a lot of social media interactions. There are even memes and tee-shirts made about the release of the two movies on the same day.

Paul Dergarabedian is a media expert. He said that the "Barbenheimer" marketing⁴ is good for both movies.

"You're certainly aware of both movies in a more profound⁵ and compelling way," Dergarabedian said of the two movies.

Many theaters have already reported tickets sale for the double feature. AMC Theaters reported that 20,000 AMC Stubs members have bought tickets for both movies. That is over four hours of movie-watching.

Barbenheimer days

The stars say they are planning "Barbenheimer" days.

Margot Robbie plays Barbie. She spoke⁶ at the movie's first showing in London. She said people should start and end their day with Barbie, watching Oppenheimer in the middle. "It's a perfect double bill. "I think actually start your day with 'Barbie,' then go straight into Oppenheimer and then a Barbie..." The movie's star said people should watch her film twice.

Actor Tom Cruise⁷'s movie Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning⁸ Part One was released just one week before "Barbenheimer." He said that he plans to see both films on opening day, probably starting with Oppenheimer.

Issa Rae is one of the actresses in Barbie. At the London premiere, she said there is a reason for people wanting to end their day with Barbie.

"I think that there's a very specific order that (you should) see them in," Rae said.

Some people in Hollywood think that the July 21st date for the opening of both films is not by chance. Many wonder if Warner Bros. Studios wanted Barbie to open the same weekend as Oppenheimer because Nolan had opened other films like Inception⁹ and Dunkirk through Warner Bros.

Nolan left the studio because of a decision to send a year's worth of movies to streaming services. Nolan then made Oppenheimer with Universal Studios.

Unspoken rule

There is an unspoken rule in Hollywood: Never publicly say bad things about another studio's movie. This idea is connected to a belief that supporting one movie is good for other movies. If a person goes to one movie and sees advertisements for another, it might create more interest and help the whole industry.

Cruise knew that that his Mission: Impossible would no longer be shown on the huge IMAX screens at some theaters when Oppenheimer is released. But Cruise posted photos of himself and director Christophere McQuarrie in front of advertisements for competing movies Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny¹⁰, Barbie, and Oppenheimer.

Cruise posted the photos on his social media account saying: "This summer is full of amazing movies to see in theaters. These are just a few that we can't wait to see on the big screen."

Dergarabedian said, "Not only is Tom Cruise the biggest box office star in the world, but he's also an incredible¹¹ ambassador¹² for the movie theater, for the movie theater experience and boosting¹⁴ other movies."

He added that the friendly environment created by competition in Hollywood was a good thing.

The actors, directors and official social media accounts of all the movies have been very supportive of one another. Cillian Murphy plays Robert Oppenheimer. He told the Associated Press at the movie's London showing that, "of course" he would watch Barbie.

But everyone still enjoys a number one debut¹⁵. Both Barbie and Oppenheimer reportedly cost $100 million to make, not including millions of dollars spent on marketing.

The Barbie opening weekend could make over $90 million in North America only, while Oppenheimer is expected to make $40 million on its first weekend. But Oppenheimer may have a longer life into awards season.

There is a lot of pressure on "Barbenheimer" to increase revenues¹⁶ for underperforming summer movies. And other issues like the writers' strike, which actors recently joined, are on people's minds. For example, the actors of Oppenheimer walked out of their movie's first showing in London as the actors' strike was announced.

Words in This Story

double feature –n. showing two long films (traditionally) for the price of one ticket

genre¹ –n. a particular form or kind of art

drama –n. a performance about a serious subject

enthusiastic –adj. showing strong emotion and excitement

meme –n. a picture, video or idea that spreads widely through the internet

profound –adj. affecting people deeply

compelling –adj. causing people to want to see more

double bill –n. two shows on one program; a double feature

streaming service –n. a business that provides movies and shows through the internet

box office –adj. related to the business of filmmaking, especially ticket sales

boost¹³ –v. to show support for something or someone

debut –n. The first appearance of something in public; the first performance of an artist in public

revenues –n. (often pl.) money made or paid to a business or organization; money collected in taxes

1 genre   

n.(文学、艺术等的)类型，体裁，风格

参考例句：

• My favorite music genre is blues.我最喜欢的音乐种类是布鲁斯音乐。
• Superficially,this Shakespeare's work seems to fit into the same genre.从表面上看， 莎士比亚的这个剧本似乎属于同一类型。

2 genres   

（文学、艺术等的）类型，体裁，风格( genre的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Novel and short story are different genres. 长篇小说和短篇小说是不同的类别。
• But confusions over the two genres have a long history. 但是类型的混淆，古已有之。 来自汉英文学 - 散文英译

3 supervised   

v.监督，管理( supervise的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The architect supervised the building of the house. 建筑工程师监督房子的施工。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He supervised and trained more than 400 volunteers. 他指导和培训了400多名志愿者。 来自辞典例句

4 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

5 profound   

adj.深奥的，造诣深的；深度的，极度的

参考例句：

• I give you my profound thanks for saving my life.我对您的救命之恩深表谢意。
• He has a profound knowledge of mathematics.他数学知识渊博。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 cruise   

v.巡航，航游，缓慢巡行；n.海上航游

参考例句：

• They went on a cruise to Tenerife.他们乘船去特纳利夫岛。
• She wants to cruise the canals of France in a barge.她想乘驳船游览法国的运河。

8 reckoning   

n.结帐；(喻)算帐；惩罚

参考例句：

• Phelan is fit again and could come into the reckoning. 菲兰已经恢复了体力，有可能获胜。
• The reckoning up of revenue and expenditure shows a small surplus. 收支相抵，略有剩余。

9 inception   

n.开端，开始，取得学位

参考例句：

• The programme has been successful since its inception.这个方案自开始实施以来一直卓有成效。
• Julia's worked for that company from its inception.自从那家公司开办以来，朱莉娅一直在那儿工作。

10 destiny   

n.命运，定数，天命

参考例句：

• Nobody knows his own destiny.没有人知道自己的命运。
• It was her destiny to become famous.她命里注定出名。

11 incredible   

adj.难以置信的，不可信的，极好的，大量的

参考例句：

• Some planets run at incredible speed.某些星球以难以置信的速度运行着。
• Her answer showed the most incredible stupidity.她的回答显示出不可思议的愚蠢。

12 ambassador   

n.大使，特使，（派驻国际组织的）代表

参考例句：

• He took up office as an ambassador for ten years continuously.他连任十年大使。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

13 boost   

n.鼓励，激励，提高；v.鼓励，使增强信心

参考例句：

• This will be a great boost to the economy.这对于经济发展将是一个巨大的促进。
• These changes will help to boost share prices.这些变化将有助于提高股票价格。

14 boosting   

n.增[升]压；加大推力[功率]，加速（发动机）；助推v.促进( boost的现在分词 )；增加；吹捧；向上推起

参考例句：

• The company needs boosting up, if it is not to be defeated by its competitors. 该公司如要在竞争中不被对手挤垮，就须加强实力。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The firm is boosting the new product. 公司正在大事宣传 [推销] 新产品。 来自辞典例句

15 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

16 revenues   

收入( revenue的名词复数 )； [复数]总收入； 收入来源； 税务局

参考例句：

• Revenues from oil are the biggest single component part in the country's income. 来自石油的收益是这个国家收入中最高的一项。
• Under the cash basis of accounting most receipts of money are revenues and most expenditures of money are expenses. 按现金收付制规定，企业收到的现金大都作为收入处理，付出的现金大都作为费用处理。