An “Echo” of “Daredevil”

 by Jonathan Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

January 19, 2024

 

Echo ultimately proves to be the perfect name for the most recent Marvel Studios’ television project. Beyond the thematic connections the series makes to this term, the title exists as some sort of (unintended) meta-commentary on the show’s existence within the greater scope of previously released Marvel television. 

I’m sure that I am not the first to note, but Echo feels like just that: an echo of the Marvel series that have come before it. If you had seen any of the marketing in the lead-up for Echo, it was made abundantly clear where the focus of the show was: the pseudo-familial relationship between Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). Also, if you went in having seen the most recent wave of trailers, TV spots, promotional images, and such, you wouldn’t be blamed if you thought that Charlie Cox’s Daredevil/Matt Murdock was going to play a large role within the show. While the latter does make an extended cameo, the focus squarely is on the relationship between Maya and Fisk – both in the episode with Daredevil and across this limited series. 

 

Daredevil, as a show, is second-to-none when it comes to quality for Marvel releases – with D’Onofrio’s Fisk being one of the most nuanced villains Marvel has put on screen both in terms of performance and writing. While there were complaints about how Fisk was treated in Hawkeye, I was pleased to see that Fisk generally remained at the same level of complexity from when I had seen him last in Daredevil season 3. 

 

If you’re reading this review – and likely other reviews – asking why the author is spending so much time talking about a different show, it’s because Echo really does not stand on its own unless viewed in relation to Daredevil. To a certain extent, this makes sense. If we look at the comic books the series is based on, Maya Lopez originally appeared as a Daredevil side character before crossing over into other works such as The New Avengers and Moon Knight. The adaptation of the character from page to screen is generally the same in terms of origin – one just need swap out Maya believing Ronin killed her father for Daredevil. The relationship between Fisk and Maya is also generally the same from the comics: Fisk mentors her from a young age after having her father killed, but all the while lying to her about how her father truly met an untimely demise. I’m touching on all of this because it’s important to understand how intertwined Maya Lopez is with Matt Murdock in the comics. It seems that this is something the filmmakers behind Echo understood. If you were to watch Echo and put it next to the gritty-noir storytelling of the Daredevil series or next to the action-comedy of something like Hawkeye (where the character debuted), the show would be infinitely closer in tone with the former opposed to the latter. 

 

Quite frankly, Echo is treated much more akin to a spin-off of Daredevil than it is of the actual show it is spinning-off from (i.e., Hawkeye). I think even Marvel understands this, as on Disney+ the show is now grouped together with the Defenders Saga – which constitutes all the previous Netflix shows. 

 

All of this lead-up, however, doesn’t answer the question most people ask when reading a review: Is the show any good? 

 

Well, the answer to that depends. Did you like Daredevil? It feels like a horrible sentiment when reviewing a new show to keep talking about one that ended over five years ago, but it really will determine how much enjoyment one gets out of this. If you loved Daredevil – both its characters and the style to which it was brought to the screen – you’ll find plenty to chew on in Echo. In particular, the dynamic between Fisk and Maya makes the show worth watching alone. Beyond this, though, there was a clear visual style that was brought to the various episodes that gave the series additional depth beyond what was on the page. 

 

However, the show never particularly comes close to the quality that Daredevil and even some of the other Defenders shows held. And if you didn’t like any of the Netflix shows or haven’t seen any of them, well, you’ll likely not enjoy this, and/or you just might be completely lost. 

 

The best thing about Echo is that it’s a simple story told well. This will likely have no implications for the Marvel universe going forward. Maya probably won’t show up in the next Avengers film (watch that comment age like milk). But maybe that’s more of what Marvel needs. Just simple stories that are told well.  Not everything about Echo works: some of the side characters fall flat; there are some odd editing decisions likely stemming from requests made by higher-ups at Marvel; and it doesn’t always feel like there is enough material here to support an entire limited series. However, the show certainly falls on the better end of MCU television since the transition from Netflix to Disney+. In a time of multiverse-ending superhero stories, it’s so nice to get back to personal problems between people. 

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Jonathan Keating is a guest columnist for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating podcast – and by extension Disney Biz Journal – at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

“The Marvels” Ranks as Worst MCU Movie Box Office

 by Ray Keating

Analysis/Commentary

DisneyBizJournal.com

December 4, 2023

 

The Marvels, which opened domestically on November 10, went from the worst opening for a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie to the worst box office overall among these films. Given the company’s poor box office performance of late, is Disney going to get serious about getting its movies back on track from both quality and costs perspectives?

DisneyBizJournal noted, “The Marvels had the worst opening weekend of any MCU movie. According to BoxOfficeMojo.com, the domestic take was $47 million and the international box office was $41.5 million.” It also was pointed out that the film had a production budget estimated at $274 million, with marketing/post-production costs usually running anywhere from 50 percent to 100 percent of the production costs.

 

Variety reported, “After four weeks on the big screen, the comic book tentpole is running out of steam with $80 million in North America and $197 million globally. There would typically be optimism that attendance could rebound over the busy holiday season, but Disney apparently doesn’t expect that to be the case. The studio wrote on Sunday in a note to press, ‘With “The Marvels” box office now winding down, we will stop weekend reporting of international/global grosses on this title.’”

 

Yikes. That’s astounding – especially failing to reach $100 million domestically.

 

Variety also reported, “Now, as the film nears the end of its theatrical run, box office revenues won’t top 2008’s ‘The Incredible Hulk’ ($264 million, not adjusted for inflation), which previously stood as the lowest-grossing entry.”

 

As DisneyBizJournal has noted previously, assorted industry reports indicate that studio take is about 55 percent of the domestic box office (a bit higher with the earliest box office take), and anywhere from 20 percent to 40 percent of foreign ticket sales. Our very generous assessment for Disney, therefore, pointed to The Marvels needing to earn more than $950 million to start making a box-office profit.

 

The Marvels estimated $197 million worldwide box office amounts to a breathtaking theatrical release loss for Disney.

 

Disney CEO Bob Iger has done a dance recently trying to explain the poor performance of this film, as well as others. For example, Variety quoted Iger declaring, “We got to the point where if a film didn’t do a billion dollars in global box office, we were disappointed. That’s an unbelievably high standard, and I think we have to get more realistic.”

 

Indeed, but there are two key problems in this equation that Disney seriously needs to address. The first is simply quality storytelling. It all has to improve, from story to characters to special effects. The second is the astronomical costs of Disney filmmaking, including MCU films. The idea that the breakeven point for a movie like The Marvels was beyond $900 million in box office revenues is outrageous. 

 

Just because you expect a movie to top $1 billion at the box office doesn’t mean that you should budget matters so that you only start making money on or around that revenue point. Hollywood long has had trouble keeping costs under control, but the problem seems to have gotten far worse recently, which is strange given the enormous advancements on the tech front that should bring costs down, as is the case in almost all other industries.

 

There certainly has been a lot talk about “fixing” things at Disney, but it remains hard to detect much of substance happening regarding movies in terms of quality (perhaps other than the promotion for Dave Filoni on the Star Wars front) or costs. Disney has its work cut out for it. And yes, it requires fresh thinking and new blood. After all, just because the company has recovered from periodic movie lulls in the past is no guarantee that this will just automatically happen once again. Iger talked a great deal about innovation being an ongoing process in his book The Ride of a Lifetime. He’s right, and Disney needs innovation to be reinvigorated on the movie front right now.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, the Alliance of Saint Michael novels, and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Support the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating Podcast at https://www.buzzsprout.com/1724143. Subscribe at the $8 or $10 level, and get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. Remain a supporter and you'll get a FREE BOOK by Ray Keating every six months going forward. Thanks!

 

The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more.

 

Consider other books by Ray Keating, including…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. There are 18 books in the series now.

 

• Order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Kindle editions and paperbacks via Amazon here and signed books here. And don’t forget the first book in this growing series, i.e., The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel is at Amazon. 

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Signed editions of Ray’s books are at www.RayKeatingOnline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Disney’s Recent Big Budget Blockbusters and Bombs – and What Lies Ahead

 by Ray Keating

Commentary

DisneyBizJournal.com

May 3, 2023

 

What’s the right rate of success for Hollywood movies in terms of being profitable? Given the many mysteries of film industry accounting, general estimates are all over the place, with many pointing to a 50-50 chance overall, though higher for big-budget movies.

This question came to mind looking at Disney’s big budget movie performance in 2022, early 2023, and looking at the rest of this year.

 

Deadline.com recently provided some valuable estimates, with one report focused on 2022’s most valuable blockbusters, and another on Hollywood’s biggest bombs of 2022. Disney was well represented on both lists.

 

As for the biggest successes, four of the top 10 were Disney films. Avatar: The Way of Water came in at number one, with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness at number four, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at number five, and Thor: Love and Thunder at number nine.

 

However, it also should be noted that among the three Marvel movies on the list, while Dr. Strange ranked as unique, interesting and entertaining, Thor: Love and Thunder was largely panned by critics, and Wakanda Forever was, well, a yawner.

 

Meanwhile, Disney had three of the five big budget bombs noted by Deadline. In fact, Disney had the three worst performers. The losses by Deadline’s estimates were staggering, with Disney’s Strange World coming in the very worst at a $197.4 million loss; followed by the Disney/New Regency vehicle Amsterdam losing $108.4 million; and then Pixar/Disney’s Lightyear registering the third biggest loss at $106 million.

 

Yikes.

 

And then we had Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania arrive in theaters this past February. This movie is supposed to kick off Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But that film’s global gross was only $474.6 million, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. Critics were displeased as well. A reported pre-production and filming budget of nearly $200 million means that when everything is tallied up in the end, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania likely will be a money loser for Disney.

 

Double yikes.

 

And what lies ahead for the rest of this year? Well, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 opens this weekend. It has a reported pre-production and filming budget of $250 million.  Opening weekend box office projections are running at $250-$260 million globally. Of course, it’s staying power will be the test. But when you look at the coming MCU titles, Guardians 3 offers Disney its best hope on the MCU front.

 

The next installment is The Marvels, arriving in November. And quite frankly, it’s hard to find any excitement or anticipation for this movie, and the same pretty much goes for the 2024 movies on the list – Captain America: New World Order, Thunderbolts and Blade.

 

Disney is hoping for the best with a live-action remake of The Little Mermaid (May 26) and another crack at Haunted Mansion (July 28), while Elemental (June 16) will be a big test to see if Pixar can shake off a period of underwhelming movies – besides the Lightyear bomb. But one doesn’t exactly get a feeling of confidence from this list either.

 

In the end, the greatest anticipation and hope for the Disney box office in 2023 swirls around Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (June 30). There seems to be real excitement for the return of Harrison Ford one more time as the iconic Indiana Jones. We trust that director James Mangold is up to the challenge, and he won’t make the same dumb mistake that the James Bond people made, that is, Mangold will not kill Indiana Jones. 

 

For what it’s worth, after seeing Dial of Destiny, according to Variety, Steven Spielberg declared, “Bob Iger had a screening for a lot of the Disney executives, and I came to the screening along with the director James Mangold. Everybody loved the movie. It’s really, really a good ‘Indiana Jones’ film. I’m really proud of what Jim has done with it… When the lights came up I just turned to the group and said, ‘Damn! I thought I was the only one who knew how to make one of these.’”

 

Indy fans and Disney shareholders are praying that Spielberg is right.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, and the Alliance of Saint Michael novels; and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right? 

 

Consider books by Ray Keating…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. You can order the latest book in the series – Under the Golden Dome: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel. Get the signed books here, or paperbacks and Kindle editions right here.

 

• Pre-order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Kindle edition here and signed books here. And don’t forget the first book in this growing series, i.e., The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks at RayKeatingOnline.com or paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel. Signed paperbacks and/or paperbacks, hardcovers and the Kindle edition at Amazon. 

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  –  signed books  or at  Amazon.

 

•  Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know is available at  Amazon  in paperback or for the Kindle edition, and signed books at  www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Favreau on Marvel v. DC

Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #193: Jon Favreau Weighs in on Marvel vs. DC – Director Jon Favreau talks Marvel, DC, and why characters matter.

The “Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating” podcast serves up a Disney or Disney-related quote each day, with DisneyBizJournal’s Ray Keating offering brief, additional thoughts on how each dose ties in to life, career, business, entrepreneurship, creativity, storytelling, work, or just plain fun.

Will Disney Shareholders’ Monday Morning Blues Last?

 by Ray Keating

Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

October 19, 2021

 

Disney shareholders heard some unusual Monday morning (October 18) blues this week.

 

First, Disney’s stock received a rare downgrade from a Barclays analyst, going from a price target of $210 per share to $175 per share.

The big worry for this analyst was the slowdown in Disney+ streaming subscribers.  (See DisneyBizJournal’s report on Disney’s latest announcements on streaming.) As Reuters noted:

 

     “While the company (Disney) appears to be targeting one new piece of content a week, not every piece of content has the same franchise value or visibility,” Barclays analyst Kannan Venkateshwar said.

     Barclays also said the slowdown in Disney+ subscribers could not be solely attributed to a pull forward in additions in 2020, when streaming platforms gained popularity as people hunkering down at home sought entertainment.

     To achieve its target of 230 million to 260 million Disney+ subscribers by the end of fiscal 2024, Disney will need to more than double its current pace of growth to at least the same level as Netflix (NFLX.O), according to Barclays.

 

For good measure, shareholders and movie fans were hit on Monday morning with a long list of movie releases being pushed back by Disney. 

 

“Indiana Jones 5” was delayed, again, being moved from July 29, 2022, to June 30, 2023. Keep in mind that this fifth installment in the Indiana Jones saga was originally supposed to be released in 2019. 

 

As for the Marvel Cinematic Universe:

 

• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness moves from March 25, 2022, to May 6, 2022. 

 

• Thor: Love and Thunder will journey from May 6, 2022, to July 8, 2022.

 

• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever goes from July 8, 2022, to November 11, 2022.

 

• The Marvels shifts from November 11, 2022, to February 17, 2023. 

 

• Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania shifts from February 17, 2023, to July 28, 2023. 

 

• Also, an untitled Marvel movie is being shifted forward from November 10, 2023, to November 3, 2023.  

 

Assorted untitled films also were removed from the schedule.

 

Meanwhile, on the MCU slate before Doctor Strange are Eternals on November 5, 2021, and Spider-Man: No Way Home (with Sony) on December 17, 2021.

 

So, does all of this information warrant longer-run concerns for Disney and its stock? Not really. 

 

The schedule pushbacks on movies should have surprised no one, as Disney and the rest of Hollywood still work to sort out the (hopefully) post-pandemic world of movie releases. Also, a slowing in subscriber growth for Disney+ was predictable, but reaching the subscriber goal of exceeding 230 million by the end of fiscal year 2024 remains well within reasonable expectations. That effort, of course, will be helped by more streaming content, especially of the Star Wars and Marvel varieties, coming to Disney+.

 

The Walt Disney Company’s stock price closed on October 19 at $171.18.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13ththriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Again, get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story – grab it at Amazon.com or signed editions at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

 

You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  from Amazon or signed books  at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. 

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

Marvel's Forgotten Entrepreneur

Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #33: Who Was Martin Goodman? – If you love the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then you should get to know Martin Goodman.

The “Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating” podcast serves up a Disney or Disney-related quote each day, with DisneyBizJournal’s Ray Keating offering brief, additional thoughts on how each dose ties in to life, career, business, entrepreneurship, creativity, storytelling, work, or just plain fun.

“WandaVision” Falls Apart in the End

 by Ray Keating

Review – SPOILER ALERT

DisneyBizJournal.com

March 8, 2021

 

WandaVision – the Marvel Cinematic Universe show streaming on Disney+ - started off with a bang and much-deserved praise, but it fell apart in the end due to absurdity, major plot holes, and cowardice from its creators.

Indeed, the bizarre message to take away from WandaVision amounts to the following: If you’re really, really sad because of a personal loss, you’re allowed to behave like a villain, to the point of enslaving others. In fact, not only will you not even be considered a villain, but you’ll be embraced as sympathetic and misunderstood.

 

WandaVision serves up the story of Wanda Maximoff (or The Scarlet Witch) after her love, Vision, died (twice!) in the movie Avengers: Infinity War. No doubt, Wanda has had a tough time, when also considering that her brother died in Avengers: Age of Ultron. 

 

Using her enormous but not understood powers, Wanda has crawled inside a world she re-created from a town named Westview. The show’s creators and writers excelled in fostering questions, mystery and curiosity among viewers early on in the series, as each episode of WandaVision nodded to an episode from actual television sitcoms – from The Dick Van Dyke Show up to The Office, for example. It was a fascinating, off-beat idea. In fact, WandaVision worked exceedingly well – for the most part – until links to old sitcoms were basically left behind in favor of a more traditional effort to wrap up the story of this limited-run series.  

 

The shortcomings become rather numerous by the time we’re done with the final episode. Among the most glaring, for example, the character Tyler Hayward, the director of S.W.O.R.D., becomes the bad guy, but there’s no real reason why he does so. Motivation? Nah. And by the end, Hayward has gone from trying to stop Wanda to attempting to shoot children. Whoa. Why? Who knows? Apparently, we just needed some evil dude, perhaps to mitigate what Wanda actually is doing. One could argue that the character Agatha Harkness came to serve the same rather empty purpose.

 

And make no mistake, Wanda’s actions make her rise to super-villain status. She selfishly “resurrects” Vision and creates two children for them. She takes over the minds and enslaves an entire town – depriving them of free will, and imposing real and significant pain. To the credit of those creating and writing WandaVision, they actually didn’t shy away from this grim development, that is, until the story called for actually dealing with the actions and their consequences. Then the WandaVision showrunners didn’t just take a pass, but chose to whitewash the evil done by their main character. 

 

At the end of the series, Wanda walks among the people of Westview, and their wariness and hatred of this woman who controlled their lives and thoughts, who inflicted enormous pain, are unmistakable. But an emerging “hero” – Captain Monica Rambeau – steps forward to provide bizarre and cheap absolution. 

 

Rambeau actually says to Wanda, “They’ll never know what you sacrificed for them.” And Wanda replies, “It wouldn’t change how they see me.” Excuse me, what? There was no real sacrifice.

 

Wanda then asks Rambeau, “You don’t hate me?” Rambeau actually answers, “Given the chance and given your power, I’d bring my mom back. I know I would.” Given that the totality of Wanda’s actions are manifest at this point, one has to wonder about Rambeau’s moral compass, or lack thereof.

 

In fact, the moral obtuseness or bankruptcy of these two characters is quite stunning. After what Wanda did and then seeing this exchange, neither character should be considered a “hero,” but the show’s creators clearly want to leave viewers with that impression.

 

While coming down the stretch in WandaVision, there clearly are individual scenes that pack emotional wallop, but they turn out to be rather hollow. There is no redemption arch, and/or as noted, no true sacrifice. There are no real consequences – except that Wanda is sad, again, because the world she controlled is gone (or is it?). 

 

WandaVision’s creators ultimately chickened out. They set up a story that cried out for wrestling with evil actions taken by a “hero,” but viewers got nothing, other than a lame, passing “I’m sorry” from Wanda. 

 

Well, after getting viewers engaged with some enticing early episodes, each of the creators and writers of WandaVision owe viewers a real “I’m sorry.”

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the  Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Keating has two new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13ththriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  from Amazon or signed books  at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. 

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

 

Top 10 Reasons To Be Fascinated by the Disney Business – Podcast Edition!

 by Ray Keating

Commentary/Podcast

DisneyBizJournal.com

February 18, 2021

 

Everyone loves a Top 10 list, right? I know I do. Therefore, I have served up my Top 10 reasons to be fascinated by the business of the Walt Disney Company.

In this podcast edition of an earlier column, I touch on what sucked me in about Walt Disney, the company he started and built, and select aspects of Disney that have touched my life in various ways. 

 

In the end, this Top 10 gets at the whys for starting up DisneyBizJournal.com website. 

 

Or, to put it another way: What does Ray love about Disney?

 

Tune in here, or by clicking the above picture. Enjoy!

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the  Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Keating’s new book Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13th thriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  from Amazon or signed books  at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. 

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!