Movies
Sole Chief Critic
Julian Mercer
Lead Entertainment Critic & Senior Culture Editor
Member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Los Angeles Press Club, M.A. in Cinema Studies (USC School of Cinematic Arts)
Julian Mercer is the sole creator and chief critic at CinePulse. With over 14 years covering the Hollywood studio system, the Cannes and Sundance film festivals, and the streaming television landscape, Julian authors 100% of the long-form analysis, box office forensics, and cinematic critiques on this platform. Zero AI gossip, zero unverified tabloid rumors, zero duplicate clickbait.
100% Sole-Authored Long-Form Reviews
Zero AI Synthetic Gossip or Clickbait
Empirical Box Office & Nielsen Audited
Authored Investigations (9)
All reviews and industry forensics reported, drafted, and verified by Julian Mercer.
Prestige TV
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The 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray Renaissance: Why Physical Media Is Booming Among Hollywood Directors and Cinephiles
Streaming compression, licensing revocations, and visual bitrates: why cinephiles are aggressively rebuilding physical disc libraries in 2026.
Julian Mercer, CCA
Music
★ PILLAR
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The $10 Billion Stadium Era: The Economics of Modern Mega-Tours and Dynamic Ticket Pricing
How the global music industry pivoted from streaming royalties to stadium spectacles grossing $15M to $20M per city, and the algorithmic pricing squeezing fans.
Julian Mercer, CCA
Music
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Vinyl Records in 2026: Why Physical Analog Album Sales Outpaced Digital Downloads for the Fifth Consecutive Year
Gen Z and millennial music fans are driving physical wax records to their highest production volume since 1988, rejecting ephemeral playlists for tangible artifact ownership.
Julian Mercer, CCAMovies
★ PILLAR
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The 2026 Blockbuster Cinema Forecast: What Global Box Office Data Tells Us About Hollywood's Theatrical Future
A definitive, data-backed analysis of domestic box office trends, Premium Large Format (PLF) market share, and why original theatrical events are outperforming exhausted superhero sequels.
Julian Mercer, CCA
Movies
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IMAX 70mm vs. Dolby Cinema: Why Christopher Nolan and Hollywood Auteurs Demand Celluloid Film Over Digital
A technical and sensory shootout between 15-perf 70mm celluloid film resolution and dual-laser 4K Dolby Vision projection.
Julian Mercer, CCA
Movies
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How Warner Bros. and Universal Reset the Mid-Budget Movie in 2026: An Economic Teardown
Why $30M to $50M genre films, psychological thrillers, and courtroom dramas are delivering higher profit margins for studios than $250M tentpoles.
Julian Mercer, CCA
Prestige TV
★ PILLAR
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The Great Streaming Retrenchment: Why Netflix, Max, and Disney+ Slashed $12 Billion in Production Budgets
The era of cheap capital and unlimited $20M-per-episode prestige series is over. An in-depth investigation into subscriber churn, ad-supported tiers, and the revival of licensing.
Julian Mercer, CCA
Prestige TV
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The Science of HBO Sunday Nights: Why Appointment Viewing Still Beats Algorithmic Binging
How releasing one episode per week creates 10 continuous weeks of viral cultural discourse, watercooler obsession, and subscriber retention.
Julian Mercer, CCA