About 68 minutes into a 103 minute 2005 Pixar lecture from the Computer History Museum (found via UpcomingPixar), writer/director Brad Bird (Ratatouille, The Incredibles) ranted passionately about how technology and convenience is ruining the theatrical experience:
“I hope that [the theatrical experience] doesn’t go away. I think that in our quest for 24 hour accessibility of everything under the sun, we diminish the value of certain experiences. And I liked the fact that movies use to have lines. And that it use to be hard to get into a movie. And if you saw it in it’s first week of release, you saw it on a giant screen or in ornate palace, and it was a show. Now we have made it so that on opening day you can see a film on a big screen, or on a crappy screen, or a screen that is a bootleg on your computer [inches] big. To me it’s diminishing the show experience.”
Bird is so right. It’s an issue I’m very torn about because I absolutely love the idea of an all you can eat on demand world where anything and everything is available whenever wherever. I’m a tech fanatic, an early adopter with tons of gizmos and gadgets. But at the same time I wish we could keep the experiences I agree up with (not to sound old).
And while I might be too young to remember a day without multiplexes, I do remember when attending a first showing on the first night of release was a magical experience. I remember lining up for tickets to Episode 1, and the line went around the movie theater. It was a party, it was fun. I went to line-up for tickets for Episode 2 and the crowds disappeared. By the time Episode 3 was released, only 15 or 20 people were in line. You could claim that it was because people lost interest in the series after Phantom Menace, or that people were trying to relive the nostalgia of their youth, but truth is that most of my friends were reserving their tickets for Attack of the Clones, but they were reserving the tickets online. The party died, and so did that experience.
And it’s not just relegated to the cinema. I remember when you could have a watercooler conversation about a television show. Even though we experienced these series by ourselves, in our own respective homes, we would be sharing the experience together. But now the watercooler discussions of shows like LOST are quickly becoming less possible because of the DVR. Timeshifting is yet another convenience which diminishes the experience. And someday soon most people will view new television episodes on demand or timeshifted, rather than live.
Sooner or later mainstream movies will be available day and date on some form of home video, and I’ll be ask a group of my friends if they’re going to the opening night of Transformers 3 at the AMC downtown, and they’ll TXT me back that they’re just going to watch it at home on their 100 inch OLED screen instead.
Discuss: Will the theatrical experience die in the new on demand world?
March 2nd, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I hope that there is an anti-technology movement that comes along, because at the pace we’re going things aren’t going to turn out well.
March 2nd, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Yes it will, because the last 17 times i’ve gone to a movie, I’ve had a terrible experience. People want to watch a movie in the comfort of their own home without annyoing people on cellphones, eating loud, or just being plain obnoxious.
I can’t stand going out to the movies anymore, which is why I have become such a big downloader, it’s sad, I never wanted it to come to this, but as long as I can see a movie without a little cunt of a child talking to their mom every 3 minutes, I’ll be in a sanctuary watching it from my own home.
I use to love going to the movies, now it just seems like a big pain In my ass to pay for Gas, an 8 dollar ticket, 45 bucks for popcorn along with all of this other bullshit that I’ll have to deal with upon arriving at a movie theater, not to mention, i can pause a movie at home!
To theaters: Fuck you.
~Larry Leonardo
March 2nd, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Well…Yes! It will die with the new HD services out there…unless they find another outstanding, amazing and awesome way to attract people to mass shows (3D maybe?).
March 2nd, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I am a huge fan of the theatres over the on demand services, but an interesting ordeal just happened to me. While looking on Starz on demand, I came to a sub-section called “Ultimate Grindhouse”. Intrigued, I selected it and to my amazement didnt see only Planet Terror and Death Proof, but the original 191 minute cut of Grindhouse, in all its glory with the fake trailers included. I was giddy because I hadn’t seen it since opening weekend, and after watching it, watched the extras that can be found on the DVDs. Although on demand usually is iffy, I am proud of Starz putting Grindhouse on it and allowing me to watch it again.
March 2nd, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I’m of mixed feelings but generally think things are moving in the right direction.
In generally my movie habits have changed drammatically. I use to go to theatres a lot. But having a child changes that. I use to buy movies a ton, but with downloads and the realization only a select few I re-watch, I’ve changed my habits.
Watching a movie at home CAN be a social experience. For the teenagers, piling into someone’s house to sit and watch a film is a non-issue (though they will most likely pick the house that has no parents home). For the adults with kids it means you CAN see a movie on ‘opening’ day without the hassle of babysitters, coming home quickly, etc. Yes, you loose the ‘night-out’, but the convenience is higher.
Things change; I remember my parents taking me to all-night drive-in movie marathons when I was very young. They were fantastic nights…but things progress and as much I as love those memories, current theatres are much better and I’m glad things have progressed.
The magic is really the anticipation of what you are watching and the waiting for it to start, not the line in a theatre. Produce good films, and that anticipation does NOT go away.
Expect controlled live streaming of content as major events as components of what are currently download services. They will have ads, they will have trailers, and you will be just as excited as you watch the open credits.
March 2nd, 2008 at 2:20 pm
going to the theater forces me to be extremely selective when it comes to the quality of the films i see — whereas with downloading, i’m tempted to watch all kinds of crap.
March 2nd, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Loving the theatre experience, I go to the cinema pretty often. But it’s a selective process, some movies I just watch at home, when the DVD comes out.
Movies like Transformers, however, HAVE TO be seen on the big screen imho, and as long as I do have the option, I’ll go to the theatre for these.
But, looking at my friends, most of them indeed would prefer watching movies at home instead of going to the theatre, but I think that’s mostly due to the exorbitant prices. Suddenly, 3.99 on iTunes doesn’t look that expensive.
March 2nd, 2008 at 2:36 pm
A couple of things.
First, the main reason people don’t usually stand in line for movies anymore is because there is nothing to stand in line for! Movies now a days suck a lot. I mean, Meet The Spartans? Witless Protection? The Hottie or the Nottie? WTF!? People don’t want to see movies like this. Maybe for ones like There Will Be Blood there was a line opening day. IDK.
Second, it is technology that is killing the movie experience. The talking on cell phones, the constant txting, etc… it is annoying and no one wants to be in a theater with people doing that stuff.
Third, The commercials. We (I) pay 9:50 to see a movie. I wait and wait for half an hour to see 4 different car commericals, one internet commerical, three stop talking commericals, a fandango commerical, and a concession stand commerical, THEN I get to the previews. Before 2000, there would just be 2-4 previews and then the movie. TAKE OUT THE EFFIN COMMERICALS!!!!!!!!!
Fouth, The only line I stand in anymore at theaters is the concession stand line :P
Any arguments against what I said?
March 2nd, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Yes and no.
I think a lot has to do with the quality. Star Wars is a bad example. Though CLOVERFIELD or even Lord of the Rings had lines going around the block.
If people want to see it, they will. When we go for the cinematic experience and we get shit on… they wont want to go but rather will wait till video or on demand.
March 2nd, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Going to the movies:
good:
huge screen
don’t have to wait to see new movies
bad:
traffic and parking (especially during the winter)
long lines
people talking during the movie
crying babies
movies that are so loud they give you a headache
overpriced concessions
long previews
getting stuck with a bad seat
It’s not even a tough call. Big screen televisions continue to drop in price, as the movie going experience continues to decline.
March 2nd, 2008 at 3:12 pm
I’m with Eric on this one. Movies now days aren’t even worth standing in line for. A lot of new films usually just suck IMO (not all new films…but a lot). That probably has more to do with people not going to the theater than anything else…
I’m not going to pay over 10 bucks to see some movie that will most likely not be worth my money. Then you have to put up with the idiots at the theater, and then the commercials they like to shove down your throat before the film…Because you know they don’t make enough money from selling their WAY overpriced food and 10 dollar tickets…
If anything I’d say it was theaters themselves that have ruined the experience. That’s just my 2 cents.
March 2nd, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Well it’s not just the convenience of technology, movie theatres have declined in some fundamental ways. 10 minutes of ads (not including trailers which I like unless it’s the trailer for 21 for the thousandth time) which seems like a fucking insult since you are already paying through the nose. When people do start talking, texting or being annoying nothing is done about it. They need to have policy and enforce it and they NEED NEED NEED to install short range cell phone signal blockers in each theatre.
March 2nd, 2008 at 3:49 pm
I think certain movies lend themselves to the ‘theater experience’ more than others.
For example, a film like semi-pro, I’ll probably just wait and download. There is nothing grandiose about it, and I’m not willing to pay $9 bucks to see it in theaters when I know it’s not going to be that good.
In contrast, films like There Will be Blood and No Country for Old Men I’ve seen 3 times in theaters. Each time it is an event. Seeing films like that are the reason I love walking into a theater. Granted, the experience in those films is nothing like the common experience chronicled by Larry Leonardo. At most, there was 10 other people in my theater at any given time, so there really wasn’t the annoyances that come with seeing a movie with large crowds.
The last movie I saw with a packed theater was Juno, and that was just great. Being able to enjoy a great film with a full theater is nice, because you’re all laughing at the same time, and you’re all feeling similar emotions. It’s nice. But I think that experience is far too rare now, and it’s much more enjoyable to watch films with a few good friends, as opposed to having to deal with the general public.
March 2nd, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Good, keep the idiots, philistines and 3 year olds out. I’ve been seeing films in the theatres on opening night, showing up hardly 5 minutes before the show starts and getting priority seating. I saw City of Men last night and was among maybe 15 other people. Be Kind Rewind on a Friday night (weekend after opening) and it was hardly over 30 people in the audience. I mean, films like Superbad, Juno or Transformers still bring in a sold out audience opening weekend, so if you want to party.. there it is.
March 2nd, 2008 at 4:30 pm
It’s not going to die, it’s going to change.
When movies came out, Theatre and Plays were going to die. Well people still go to the Theatre and Plays.
When TV came out, Radios were going to die. Well XM and car radios are still around.
When VCRs came out, movie theaters didn’t stand a chance. Well they’re still around too.
Things are going to change, they’re not going to die.
You can’t take a girl to your computer screen for a first date…ever.
Like IG says…if people want to see it, they will. Besides, AVATAR is coming out…and like Titanic, James Cameron will save the movie industry.
March 2nd, 2008 at 5:11 pm
the argument about the decline in movie quality doesn’t convince me. i agree that the production of movies to match demographics is discouraging, but it’s not like The Hottie and the Nottie has broken new grounds for bad (plus, it was roundly rejected by movie goers). there have always been bad movies, lots of them.
i think two things will keep movie theatres around for the next couple decades, at least. the first is that, for the most part, downloaded movies don’t look real good. the visual and audio quality of something bought from itunes has got nothing on film, or even DVD. i’m sure HD downloads will change that end of the equation but that leads me to my second point…
the better the quality of a movie, the bigger the file. the bigger the file, the higher speed you’ll need from an internet connection. people (like myself) who take the internet for granted and communicate via email so much lose sight of how exclusive at-home, high-speed is. over half the country doesn’t have it, but they do have movie theatres. the technology gap will ensure that there is some demand for movie theatres for a long time. i’m not saying there won’t be changes to the exhibition industry (movie theatres, like prisons, have become too numerous to support at their current numbers) but we will be able to see films in theatres for a long time.
March 2nd, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I’m a parent and I rarely have time to go to the movies anymore, and when I go there are some of the rudest people in theatre’s, and it’s too pricey. I would rather stay home and watch a movie on my widescreen, microwave some popcorn, sit back on my couch, and relax.
I did see Attack of the Clones & Revenge of the Sith at the Zigfeld, and they were some of the greatest crowds ever. But most filmgoers are mindless cattle, with no sense of theatre ettiquette. That’s why there’s 20 messages in the beginning of films asking people not to act like ___holes. That’s one reason why many people will stop going, the other is price.
March 2nd, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Can’t understand why people want to be there on opening night. I don’t think I ever went to an opening show. I was never so anxious to see a movie that I couldn’t wait past opening day. And I don’t like crowded theaters, so the less people the better. No cell phones, no children, no talking, just the movie. And just like other have mentioned, I also have become quite selective in what I see in a cinema. I download lots of stuff, but I only go to a theater when I feel it would be worth it; only for movies that look way better on a larger screen - War of the Worlds, Lord of The Rings, Star Wars - basically sci-fi/fantasy. All the others, I see at home.
Also, there’s a lot of crap out there these days. I’m disappointed about half the movies I see in the theater and sometimes I wish I had my money back - one more reason to not go very often. The downloads are basically free and even if most movies I watch prove to be mediocre, at least I don’t feel bad for wasting my money on them.
March 2nd, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I still go to movies on opening day. As long as it’s a decent movie coming out it is necessary to get tickets the day before and come more than an hour ahead of time to actually get a decent seat. This makes it fun and everyone there wants to be there and IT IS like a big party.
I love the theater!
March 2nd, 2008 at 5:44 pm
The interesting thing is, less than one hundred years ago, I’ll wager people were asking “Will the theatrical experience die in the face of the movie experience?” Meaning, will people stop going to the T-H-E-A-T-R-E for the movie T-H-E-A-T-E-R?
The answer is yes. The new generation doesn’t care about nostalgia, any more than we did at 15. Technology and society will evolve with the times, and the key to survival is to not drag your feet.
Don’t hold on to the glory experiences of yesterday, look for the new nostalgia tomorrow.
March 2nd, 2008 at 5:54 pm
@Earl
Well put.
March 2nd, 2008 at 6:05 pm
I also find myself torn over the entire question. As an advocate and user of new technology, I find myself using the very things that will eventually change the theater experience. On the other hand however, theaters have no one to blame but themselves. They had it pretty good for a long time and didn’t do much to change with the times, to adapt, and now they’re crying in their milk. The theater experience that we’re nostalgic for is hard to find these days. The “living room” has invaded the theater and people are rude, obnoxious, they talk loudly to each other, on their phones, etc. And that doesn’t even count the commercials, the high prices, the parking, etc.
The truth is, when the lights go down and the theater is dar, it’s just you sitting there watching, experiencing, and hopefully enjoying a film. That same experience can be had from the comfort, silence, and ease of your own living room. AND I can control my own experience with state of the art surround sound, HD screen and much, much more.
While the passing of an era is always sad, the future is not something to fear. I rather enjoy it honestly. And I can get up and go pee without missing a minute of the movie. That’s progress.
March 2nd, 2008 at 7:22 pm
I do believe it is becoming a problem but on the other hand it could be the movies out aren’t that great. We could be going thru a phase. By the time Summer rolls around I think we may actually see lines at the theater and a consetion stands packed. Yet rising Gas prices and Ticket prices arnt helping.
March 2nd, 2008 at 7:40 pm
The world has changed in the last ten years and in this case it has definitely changed for the better.
I absolutely don’t get this romanticized ‘theater experience’ and I watch only very few movies in a cinema. It’s cheaper than ever to afford an extremely awesome and powerful home cinema system that nobody could have imagined ten or fifteen years ago (of course without internet and DVD or Blu-Ray it would have been worthless anyways).
So I watch 90% of my movies (especially those I really want to see) on my home cinema system and only go to the cinema for dates or a few blockbusters that really benefit from the bigger screen and the better sound. But usually I really don’t want to squeeze myself into an overcrowded cinema with a bunch of annoying people.
And the least thing I want to do is line up for a movie (seriously, why would I want to do that???).
For the obvious reasons (socializing, dating, blockbusters) cinema will never die, but the importance of cinema will decline more and more. I love my home cinema, my DVDs and my movie downloads and I would never want to trade it back.
Maybe this is a generational clash. But like ‘giantmen’ said: the future is not something to fear!
March 2nd, 2008 at 10:10 pm
The cinema experience isn’t dying because of technology, it’s dying because of everyone being able to afford it.
Back in the day when a dad had to SAVE money in order to take his family out for a night at the movies, people were respectful, they knew they wouldn’t experience this all too often, so they’re behave themselves, shut the hell up and watch the movie.
Nowadays you’ve got noisy 12-13 years olds with $20/week allowances to contend with, along with people who can’t live without their cellphones being turned off (and I mean OFF… I CAN HEAR THE DAMN VIBRATE), parents bringing their babies, etc., in other words, everyone can afford to go to a movie on a whim, including those who should never set foot in a theatre.
Technology has nothing to do with it. This is how it was long before broadband and bootlegging became commonplace.
March 3rd, 2008 at 2:54 am
I truly hope that the movie experience as I know it never dies, but I hold several reasons accountable for the current trouble:
- the cellphone bullshit HAS to stop.
- market the better scripts/films as good as they do the shitty ones. There are many theater in berkely & SF that show great films but have many empty seats. The reason: people hardly know about them, yet ‘meet the Spartans has a $ powerhouse of ads behind it.
- enforce some restrictions on parents not being able to bring their kids into inappropriate R rated films. Its shitty parenting & annoying as hell.
Course there are other issues, these are the big ones. Good films bring good crowds, and we all know how crowded TDK will be, if only we could get the majority of the audience to behave like civilized fucking people.
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:49 am
I agree with quite a few other people on here about why they don’t go to theater often to watch a movie. You’ve got noisy people who can’t shut up and show respect, you’ve got crowded seating, expensive admission (I’ve got a family of five, I could buy the movie twice compared to paying to see it once in the theater), and the price of drinks and snacks (I could take everyone out to TGI Fridays and it would be cheaper).
I can relax at home and watch my plasma HDTV, chill on my couch, hang out at my bar, drink some beers, and pause the damn thing when I need to take a piss in between 6-packs.
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Cinemas shouldn’t and will not die. Apparently the US is in some sort of prehistoric cinema stage, because where I live, there are crowds when big movies open (there were huge crowds for Episode 3 and it did feel like a party, as did the crowds for Troy, every Harry Potter movie, Spider-Man 3, etc…), and I’m someone who goes to the cinema incredibly often (like 3 times a week on non-holidays) and I pay around 2.50 US dollars or less per movie which watch on nice big screens. Watching a movie at the cinema or at home are 2 very different pleasures, and both are nice. As for watching a movie on an iPod, PSP or Cell Phone, that’s just horribly wrong.
March 3rd, 2008 at 1:10 pm
$2.50 for a movie??????????????????
I can’t even get POPCORN for that.
March 3rd, 2008 at 3:05 pm
I actually, deep down, approve of inflating movie prices…particularly when you have high end theatres like an Arclight which actually strive to have good customer service. Not to be classist about moviegoing, and certainly there are people, particularly in LA who will pay $14/ticket and then answer their cell phone, but if we can do something to keep small children and teenagers out of movie theatres, I’m all for it.
March 3rd, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Re: Enrique
I know, France is great isn’t it? I pay around 30 US dollars a month and get to watch as many movies as I want in more than 700 cinemas accross Europe (France, Belgium, Italy, Spain). So since I go around 3 times a week, that makes me $2.50 per ticket. When I’m on holiday however, I go 2 to 4 times a day, lol! I’m on holiday right now, and this is what I’ve been paying per ticket for the month of February: 1.35 US$, Woohoo!
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:40 pm
I call whiny shenannigans.
As an animator, people have been whining for many many years about how 2D animation is either Dead, dying or all of the above.
It’s not. It’s “Changing” and going through waxes and wanings.
It’s CHANGING. Doesn’t mean it will not be there any more because some “Madison Ave kook” (i love using that) has thought up this fad that might look permanent.
I pretty much hate this On Demand crap. There is nothing wrong with not always getting what you want when you want it. I don’t have anything much more to say about that, because it’s sucha moot point.
PIXAR, as the industry giant they are, can do something to influence or change it.
And honestly….you went to see Episode 1? In the theatres? And then returned for 2 AND 3? You sir, deserve a medal. I don’t know for what, I’ll keep my hatesp33k down but honestly. EPisode 1.
*mutters to himself*
/end rant
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:43 pm
$14!?!?!! That’s even worse than the Dutch!!! Serves you right for living in LA.
Oh, and by the way, here in Portland (OR), we have a large selection of nicely maintained, nicely stocked, friendly serviced movie theaters.
And all the movies are $2.50-$3…..and maybe.,..ooO……$6 for a special showing….serve gourmet pizza/wine/beer..Laurelhurst, Hollywood, Bagdad, Kennedy School….laavly.
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:54 pm
It’s human to think the sky is falling everytime the “traditional” undergoes change. I’ve always been a somewhat obsessive movie fan and it is because of technology I can indulge my obsession more these days than ever before. Like most movie buffs, I love the theater experience and wouldn’t want to lose that opportunity to see a film that way. I also enjoy being able to watch a film in many different ways - on DVD, tape, on the internet, one film alone, film marathon, on television, on-demand, etc. I don’t think that having options in how I see a film has dimished my joy in seeing one at a theater one bit. Now, I can choose which films I wish to see in the full theater experience and which I’m okay watching on the small screens. I think of the theater experience as the deluxe way to see a film and so I’m choosy which films I will turn into an event as opposed to strict casual entertainment or simple distraction - i.e., nothing much better to do.
Technology gives us choices, but it need not completely replace or eliminate them unless that is what we choose. I’ve seen no sign that the theater experience with films is headed the way of the dinosaurs and I’m optimistic I will never see such signs.
March 4th, 2008 at 1:01 am
It’s been said above, a few times now,that the movie going experience is nearly always intolerable–which is why I will avoid the theater experience and instead watch films at home.
For the last two, maybe three years, whenever my wife and I wanted to see a movie, we would drive 30 miles to a local chain of independent theaters. We made this long drive, bypassing our local theaters, because we had become tired of uncomfortable surroundings, rude audience members and excessive advertisements (television commercials) that run before the film starts.
If theaters want to bring people in, they need to provide a pleasant, comfortable experience that cannot be had elsewhere. Theaters had become so complacent, believing that people would always pay a premium price to have the movie-going experience–something that for so long could not be had any other way–that they failed to innovate and evolve along with their patrons.
Simple things, such as ushers, and seats that are not broken, have become a thing of the past. I can still remember ushers strolling through the theater while the film was in progress–to curb unwanted audience participation and ensure that the film was playing as expected: And I’m not THAT old. I’m only 30.
I don’t think that the quality of the films are to blame. There have always been bad films and always will be. The fault lies in the presentation and the experience. Clean theaters, considerate audience members and quality presentations are key to the survival of the movie-going experience.
Sadly, even the independent theaters three cities over have started to play television commercials just before the films start. And the audiences… I won’t likely be going to the movies again–not until something changes. I give up.
March 4th, 2008 at 1:32 am
The main problem with most movie theaters these days is that
1) they are too mainstream
and
2) they don’t show anything past the newest releases.
In my city we have The Kentucky Theater, a relic of a place. It’s lasted many, many years. Each summer and sometimes during December they have classic movies. I’ve been to several of these showings and they almost always sell out, with lines so big that you don’t stand a chance if you don’t arrive before it starts. At these showings I’ve seen people of all different ages, mostly older, but a lot of families and younger kids too. These older people have not grown up disconnected behind computer screens, so when something happens in the movie, they applaud, or they yell, or they cry. I remember watching The Sound of Music and The Wizard of Oz and hearing many, many people sing along. In any other place, that would be a social taboo.
The Kentucky Theater hardly has any mainstream movies. Most of what they show are independent or long gone. But they haven’t suffered for it- they’ve actually grown a lot in recent years, and now they have showings of Rocky Horror each month, compared to every other month. They’ve effectively conquered multiple niches and continue to do so. If more theaters did this, we wouldn’t have a need to stay at home and rent movies, or pirate new releases. To be honest, the theater experience these days is shit. People leave messes, there are too many previews, and too many people are watching Date Movie and supporting bad cinema. The last truly great movie I saw on the big screen was Children of Men, and that was months ago. If businesses can’t adapt to their customers’ new needs, then they will die. But as long as we have nostalgia there will always be a market for the classics.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:36 am
The price for admintance to see a movie at the theater goes directly to the movie-makers, not the cinema. The cinema makes their profit from the stupid 20mins of commercials and concessions. That’s what they’ve had to do thanks to the film companies decreasing the time between opening in theaters and movies being available on dvd (less than 3months). The film industry did that to b/c of piracy, and it’s only getting shorter.
I for one love going to the movies. I have been going for free since i was 14. (sis worked for theater, I worked for theater, g/f now works for theater). I agree with a lot of people and I would just to express that my g/f and I now only see movies during the week and after they’ve been out for at least a couple weeks. Too many people talking on cell phones and being loud. No respect for other people. So I think it’s pretty bad when someone who can see any of them for free would rather not take the chance of having it ruined by f**king stupid people.
Besides, I am building my home theater so I can relive the theate experience w/o those f**kers. Plus, a couch which beats those theater chairs.
-k
March 4th, 2008 at 3:12 am
Cinemas will need to follow Imax example with 3D movies that home entertainment kits simply cannot provide (yet!).
March 4th, 2008 at 6:43 am
The author seems to think the convenience of seeing a movie on-demand and the social experience of watching it with a friend are mutually exclusive. Why is that?
Because we’re able to watch films on our own without the stigma of being seen at the cinema on our own we won’t share media at all?
I think the opposite is true. Being able to watch good movies on release in the comfort of our own homes may well mean that lots more people end up watching films together. What about all those young couples who want to go out but don’t want the hassle of having to organize a babysitter?
Make a decent on-demand service for TV shows and hook it up to a social networking site like facebook and what do you get? The ULTIMATE in water-cooler social experience. No one ever has an excuse for missing a show, and its much easier to introduce your friends to new series you like.
The irony is that once Theaters have to compete with on-demand services for the film-watching audience, it will probably end up in a better service for the rest of us who still want the experience. Right now theaters operate within a sort of monopoly; they get first access to all content and so base their business models on being the primary provider of that content (rather then providing the experience of the theater we all love).
March 4th, 2008 at 6:48 am
correction:”experiences I agree up with” should read “experiences I grew up with”
I am almost 40 and I grew up with those same experiences, I waited in line at EP1, as well as Ep3 in the 70’s with my folks. I personally didn not wait in line for Ep2 because I thought Ep 1 sucked, and I didn’t even see E3 until two months ago, but I understand your point.
Personally, this treasured experience I can let go, in the HD world world movies look better on my home screen, I can pause whenever I want for a intermission, and I can eat or drink whatever I choice. I must admit, all of what you said is right, I do lose alot of the experience, but the quality trade off is to great, plus I always hafta pee in the middle of a film, why can’t they bring back intermission.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:50 am
i never understood lines or queues. if there’s a line i wait. it’ll be the same movie in 2 wks as on the opening night. i waited in line for one movie and never again. it was a total waste of time.
personally if you want to get me to the movies go digital. but alas you can’t because celluloid is controlled by one company in so cal that handles all the distro. i’d pay to see lotr again if it were digital on a huge screen.
that’s my 2 cents now i’m sure every fanboy is gonna rip me a new one but hey if they only knew lol.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:54 am
I don’t believe On Demand is as big a threat as Hollywood itself. The movies that Hollywood has produced in the last few years lack creativity, they lack GOOD STORY LINES. The movies lately rely too heavily on a known quantity, Comic book movies for example. While I love the Marvel and DC based movies, the Theatrical Experience will die if there is nothing new and creative. Hollywood, you want to know why DVD sales have fallen off, your movies stink, they lack creativity, and are filled with too many cheap performances. Hollywood, you need to step up and deliver.
March 4th, 2008 at 7:16 am
Who wants to go to the movies any more?
You gotta deal with minimum wage idiots, pay $10 for a drink and a popcorn (or more!), deal with the shady teens hanging around, dirty bathrooms, and for gosh sakes - the seats. How nasty are those high back seats? Pop dried on them, lice from the previous person’s head. Not to mention that I can pause a home movie to take a restroom or phone break, and not miss the show..
March 4th, 2008 at 7:24 am
It’s funny, the people who are always bitching about new technology killing the movie industry are the same people who stand to lose the most in the transition> Directors/Producers etc…
People like Brad Bird, I’m sure, already have awesome screening rooms in their multi-million dollar homes. Do you really think any of the Hollywood elites stand in line to see anything? Not at all. They get special DVD’s to watch at home before the films are even released.
I for one hope that someday I can catch a new film on opening night, streamed directly to my home theater.
I could still make an event out of it, and have friends and family join us to get that movie going collective experience.
Right now it costs us over $70 for the three of us to catch a movie. Instead I could rent a Blue Ray Disk and get more popcorn than I care to eat for about $10. I have much better seats at home and I’d say the sound and picture quality is better too (this of course depends on the theater you have in your local town). And best of all I can control the environment such as the temperature, volume, lighting…and best of all I can pause the damn thing should I need to piss.
Theaters are not getting killed by technology, they are getting killed by cell phones, loud kids, sticky floors, over priced food and poor presentation of the films.
March 4th, 2008 at 8:11 am
The ‘theatrical experience’ these days is a smelly theater filled with obnoxious punks on cell phones. All this while enjoying a 5.00 coke and 6.00 popcorn (which I bought after waiting in a long line at a concession stand manned by a single person because the theater owner is too cheap to properly staff the place!)
You can keep the ‘theatrical experience’, thank you.
March 4th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Alamo (in Austin, Houston) theaters are pretty nice however. At least I can enjoy a pizza and beer for the the same price as popcorn and a coke at most other theaters. I do enjoy the theater experience for campy-style movies there.
March 4th, 2008 at 8:38 am
Why go to the movies and be bombarded by half an hour of annoying commercials before the movie begins. The picture at the top of the post is of the Mann Chinese theatre in Los Angeles, CA. Those idiots show the most idiotic commercial crap–something called screenvision or some such nonsense –that goes on what seems like forever before even the the trailers begin.
Something else, at most theatres in LA they now have gawdawful “music” before the movies they call movietunes (good gawd!). Again, this “music” isn’t comprised of “hits”, as they refer to them, but thinly-disguised commercials for music you wouldn’t hear–much less choose to listen to–anywhere else.
When will they get it that the old, intrusive, “push” model of mass advertising, mass production and mass ignorance is dead. We see right through them, and we vote with our (digital) dollars.
March 4th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Heck with this!
You know why the ‘movie experience’ is dying? Because it costs $20 to go see a movie that is rarely focused well, the sound sucks, there are 100 15 year-olds in the audience on their damn phones the whole time, laser pointers, the sticky floor, broken, smelly seats, that weird guy sitting next to me, no pause button, $7 popcorn, people talking too much at the wrong time, 30 goddamned-minutes of commercials before the movie (THAT I PAID TO SEE!). Plus you sometimes have to pay for and find parking.
I’ll stay at home with my girlfriend on the couch, drinking beers and only paying $5 for the ‘experience’ of watching a movie, thank you.
March 4th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Uhh.. no. The movie theaters ruined the movie experience. Sticky floors, rude people, incompetent employees, crying babies, long lines, overpriced food and tickets, people talking on cell phones…
Technology didn’t do any of that.
Technology replaced the movie experience by offering me something better than the movie experience.
I’d rather watch a movie at home on my big screen with my surround sound eating my own food and doing it cheap (or free), with my own friends instead of strangers, and without having to deal with *ANY* of the above hassles.
So no, the movie theater is dead. I’ve not been to a movie theater in years, and with any luck, I never will have to go again. When you can fix the problems at the theater, then we have something to talk about. But I’m not going to wax nostalgic about things that frankly piss me off and should have pissed you off too.
I mean, really, waiting in line? You’re happy about WAITING? If this is truly the case, then we come from separate worlds. Sorry, but I have a social life, I can go to a bar or a friends place and wait there just as easily, only more comfortably, and with beer. Waiting in a public place is not something I could consider to be “fun”.
March 4th, 2008 at 9:40 am
If the theaters want to stay around they have to change. They need to move to a more comfortable environment and lower the overall cost for the experience. For less than $20 bucks a month to Netflix I can enjoy the hell out of allot of movies in my living room, comfortable, relaxing and much less cost per movie than the theater.
As for the lines … who in the hell actually enjoys standing in a line for hours? People do it for the exclusiveness of what is at the end of the line and no other reason. The experience of standing in the line the “party” feel was a necessity of standing in the line in the first place because lets face it, you can have that “party” experience anywhere.
March 4th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Maybe they should just make better movies…
March 4th, 2008 at 10:49 am
As long as the theatre charges 10-12 dollars per person, and I can rent a movie for 4-5 and watch on my comfy couch with my own beer and surround sound, i’ll never go to a theatre again if i can help it.
March 4th, 2008 at 11:47 am
The movie theater in its current mega plex form is the problem. I think that art house theaters and niche theaters that truly provide an experience beyond the “bigger is better” mantra will do really well. I love going to the movies, but with the price of tickets, food, kids running around, cell phones, etc makes it not worth it anymore. I would rather watch movies from Netflix on my 27inch old school non-flat tv than go to the movie theaters.
However, provide me with a theater that is smaller, where I can eat dinner before going into the movie, will serve me a beer, and maybe even brings back intermission to get that beer (and take a bathroom break) and I will gladly pay a premium and enjoy every minute of the experience. The whole theater experience needs to be redesigned and rethought.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Very valid point…no disrespect intended to He of Brad, but why does he care? I’m sure he doesn’t go to see movies with mortals.
But nonetheless, this article is almost as accurate as Hillary’s “Red Phone commercial”. It worked though, look at the replies ;)
March 4th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
MovieFan/……..move to Portland, and you will get JUST that….before or DURING the movie……with a $3 admission price too. “Second run theaters” are God’s gift to Man!
March 4th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I live in Ireland and I have never heard a phone going off in the middle of a film, sure i’ve heard them vibrate but i’m not the kind of guy that whines over every minute inconvenience
If you’re complaining about the price of concessions then you can do one of two things
1. Don’t buy so much, (your body will thank you)
2. Get a bottle of coke or whatever and a couple of chocolate bars at your local shop before going to the cinema and get the popcorn at the theatre
If you don’t want to sit through 15 mins of ads at the start just show up 15 mins after the scheduled time of the movie
If you don’t want to be in a crowded theatre with kids screaming at the back of your head then either go to a late showing on a night that you don’t have to work the next day ( preferrably a school night) or wait a week before going to see a particular movie.
Go to the bathroom before the movie starts.If you can’t wait 1.5-2 hours between bathroom breaks i think you need to take a serious look at your diet.
If you’re complaining about customer service in your local cinema then do some reasearch on other cinemas around your area and see if they provide any better service at, possibly, more reasonable prices.
One last thing:
Jimmy Weber said:
You can’t take a girl to your computer screen for a first date.
Excellent point!
March 4th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
@M.T. Chiswell
Well I might have to plan an excurstion to Portland then. I just wish that model was offered more in other locations. I don’t find it at all in Southern Indiana.
For the general discussion:
The real problem here is those vested in the current model of theater business not wanting to adapt to changing times for fear of the bottom line while all the while that line is falling out from underneath them.
Oh and gimmicks like 3D while interesting and fun (at least for awhile) are not what is going to save theaters. More professionalism and respect for customers will.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Performance is a commodity. You cannot bootleg a play or a rock concert. Transgress the boundaries of your contemporary media and focus on being a performer and your art will never be stolen.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
what ‘experience?’ You mean the kid kicking my chair, the asshat who answers his cell phone, the fat guy next to me who is spilling out of his chair, the 8, 9, 10, 15 dollar ticket prices, the 20 dollar popcorn and coke, the old yellowed, torn screens, the scratched, dusty film strip. I am sure there are more wonderful ‘experiences’ that i have left out.
WAKE UP!! There is no ‘theater experience’ I want to watch it at home for 1/5th the cost. I want to watch it when its convenient for me, not when they are showing it.
March 4th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Those experiences you talk about are part of the problem. I do think the megaplex days are numbered with on demand and home theater technology offering up similar experiences at home at a fraction of the cost. However, I do think smaller niche theaters and art house theaters can and will do well. A little innovation goes a long way. I love sitting at home and watching great movies, but there are still some movies I will go see at the theater that I enjoy (I am Legend and the Planet Terror/Deathproof being the most recent ones in memory I enjoyed). People still want to go out and have a good time that is not at home. It is the places that innovate and provide the experience for those customers that still want to go out (myself included) that will do well in the future.
March 6th, 2008 at 1:12 am
I completely agree with Alan…
Damn, you guys make cinemas in the US sound like movie hell on earth. Yellowed, torn screens? Where do you guys go see movies? My screens are white and shiny! You can check some of the stuff I said about price above, but here are a couple of other points: back here, people don’t talk on phones during the movie, indeed the cinemas have things which block phone reception. And as Alan said, if the food at theater is too expensive, sneak in some of your own. While the ads are playing, either come in a few mins late, or read something/listen to music/play a game on your phone… And yes, go to the toilet before the movie, can’t you wait a couple of hours between leaks?
March 6th, 2008 at 9:17 am
@Happy Evil Dude
Even if people didn’t care about what you say above (I agree they are minor annoyances) that doesn’t fundamentally change the theater experience to something that can compete with home theaters/netflix/on demand anything culture. Theater chains will have to find ways to bring people into the theater by altering the standard formula that bigger is always better which they use to justify their hugely expensive ticket prices. I can get 4 movies a month on my 8.99 a month Netflix plan which wouldn’t even cover the cost of one movie theater ticket. To get me back in the theater one of two things have to happen: it has to be an amazing movie that I am willing to put up with the crap experience to see it on a big screen or the theater has to offer up something that compels me to go beyond just the big screen itself. Thats where the rub lies, with theaters losing their monopoly on big screens because of home theater equipment they will have focus on that second reason to get me to the theater.
I hear Portland offers great movie experiences along these lines.