Christopher Nolan and Sofia Coppola Urge Fans To Watch Films in Cinemas, Not On Netflix (theguardian.com) 360
Christopher Nolan and Sofia Coppola have urged audiences to see their films in the cinema at a time when the movie industry is reckoning with the growing popularity of video on demand and streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon. From a report: Presenting their forthcoming films at CinemaCon, the annual convention organised by the National Association of Theatre Owners, the directors said that they hoped fans opted to watch them at movie theatres, where they were "meant to be seen." Nolan made his comments during a presentation of his second world war drama Dunkirk, at which he previewed footage from the film. "This is a story that needs to carry you through the suspenseful situation, and make you feel like you are there, and the only way to do that is through theatrical distribution," Nolan told the audience. "I am depending and relying on all of you to try to present this film in the best way possible." Coppola echoed Nolan's comments during a Focus Features presentation for The Beguiled, a remake of the Clint Eastwood civil war drama starring Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman.
okay... (Score:5, Insightful)
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The retarded parents that I "love" trhe most are the ones that bring babies and just sit there as they continually cry, or they bring toddlers that they just let scream and run around.
I've seen some idiot parents even bring babies and toddlers to R-rated movies. It boggles my mind why the theater can even sell them the tickets.
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(this is not a serious post, it's called a joke)
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In my experience, that makes them noisier.
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Hmm... what about itching powder spray? I could almost be serious about that one.
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Dunno, that sounds like it would just result in them becoming even noisier. I'm thinking tranqulizer darts. Keep a few extra handy for when the parents realize what you did.
Re:okay... (Score:5, Insightful)
It sounds like a good idea to me, seriously. The problem is that if I do that, I'll surely go to jail for assault.
So I have a solution which will keep me from both getting angry and going to jail: I just won't go to the theater. As a bonus, I'll save a bunch of money, which I can use instead for going out to eat at a nice, quiet upscale restaurant with my girlfriend. If the theaters go out of business, then so be it. The nice restaurants don't seem to have a problem keeping customers in line and tossing out rowdy people.
Re: okay... (Score:5, Insightful)
> It's called "being a kid." If you can't handle that, I'd say the problem lies with you,
I agree the kid is just being a kid, but kids do not have life experience or awareness of risks. Thats what good parents teach them, but people that think like you (that its OK for their kid to be everyone elses problem, and those people should just put up with some strangers out-of-control kid) aren't ever good parents.
if kids are allowed to annoy others, such as by running around in a movie theater, then the fault is definitely with the clueless parents. Not least bcause they are encouraging them to be inconsiderate little brats.
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>> they should expect that rambunctious kids in their vicinity are par for the course.
Yes most people should be prepared for that, but their presumed willingness to put up with your kid doesn't make it a reasonable excuse to allow your kid to go climbing all over strangers and roaming free in a dangerous environment.
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The parent should recognize the danger; the child doesn't have the life experience to do so; therefore, it is up to the parent to guide the child, if fo no reason other than their own protection. Screw the complete strangers, they shouldn't even enter into the equation, the parent should be keeping their kid safe. A side effect of this is that the kid won't bother comple
Re: okay... (Score:5, Funny)
If someone throws my kid into the ocean or picks them up or touches them, I will quickly eliminate them permanently and then go after my kids.
No you won't, you irresponsible twat. You'll bitch and moan and demand they be arrested and try to sue. If you were someone who took action, your little fucking shits wouldn't be running around to the point where someone decided they needed to be punted away.
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If someone throws my kid into the ocean or picks them up or touches them, I will quickly eliminate them permanently and then go after my kids. I think that (throwing a kid off the pier) scenario is extremely unlikely less than 1 in 100 million so I don't worry about it.
As though them being thrown in is the only danger I mentioned. Here, allow me to aid your comprehension:
And the parents who let them run around uncontrolled should expect them falling, or getting thrown, into the ocean is par for the course.
To be perfectly honest, I am very paranoid at the pier and anyplace with balconies opening to precipices. So generally there, I keep my kids nearby as they still like holding hands.
Oh, so you're not one of the irresponsible asshole parents we're talking about, then. No need to defend yourself.
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Yes, the world is not safe for children. Thankfully it isn't.
Dead kids don't cry.
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The world is not safe for children! We must put them into special incubators until they are mature responsible adults that are raised exactly the way their parents want them to be raised. /sarcasm
Yeah folks, kids run around, make noise, break things, and make mistakes. It's called "being a kid." If you can't handle that, I'd say the problem lies with you, not the kid that doesn't know what you, a complete stranger, are expecting from them.
Hi, the point is over here. You seem to have missed it.
The GP is complaining about parents that dont give a crap. They aren't paying attention to their kid. They're the kind of parent who lets their kid knock over every box on the bottom shelf and ignored the mess.
If I had of behaved the way you're defending, I would haven't of been able to sit for a week... And I'm someone who advocates non-violent methods of discipline where ever possible, but you still need discipline so that you don't have ratbag
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I hope you'll be just as understanding as you expect me to be as I shine my very bright flashlight in your face.
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I think we need to accept that there are bad parents out there and that theaters themselves should be legally obliged to not allow obviously underage kids into R rated movies in the first place.
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Congratulations on being a great parent, I think you did exactly the right thing. Allow him to experience new things but be immediately there for him as a safety net.
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Re:okay... (Score:5, Insightful)
They are speaking at something run by the "National Association of Theatre Owners". They don't actually mean what they say, it's just playing to the audience.
For example, I'm going out on a limb and assuming that neither of them will refuse to have their copies of their movies sent to academy award voters since they should go and see it at the cinema to get the real experience...
Re: okay... (Score:5, Funny)
Trump's not a fan of NATO, he'll deal with them.
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I'm fairly sure the National Association of Theatre Owners have not been putting 2% of their budget towards defense spending.
Smart (Score:2)
I'm fairly sure the National Association of Theatre Owners have not been putting 2% of their budget towards defense spending.
That would make them smart.
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Perhaps they should.
Guy pulls out his cell phone, turns it on, a drone flies in and shoots him.
Re:okay... (Score:4, Insightful)
I have only been to a big box theater once in the last decade. And that was a mistake. And I blame my wife.
For everything else, we go to the Alamo Drafthouse. No screaming babies (unless you go to the special weekend showings for tortured moms who have to bring their screaming baby). No teens sneaking in shitty booze and talking through the whole damn thing. Nobody on cellphones. No tripping over everyone else because there is no walkable aisle in front of the seats.
The only bad thing I can say about it is that the food -- not concessions, plates of food for adult humans -- is too pricey.
I pity people who don't live near one, but considering how fast they're spreading -- not to mention the knock-off chains like iPic and Flix Brewhouse, or the smaller independent theaters with a similar sensibilities -- I think kid-free films will be a big thing in the coming years.
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I've been going to the Alamo Drafthouse for decades. The food is expensive, but it is decent. The beer selection is as good as you are going to get. Desserts are surprisingly good. The ushers hunt down texters and yappers methodically and without mercy.
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Have you looked around lately? "No one under 18 after X pm" theaters seem to be springing up all over. Or "no one under 21" if they sell booze.
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That hasn't made it "all over" yet.
I've never even heard of the concept. I look forwards to them reaching my neck of the woods, although, if I'm honest, it won't make me go to the cinema more often- it'll just make me go to the no-kid theatres instead of the kid-theatres.
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Noisy teenagers giggling and talking and/or playing with their smartphones. It's also annoying when they slouch down and use the back of your chair as a footrest. Which is why I now only go to the movie theatres that have the larger reclining seats.
My wife and I went to see "Don't Breathe" in the theatre. It kills the effect when people decide they have to talk through the quieter scenes.
There is also a relatively new problem where some people decide it's okay to use their vape pen throughout the movie. The
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...And pause the movie so I can go take a leak. That $8 Diet Coke is HUGE!
Re: okay... (Score:2)
I'd love to (Score:5, Insightful)
I'd love to. I enjoy seeing movies in a real theater.
But I have small children, so there is little opportunity to go out. Netflix and other online providers are my best hope for seeing any movies at all, and even then I see them only long after they've left the theaters.
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I'd love to. I enjoy seeing movies in a real theater.
But I have small children, so there is little opportunity to go out.
This must be some kind of attempt at a troll or something. Parents these days (in America at least) are never considerate like this.
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That's why we loved the drive-in when our kids were little.
Don't sell the rights to Netflix (Score:3)
Going To The Cinema Is Great But... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Going To The Cinema Is Great But... (Score:5, Interesting)
... different people have different preferences. One person may love to see Nolan's "Dunkirk" on a huge cinema screen, where the experience is probably quite overpowering.
I don't think that the experience is that overpowering, relatively speaking. The power of the big screen made sense decades ago, when at home you had a 23' screen with a modest resolution. These days, Saving Private Ryan is overpowering at the theater, and also at home, on a 60' screen. You can get an experience at home almost as overpowering as that at the theater. A huge screen and a very loud sound are not worth the price of admission any more.
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(as overheard overheard on Ellison's private island in Hawaii)
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I don't think that the experience is that overpowering, relatively speaking. The power of the big screen made sense decades ago, when at home you had a 23' screen with a modest resolution. These days, Saving Private Ryan is overpowering at the theater, and also at home, on a 60' screen. You can get an experience at home almost as overpowering as that at the theater. A huge screen and a very loud sound are not worth the price of admission any more.
Where can I buy a 23' screen TV, let alone 60' screen TV? And how much is it cost to you? :)
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Reconfigure the Theaters (Score:5, Interesting)
I take my kids to movies in theaters and we always do 3D which is fun.
Otherwise, they need to update the configuration of theaters to enhance the experience.
I suggest they use the Oatmeal's suggestions:
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/m... [theoatmeal.com]
"Into the Dome Motherfucker!"
How about. . . no. . . (Score:5, Informative)
. . . does that work for you ? Because it works for me. No crying babies, chatty teens, or rude patrons playing with their smartphones. Better bathroom, and I can pause the movie while I take care of that. And no highly overpriced "refreshments". . .
. . . and besides, afterwards, I can re-watch scenes, and even MST3K them if warranted. . .
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Re:How about. . . no. . . (Score:5, Insightful)
Also, am I the only one who just feels insulted when I pay >$10 for a movie ticket and then when I get into the theater, there's a dozen ads? I never see ads on Netflix. FFS, if you want people to use your service, stop insulting us!
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Complaining to the wrong people. You need to talk to the guys running the numbers in Hollywood these days. They're the ones setting ticket prices and how much the venues get from the ticket sales. Which, last I checked, was zero.
Yeah. Theaters get bupkis for the first three or four weeks from ticket sales If the film stays that long. So in order to have a chance at making any money, they shove advertisement everywhere now. And it's working. Go look at AMC's profit numbers.
Or put another way... (Score:2)
Fans urge Christopher Nolan and Sofia Coppola to make Netflix their primary distribution model.
There are plenty of fantastic, high-quality, engaging stories being told in long and short form through Netflix. Challenge yourselves to do the same with your story-telling.
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..and comfortable seats, and a floor that our feet don't stick to, and a liquor cabinet, and most important of all: if one of us thinks the movie sucks, they can go do something else without spoiling the other's experience.
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> No crying babies, chatty teens, or rude patrons playing with their smartphones.
Mention something to the theater so they can fix it. Complaining on slashdot wont make it better.
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Or your in the theater next to the one playing SUPER MONSTER VS ULTRA MONSTER 17! and the base from their movie is shaking the projector in yours...
Very Strongly Disagree (Score:5, Insightful)
Theaters suck, I will never go to a theater again
Drive across town, pay to park, drive around looking for a spot, walk to the theater, wait in line, try to find a good seat, wait until the movie starts while being forced to watch commercials
Once it starts, it can't be stopped, paused or rewound
Worst of all..no subtitles. I'm old with bad ears (too many years in the rock band). Without subtitles it's almost impossible to make out what the actors are saying, especially when the music and FX are mixed loud
At home, I can have a beer and a reasonable priced snack, while being in control
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Is there really no solution in place for people hard of hearing? Cause that seems important.
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I always take some light earplugs with me when I go the malco they seem to tune the movies a bit to the crowd they think will want to watch it.
Though I do watch everything with subtitles/captions turned on at home.
Perhaps make some original movies, then? (Score:2)
How about writing some new stories, instead of remaking movies?
But really, people want to see movies in the comfort of their own home, not be ripped off for popcorn. Deal with it.
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How about writing some new stories, instead of remaking movies?
Yeah, I mean, "Dunkirk?" It's just a remake of something that happened 70-something years ago.
Hey, Nolan! Do something original!
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How about writing some new stories, instead of remaking movies?
But really, people want to see movies in the comfort of their own home, not be ripped off for popcorn. Deal with it.
Memento, Interstellar, Inception. These were not original? And as for Sophia Coppola, do you even know what kinds of movies she makes?
Lost words (Score:3)
"This is a story that needs to carry you through the suspenseful situation, and make you feel like you are there, and the only way to do that is through theatrical distribution," Nolan told the audience.
That may have been true some 10-15 years ago when average TV sizes were still pretty small and home theater setups were prohibitively expensive. But now I can get a 60" TV for $400, and a HTIB for ~$300. That used to be the price of just a TV, and a small one at that.
Last time I went to the theater (last weekend) I had an obnoxious kid talking on one side of me, and another kicking my seat. I think I'll manage with my big screen, surround sound, and a beer in one hand.
I'll watch Dunkirk in theaters, sure (Score:2)
That's a movie I actually will watch in theaters, just because it looks to be a film that benefits from the big screen experience. I'm willing to pay to see large-scale films that take advantage of every inch of the screen and benefit from having big speakers...but tickets here are less than $5 for a regular screening and around $8 for an IMAX screening, so I can afford to do that easily. Were I paying as much for tickets as others mention they pay, my large, high-def TV with surround audio would have to su
Gouging (Score:2)
I was just about to cancel Netflix! (Score:2)
Really, I was just about to cancel. But now I'm keeping Netflix for sure. When are the entitled Hollywood types going to realize that they are not in a position to ask for charity? Nolan, Coppola_ go back to work making content. You have no influence over where that content will be consumed. When I feel like going out and getting popcorn with friends or family, I'll go to the theater. I may or may not pay to see a first run movie when I do so. I may go to the cheap theater or a rivival house too. No
Sorry, not happening (Score:2)
Yes but (Score:2)
What about being unable to
I still prefer to watch movies in the comfort of my home while nothing and no one are distracting me from them.
I disagree... (Score:2)
Has anyone else noticed how bad the sound-mixing is in Nolan's films when in theaters. You can barely hear what the actors are saying. It was like this for Dark Knight Rises and Interstellar. I did some research on it and apparently its a creative choice. Nolan is one of the only directors that could still get me to go to the cinema anymore. But if the sound mix for Dunkirk is terrible, I'll be waiting to see it on Netflix. I have a home theater set up that's comparable to a full theater anyways.
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Funny, I thought it was because of small-arms fire.
Worse than Planes (Score:2)
I live 5-minutes from a major theatre, I go once every few years. Even if you can get a seat in a decent viewing position you're still stuck with an uncomfortable seat. At 6'1" I'm tall, but normal tall and yet the only way I fit in seats is to cross my shins.
Insult to injury, a single ticket is ballpark of a blueray and much more expensive than renting.
Chris, Sofia...No (Score:2)
Design them to be seen on my TV, I have no interest in theaters. kthxbai
Send me the $12.95 (Score:2)
and the $30 for pop and popcorn and I'll go watch it.
Counteroffer (Score:2)
I will see more movies in the theater if Hollywood makes movies that are worth paying $10 to see once. Frankly, in the last year, there haven't been a lot of those. Rogue One
and Get Out are the only ones that come to mind.
Otherwise, my wife and I can watch Netflix or Amazon Prime on our big screen TV, in our pajamas, and have a more comfortable experience. Plus my homemade popcorn recipe is cheaper and tastes better than theater popcorn.
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And you can eat something other than popcorn, and you can pause the movie if you need to, and back it up if you missed dialogue that was really important, or if a scene was particularly awesome you can rewind and replay it to just watch it again.
I've had a video projector in one form or another for sixteen years, current model is an Epson 1080p model, works great. 100" screen that I'm sitting about fifteen feet from.
As for the "theatre-going experience", the only movie that I've really enjoyed the experien
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Plus my homemade popcorn recipe is cheaper and tastes better than theater popcorn.
Okay well don't leave us hanging, are you willing to share it?
OTOH (Score:2)
First of all, yes you can have a big screen, surround sound, and a beer at home. But, you can have all those, plus a wide,comfy leatherish recliner, reserved seating, at modern theatres. Yes, my local multiplex has a full bar and even a kitchen that makes reasonably edible sandwiches.
But here's the difference: once you're in the theatre, you respect the movie. You don't pause it to take a whiz, or answer a text from a friend (I hope!), etc. So there is something to be said for being in a theatre and gi
They can't understand (Score:2)
Nonsense (Score:2)
I'll decide for myself thanks (Score:2)
Christopher Nolan and Sofia Coppola have urged audiences to see their films in the cinema at a time when the movie industry is reckoning with the growing popularity of video on demand and streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon.
Translation: We're in charge of the current situation and if it changes we'll have less control.
Boo-hoo. Not my problem.
"This is a story that needs to carry you through the suspenseful situation, and make you feel like you are there, and the only way to do that is through theatrical distribution"
Bullshit. Maybe that's the only way it works for him but I can decide for myself what the best way for me to view a particular movie is. Sometimes that's the theater but I have a large 4K screen at home with a good sound system too. For me I enjoy going to the theater but more as a social outing than for any practical movie going reason. It's certainly not convenient to go. The best
No, thanks. (Score:2)
I urge directors to buy my ticket if they're so concerned about me seeing their films in the theater.
There's many reasons not to see in a theater (Score:2)
It is practical to enjoy the cinema experience at home more than it has been in the past. TVs are better. Sound systems are better and relatively inexpensive. Delivery systems are better. Sure Netflix might not have the movie but I can rent it from Amazon or Apple or cable. Then it's also way more convenient. I can see a movie starting at 1 am with 7 buckets of popcorn. There are no screaming children or obnoxious other patrons.
Of course, I will see a movie in the theater, but I usually pick movie chains th
Erm... (Score:4, Interesting)
...then remove ads at theaters, I'm not paying to watch ads.
Note, I already only attend matinées at reduced rates, so consider that in terms of what I'm willing to pay already.
(I've thankfully not been bothered by other rude patrons, and find films often enhanced by shared reactions, but for many people you'd have to eliminate the audience too.)
Music has changed to reduce the deeper tones not resolved in tiny earbud headphones, as fewer listen via speakers nowadays, perhaps movies should likewise adapt to how they are consumed?
Riiight (Score:2)
Ha! Hahahaha! (Score:2)
Oh ... oh my goodness ... ok, this was great, really.
Didn't know Nolan and Coppola are doing comedies. Some more killer gags like this and they could really revive the genre.
Choices (Score:2)
Lets see, I could spend an obscene amount for the ticket, sit through 30 minutes of ads + 15 of more ads for upcoming movies, pay another obscene amount for stale popcorn and flat coke, sit in front of that person who talks on the phone while crunching loud chip, and have to rush to the bathroom, elbowing people out of the way and find that I missed the best part of the movie.
Or I could sit in my living room, no tickets, no ads, food of my choice that I've already paid for, the only one crunching chips is m
Blacksmith urge (Score:2)
People to ride a horse instead of the automobile.
Um... (Score:2)
If filmmakers think watching a movie in a theater is somehow analogous to seeing a live stage play, they are even more out-of-touch than I thought.
It's called a "home theater" for a reason. I've got ~87 high-def inches of projector screen that takes up my entire field of view, and speakers that I like just as much. Unless I have a burning need for 4K, which I don't, there is literally no reason to go to a theater except timing.
The home theater (Score:2)
or I pay $40-$50 and the only advantage is a bigger screen with a better sound system.
I will still go to a movie theater once or twice a year, normally as a reward for my young son for doing well at something.. I don't mind waiting a year to see new movies courtesy of Netflix, amazon prime, or just buying the disc. Big Star Wars fan, still haven
I do when I can... (Score:2)
I think from living in the LA area, I've absorbed some of the film connoisseur mentality, so I'm right there with them. The first time I saw Interstellar was at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood and the experience completely affected my appreciation of the film. But for the vast majority of films, I'm either going to see it on our 37" living room budget TV after my kid
Remakes of remakes of sequels to remakes (Score:2)
If Hollowood would get some ... oh, I don't know... *NEW IDEAS*... yeah, silly thought there, what am I thinking? ... maybe I'd be a bit more inclined to subject myself to their product?
Of the three movies they were touting in TFA, two were remakes.
There's very little of their output that I'd consent to waste what's left of my dwindling lifespan on if it were free.
("Hollowood" was a typo, but I decided to keep it. Pretty much says it all.)
Nolan's movies. sure. (Score:2)
Christopher Nolan is IMHO one of the few filmmakers who still makes movies the proper way - with film, in regular old 2D cinemascope and uses the whole image, with good cinematrography. Each movie I have seen of Nolan's has been both a visual treat, an immersion into a very special world and sometimes thought-provoking. They have made me think about the movie experience for days afterwards.
But most of the movies these days are cookie-cutter action/comedy "popcorn" movies, and always with 3D glasses that pro
Re:$100+ for a family (Score:5, Insightful)
Actually, if the tickets were tiered (some movies definitely don't earn their ticket price), if the concession prices weren't obscene, and if there were ushers who would actually remove patrons disturbing everyone else...
But that means charging less for distribution so the theatres don't have to rape you on popcorn and soda to turn a profit, and that might in turn mean paying actors less than tens of millions for a movie.
I hope the existing system crashes and burns, it is ridiculous. It needs to normalize so the economics make sense for all the players. If that mean wages move towards the mean, I think everyone but the very top will be OK with that. If that means budgets drop a bit, we'll survive. If it means investors have to invest in more movies to make the same amount of money, lawyers will take a slightly larger cut for the extra paperwork.
It'll all work out, and the average moviegoer, actor, and crew will be happier for it. But first Hollywood needs to burn.
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I've often wondered if something of a "Micro-theatre" experience would work better.
Instead of 12 screens that seat a hundred people each- why not 50 smaller screens (but still big compared to what people have at home) in smaller rooms that seat 20 people each.
* It would be a much more intimate experience
* They can fill rooms as needed with a constantly revolving start time.
* Instead of a movie starting at 6:30 or 9:00, if it's popular it can start every 30 mins. Everyone can fit it in their schedule- no
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Oh, and during times when customer demand is low (lunch time matinees, during the week)- you need only have half the rooms open. Save electricity by not running air conditioning in the rooms that aren't going to be used for several hours.
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I've been to a few theaters that are basically restaurants, with menus waiters, tables, and reclining chairs. I thought it would be annoying to have everybody ordering and eating food during the movie, but the seats were far enough apart to not be very distracted but what other people were doing, and the cost was probably high enough to preclude idiot teenagers and adults who act like idiot teenagers.
I don't really go to the movies anymore because I have 2 screaming babies, but once a year when we hire bab
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I'd love to, but for the price of seeing one movie at a set time (admittedly in a very nice environment) I can subscribe to Netflix and watch anything they have the time of my choosing for a month.
People must have nicer cinemas around them than me. To me a cinema experience includes:
* Sticky Floors
* Uncomfortable Seats
* Way too loud Sound System
* AC that is almost always freezing my nads off.
I don't remember ever going to a cinema that I would consider a nice environment. Some are nicer than others, but every cinema I have been to has been dirty and uncomfortable.
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What's wrong with using bath salts while you're bathing?
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In my own home, I can also watch TV in bed with my arm around my girlfriend. Theater seats have immovable armrests which prevent getting close to your companion.
And yeah, it's nice being able to make any food or drink I want, instead of being limited to whatever overpriced shit they sell at the concessions stand. Not to mention being able to pause and rewind.