Cinemas and Theaters - Are They on their Last Legs?

[Ed Hocken]

Despite all the issues with mouthbreathers and other pains in the ass. The movies provide an experience for films made on that huge screen. It's the sort of thing, that can't be replicated at home. I'd like to think that this venue is going to continue to exist, perhaps in fewer numbers. But you can't tell me for a second that an experience at the New Bev could be redone in your living room.

[Anderson]

Why not? For $4 - $5 bucks I can download flicks via OnDemand, and can watch the same movie for 24 hours, burn it to a DVD, etc.

Will prices get jacked up? Yeah I'd be a fool not to believe they wouldn't, but those costs would drop after a bit (look at videotapes. Used to cost upwards of $100 for new releases, but those prices dropped dramatically over time).

You know why videotapes prices went down? SONY had a change of hands between 1997-2001. What also happened in that period? The rise of DVD from birth pains to overtaking VHS.

The VHS market manipulation never went away, DVD just made it obsolete. SONY saw that if they opened up multiple Production Plants across the US, Mexico and Canada...they could make a cheaper product at a stabilized price.

They were still killing it at retail, but DVDs cost less to ship as bulk freight. The other studios were ready to kill SONY, but they couldn't say a word. SONY owned all the DVD plants up until 2001. If you wanted to get your disc pressed, you had to kiss SONY's ass.

In 2001, SONY fired their Home Entertainment CEO and replaced him with a former HP exec who didn't know what was going on. By that time, the price table had been set.

In relation to OnDemand services, you've got 3 studios that are really really really against it.

Universal (NBC), FOX (a lot of shit) and LionsGate (AMC, Showtime). They know they're top shit and they've got a lot of product. They are also doing well on the Home Entertainment field during a period where SONY is struggling. FOX is always for price hikes, while Universal is steering that way.

That leaves it up to LionsGate. The only way that the economics of the situation changes is if the Studios can see a new way to make money. If they see legit revenue, they will pimp it. That's what ended the Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD war. FOX and SONY went to Disney and showed them the numbers.

It also means that if a cinematic On-Demand service wins now, you've got 3 of the worst cash-whore studios taking the lead.

[Timothy225]

Never been to the New Bev, Ed, but I'll take your word for it.

Still, I've seen movies on some really nice home theater set-ups that assuaged any "this isn't like being a theater" pangs.

ETA: This is why I love you, Ruckus. I'm always getting my learn on!

Very revealing - did not realize that about Universal, Fox and Lionsgate.

[Abraham Smashington]

Yeah comparing most people's theater experience to showings at the New Bev is fucking retarded.

[Martin]

I get that. But to me theater was BIG SCREEN and BIG SOUND. The whole experience can now be reproduced better at home, with no assholes around you. For me, it really is a matter of time. Sure, there's Arclights and such, but here? Nothing. And the 3D gimmick sure is cute, but the core of cinema wasn't that.

[Ed Hocken]

I'm just making a point that the venue itself isn't going to completely disappear. Maybe it'll only show up as rep houses but the theater will not go away.

Why do people still buy vinyl? Because it offers something that an Mp3 cannot.

[Abraham Smashington]

What about releasing the movie in the theater AND On Demand at the same time? Will that be an option?

[Abraham Smashington]

Why do people still buy vinyl? Because it offers something that an Mp3 cannot.

Smugness.

[Timothy225]

What about releasing the movie in the theater AND On Demand at the same time? Will that be an option?

I know IFC has been doing that for awhile.

[Anderson]

What about releasing the movie in the theater AND On Demand at the same time? Will that be an option?

It's realistic for smaller films.

[Howard]

I'm already there. I'll see any of the Marvel movies in the theater, if the Hobbit gets made, and maybe a few others. Otherwise? It's watch it in the comfort of my home and I own the movie.

[BillyG]

I'd be depressed as hell to not have theaters, but weekends like the last one make me wish for some alternative. I wanted to see Machete, The American, and Centurion. But over a four day weekend I had one day I could have gone to the movie, and I didn't want to spend that one day getting up and going and dropping $20 to see a flick. I hate going to a theater that charges me so much, but doesn't give a FUCK when the projection quality is shit, sound doesn't work, people are talking, etc. I would gladly pay that $10 ticket if there was an actual projectionist up in the booth, not just some kid that hits play on the digital copy and walks off, and an usher in every showing to stop people from ruining the film.

This is why I love the Alamo Drafthouse. We go there and drop $50 on movies, food, and drinks and don't bat an eye. We drive out of our way to go to the Alamo. It's the way movies are meant to be enjoyed. The megaplexes have incredible video and sound quality, but if all the tertiary surroundings ruin it, who cares. I didn't grow up on HD, I can deal with film grain.

But, some kind of middle ground. I'm hoping Netflix just continues to expand streaming, because I am horrible at actually returning discs, and miss out on tons of movies because of that.

[Anderson]

I'm just making a point that the venue itself isn't going to completely disappear. Maybe it'll only show up as rep houses but the theater will not go away.

Why do people still buy vinyl? Because it offers something that an Mp3 cannot.

If offers up a way to take money out of your pocket.
It offers up distortion produced at the manufacturer level and not on the performance.
It gives baby boomers one more reason to suck.
It takes up more space.
It.......

[Ed Hocken]

Fuck, if I know. Vinyl lovers somehow claim the sound is "warmer" and somehow better.

*shrug*

I'm just saying the medium itself won't completely disappear. You could make the same case for hand drawn animation.

[Timothy225]

I might be more in love with the idea of keeping theaters around if we had something like the New Bev or Alamo Drafthouse in my neck of the woods, but all I have are multiplexes, which killed smaller cinemas, drive-ins (used to LOVE the drive-in when I was a kid), etc.
Otherwise, I'm getting more and more frustrated with theater going like Billy mentioned - lousy audiences, lousy projectionists, theaters that look like a DMZ, high prices for tickets. BAH.