[Discussion] It's The End Of The Cinema As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) or Not

[Old_Nash]

With Warner prioritizing all his movie in HBOMax

What rest to convencional cinema?

 

[mechaninac]

An end... hardly, but a seismic shift in how movies are promoted, released, and viewed, and the subsequent reinvention of the theater business model -- of those that survive the bloodbath, that is -- going forward... absolutely!

[no3Ljm]

I wouldn't say it's the end. But for the time being in order for the company to survive...

 

[TangledThorns]

Begun the Streaming Wars has.

[Seto Kaiba]

Eh... not The End, but arguably a step in its direction.

Let's be honest, the movie-going experience was never all that great and has been losing A LOT of ground to home theater for the last 13 years or so.  There's precious little charm to be found in paying ten bucks or more for the privilege of sitting in cramped, uncomfortable seating in a room where every surface is liberally caked in congealed soda with a dusting of crushed popcorn with a bunch of other people after dropping fifty bucks on concessions just to see a movie.  That was the only way to do justice to a film back when your average patron's home television was a grainy 28 inch 480i CRT.  Now that the average television in service is a 40+ inch 1080p flat panel and the average new television is a 52+ inch 4K flat panel, that brief period of theatrical exclusivity is about all that's keeping the cinemas in business.  Why go to the theater when you've got a nice big, vibrant screen in the privacy* of your home, where you can watch in a room that is as clean or filthy as you please**, in a comfy chair, where that same popcorn you paid $20 for at the theater costs $0.46, and where you can technically hurl problematic moviegoers from the room without incident.

Now that that... charming... moviegoing experience also comes with the possibility of catching the plague and dying, it's not surprising studios are looking at going directly to home theaters with streaming.

I'm just surprised it was Warner Bros who made the first move.  I expected it'd be one of the companies in worse financial straits like Paramount that'd be the ones to call AMC's bluff and risk a potential chain-wide boycott of their movies 

 

* Not available in homes with children.
** Or can tolerate.

[Roy Focker]

I love it!

Sure I like the theater experience but trying to go can be a hassle and not every movie is worth it.  There's a ton of movies that I consider worth renting but not worth seeing in a theater.   Give me the option to see a movie while it's new without the hassle?  You bet I'm on board.   Few years ago my ISP offered the cheapest less than a dozen channels basic cable but with HBO included.  It has finally paid off

 

 

[Einherjar]

It’s like the decline of arcades, except heavily self inflicted and much of it could have been avoided.

[Thom]

If that's true, then I am going to miss the movie-going experience. Yes, I have a big screen TV and I can have cheaper popcorn and soda at home, but I'm an Eighties kid and I've loved going to the movies. Sure, some of the experiences have not been worth it for the cost, but overall I've enjoyed it far more than not. My local cinema has great seats, a wide and tall screen, a good sound system and good popcorn and soda. I'd go to the matinee where the price of the ticket was about the same as said 'corn and soda, sit back in a half-filled cinema and just enjoy the movie being played out in massive color and sound.

Really hope they can hang on until this sh*t is over!

[kalvasflam]

Oh man, this is either going to boost Disney to infinity and beyond, or it’s going to crack them.

cause now they face the question of what to do with the movies part of the business, really, the writing is on the wall, they need to take the plunge.  Milan model coupled with simultaneous theater release.  

[TangledThorns]

1 hour ago, kalvasflam said:

Oh man, this is either going to boost Disney to infinity and beyond, or it’s going to crack them.

 

I posted in the DUNE thread that I signed up up for HBO MAX because of this news. Though HBO MAX more than double than I'm paying for with Disney+ it makes the latter look like crap. Seriously, Disney needs moar original content.

[pengbuzz]

Makes little difference for me. I cannot afford the movies, and I cannot afford to get them when they come out on streaming/ video/ etc. I end up seeing them 8+ years later when they show up online.

So... anyone want me to ruin the ending of the 1985 version of Dune for them?

[mikeszekely]

I'm not signing up for HBO Max over the DCCU.  But if I can buy it, even if only on digital, on the platform of my choice then sure.

[no3Ljm]

I'll also just wait for these movies to come out digitally and purchase it than sign up for another streaming service just to watch it.

 

[sketchley]

9 hours ago, pengbuzz said:

Makes little difference for me. I cannot afford the movies, and I cannot afford to get them when they come out on streaming/ video/ etc. I end up seeing them 8+ years later when they show up online.

So... anyone want me to ruin the ending of the 1985 version of Dune for them?

It rains.

 

Seriously, I'm in a similar boat: the movie theatre experience is rather inconvenient in Japan (few theatres, far away), and the scheduled times don't fit my work hours.  Nevertheless, it's nice picking up the DVDs/BRs at the local discount store for much less than it costs to see the film in the theatre... even if its a couple of years later.

Edited December 4, 2020 by sketchley

[pengbuzz]

27 minutes ago, sketchley said:

It rains.

 

Seriously, I'm in a similar boat: the movie theatre experience is rather inconvenient in Japan (few theatres, far away), and the scheduled times don't fit my work hours.  Nevertheless, it's nice picking up the DVDs/BRs at the local discount store for much less than it costs to see the film in the theatre... even if its a couple of years later.

ROFL!

Not to mention you can sit around the house with a comfy blanket and a cup of hot cocoa while watching the movie. Try that in a theater!

[Focslain]

12 hours ago, Thom said:

If that's true, then I am going to miss the movie-going experience. Yes, I have a big screen TV and I can have cheaper popcorn and soda at home, but I'm an Eighties kid and I've loved going to the movies. Sure, some of the experiences have not been worth it for the cost, but overall I've enjoyed it far more than not. My local cinema has great seats, a wide and tall screen, a good sound system and good popcorn and soda. I'd go to the matinee where the price of the ticket was about the same as said 'corn and soda, sit back in a half-filled cinema and just enjoy the movie being played out in massive color and sound.

Really hope they can hang on until this sh*t is over!

I'm in the same boat, also before the plague several of my friend's circles would meet up for movies. Now I can fit like six max in my home theater (living room), but when all of us are together we start filling a row at a movie theater. I'll miss the large group viewing, but what WB is doing with HBOMax will help till the plague goes away and gives others an option in general.

[pengbuzz]

3 minutes ago, Focslain said:

I'm in the same boat, also before the plague several of my friend's circles would meet up for movies. Now I can fit like six max in my home theater (living room), but when all of us are together we start filling a row at a movie theater. I'll miss the large group viewing, but what WB is doing with HBOMax will help till the plague goes away and gives others an option in general.

Maybe all of us can do a mass movie-watching event online sometime. DYRL anyone?

[Focslain]

3 minutes ago, pengbuzz said:

Maybe all of us can do a mass movie-watching event online sometime. DYRL anyone?

On that note....

Still doesn't have the same feel of watching it with others in the room. To be honest I've done a few online viewings, heck I host an anime watch party twice a week, and it feels like I am on my own. I might as well be watching it on my own as I'm the only one in the room.

For me the experience isn't the movie itself, but the gathering of friends and having that physical connection. Just old fashioned I guess.  

[TangledThorns]

WB's movie release dates from the below article. I don't think I'll keep my HBO Max after the 6 months is up. Just don't have the time for three streaming networks after Netflix and Prime. I'm certain movie theaters will be operating somewhat normally by next Summer since the COVID vaccine is releasing soon.

 

Warner Bros. 2021 Movie Lineup

• The Little Things - January 29, 2021
• Tom & Jerry - March 5, 2021
• The Many Saints of Newark - March 12, 2021
• Reminiscence - April 16, 2021
• Godzilla vs. Kong - May 21, 2021
• The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It - June 4, 2021
• In The Heights - June 18, 2021
• Space Jam: A New Legacy - July 16, 2021
• The Suicide Squad - August 6, 2021
• Dune - October 1, 2021
• King Richard - November 19, 2021
• Matrix 4 - December 22, 2021
• Cry Macho - TBD
• Malignant - TBD
• Those Who Wish Me Dead - TBD
• Mortal Kombat - TBD
• Judas and the Black Messiah - TBD

https://www.ign.com/articles/hbo-max-deal-get-6-months-for-20-off

Edited December 4, 2020 by TangledThorns

[pengbuzz]

Just now, Focslain said:

On that note....

Still doesn't have the same feel of watching it with others in the room. To be honest I've done a few online viewings, heck I host an anime watch party twice a week, and it feels like I am on my own. I might as well be watching it on my own as I'm the only one in the room.

For me the experience isn't the movie itself, but the gathering of friends and having that physical connection. Just old fashioned I guess.  

Hey, I gotcha; the Macross RPG I'm part of was set to start meeting after I had moved back in-state last year, but COVID nuked it harder than a Planet Buster Missile. And that isn't the same online as it is IRL, so I understand. At least they have a vaccine in the works, so maybe there's hope yet.

[Einherjar]

Remember that this is only happening in places where people really screwed up dealing with a pandemic, which unfortunately is also places where a lot of major movie studios make their money.

[pengbuzz]

8 minutes ago, Einherjar said:

Remember that this is only happening in places where people really screwed up dealing with a pandemic, which unfortunately is also places where a lot of major movie studios make their money.

Where I live, we did most everything right; problem is that folks fled here from other states and the COVID rates spiked.

[RobinSm89]

14 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

Eh... not The End, but arguably a step in its direction.

Let's be honest, the movie-going experience was never all that great and has been losing A LOT of ground to home theater for the last 13 years or so.  There's precious little charm to be found in paying ten bucks or more for the privilege of sitting in cramped, uncomfortable seating in a room where every surface is liberally caked in congealed soda with a dusting of crushed popcorn with a bunch of other people after dropping fifty bucks on concessions just to see a movie.  That was the only way to do justice to a film back when your average patron's home television was a grainy 28 inch 480i CRT.  Now that the average television in service is a 40+ inch 1080p flat panel and the average new television is a 52+ inch 4K flat panel, that brief period of theatrical exclusivity is about all that's keeping the cinemas in business.  Why go to the theater when you've got a nice big, vibrant screen in the privacy* of your home, where you can watch in a room that is as clean or filthy as you please**, in a comfy chair, where that same popcorn you paid $20 for at the theater costs $0.46, and where you can technically hurl problematic moviegoers from the room without incident.

Now that that... charming... moviegoing experience also comes with the possibility of catching the plague and dying, it's not surprising studios are looking at going directly to home theaters with streaming.

I'm just surprised it was Warner Bros who made the first move.  I expected it'd be one of the companies in worse financial straits like Paramount that'd be the ones to call AMC's bluff and risk a potential chain-wide boycott of their movies 

 

* Not available in homes with children.
** Or can tolerate.

I would also like to add from myself, I think that there will still be people who prefer to go to the cinema than watching movies at home, for many, this is a common tradition

[Bolt]

Back to the drive in , please.

[Einherjar]

24 minutes ago, pengbuzz said:

Where I live, we did most everything right; problem is that folks fled here from other states and the COVID rates spiked.

Let’s be honest, the U.S. ultimately did nothing right.  This is just one of many consequences for it which will be felt for a very long time afterward.

[Bolt]

Let's keep on topic and not throw out too many judgments. Shall we??

[pengbuzz]

7 minutes ago, Bolt said:

Let's keep on topic and not throw out too many judgments. Shall we??

I threw out my judgment years ago. Evidence: I eat pizza with tartar sauce.

Anyways, any sort of movie is out of the question for me, so with that, I shall depart this topic.

 

*poof*

[Mog]

I’m kinda spoiled with all the theaters nearby:  assigned seating, recliners.  Makes it a more enjoyable experience, and something fun to do with the kiddos . . . with minimal clean up afterwards.

Yeah, home set-ups are getting to theater quality.  But there is something about being with a bunch of fans on opening night for a big tent-pole movie.  The energy of the crowd, everyone “getting” the Easter eggs and inside jokes.  It’s just FUN.

Back in the day, me and my boys used to go to Grauman’s Chinese Theater for the big movies’ opening weekend.  That screen was freakin’ huge!  Made for a fun experience.

I’d like to get back to that fun group experience, but it’s ultimately a luxury.  I’d like to see it survive, but ultimately, there are alternatives.

EDIT:  Pizza with tartar sauce?!  I can understand ranch, but tartar sauce is a bridge too far for me (as I dip my French fries in mayo). 

Edited December 4, 2020 by Mog

[Kanedas Bike]

17 hours ago, Thom said:

If that's true, then I am going to miss the movie-going experience. Yes, I have a big screen TV and I can have cheaper popcorn and soda at home, but I'm an Eighties kid and I've loved going to the movies. Sure, some of the experiences have not been worth it for the cost, but overall I've enjoyed it far more than not. My local cinema has great seats, a wide and tall screen, a good sound system and good popcorn and soda. I'd go to the matinee where the price of the ticket was about the same as said 'corn and soda, sit back in a half-filled cinema and just enjoy the movie being played out in massive color and sound.

Really hope they can hang on until this sh*t is over!

 

4 hours ago, Focslain said:

I'm in the same boat, also before the plague several of my friend's circles would meet up for movies. Now I can fit like six max in my home theater (living room), but when all of us are together we start filling a row at a movie theater. I'll miss the large group viewing, but what WB is doing with HBOMax will help till the plague goes away and gives others an option in general.

 

1 hour ago, Mog said:

I’m kinda spoiled with all the theaters nearby:  assigned seating, recliners.  Makes it a more enjoyable experience, and something fun to do with the kiddos . . . with minimal clean up afterwards.

Yeah, home set-ups are getting to theater quality.  But there is something about being with a bunch of fans on opening night for a big tent-pole movie.  The energy of the crowd, everyone “getting” the Easter eggs and inside jokes.  It’s just FUN.

Back in the day, me and my boys used to go to Grauman’s Chinese Theater for the big movies’ opening weekend.  That screen was freakin’ huge!  Made for a fun experience.

I’d like to get back to that fun group experience, but it’s ultimately a luxury.  I’d like to see it survive, but ultimately, there are alternatives.

EDIT:  Pizza with tartar sauce?!  I can understand ranch, but tartar sauce is a bridge too far for me (as I dip my French fries in mayo). 

All quoted for truth.

There's just something inherently fun about the movie going experience. Because it's just that, an experience. Yes I have a really nice 4K set at home, but that's just "watching TV" versus "going to the movies".

At this point I have 99% of the streaming services anyway, but I'll always enjoy going to the movies. I also hope they survive, even in a changed release format post-pandemic.

But who knows, post-vaccine we could all be in a real-life I Am Legend so this becomes moot anyway. 

-b.

[Roy Focker]

The theater is fun.  When the movie is worth it.  For me there's just fewer movies that I need to see on the big screen and others that I'll wait to rent.  This is all those movies that are worth a rental only without having to wait.

[no3Ljm]

When I really really need to go, I can pause what I'm watching. 

 

 

I can't do that in theaters.

 

[Mog]

That’s part of the movie going experience! 

About the only memorable part of Matrix Reloaded for me was squirming in my seat for the last 30 minutes or so, seeing the credits and hearing Calm Like Bomb, and making a beeline to take one of the longest leaks I’ve ever taken.

[no3Ljm]

4 minutes ago, Mog said:

That’s part of the movie going experience! 

But that's not a 'part' of my movie 'watching' experience.

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by no3Ljm

[M'Kyuun]

Inherently, there's good and bad to the theatre experience, but I still enjoy it when there's a movie that promises some spectacle. Something like Godzilla: King of the Monsters is such a film. I didn't care a whit about the human drama, but some of those Mothra scenes were amazing on that big screen. Same with the Star Wars and Marvel films; whether or not the story grabs you, for the time you're there, it's a treat for the eyes.  Sticky floors and rude people within proximity are usually my only gripes, and we usually have more of the latter than the former at my local theatre, which is relatively new, about 10 minutes from my house, and pretty well maintained. Before they built it, I had to go down town to watch a movie in a theatre, so with my theatre having been shut down nearly all year due to Covid, I fear its permanent closure. I hope not; I very seldom got to go to the movies as a kid, so as an adult, it's an enjoyable experience that my wife and I usually enjoy, and I hope we don't lose it.

Edited December 4, 2020 by M'Kyuun

[Mog]

Me, the wife, and the kiddos had a tradition of going to the movies Thanksgiving night or the next day (usually have the big ol’ feast at lunch instead).

Even pre-Covid, the theaters were rarely packed Thanksgiving night.

Kinda miss not doing that this year, but we’ll see how things pan out.