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Movie Theaters Haven't Innovated Beyond Popcorn, Says Netflix CEO (variety.com)
Janko Roettgers, reporting for Variety: Asked about his company's relationship with major theater chains, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings didn't pull any punches on Thursday. "How did distribution innovate in the movie business in the last 30 years? Well, the popcorn tastes better, but that's about it," he quipped. "What Netflix wants to do is to unleash film," he said. "It's fundamentally about growing the movie business." [...] On Thursday, Hastings pushed back against the notion that the company aims to bypass theaters. "We are not anti theater," he said. "We just want things to come out at the same time."
It now cost $35 per person for ticket and popcorn to see a late night movie.
Microwave popcorn? Blasphemy!! Buy unpopped kernels and make some real popcorn!
Seriously, microwave popcorn has some strange chemicals you may not want to ingest.
Now, I know that when it first came out, the digital theater systems tended to "blue screen of death" too often, but please.
1. 3D
2. Better sound and video (I remember some movies being limited to complaint movie theaters)
3. Chairs (reclining)
4. More previews (and annoying pre-screening stuff)
5. Online ticket purchases
I can't stand going to general admission shows since I first tried it a couple of years back now. Reserved seating for the movie, in-seat menu service for meals or concession before the movie starts, wider and more comfortable seats than GA, and with a bit more legroom to boot. Tickets are a bit more than GA, but man are they worth it!
Gonna go see Disney's classic tale of Stockholm syndrome tomorrow afternoon with my wife in a VIP lounge....and there won't be any screaming kids. I heartily recommend it if you are willing to shell out the extra couple of bucks per ticket for an improved theater experience.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
"What Netflix wants to do is to unleash film," he said. "It's fundamentally about growing the movie business."
How magnanimous. And here I believed they just wanted to make a lot of money.
So I'll be waiting for my free netflix account, since all they want is to "grow the movie business".
Good lord: You sell entertainment. Don't pretend like you're healing lepers.
Considering Netflix rarely gets any new movies anymore, one thing movie theaters have that Netflix doesn't is new movies.
I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
World-wide distribution on day #1. No more scratched, third-hand, celluloid reels. Better screens, better projectors, better sound. 3D projection on applicable movies.
At the end of the day it's just a dark room full of chairs with a screen at the front. What else is there to innovate Mr. Hastings?
Oh, yeah, one thing: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/m...
Not widely implemented yet.
No sig today...
It was better 30 years ago. Coconut oil and fake butter flavor with big salt crystals. Now it's coated in some sort of nanotech salt and the texture is more crunchy, like packing material. Fortunately I only need to go for IMAX-worthy presentations these days.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
Netflix is missing the point. While admittedly, movie theaters haven't done anything revolutionary for a while, they have steadily updated the picture and audio quality. These two things are the reason I continue to go to theaters instead of watch on my home theater.
Not true. In my city in the US, theaters have introduced at-seat table service and reserved seating. The former is nice to have but the latter is transformative. No queues, no racing for seats, no getting stuck in lousy seats or separated from your friends. Contrary to Netflix's self-interest, there are still films that benefit from being viewed in a movie theater, and reserved seating completely removes any tension or unknowns from the experience.
You're claiming that nobody really likes theatres, that they just put up with them for the sake of access to new content.
You might be projection your options onto the masses. And not in 70mm.
My God, it's Full of Source!
OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
Christ yes! Microwave popcorn is surely one of the signs of the Apocalypse and an abomination before the Lord. "And lo I did see the fifth rider, and he rode in on a rubbery margarine-flavored piece of popped corn, and the name written on the bib tied around his puffy neck was 'Tastes like old shoes'."
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
We had a theater that cost less or the same for most shows that had tables and food. Alamo Drafthouse Theaters are popular for serving beer.
I'd say our local theater has started doing a lot of 'innovative' things compared to how I remember theaters growing up.
Our local theater has started serving beer as well.
For 9PM and later shows rated R movies are no one under 17. With or without a parent.
They have early morning AM shows for kids.
They have shows with lower volume and higher house lights for autistic kids that are sensitive to the dark and loud noises. So they can get out and socialize.
They replay old movies all the time and will have a "Back to the Future" or similar Marathons.
They darn well innovated the 'plush' theaters.
More like re-invented them.
Ever been to a classic theater from before WWII?
Some of those are very ornate and very classy, on par with a classy stage-play theater or concert hall, except the acoustics generally aren't as good as a concert hall. Many of them are now used for stage plays or other events instead of film.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
Brazier/brassiere.
One is for holding up boobies, the other is something workmen warm their hands on.
You can see how confusion arises...
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
In Michigan we have theaters called E-Magine. Awful name, outstanding theaters. All of the theaters themselves are fairly small, which means you aren't sitting too far away from the screen. The screen stretches from wall to wall, and they are all dimensioned properly. All of the seats are motorized extra-wide recliners. For a couple of extra dollars you can sit in a row with more leg room than you could possibly need. All the screens, projectors and speakers are properly maintained. They also have reserved seating so you can pick your seats hours before you show up to the theater. Most theaters also have waiter service, so you can just sit down and they'll bring you a drink and popcorn, including liquor, before the movie starts.
They also have special matinee showings for kids with sensory issues, so no trailers, they keep the lights on dimly, and turn the sound down, which is fantastic.
Ticket prices are, of course, a bit more than regular, but we don't see many movies so it doesn't matter that much to us.
My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
It basically looks just the same as that from a film.
You must be too young to remember film, or too senile to remember it. Scratches and dust on film was very noticeable, and became more annoying the longer a film was in use. It's been a while since I've seen a digital projector glitch, but I remember film getting stuck and melting somewhat frequently. And don't forget the projectionist getting the reels mixed up.
Quick story:
So, my wife loves popcorn. She grew up in a Soviet satellite state and they didn't really have good popcorn, so when she got here and was at university finishing her PhD, she really glommed onto it, and microwave popcorn was such a novelty that she and our daughter used to eat it all the time. It made the house smell like a chemical plant burning down and really tasted bad.
About a year ago, I was taking the stove top pressure cooker out of the dishwasher and dropped it, breaking the important valves and bits. Now this was a decent stainless steel pressure cooker with the thick bottom for heat distribution and hating to throw it out, I stuck it in the back of the pantry and bought a new one. So one day, I'm at the farmer's market and some guy's selling popping corn from his farm. I had a memory of making popcorn in a big iron pot when I was a kid, and shaking the pot over the stove and then having to pick out the unpopped kernels, and I bought a couple of pounds of this guys popping corn.
When I got home, I pulled out the broken pressure cooker, put a spoon of coconut oil in and fired it up. Put in a half-cup of popping corn. The phone rang, and I walked away from the stove and lost track of a couple of minutes. When I came back, I was afraid I had burnt the whole thing, but when I opened the top, there was a full 6 quarts of perfectly-popped popcorn without a single unpopped kernal. I didn't have to shake the pot over the flame at all. It was simpler than microwave popcorn and absolutely delicious. We put all kinds of good stuff on our homemade fresh popcorn now. My favorite is cayenne pepper. With the coconut oil, you don't really need butter and we've now tried everything from turmeric to carmel and melted dark chocolate. Or just eat it plain because it's so good.
So I guess what I'm trying to say to all of you is, leave the microwave popcorn alone. They put chemicals that have nothing to do with popcorn or butter on it just to make it smell like something that smells a bit like buttered popcorn if you've forgotten what real buttered popcorn smells like. Don't eat that shit. It probably will give you cancer. Make your own goddamn popcorn. It's easy. You can thank me later.
You are welcome on my lawn.
I prefer air popped, personally.
We just got a new air popper because the top part melted on the old one to the point it no longer properly diverted the corn to the bowl. It was a cheap $15 unit we got over 10 years ago.
The benefit of air popped is you have the ability to easily control how much (or little) oil/butter/salt/topping is on your popcorn. Still get some unpopped kernels, though.
YiffyPop
The drawback of air popped is how damn loud it is, come on, I'm trying to watch a move.
Cheap storage VM.
a brasserie
No thanks, I just ate.
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.