Slashdot Mirror
A Case For Why Movie-Theater Experience Is Still Worth the Effort (theverge.com)
It's all but confirmed that major Hollywood studios are chalking out plans to make movies available in the home mere weeks after their theatrical debuts. Some director and producers, including Christopher Nolan of Inception, The Dark Knight, The Prestige and Interstellar fame are seemingly opposed to the idea, urging people to watch movies at the theaters for "best experience." The Verge has an article today in which it lists 10 reasons it thinks people should not stop going to the cinema halls. From the article, condensed for space:
1. The big screen. There's something to be said about watching visual storytelling on a three-story screen, particularly when the film really takes advantage of the format.
2. People everywhere. A group of people laughing together simultaneously triggers a feeling that you should laugh, too; during a suspenseful moment, you can feel dozens of strangers suck in their breath together.
3. Focus. Even people who try their hardest to give a movie their undivided attention on a living-room screen have fallen victim to temptations like "Well, I'm just sitting here, I might as well pay the electric bill."
4. Relentlessness. Part of the advantage of that kind of focus is that movies that are tense, scary, or deeply emotional can cast much more of a spell over you when you don't have the option to pause or turn away from the worst, then rewind later to catch it safely out of context.
5. A massive speaker system.
6. Previews.
7. Disruption. A problem with watching movies at home is that it makes the film-watching experience blur into the same experience as surfing cable channels, running a Netflix comedy show in the background while you do dishes, or half-assedly watching an Adventure Time marathon while stoned.
8. Alone time. Going to the movies with friends or your significant other can be a cherished pastime, especially when you're surrounded by an excited audience.
9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark.
10. Bragging rights.
1. The big screen. There's something to be said about watching visual storytelling on a three-story screen, particularly when the film really takes advantage of the format.
2. People everywhere. A group of people laughing together simultaneously triggers a feeling that you should laugh, too; during a suspenseful moment, you can feel dozens of strangers suck in their breath together.
3. Focus. Even people who try their hardest to give a movie their undivided attention on a living-room screen have fallen victim to temptations like "Well, I'm just sitting here, I might as well pay the electric bill."
4. Relentlessness. Part of the advantage of that kind of focus is that movies that are tense, scary, or deeply emotional can cast much more of a spell over you when you don't have the option to pause or turn away from the worst, then rewind later to catch it safely out of context.
5. A massive speaker system.
6. Previews.
7. Disruption. A problem with watching movies at home is that it makes the film-watching experience blur into the same experience as surfing cable channels, running a Netflix comedy show in the background while you do dishes, or half-assedly watching an Adventure Time marathon while stoned.
8. Alone time. Going to the movies with friends or your significant other can be a cherished pastime, especially when you're surrounded by an excited audience.
9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark.
10. Bragging rights.
Main reason not to go, in Los Angeles at least, are disruptive, annoying and inconsiderate people.
Once only studio execs had bitchin' screening rooms at home; now thanks to technology we all do, and besides, free beer at home!
Did you ever wake up in the morning, with a Zombie Woof behind your eyes? -- FZ
The modern movie-going experience is horrible. Bad food at a high-price, noisy patrons and then finally when you get situated you are bombarded with obnoxious advertising. Seriously? I'll take a home experience any day of the week than be stuck in some dark TGIFridays-like tacky environment.
-_-
Movie theaters were successful because people had no option to view a movie otherwise. Sorry guys but theaters are going the way of the dodo bird. If anything enthusiasts will start clubs with small projectors etc but there will be no demand for what we have now.
love is just extroverted narcissism
1. The big screen. - My poor neck.
2. People everywhere. - Making noise, talking on their phone, a baby crying in a R rated movie...
3. Focus. - Painfully holding in my piss.
4. Relentlessness. - Still painfully holding in my piss.
5. A massive speaker system. - My poor ears, no volume control.
6. Previews. - Ads.
7. Disruption. - Um, disruption is a bad thing.
8. Alone time. - I'm with people who the fuck wrote this.
9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark. - Diabetes woooo!
10. Bragging rights. - People brag about going to the movies? How sad.
The best reason to go see a film in a theater is because it's a camp film.
For example: Snakes on a Plane is much better in a theater than at home. It's something about the vibe in the theater during those films. It's kind of like a live action MST3K.
One of our competitors trademarked the term "hypothesis". From now on, we will call them "boneheaded ideas".
1. The big screen. Have a big screen at home, all THX like and stuff ... what did they say ?
2. People everywhere. find them annoying so not a plus
3. Focus. if the movie sucks enough that paying bills is a valid option... its a valid option
4. Relentlessness. right... oops i dropped that popcorn down (or whatever)
5. A massive speaker system. got it
6. Previews. you mean advertising? not missing it
7. Disruption. you are doing it wrong
8. Alone time. its a cherished time for me at home too
9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark. and thats a PLUS?
10. Bragging rights. about what? wtf
IMO (and the consensus in the comments on the last story): the only theaters worth going to are Drafthouse-style restaurant/bar theaters. In which case you're basically paying for a night out with friends at a bar and the movie itself is almost a secondary draw.
10 Reasons Not To Go:
1. The big screen. You can barely see the whole thing without turning your head, especially if you get stuck near the front.
2. People everywhere. They spend all movie talking and kicking your seat.
3. Focus. Because most movies have boring parts.
4. Relentlessness.Because 2 hours is a long time to go without using the toilet.
5. A massive speaker system. Louder isn't always better, and it still isn't loud enough to drown out cell phones.
6. Previews. What a waste of time, watching all the best parts of movies I don't even want to see.
7. Disruption. Pizza is here!
8. Alone time. Even in a dim movie theater it's hard to get off.
9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark. At least my floors at home aren't sticky.
10. Bragging rights.
1. The big screen.
A projector gives you the same field of view at home and with better control of your height in relation to the screen.
2. People everywhere.
As my rapid breathing on reading this can attest, this is a huge NEGATIVE for many people.
3. Focus.
Do most movies DESERVE your full focus? At home the degree of focus you give an be proportionate to the amount the movie deserves.
I have no trouble fully focusing on GOOD movies at home, you just need to darken the room well.
4. Relentlessness.
That one aspect I will give you, though even the most modest level of self control can put down the remote for a whole movie no matter what.
5. A massive speaker system. ... that sucks balls. Seriously you could spend $100-$200 and have better sound than most theaters offer, with much greater control over OMG BASE levels.
6. Previews.
trailers.apple.com. But seriously after you've seen trailers once if you go to ANY more movies you are watching the same trailers over and over and over again, for well over a half hour before the actual movie starts. A massive waste of time.
7. Disruption.
Again, dim the room. You can easily create a special space around movie watching.
8. Alone time.
Hey what happened to the value of #2? That's right, even the list writer admits that PEOPLE SUCK.
9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark.
Home can be dark too, and you can have a lot more (or less) than 32oz of... WHATEVER YOU DESIRE.
10. Bragging rights.
*rolling eyes now*
If you mean that you've seen a movie when most others have not, bravo. That puts you right up there with every torrent user on earth. You want to brag about being on-par with heavy torrent users, really?
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
1. Nice, but still easily enjoyable on a regular TV
2. Loud, crowded, if you need to go to the bathroom you have to move in front of people or, if you sit on the end, people are always disturbing you.
3. If you lose focus at home, just rewind
4. At home you can rewatch a particularly enjoyable/tense/scary scene
5. That is usually too loud
6. Unskippable ads
7. What's more disrupting than missing part of the movie to get a refill, go to the bathroom, or have other people distracting you?
8. How do you have quality alone time in a room full of people?
9. Or go to the store and get a 2-liter for half the price of theater drinks, not to mention whatever food/snack you like
10. Who gives a shit?
The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
Ok I'm not a theater person but I did see the last Star Trek movie in XD (4K 3d). The 3d effect was alright but seeing 4K on a big screen was incredible. Every detail was in focus, you could make out the text on displays all around the ship.
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
32 oz of soda? That much sugar and caffeine are probably a big reason why people like going to the movies, who wouldn't feel good after absorbing that much calories and caffeine. No thanks.
If you live in/near a major city the theater is a goddamn trainwreck; the theater experience is nice if you live in/near a rich suburb. That's it. I just make a mental note to check if a movie is out for rental a couple months after release... If I remember.
moox. for a new generation.
Didn't we do this last week?!!
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Reasons to only go to the Alamo Drafthouse 1. Beer. Full bar. 2. Pretty good menu. 3. PSA's that are legendary. https://youtu.be/1L3eeC2lJZs 4. Nice big seats, lots of room.
load "$",8,1
I wonder who paid Verge to run this stupid article, and how much they got paid... I won two $10 giftcards for a large movie theater chain from a raffle and peddled them off on Craigslist for face value.. If/when a movie comes out I actually *want* to see, I wait till its on Redbox, rent it for the day, pop it in my DVD drive on the computer, rip it to my Plex media server and watch it from there on my bigscreen tv.. Haven't been in a theater in close to ten years and not planning on that changing.. Waiting now for Rogue One to hit Redbox (I understand April 11 is the date)...
THANK YOU, Edward Snowden!! Americans owe you a debt of gratitude (whether they know it or not..)
1. Large screens are fairly affordable at home. In fact, with the shorter viewing distance, the screen may fill more of your field of vision.
2. Other theater-goers are more likely to be a distraction than a benefit, based on my experiences.
3. Failing to focus on the movie is a personal issue. Understandably, this can be a problem for parents---but you can have someone watch the kids whether you go out or stay in.
4. I don't know anyone this applies to. I haven't seen anyone do this as far as I remember. Seems like they're stretching.
5. It is not difficult or expensive to setup a home audio system. This one might apply to someone who views relatively few movies and doesn't want to invest in a sound system.
6. Are they seriously selling commercials as a benefit? I can find those same previews on Youtube 99% of the time, and at home I can decide whether I want to watch them.
7. This is basically the same as #3. They are padding the list.
8. The social aspects of going to the theater are available for movie nights at home---or any number of other activities, like bars and hobbyist clubs.
9. Unhealthy eating habits are a bonus now? If you're an adult, I don't understand the special appeal of drinking soda in the theater. You can buy and drink enough soda to kill yourself if you want, and no one has the authority to stop you.
10. If paying $10-$15 for a 2-hour show is something you brag about, you need to reexamine your life. Exception for enthusiastic fans---if you simply can't wait another day to see that movie, it's worth some pocket change to scratch that itch.
---
According to the latest ruleset, this post should be modded as Vorpal Flamebait +5.
(I've learned to not take that 32-ounce cola into a film, for just that reason).
But is it worth my the effort?
Perhaps more effort on typing?
It's about the focus. You paid to get in so you give it your full attention. And the reward for you is when you do give something your full attention your mind dives deep. It's a wonderful sensation. And when you get out of it you want to talk about it with the people you shared it with. In your own house there's always something else to do next. the mind moves on.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
Holy fucking fuck, what a bullshit article. Did movie studios pay for that? How can ANYONE possibly believe the BULLSHIT they wrote?
A mere 20 comments here so far and already 5 people have demolished the list in much the same way. Allow me to pic ONE point from TFA itself:
Focus... In the movie theater, all you have is your chair, any snacks you brought or bought, and the movie youâ(TM)re there to watch.
ARE YOU FUCKING HIGH? What planet do you watch movies on? Fucking LIAR! Yeah, there are no distractions in the theater... except for idiots talking, and idiots who bring kids and babies to loud-ass grown-up movies late at night, and people using their phones, and people going in and out in front of you, and the doors in the back opening and letting in light and sound, and people messing with their leg position in the newly-installed powered recliners, and...
Fuck you, The Verge. That article is thoroughly dishonest and does not deserve to be called journalism. As an opinion piece, it is EASILY picked apart. As anything else, it doesn't even qualify.
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
Yes, these are also my reasons for not wanting to go to a movie theater.
There is nothing like watching something awful on a REALLY big screen.
Right, a major bummer. Could even be #1.
A complete lack of focus is pretty much a certainty in a stinky, noisy, blurry-screen theater.
Yes, a big screen and (5) below will intensify the worst parts of the average garbage movie.
No one in their right mind wants this. And after I was assaulted (damaging my hearing), I want this much much less than the average person.
Spoilers.
Disruption.
Did you mean this in the Pee Wee Herman sense of the phrase?
In a dark suit?
32 ounces of diabetes is not my idea of fun.
Stupid brags as stupid does.
I come here for the love
If theaters want people to come back, they need to have 21+ only screenings of PG-13 and R movies on opening weekend.
Obnoxious kids and crying babies in theaters is what drives people away. And since most of the money for a theater is made on opening weekend, that would be the time to not drive paying customers away.
Those people can still come, but those people who don't want to deal with them, need that option.
Work Safe Porn
So not only is half of my screen presently covered with previously absent ads when I read /., but now the stories themselves are also thinly veiled advertisements, this one for going to the movie theater of all things.
What the hell guys?
When the only tool you have is a claw hammer every problem starts to look like the back of someone's skull.
1. In some cases, but perceived screen size is relative to your distance from it. A medium-sized TV can sufficiently fill my visual field as long as I'm not sitting clear across the room from it. Maybe not quite the same, but close enough for me. Bonus: My sofa's comfier than most theater chairs - and less sticky - and no tall people ever sit in front of me at home and block a corner of the screen (except the cat sometimes).
2. I don't need a group of people telling me when to laugh, thank you very much. My own emotional acuity is perfectly adequate for my enjoyment. When I do want company for a movie, friends and family make for a much more enjoyable shared experience than the random crowds of strangers at the theater.
3. I honestly can't relate to this issue. If you can't ignore your electronics long enough to watch a two or three hour movie, you may need to disconnect for a while.
4. Also can't relate, although I know there are many people like that. But even in the theater you can close your eyes and plug your ears to avoid the scary (my wife does this). Bonus: Watching at home is less relentless in bad ways; in a theater you can't pause to use the restroom or rewind to catch important missed dialog.
5. Theather-quality home speaker systems can be prohibitively expensive, but you can still get good quality for the price even on a budget. I'm not much of an audiophile, though, and am reasonably content with a $100 2.1 sound bar. YMMV.
6. Previews? Ick. I deliberately arrive a couple minutes late to avoid previews. If you like them so much, watch the ones you want on YouTube, not the limited selection they offer before your movie. I don't like paying to be advertised to.
7. Again, can't really relate. I can see how that would affect some people, but I don't watch a lot on the TV so sitting down to a movie really does feel like a time that's set apart. YMMV.
8. TRUE alone time at home, with your significant other, is also a cherished pastime and WITHOUT all those annoying "other people." Not everyone likes crowds - in fact, some of us *hate* them and go out of our way to avoid them.
9. Why not 32 ounces of diabet... er... cola in the dark that I don't have to pay $10 for? At home I can have full access to all my favorite snacks, on the cheap, no smuggling required.
10. Huh? Do you also brag that you wandered Walmart for 30 minutes trying to decide on a nice pillow to buy, instead of just getting one on Amazon in 5 minutes? Unless it's a premier showing of Star Wars, Star Trek, or some other suitably awesome movie, there are no bragging rights attached to watching a movie in the theater. And even then it's negligible.
Wow. If they want me to go see movies more, then make the cost be reasonable and less confusing for people to pick where to go.
For example, in my area, there are 5 AMC theaters close by. Each one has at least 4 ways to see movies, some have 6. On their site, its hard to tell sometimes what the difference is, other than 2 are for 3D movies and 2 are for "regular" (or 3 and 3 for the 6 theater). So I decide I want to see the noon showing of movie X. That used to be a lower cost. Nope, not anymore that is now $10 for cheap / lowest end viewing. You want Atmos (spelling?) sound, that is $15. IMAX is $17. Real 3D is $17.50 and IMAX 3D is $18.50. This does not cound the new GDX or 4K that they are offering....
Oh you want a 32 oz drink, that is $10....
So for me to see the cheap movie X, I am out $25 right off the bat. Oh but wait, you have a new fee (they did get new reserved seating) which is $1.50 per seat, and you have to pay 9% tax on all three items (movie, drink, and seat fee), since the local market hits you with 2% more for "entertainment" and "food". So its almost $30.
Easier to wait, and go big, buying the Bluray/DVD/Digital copy, and still save money.
Last year, before all the theaters upgraded, we were able to see a movie for $5, and get a soda for $5 (still a little high, but that is at least bearable).
Anybody else feel like The Verge should have stopped at 7 reasons?
I can pause the movie whenever I want to go to the bathroom or get another drink/snack.
Once only studio execs had bitchin' screening rooms at home; now thanks to technology we all do
You mean the same execs that are now telling us that we should watch films at the cinema and not at home? I suspect the only experience they are worried we might miss is the one which involves a large transfer of money from us to them and personally I think that's an experience I am happy to miss out on.
... then they are screwed.
We still go to the theater occasionally - it's kinda fun if done once in awhile and the theaters near me don't tend to have the "problem people", and I like movie theater popcorn - but watching from the convenience and comfort of my home is just really, really tough to beat.
The weakness of this list is itself a testament to why people like to watch stuff at home.
Some of these are a little valid but more are BS:
1) Sort of valid but then big screens are available at home these days. It is all about size vs distance, you don't need as big a screen if you are close.
2) Can be nice but can be hell. Yes watching movies with friends is nice (can do that at home) but other people are often inconsiderate.
3) ...what? You can be as focused, or not, as you want at home or at the theater.
4) This is just dumb.
5) This is not an advantage IMO. Not because I dislike good sound, but I have a big system at home that'll do THX reference (105dB SPL) levels. Thing is, my system is properly calibrated and set at the right level. Theaters, IMAX in particular, like to turn it up too loud. There is, in fact, a "right" level for movies they are encoded with absolute sound level data.
6) Fuck you.
7) I have less distributions at home. I can focus in on the movie with nobody else bothering me. At the theater, other people control how much focus I can have.
8) Wait, what? I'm not even sure what they are arguing. Also I'd say you get better quality time with a friend/loved one at home than in a theater.
9) I'm not sure if he's aware, but all major soda vendors sell their products at all major retailers. It proves to be very easy to get whatever brand of cola you like at home. 32oz cups are easy to buy as well.
10) Again, fuck you.
If these are the 10 best reasons, then theaters are doomed.
How does it get your full attention after a half hour of commercials and a disruptive rude audience? Not to mention poor quality movies the last couple years.
Is the news so slow today that they must fall back to this waste of time? Or was this an attempt to show more advertisements on the website by trolling the readers with stupid claims to get them to go to the comments page?
Took my family to see the new Power Rangers movie yesterday at my local Cineplex Movie Theater. Haven't been there in almost a year.
There was a grand total of 6 people in there, including my family of 4.
... stupid people and their smartphones. You can list all the reasons in favor that you want, but more often than not, somewhere during the movie, someone thinks that whatever is going on on his/her smartphone is so important that the entire theater should be interrupted from their enjoyment of the movie.
I thought that was 10 ounces of ice, 20 ounces of water and 2 ounce of normal strength cola. Better known as badly flavored water. All for only $4.
Or we could just pick up a 32 ounces of actual normal strength cola from the store for maybe $1.25 to drink at home. Maybe even get another 64 ounces for still less than the price you will pay at the theater.
Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon what's the difference? All steal money from devs and control with walled gardens.
People everywhere
Sometimes this is a plus, but 9 times out of ten it is just annoying.
Focus
Speaking of focus. Occasionally the picture is slightly out of focus. Annoying as hell.
A massive speaker system
This is usually a positive, but sometimes they turn it up too loud. That does not make a pleasant experience at all, and this just doesn't happen at home.
Previews
How about starting the movie at the advertised time instead?
Disruption
Was this not covered by Focus? Not once have disruptions been a worse problem at home than at the theater...
9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark. 10. Bragging rights.
Who the hell are they trying to sell this to?
I still enjoy going to the movies, but those reasons just suck.
Take an afternoon off from work if you can, and go to the afternoon show. 500 seats and 27 people. That is how you get a good movie experience.
I think not, a decent Home Theater Room will still set you back 20-40K and require you dedicate space in your home to said HT. Even at $12 a pop 20K will pay for a hell of a lot of movie tickets,
4K Projector 10K
Good 120" screen 1K
HT receiver ATMOS Capable 2K
Speaker System 3K
Subwoofer 1K
Installation costs 5-10K
Those are mid-range HT parts. It goes up from there. And damn the 2yr old HT receiver doesn't support HDR pass-through, now you need a new receiver.
A 65" screen with a soundbar does not equal a Home Theater.
(My wife has a serious pause button abuse issue)
The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
We're not going to vote on whether or not I go to the movie theater. I really don't give a shit why other people like it or don't.
-Dave
Ads. Ads. ADS. ADS. The only time I went to the theater to see a movie in the last 5 years was recently to see Logan. Mainly because I had the day off, the kids were in school, and my wife and I went together. It was the opening show, by total chance because we went on a whim. Luckily it was at 11AM and the local theater had $5 movies before noon, so it was a great start.
We got there right at 11, it wasn't crowded so we found good seats, and the lights came down.
After watching advertisement after advertisement, from car dealerships to restaurants, and two from the movie theater chain itself, they started in on the previews. I don't usually mind them, and they weren't that annoying. Then MORE ads, including YET ANOTHER one for the movie theater chain. Not just a simple logo or slogan, but a minute or two advertisement for their great movie experience. It had been about 25 minutes and I was almost ready to walk out I was so pissed.
My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.
Go on a Friday night, then it would be two people, one big popcorn, two sodas and Nachos. That would probably exceed Netflix for a year.
The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
The only real reason is because movies come out there first.
If you care about movies, your home setup is probably more comfortable and customized and to your liking than a theater anyway. And if you don't care that much, then you probably don't care how much better a theater is either.
You can posture all you want, but we watched Blockbuster, an empire rise and fall on the backs of people willing to watch ~333 pixel tall half-worn-out VHS tapes every damn weekend.
4k digital cinemas have almost no resolution gap with a 4k tv, and 2k digital cinemas are barely higher resolution than 1080p... Compare that to the gap between a 35mm cinema and a VHS tape.
1. Well, most movie theaters, except for IMAX, have screens MUCH smaller than they used to, certainly not 3 stories. I have 60+ inch Plasma and OLED tvs (4k the latter)...and from my viewing distance, it is quite large. I have had projectors in the past which worked out great, but my current abode really doesn't work for that, but honestly, with the quality sets I have, I don't miss them.
2. People Everywhere - That's PRECISELY the PROBLEM. I dunno exactly when it happened, but general public civility and manners has long since disappeared from the populace. You have parents bringing in kids too young for some movies or just dropping them off and letting them run wild in a theater. Then, there's the "adults", constantly texting, talking on phone, being rude in general. And hey, of late, there's even those that want to storm into a crowded theater and start shooting people. No thanks. At home, I can invite people I want over, and have them leave if they act an ass.
3. Focus - Ok, maybe. I personally don't have a problem turning things off and paying full attention to something for a couple hours. I guess it comes from my background in getting lost in books. I can readily disappear into a good story. Unless it is an emergency or I take a break to pee, eat or mix a cocktail...I can safely ignore the real world for a period of time even while at home.
4. Those important periods are NOT when I hit pause....in between those bits is when I pause for a pit stop or make a drink (having bar that is stocked and free to use at anytime is a major plus of home theater).
5. I got that covered...100% Klipsch surround, KlipschHorns in front, Cornwalls in back, 17" 800W sub, and good center channel (soon to replace that with a single heresy speaker from klipsch)...and I recently got a new Marantz AV processor. One of the last times I was in a movie theater, they barely had the sound on. I've gone to THX theaters especially for the sound, only to have to get up numerous times and ask them to turn the damned sound ON. Sorry, theater lose there. They might have better equipment at some places, but it does not good at all if not used. Hell, I watch the Flintstones cartoons at concert level....
6. Ok, I'll give them this one...ever since I was a kid, I LOVED the previews. I don't, however, appreciate the multitude of commercials they've been putting there last years...ugh. I paid...quit selling me stuff!!
7. See #2...in a theater these days, it is the f
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
It can be $24-$45 for a couple to see a movie in a theater (depending on the city/movie screen, i got these numbers by comparing movie ticket prices for 'Ghost in the Shell' in Denver for standard, 3D, and 3D+RPX movie theaters) Plus everything you can buy in terms of food at a theater STARTS at 3$. For two snacks and a drink that is AT LEAST $9 probably closer to $15.
That comes out to $35-$60 for a couple to be entertained for at least 90 min (yeah a 90 min movie costs the same price as a 150 min movie). That is a LOT of dough for todays millennial debt-burdened customers to cough up. Yeah yeah i know the theaters and studios will talk about inflation, rising production costs, challenging economic times etc. The point is if they don't work together to reduce these costs then the dwindling audience for movies will continue to decline.
Sadly they don't seem to be working together. The studios constantly try to push movie ticket prices up, giving less and less of a % to the theaters, while the theaters try to push the concession prices up and up to make ends meet.
I really want to know. Here in Berlin/Germany cinemas charge about 5€ (US$ 5.33) for one liter (I think that's the equivalent of 32 ounces) Coca Cola or Pepsi.
Signature deleted by lameness filter.
The last time I went to a movie I brought earplugs (and could still hear everything perfectly). This is a major reason I avoid theaters.
1. The big screen.
And no subtitles, or at least no subtitle system that doesn't burn up your eye muscles trying to focus at vastly different distances.
2. People everywhere.
Talking on their phones and to each other during the show, answering texts, spilling popcorn and soda all over the place and talking to each other during the show. and incidentally getting you charged with assault if you nudge them to call their attention to the above facts.
3. Focus.
Matter of pure choice on the part of the viewer.
4. Relentlessness.
Matter of viewer attention. See item 3.
5. A massive speaker system.
As if I really need more hearing damage than I have. These days theater speakers are set for rock concert volumes.
6. Previews.
These are nothing more than paid-for advertising which you frequently forget about by the time the movie being advertised comes out.
7. Disruption.
See items 3 and 4 above. Also, if a movie can't hold your attention to begin with, it's already not worth watching.
8. Alone time.
Huh? My family and I watch DVD movies together every weekend. We cherish it.
9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark.
And insulin injections in the light of morning. There are very few theater snacks which aren't on my doctor's KOS list..
10. Bragging rights.
WTF? Just how many movies these days are worth bragging about?
Follow the money. Who owns the theater chains? What do they own?
Watch this hand... I'll be picking your pocket with the other.
The real reason?
They are trying to avoid ANY political story because it will quickly become a cluster. It has been found out over the last couple days that Susan Rice, who worked on Obama's West Wing in the White House, actually did spy on the Trump administration before and after the election. All the Russian collusion stuff was a lie to justify it and distract, while Trump's wiretapping comments look like they might be completely true.
So you will see /. avoid any story that "might" mention Trump for the next week at least. They don't want people who read /. and are not politically motivated to know how completely corrupt the DNC has become. This is literally a full Watergate level controversy and does not look good for the DNC.
Went to a viewing of Rogue One and they had the volume cranked to 11, it made me miserable as hell. I left the theater with ringing ears and a massive headache.
I could not tell where the action was at due to the muddy imaging of the sound.
TURN IT DOWN PEOPLE!!
I plan to watch Ghost In The Shell and take earplugs along.
First rule of holes; When in one, stop digging.
. Who the hell stopped watching a movie to pay the electric bill?!
Anyone who was watching "Howard The Duck" and had an electric bill due in the next month.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
A theater size screen requires a large room which provides a physical setting/vibe you can't get at home. A computer monitor with headphones, a large screen in a home, and a movie theater can all provide the same field of view with relative comfort and good audio but the experience for each is slightly different. For increasing numbers I suppose the unique theater experience isn't really worth it, but for some it probably always will.
1. The ridiculous ticket prices, when compared to subsequent rental or blu-ray purchase.
2. The ridiculous snack bar prices. $6.50 for 30 cents worth of popcorn? $5 for a paper cup of fizzy corn-sweetener water?
3. The talking idiots behind you. you cannot shut them up. the theater does not care.
4. The texting idiots in front of you. phone screen as bright at a truck headlight in a dark theater. inconsiderate wankers don't care.
5. the uncomfortable sardine seating (in most theaters, some have better seating but for most, there is very little personal space)
6. the box-office lines. 50 people in line and one math-challenged high-schooler making change.
7. parking at the theater. hundreds of yards from the door at many big movie-plexes.
8. driving to the theater. so much more time-efficient to never leave the house.
9. the fact that at most theaters YOU CAN'T GET A BEER. (...most... not all... and when you can it is disruptive to those around you.)
10. the fact that you cannot pause the film to answer a nature call.
I've got a 75" TV with watts and watts of 7.1 audio. A nice comfortable recliner. Privacy to do what ever I want when the film plays. Beer, liquor, munchies, a clean bathroom just steps away. I don't know why anybody goes to the movie theater at all any more, I'd rather sit on a hill of fire ants. Movies at home are awesome.
there are 3 kinds of people:
* those who can count
* those who can't
Ah, you mean the reason I wear earplugs when I go to the movies?
When someone says, "Any fool can see
Well said. That is all
Please don't dominate the rap, Jack, if you got nothin' new to say.
Why is it that whenever I legally watch a movie the studios shove a bunch of previews at me that I can't skip through? You go to the movies and you sit through a bunch of them. I have a bunch of DVDs that force you to watch previews and that wonderful FBI warning about privacy. It's especially bad because for that movie I bought 10 years ago I think that movie that was coming soon has already come and gone but I'm stuck watching it. (Well I would be if I hadn't ripped it onto my computer.)
The studios attitude seems to be that whenever they have paying customers then they need to piss the customers off.
1. The big screen.
Ah yes the screen is big, but the projector is digital in most theatres. I can see jagged pixels and strangely jerky flow to action scenes. Yuck.
2. People everywhere.
Haha no.
3. Focus.
OK I see people fucking around with their phones at EVERY film, you name it, somebody has found a distraction. And their distraction becomes my distraction. At home I dim the lights (where available) and really dig into some movies. My focus at home is far more intense than in the theatre, which is why I sometimes discover a film I thought was only so-so in the theatre is actually quite brilliant when I get to really focus on it at home.
4. Relentlessness.
True Story: I was watching Return of the Jedi when it went to the big screen in 1997, the line "My son is with them. Are you sure? I have felt him." some jackass in the back row yelled out at top volume "THAT'S SICK!", everyone in the theatre laughed and the tension of the scene was utterly destroyed thanks to one hilarious bastard
5. A massive speaker system.
Great if its actually working and actually calibrated. Most theatres I've been to lately present blown-sounding subwoofers and barely audible mid-range. Again from experience when I saw the first Matrix sequel there was a significant short and all I could hear was interference, it was SO BAD I couldn't hear any of the speech The Architect character gave (upon home viewing I didn't miss anything)
6. Previews.
Are you for fucking real? ODDLY ENOUGH from my Star Wars Special Edition story above, one of the previews was for the original Austin Powers, the trailer made it look utterly awful, turns out it was one of the funniest films of that year. Trailers are annoying and rarely if ever represent what you'll actually get. A marketing tool that serves absolutely no functional purpose. Also let's face it if you open YouTube how many videos can you go before you are hit with some movie preview?
7. Disruption.
Disruption like an auditorium full of noisy easily distracted humans??
8. Alone time.
????!
9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark.
When I saw Titanic (man I saw a lot of movies in 1997?) I ordered the Tubb O' Pop and was happily slurping it down and literally THE SECOND the ship hit that damned iceberg I had to piss or die. I couldn't wait, the one part of the movie I'd waded through other garbage to finally see and I HAD TO GO. So I did, and tried to rush back to my seat as quickly as possible but man, so much was missed. At home I just pause if I have to (which is rare because I don't abuse myself by cramming a liter of pop into my face over the course of one movie)
10. Bragging rights.
Heeeeey! Look at meeeeee! I just spent $40 to sit in a smelly claustrophobic room full of noisy distracted people so I could watch 30 minutes of commercials and then a movie I couldn't properly hear the dialog to that was projected at just enough of an odd angle to make the pixels on the right hand side of the frame far more visible than the blur on the left.
AREN'T YOU JEALOUS!?!
crazy dynamite monkey
Here are the reasons I love going to the Cinema.
1) At home I have to worry about ruining my carpet if I spill my drink. At the cinema I can splash it around without worrying about making my floor sticky.
2) It gets dark in the cinema so I can see my phone screen really well. This makes it great for texting or looking at the list of contacts to pick someone to call.
3) Sometimes the movie screen makes a great photo op. I love to stand up with my budies and take a selfie.
4) It's a great place to catch up on gossip. I can talk with my friends about who is seeing who and oh my god, what they did last weekend.
5) You can put your feet up. The seat in front makes a great footrest.
6) I can leave the kids at home and make out with my lover in the middle of the cinema without the kids bothering me asking for beer and crap.
7) Or, I can take my kids, let them scream their heads off- I don't have to worry about someone complaining to the Home Owners Association about how much noise the kids are making.
8) Watching other people's expressions when saying things like "oh my god, like, this guy on the left is about to be killed by a man who smashes through the window unexpectedly". Dropping spoilers and watching strangers get mad is like, the bomb.
"That's the way to do it" - Punch
1. The big screen. There's something to be said about watching visual storytelling on a three-story screen, particularly when the film really takes advantage of the format.
OK, my screen isn't that large, but it takes up as much, or more of my field of vision than what the comfortable viewing distance does at a commercial theater.
2. People everywhere. A group of people laughing together simultaneously triggers a feeling that you should laugh, too; during a suspenseful moment, you can feel dozens of strangers suck in their breath together.
I have enough room to seat as many people as I care to. And I can throw them out if they annoy me. Plus most of my friends are more enjoyable to watch a move with as they tend to have a similar sense of humor. Do you know how annoying it is to be at a movie and not find dick and fart jokes particularly funny, but then be the only one in the audience to notice a really funny joke?
3. Focus. Even people who try their hardest to give a movie their undivided attention on a living-room screen have fallen victim to temptations like "Well, I'm just sitting here, I might as well pay the electric bill."
I have no lights on when watching a movie, and no easly way of doing bills. If the movie doesn't hold my attention enough that I don't feel like doing bills, it's not worth my time to watch it.
4. Relentlessness. Part of the advantage of that kind of focus is that movies that are tense, scary, or deeply emotional can cast much more of a spell over you when you don't have the option to pause or turn away from the worst, then rewind later to catch it safely out of context.
So it keeps your attention more when you have to miss 5 minutes of it because you need to use the bathroom? Or can't rewind it to catch something that you misunderstood?
And hearing people slurping the last little bit of their gallon drink through a straw during those quiet emotional times really sets the mood.
5. A massive speaker system.
My wife couldn't care less about technology and sound, but the last time I took her to the movies, she actually complained that the sound wasn't as good as at home. That's when I knew I was done upgrading my audio. I usually watch movies with the volume at about 25% of what my system is capable of. I've had it up to 80% without any distortion, but frankly it's not comfortable after 50%. So, in my case, it's the opposite.
6. Previews.
Bluray discs come with previews. I watch them about half of the time when I get a new disc.
7. Disruption. A problem with watching movies at home is that it makes the film-watching experience blur into the same experience as surfing cable channels, running a Netflix comedy show in the background while you do dishes, or half-assedly watching an Adventure Time marathon while stoned.
I don't typically watch TV shows in the theater room. Though I have. When the STTNG boxset was on sale for $60 I bought it. A lot of older shows that were on film, really look great on bluray.
8. Alone time. Going to the movies with friends or your significant other can be a cherished pastime, especially when you're surrounded by an excited audience.
Excited audience= loud, annoying and disruptive.
9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark.
Yes, a 1500 calorie sugar drink along with a 1000 calorie bucket of popcorn and 800 calorie nachos is just what you want while sitting on your ass for two hours in the dark. I'm pretty sure I could roll a barrel of soda into my basement if I wanted to.
10. Bragging rights.
Bragging rights for what? spending $50 to sit in a sticky seat surrounded by yapping teens on their cell phone while consuming enough calories for the entire day in sugar and fat? Awesome.
Well, maybe once upon a time, when I was a child, and it really was The Big Screen, 30 or 40 feet wide, and a few hundred people were all there to see the same movie, it really was an event. Now there's 15 screens, each not that much bigger than one you might have at home, and you're just one in a herd of consumers being serviced. Multiplexes destroyed the moviegoing experience decades ago.
Wow, you are the coolest middle aged nerd who is still into weed that I know!
The one thing that is better in the cinema is the 3D. You can have as big a screen as you want, but when it comes to 3D it's not field of view that counts, but distance to the screen. Good 3D is pretty much the only reason I go to the cinema, and there's the rub: not many movies get 3D right. Cameron is pretty good at it; Sanctum worked well in 3D and Avatar was spot on (even though it was a pretty average movie otherwise), but other than that there's only a few 3D movies worth watching.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
The big screen might be OK, but the 6 dozen giant Tablet-phones of the texting teenies in my line of sight, I can do without.
I ended up with a video projector back in 2001 when the company I worked for closed and couldn't pay the vacation time they owed me. It was only 800x600 and 300 ANSI lumens (required almost pitch-dark room to use) but it was AWESOME to have. I've had projectors ever since. 100" screen, for all intents and purposes it's as big as the cinema based on viewing distance. My furniture is much nicer. I control the air conditioning. I don't have a sound system as sophisticated as yours (6 way surround, don't have a subwoofer) but since I'm sitting in the sweet-spot it's probably as good as what I'd get in any random seat in the movie theatre. I don't pay $20 for food for two people, or if I do it's because I grilled steaks and opened a bottle of wine, rather than "nachos" with cheese-based food product and poorly-mixed soda.
I can back-up the video if I missed dialogue, or if I want to see a really cool action scene again. I can pause if we need to stop for a moment.
If I want the "shared experience" that point 1 discusses, I call my friends and we make a movie night of it. Even if a dozen people come over we have room and we can then share in the experience without having to include people that won't get off the phone.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
1. I like my home theater just fine.
2. Nothing like a bunch of people who can't shut their pieholes to fuck up a movie.
3. Sounds like someone else's problem
4. So?
5. See #1
6. No thanks.
7. See #3.
8. See #6.
9. Diabetes in a cup.
10. Who cares?
1. The small screen. - Enjoy the experience of watching a movie in the comfort of your home
2. People everywhere. - If you don't know what movie you want there are plenty of people happy to make recommendations. Plus all of your neighbors probably go to the same store so you get the bump into people who you know but wouldn't otherwise chose to spend time with!
3. Focus. - The best movies are along the outer wall so you can go straight to the good stuff.
4. Rewards - Now when you rent the new movies you want you can also get old movies you don't want for free!
5. Cover Art - A lot of effort went into making the boxes look pretty. Don't you want to look at the pretty boxes?
6. Previews - Conveniently located on screen above your head so you can watch them while finding your movie.
7. Disruption - No longer do you have to go to the movie on their schedule and only see the few movies they are showing. Disrupt the movie industry and take control of your viewing!
8. Alone time - Don't be surrounded by crowds of strangers during the movie who detract from the experience.
9. Movie Snacks - Located conveniently by the cash register, you can get popcorn and movie candy at movie going prices for your home enjoyment
10. Bragging rights - Be the LAST of your friends to still shop here!
In Movie theater we have to sit 2 hours continuously but in home we can watch it while laying on bed & there we can't pause or repeat any thing....
www.theReadingPoint.com
1. Big screens at home are now affordable.
2. Ugh, people everywhere.
3. Focus is not a problem for me. Also, bathroom breaks.
4. Relentlessness? Whatever. Develop a spine and watch the movie.
5. I have plenty of speaker at home. Could use a little more sub maybe. I should get on that.
6. Previews suck balls.
7. Disruption is what I get from dildos at the theater.
8. Alone time is what I get at home.
9. 32 ounces of diabeetus.
10. Bragging rights? "I don't even watch TV." DONE AND DONE
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
I can't focus when the guy next to me is woofing down an onion-covered bratwurst and draining the last bit of soda from a straw. I can't focus when someone keeps bumping the back of my seat. I can't focus when the lady to my right is struggling to open a cellophane package, and spends the next 10 minutes crinkling it every time she reaches in for a new candy. I can't focus when onion bratwurst guy farts, or when candy lady goes fishing through her purse to check her phone in hopes that maybe her date didn't suddenly cancel after all. At home, no matter what kind of weird distractions come up, I can at least pause the movie.
I have all but #2. and #2 is the REASON I dont go to a movie theater and spend thousands on building my own at home.
And yes my speaker system kicks the ASS of almost all big theaters. because mine is tuned and sounds good. Theirs is abused and some snot nosed idiot kid messed with the EQ.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
All that plus 30 bucks to see a newly released movie at home? Depending on the number of people watching, it's still cheaper than getting the experience at a theater. The things I'll not miss watching these at home vs going to the theater...
1: Waiting in line to fork over my money for tickets
2: Waiting in line to fork over money for soda and popcorn
3: Waiting in line to take a piss while missing out on the action (due to soda from #2).
Last time we took ourselves and 2 kids, the experience costed us more than 50 bucks. Thanks, Hollywood, I think I'll take the rent it from RedBox when it's out on DVD/BD over the 30 bucks watch it at home, which I'd take over the 50 bucks and the 'holy shit you want how much for a small popcorn!?' theater experience.
I'm not so sure on the 3D. All the 3D theaters new me have those lame Sony 4K projectors. They are far too dim for an enjoyable experience. I have a 3D TV at home and it looks MUCH better, although I do sit back 15 feet or so.
As for sound, 3 of the last 4 movies I've seen had some issue with the center channel speaker. It sounded distorted and lower in volume. When dialog moved from the center to the rear, it got louder and more clear.
As far as I'm concerned, seeing a movie in a theater is a negative in every respect. I have a decent surround system, 4K TV and the ability to pause when I want more popcorn or use the facilities. Plus for the price for three of us to see a movie, I can own it on blu-ray 4K and eat like 20 bags of popcorn and a case of coke.
I don't know, but it works for me.
I was using low to mid-range budget numbers just for parts, not including installation and calibration costs. Dedicating space in a home is another thing people don't think about.
Most people have no idea how much it costs to actually build a true HT. If I had said 50K-100K slashdotters would think is was nuts.
That 65" screen with a soundbar is plenty adequate for most people to watch on. It is for me, especially sports but don't go thinking you have a Home Theater.
#0) You want to show your support for the continuing production of certain types of movies by big movie studios by attending the ones that interest you the most.
Now granted, Hollywood does put out a lot of trash as well, but there are usually a small handful of ones that interest me nearly every year, and I have no problem being part of the voice that tells the makers of these films to keep doing more of the same.
There is nothing else that I want from the movie-theater experience that I could not obtain at home.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Forgot to mention the crappy subtitle options I have to choose when I go. Regal's big ass glasses tends to not work at the start, requiring me to go to the front desk to get it reset, resulting in me missing out on the start of the movie. Ugg.
Cinemark's Box on a stick is even worst. At least with the Regal glasses, if I'm looking around the screen, the subtitle is still visible. On the plus side, I've never missed out the opening due to the subtitle not working with Cinemark. Then again, I've only used Cinemark's caption system a few times.
At least at home, I can ensure the damn subtitle works when starting up the movie, which is why I'd most likely just wait for the DVD/BR to become available at RedBox. I have no idea if the 30 bucks watch it at home option would include subtitles.
I went with my brother years ago. He wanted the "32oz bottomless cup of cola" for $1 more --- and managed to finish it before the previews were over. He ran out for his free refill - sat down and slowly drank it as the movie began.
He then missed most of the second half because he kept leaving to pee.
Lots of violations to that list: Cola in the Dark vs Focus. Plus I was disrupted and had to fill in plot details later.
The world is changing and it is adapt or die. Movie chains and big media seem to have adopted the dying approach.
Brought to you by Carl's Junior.
Nipples!? Rewind to confirm. Nope. Moving on. (while ignoring intense glare from wife)
many home projectors have 3d, the 1080p one Ive used for years has 3d, and its a much better effect than seeing it in a theater
Once you own a 1080/4k+3d projector at home with a good 5.1-7.1 sound setup, there is absolutely no reason to ever go to a theater ever again
What no comments on the cats and dogs? I have 7 cats and two dogs.
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
6. Previews.
6. Ok, I'll give them this one...ever since I was a kid, I LOVED the previews. I don't, however, appreciate the multitude of commercials they've been putting there last years...ugh. I paid...quit selling me stuff!!
Previews and commercials are probably the main drawback of the theatre experience for me. Just goes to show how different people can be, and that there is no way to please everyone.
The truth may be out there, but lies are inside your head
(2 waiting in line to take a piss) Busted you are a girl
I got to the chocolate box before you, that's why the hard ones have teeth marks.
3D...ugh
A crap movie in 3D is not made better because all the effort went into the 3D effects which are so grossly overdone it makes it worse not better
A GOOD movie, with a good plot, good flow and is engaging is still good without 3D, the fact there is no 3D may reduce the distraction for the pretty special effects and actually improve the movie.
Nope. I was even surprised about waiting in line for the men's room that night.
I can't stand it when the background audio... i say background... the non-center speakers... are set so loud it starts to hurt your ears. I've had to go ask workers/managers to turn it down over and over again, sometimes to no avail. This keeps me out of the theaters more than anything.
Was thinking of doing the double header movie for the new Guardians of the Galaxy - but the theaters near me are only doing it in 3D.
Who can handle wearing those horrible glasses for 4+ hours?
1. The big screen. There's something to be said about watching visual storytelling on a three-story screen, particularly when the film really takes advantage of the format.
The size of the screen is about the field of view and resolvable resolution. Most people can buy easily a setup that rivals any comfortable seat in a non-IMAX theater.
2. People everywhere. A group of people laughing together simultaneously triggers a feeling that you should laugh, too; during a suspenseful moment, you can feel dozens of strangers suck in their breath together.
How is this a good thing?
3. Focus. Even people who try their hardest to give a movie their undivided attention on a living-room screen have fallen victim to temptations like "Well, I'm just sitting here, I might as well pay the electric bill."
These sorts of people have the same problem when they go to a theater. They whip out their phones and are part of the problem with #2.
4. Relentlessness. Part of the advantage of that kind of focus is that movies that are tense, scary, or deeply emotional can cast much more of a spell over you when you don't have the option to pause or turn away from the worst, then rewind later to catch it safely out of context.
WTF is this shit? People who get scared of movies are children and retards. Further, even children and retards can close their eyes and cover their ears. At home or in the theater.
5. A massive speaker system.
How is this a plus? Many theaters have shit cranked too high. Again, people can do this pretty affordably at home, even splurging for gimmick shit like Dolby Atmos. (No, you don't need to spend thousands on a receiver and speakers to get good quality sound that is more than capable of filling up your living room.)
6. Previews.
Ads? We have those on BluRays. Even if you like them, any Hollywood-sponsored movies-in-the-home option will have ads around the content.
7. Disruption. A problem with watching movies at home is that it makes the film-watching experience blur into the same experience as surfing cable channels, running a Netflix comedy show in the background while you do dishes, or half-assedly watching an Adventure Time marathon while stoned.
You're just repeating #3, which was bullshit on its own. Further, when was the last time an Adventure Time marathon was screened in theaters?
8. Alone time. Going to the movies with friends or your significant other can be a cherished pastime, especially when you're surrounded by an excited audience.
Wait, now you want alone time? Doesn't that go against #2? And ignoring that contradiction, how does being alone in a crowd rival being alone on a couch where you can get naked and have sex if you desire?
9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark.
I don't need that much cola, but at home I can have far more than 32 ounces, for far less money. And when I need a refill I can pause the movie! As for the dark, my lights have an off switch.
10. Bragging rights.
Who brags about paying way too much to see some shit? I do get the appeal of seeing something you're excited about as soon as it's available, but increasingly all the cons of the experience (the cost and the crowd and the content itself) are winning the war against that appeal. This is why ticket sales are plummeting and why Hollywood keeps teasing the idea of new releases in the home.
>It's about the focus.
Yes it is. Which is why I prefer to see movies in a quiet, comfortable setting without the numerous visual and auditory distractions of a theater. Badly placed safety lights, "ergonomic" chairs, other people who can't shut up or stay off their phones for a couple hours. None of those are present in my living room.
If you can't focus without paying for the privilege, I would suggest you take up meditation or other form of focus exercise for a while - a little mental discipline goes a long way. You might also consider talking to a psychologist to see if they have any ideas why your ability focus is so badly handicapped.
--- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
I stopped reading at point 2.
We should follow the masses of people ? This can lead very far.
To keep the discussion around movies, let me tell you two little stories :
1) like millions of people, I tried to see Titanic soon after its release. I ended watching another movie because it was crowded as hell. It was supposed to be a comedy, a fun thing. It was not, it is my worst movie memory. But a lot of people, if not everybody else, was laughing. I was frightened. How the hell could they laugh at that ? So you're telling that I should have laugh because they did ? No ! Frak you !
2) the last movie I saw in a theater is Dark Knight Rises. It was 3 or 4 month after the release. There were less than 20 or 30 people then. One guy answered his phone 3 times ! What the frak ? We're here to see a movie ? Or was he there to show that he can spend 10 € NOT to watch the movie ?
I swore not to go to a theater any more.
Totof
5. A massive speaker system.
Great if its actually working and actually calibrated. Most theatres I've been to lately present blown-sounding subwoofers and barely audible mid-range.
This. I haven't been to a theater (except for real imax) in over 20 years that had decent audio. Even supposedly "certified" or whatever theaters have crappy sound that is usually:
1. TOO LOUD. It's not a rock concert. It's a movie. Go ahead and make it nice and loud if it's an action movie or whatever, but what is unforgivable is:
2. Crappy and blown to all heck. Clearly clipped bass, midrange, and on at least one occasion clearly crackling high end. Leaving some dialog too muddy and distorted to hear, and any loud booming sounds painfully distorted. Like literally, fingernails on the chalkboard painful.
Both of these (in most theaters) could be fixed by simply "calibrating" the system by having someone sit in the theater with a test loop playing, and turning the volume down until the distortion goes away, and if that happens at a level that leaves the sound too low, then someone needs to upgrade their amplifiers. Christ, I could outfit a decent sized theater myself with clean nice loud power for a few grand. It's not rocket science, and it's not even that expensive these days to buy decent gear.
I can't figure out how people put up with such crappy sound in theaters. The sound quality in a film is actually MORE important than the visual image quality. It's almost like they don't want people to enjoy going to the theater.
I have a 20-year old system in my living room that can get VERY loud if I want it to without clipping, so I simply don't understand why this problem exists to the extent that it does.
In your own house there's always something else to do next. the mind moves on.
This would be the case at home or at the cinema, with the exception that you have the drive home to talk about the movie... unless you're at a mall, where being in a giant building expressly designed to distract the hell out of you (so they can sell you stuff) would tend to get in the way of any serious discussions about the movie you just saw. Or, if traffic gets ugly on the way home. Or, well, at least one person in the car has to focus on the road, and not the soul-tingling implications of what he or she just saw...
Then again, after a good flick on TV at home, the missus and I can yap about it all we want while having a smoke on the back porch, or whatever. ;)
Unless you're seriously knee-deep in ADD/ADHD, the mind moves on when you want it to.
Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
1. The big screen. There's something to be said about watching visual storytelling on a three-story screen, particularly when the film really takes advantage of the format.
-- not in my town
2. People everywhere. A group of people laughing together simultaneously triggers a feeling that you should laugh, too; during a suspenseful moment, you can feel dozens of strangers suck in their breath together.
-- this is a reason I don't. Seriously, are we on the same planet even?
3. Focus. Even people who try their hardest to give a movie their undivided attention on a living-room screen have fallen victim to temptations like "Well, I'm just sitting here, I might as well pay the electric bill."
-- which is true for "no one ever"
4. Relentlessness. Part of the advantage of that kind of focus is that movies that are tense, scary, or deeply emotional can cast much more of a spell over you when you don't have the option to pause or turn away from the worst, then rewind later to catch it safely out of context.
-- as apposed to having to explain to my wife what happened during one of her two bathroom breaks.
5. A massive speaker system.
-- "I already got one", Monty Python
6. Previews.
-- You misspelled "commercials"
7. Disruption. A problem with watching movies at home is that it makes the film-watching experience blur into the same experience as surfing cable channels, running a Netflix comedy show in the background while you do dishes, or half-assedly watching an Adventure Time marathon while stoned.
-- like anyone is doing dishes when a good movie is on.
8. Alone time. Going to the movies with friends or your significant other can be a cherished pastime, especially when you're surrounded by an excited audience.
-- as can coming over and sitting together on a large couch. And my chairs are more comfortable than theater chairs.
9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark.
-- I'd rather not pay $10 for it tho...home wins...and it is dark
10. Bragging rights.
-- "Who the fuck cares?" -- Harrison Ford
Bad User. No biscuit!
I think #10, bragging rights, is the main reason people I know go to movies. They want to be the first to see it no matter what it costs or what efforts they have to endure.
I just don't get it. When I see people lined up around the corner to see a movie on opening night, I'm always tempted to shout at them, "Hey, they're going to be showing it tomorrow, too!" Fools.
If you wait until the movie is finished and then go back and check she's more likely to laugh at you than get mad. Just an idea.
In your own house there's always something else to do next. the mind moves on.
This should serve as an indication that the selected media is boring and such a waste of time that not even you find it interesting.
What an awful sort of existence where you have to pretend it is fun just to excuse the fact that it doesn't interest you.
The fact is that many of the movies available are so boring, if I put it on a screen at home I'd be more likely to sit on the kitchen floor re-reading soup labels than to actually watch it. The answer isn't to watch it where there is nothing to read, the answer is to turn off the screen and do something else.
Unless you're seriously knee-deep in ADD/ADHD, the mind moves on when you want it to.
It seems a lot more likely that I'd get distracted on the way to the mall/theater than just turning on a screen and watching the movie.
For an ADD child it makes sense, not because they get some benefit from watching the movie but because it just might be easier for the parent to finish the movie in the theater.
Keep in mind that most ADD people can hyper-focus on things they find interesting. They are more likely than average to be able to sit through a 5 hour movie if they really find it interesting, or binge-watch 40 hours of a TV show in a week. It is the routine/boring stuff that they have trouble staying focused on. If they're distracted watching a movie at home, they probably also don't really care what happened in that movie.
So a person with serious ADD/ADHD who has to watch a movie in order to write a review of it, maybe they should watch it in the theater. Otherwise, probably not useful to them.
Nothing like this toxic lot to remind me why I moved to Australia. Where do I begin. Honestly who snacks between meals so why are concession prices relevant. Crowds here are very well behaved. The sound can be too loud true. Where I go I get pre-assigned seating and it's nice to catch an indie after a supper in the city.
Regal's big ass glasses tends to not work at the start
Are the glasses only supplied and/or needed for those with big asses, or do you get different sizes for those with smaller behinds?
How are ass glasses supposed to work anyway?!
Oh... anyway, obligatory XKCD.
"Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
1: Arguably, home screens in the 50+ inch category can deliver a similar experience. If not, there are still projection systems that CAN. And you don't have to sit 10-20 feet back from the screen to get the effect.
2: Sorry, but "people everywhere" is part of the PROBLEM of big theaters. All the noise they generate. Or being crammed too close together with someone. Or if someone has foregone their "bi-annual bath". Or they eat loud *candy bag crinkle*, etc.
3: Sorry, not an issue.
4: Again, not an issue.
5: High end home theater systems can deliver wonderful sound quality. And I would argue that modern theaters are, quite simply, TOO LOUD. Some films are cranked so high they cause auditory distress in the viewer.
6: This is 2017 goddammit. Fuck previews. We can watch them on the Internet. Or they can do what they ALREADY do. Include them ahead of the movie for a specific amount of time.
7: How is some jackass group of kids jawing away while you're trying to watch any less of a disruption? Besides, I'm single. I don't have an issue with kids screaming. Nor is my living space set up in a way that makes doing dishes while watching a movie even possible, let alone feasible. NOT AN ISSUE!
8: And here, arguably, a home environment still delivers a superior bonding time with friends, loved ones, etc. Additional audience members are, inevitably, unwanted distractions. And the penchant of theaters moving towards assigned seating makes this even worse.
9: At home I can curl up WITH A FUCKING TWO LITER (67.6 ounces) if I want. And it costs me under a buck. Not $6-8. Same for candy and other concession-type items. And, with the shift towards lots of theaters offering "American Grill" food? I can bring in (or have delivered, or cook) almost anything my tubby little heart (well, actually it's a digestive organ below my heart) desires!
10: Who the fuck cares about "bragging rights"? Seriously, what mental defective gives a damn about "bragging rights" to seeing a film? Especially when it's "Well *I* saw it IN A THEATER?"
Sorry, but the theater experience just isn't THAT special anymore. And the industry simply hasn't kept pace, while growing every more ridiculously expensive. Nowadays, the price of tickets and food (unless you either just go hungry or sneak stuff in) weighs in around $50-70 for two people. And, combined with other people's atrocious public behavior, why should anyone subject themselves to this?
Chas - The one, the only.
THANK GOD!!!
1. prices (tickets)
2. annoying assholes
3. prices (food)
4. no pause button to hit the bathroom
5. prices (gas to drive there)
6. no reachability on your cell
Sorry but that overrides their pathetic list
2: Waiting in line to fork over money for soda and popcorn
3: Waiting in line to take a piss while missing out on the action (due to soda from #2).
I never had to wait in line, but I *was* very reluctant to visit the toilets (also for reason #2 above) in case I missed anything important despite the fact that what I was watching was endless, tedious CGI shoot-'em-up nonsense.
:-O
I wondered if the film had been as disappointing as I'd thought or if it was just my discomfort that put me off.
Having seen it a second time, I realised that (a) No, The Matrix Revolutions really *was* that bad and (b) I needed my head examined for having gone to see The Matrix Revolutions *twice*!
"Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
I think it's hilarious that you can judge the age of Slashdot by the comments on this thread. The chief rebuttals to the list are:
1. It's too loud!
2. Screen is too big! Hurts my neck!
3. Soda gives you diabetes!
4. Candy is too expensive!
5. I have to pee!
Ha ha. Slashdot, underwritten by AARP. And I say this as someone whos slashdot ID is 20,000.
First theaters have become wallet vampires. They are way too expensive. Then there is the awful popcorn and offerings at the candy counters. Gone are the days when the best popcorn came from a theater. Then there is the expense of driving, parking issues, getting robbed or in wrecks and a host of other negatives. Watch it at home, save your money, save your life, and have some decent snacks while you watch your cable TV.
I like an old movie palace with a working pipe organ that is played before big shows. There is nothing quite like hearing the mighty wurlitzer roaring out pop tunes from the 1930s and then the latest star wars movie starts playing.
Man, you really need that seminar!
* Spend an hour driving halfway across the city.
* Pay insane price for parking.
* Stand in line for 30 minutes for movie tickets.
* Pay insane price for tickets.
* Cramped seat.
* Freeze in over-air-conditioned cinema.
* 30 minutes of ads and trailers before the movie begins.
* Movie screening starts at an inconvenient time for me.
* Insane food prices.
* Yakking loudmouths and screaming kids.
* Effing * L O U D * volume to drown out all the cellphone yakkers
and screaming kids. It literally hurts my ears.
* Other patrons engaging in chemical warfare with strong body odour and/or horrible "perfume".
* Cellphones beeping and screens lighting up in my field of view.
* Feet stick to the floor.
* Miss some action if I have to go to the bathroom.
* Dirty bathroom.
* Curtains occasionally blocking left or right edge of screen.
* Scratches+artifacts on older movies.
* Asshole kid behind you kicking the back of your chair.
* Take 20 minutes to get out of parking lot after the movie.
* Another hour to drive home.
I'm not repeating myself
I'm an X window user; I'm an ex-Windows user
I just saw Ghost In The Shell in from a comfy, ideally-centered seat that I reserved online, in IMAX 3D, with an incredible sound system. There is no movie experience outside of a theatre that can match that, and I am happy to make the "effort" of going.
I also enjoy seeing trailers for upcoming movies. When I've paid good money to see a movie and inflated prices for snacks, however, it really pisses me off to be subjected to TV commercials run through a shitty little VGA projector before the show.
The whole movie theater experience sucks these days, but there are aspects of watching a movie on DVD/Blu-Ray at home that suck as well.
How many industries threaten their customers with five years in federal prison every time they use one of their products?
I hate previews--it's one of the things I hate most about the theater experience. More and more DVDs and Blu-Rays prevent you from skipping through previews. They force you to watch them every time you play a disc, even if you've seen them a dozen times. That sucks even more than previews in a theater.
My town has a really nice art house, built and operated by our annual film festival. Outside of festival week, it's a great place to see opera simulcasts and dinner-and-movie theme evenings. For everything else, and I watch a lot of movies, there's Netflix.
None of the so-called "advantages" mentioned means anything to me.
I'd rather relax in the comfort of my own home, free to watch at my own pace and sound level. Plus there are no dickheads talking on the phone, no screaming toddlers or obnoxious teenagers, no over-priced boxes of M&Ms, and I can drink as much as I like of whatever I want.
Best of all, when I'm done I don't have to drive home because I'm already there.
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
What they mean is seeing movies the way your parents did. How are theaters going to compete when the first full-length VR/3D movies are made that require headsets consisting of a mobile phone and bits of cardboard? Theaters are the buggy whips of the 21st century.
Yes, when I have to go to the restroom due to my old body!
Also, I like to control what I am watching like rewind, fast forward (FF), skip, etc.
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
1. Theater full of people...that won't SHUT UP, or have their phones on, or just flat make noise, kick the back of your chair. 2. OVERPRICED snacks. Easier to sneak in what you want, except for a big bag of popcorn. 3. Parking halfway across a crowded lot, only to find it raining when you come out of the theater. I'd rather watch it at home, with my OWN snacks, at my OWN time...cheaper, easier. Plus, the choice of movies is pretty bad these days.
The Big Ass Glasses
Last 3-4 days we saw posts how theater is dying and hollywood not making enough (how greedy can these people be ?) money wise, netflix and people watching stuff at home.
Now this article... looks like PR. Hey, didn't you know ? It's cool to watch movie in theater".
I just love how they got bashed in all the comments here.
That's what the tinseltown theater by me charges.
The Edwards theater wants $12 for the same movie. It's just not worth it.
She was like chocolate when she drank... semi-sweet at first and then increasingly bitter.
Let's analyze this:
>1. The big screen. There's something to be said about watching visual storytelling on a three-story screen, particularly when the film really takes advantage of the format.
Sitting 10 feet from my 75" UHDTV is just fine for me
>2. People everywhere. A group of people laughing together simultaneously triggers a feeling that you should laugh, too; during a suspenseful moment, you can feel dozens of strangers suck in their breath together.
I don't like comedies, generally. And I don't need my mood "enhanced" by what others feel.
>3. Focus. Even people who try their hardest to give a movie their undivided attention on a living-room screen have fallen victim to temptations like "Well, I'm just sitting here, I might as well pay the electric bill."
Are you kidding? I don't know about most people, but I don't play games or pay bills while watching a movie at home. And I certainly don't need to be "trapped" someplace to have self-discipline.
>4. Relentlessness. Part of the advantage of that kind of focus is that movies that are tense, scary, or deeply emotional can cast much more of a spell over you when you don't have the option to pause or turn away from the worst, then rewind later to catch it safely out of context.
The only time I pause is to go to the bathroom or something. The only time I fast-forward is when the content is so BORING or STUPID that I am trying to salvage the otherwise poor content.
>5. A massive speaker system.
More massive than what I have in my house for my smaller area? I have a high-end amplifier and speakers and perfectly tuned and balanced surround sound system. I have yet to be in a theater that has even remotely as close a correct balance. Usually theaters are just LOUD... so loud I have to wear EARPLUGS!
>6. Previews.
That is an advantage? To have to get there early to get a decent seat and then be subjected to 15 to 20 MINUTES of previews, ads, and public service messages? If I want to watch previews, I can do that on my phone, tablet, computer, anytime I want, and for FREE.
>7. Disruption. A problem with watching movies at home is that it makes the film-watching experience blur into the same experience as surfing cable [...]
OK, you HAVE to be kidding. People talking, chewing, walking around, crinkling food wrappers, crying, messing with phones, wearing tons of nasty perfume, yelling, tapping on my seat... what could be MORE disruption than sitting in a typical theater?
>8. Alone time. Going to the movies with friends or your significant other can be a cherished pastime, especially when you're surrounded by an excited audience.
This is about the only thing on the entire list that has some validity. But guess what? My friends can come over and watch at my home, too.
>9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark.
Why would I want that? I typically drink water and I am certainly not going to pay $6 for some stupid soda worth $0.50.
>10. Bragging rights.
??? Bragging about what? That I was "man enough" to fight traffic, parking, and all the above inconveniences and distractions and earplugs to have watched a movie in a theater? Wow.
Bring back drive-ins. The newer generation already thinks their grandparent's stuff is cool. It would work. You could even encourage hotels or camp grounds to build them to also increase travel industry.
What, you mean the sinks were all full too...?!?!!
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
Not sure what the current "theatre experience" is like in the US - it's been a while since I've visited - but here in Australia things have changed a lot over the past few years:
1. Better, bigger, reclining seats = less people in a given size of cinema. I'd guess that my local multiplex now holds 1/2 the number of people it used to per cinema, in cinemas that are the same size as they've always been. Pretty sure this has led to less noise in the cinemas - with people no longer sitting where they can whisper/yell in each other's ears, there seems to be a tendency for people to shut up as soon as the movie starts playing. And leg room, my god the leg room... - there's no way I can even touch the row in front with my feet even if I try now, whereas I used to have my knees jammed up under my chin
2. Food has gone decidedly upmarket. Yep, it's still ridiculously expensive and I normally make a quick run by the supermarket for supplies rather than spending 2 weeks' salary on a drink
3. New release movies seem to have blanket screenings, while slightly older movies linger for longer than before but generally only for 1-2 screenings per day. At any time, there's probably 3-5 new movies showing in 20+ screenings per day at a single multiplex and maybe 10 other slightly older movies doing 1-2 screenings per day. That's a change from maybe 10 newish movies showing maybe ~10 screenings per day, and nothing else. Used to be that if you missed the start of a movie's screening time by a few weeks, you'd missed your chance to see it in a cinema; currently "Rogue One" is still showing daily and it's already on DVD/BlueRay
4. Used to be that every multiplex in a chain got all the same movies at the same time; now there seems to have been a demographic shift such that "old people" locations get more "old people movie" times, and inner city gets a lot more foreign films
Many theaters here have adopted the larger reclining seats, and they are nice. But they've also added stupidity.
Now they have assigned seating. And people have learned a neat trick. Say you go to the theater, buy your tickets, spend your $60+ dollars. Go sit down.
Then, the smart couple shows up at the theater. They buy two seats and don't care where. They go in JUST before the movie starts and find a single open seat in the middle of the theater. They look at you, sitting in the seat you bought, and tell you that you are in the wrong seat just as the lights go down.
Now you're screwed. Oh, you can argue - as the lights are down and the movie is starting. Everyone around you won't care whose seat it really is, and will hate you. Your day is ruined. The movie is ruined. Good luck.
It's happened twice to me know in two different theaters. It's a scam people have figured out so that they can sit where-ever they like. And the theater? Fucking worthless. Oh, you can go find an attendant, but they won't ruin the movie for everyone else. They'll offer a refund, or a free movie later. But you're already fucked.
The food here still sucks. Stale hot pretzels. Half-assed broken popcorn. Some places now have a 'bar'. But what the fuck is the point really? Can't take the liquor into most of the theaters.
Theaters are fucked.
haha!!! That's what got me to stop going to the movies!
In Norway, it used to be English or Norwegian Dub
Now, it's Norwegian 3d Dub, Norwegian 2d Dub, English 3d.... there's no frigging English 2d most of the time...
Of course this is just animated films.... but I didn't go to the movies without the kids. So, I've been to an average of one movie a year since 3d came out.
Here's the thing, Interpupillary distance... it makes 3D REALLY REALLY suck. Add to that the distance from the screen and 3d there are maybe 4 seats in the entire theater that doesn't make 3d so bad it's completely unwatchable.
If you want 3d, play a video game on Oculus, at least there, they can rerender the entire scene for your eyes.
I am typing this on a 5 year old 720p laser/led projector running at 1920x1080 and I can tell you there's no reason to go to the theater.
$50!!!! Are you frigging kidding me, tickets and snack store costs at least $110 here for 2 adults and 2 munchkins
Not to mention 15 minutes of advertisement at beginning, people that forget to silence their smartphones, etc... We would have to go to big city to get to movie theater, so we don't do that very often. Not to mention tickets here costs so much...
My screen is 204" diagonal. I can muddle through.
Yes, and catch the latest airborne disease. No thank you. And just by the by, I actually do have my own reactions and am content to experience them without being sucked in by the cinematic equivalent of Stockholm syndrome.
You have to be kidding me. At home, no crying babies, no cellphones going off, no ushers hassling people to put their feet down, no one getting up and down in front of you to hit the head or the snack bar... "people" screwing up my focus are the main reason why I don't go to the theater!
Sometimes the need for the bathroom is relentless. Given the one against the other, I'll take the pause button, thanks. Other reasons too, but that one wins every time, and theaters can't beat it, period.
I only have 2,000 watts RMS, dual 18" subs... you get the idea. I can cripple along with it.
You left out "local ads" and the "turn off your cellphone" schtick (which apparently a large portion of the audience is too dull to comprehend) and by the way, these previews are for movies that suck, and lastly, most disks these days do have previews, but I can skip them if they suck, which, like at the theater, they usually do. Until they bring back cartoons (hello, Scrat!), you got nuthin here. Tip: replacing cartoons with sucky local ads... not a win for the theater enterprise working to keep customers coming in.
Sounds like a (series of) personal problem(s) to me. The only disruption that matters is the one you can't control. In other words, a theater full of people whom you have no authority over. No thank you. Also, I never do any of those things. So there's that.
Well, yeah, but I can have that at home, too. Nothing to see here, move along.
yeah, washing over your feet when the idiot behind you forgets and knocks it off the chair arm, which, by the way, there is only one of per person, unlike my actual theater seating, which is full bore, two-arm reclining awesomness x5.
I believe you misspelled "embarrassment." As in: "I spent way too much for something I only saw part of while being severely annoyed by others, paying too much for snacks of which there is a very poor selec
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
Some asshat likes the theater. Good for them, but what part of this is 1) news and 2) worth the time it would take for me to read the whole summary, let alone the article?
Here's my take on the "10" items:
1. The big screen.
- IMAX, yes. There are some movies that I will go to see in IMAX (Star Wars!), or at least iSense in ODEON.
- Other movies I'm happy to see on a 'normal' cinema screen, although I find that in my local cinema these tend to be badly calibrated and slightly out of focus
2. People everywhere.
- this isn't always a good thing. Sometimes it's fine, but there are those people who will sit whispering to each other or chomping on popcorn... people can spoil the experience you want to enjoy, and this is generally a reason that I don't go to the cinema.
3. Focus.
- agreed, and this is the main reason I _do_ go to the cinema. If I'm watching a film at home, I'll inevitably take out my phone at some point. If I'm in the cinema, I never do. Some people do, but they are very few.
4. Relentlessness.
- Em, what now?
5. A massive speaker system.
- good and bad. I've a good speaker setup (5.1) at home, but the cinema setup is (and always will be) better, unless I have a few spare thousand euro to spend. And I've better things to spend that money on. But sometimes the cinema speakers can be turned up a bit too much. (that said, it might be to drown out the people whispering to each other).
6. Previews.
- meh. Yeah, it's an opportunity to see what's coming up. But cinemas tend to play too many of them, and too many ads. I've paid to watch the film at 8pm, so why is it now 8:20 and it hasn't started yet?
- the only advantage to ads and previews is that most people have finished their popcorn by the time the movie starts.
7. Disruption.
- isn't this just point 3 again?
8. Alone time.
- em, what? alone time means being alone, so how does going to the cinema with friends or family mean alone time?
9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark.
- Paying a fortune for getting diabetes for watching a film in a cinema...? And then needing to run to the bathroom during the best bits. No
- I don't buy drinks or food in a cinema - far too expensive, and generally not particularly nice either. I'll eat before hand, or afterward, and I wish more people would.
10. Bragging rights.
- Bragging about what?
So 2 good points, 3 ok points, and 5 that aren't actually arguments for going to the cinema at all, IMHO.
If I want the "shared experience" that point 1 discusses, I call my friends and we make a movie night of it. Even if a dozen people come over we have room and we can then share in the experience without having to include people that won't get off the phone.
Even better - they bring the beer. I started doing this back when I was a student. They'd all bring about half the cost of a cinema ticket's worth of food / beer and we'd have a much better time than if we'd gone to the cinema. I've got a better projector since then (I bought my first one jointly with my housemates and within a year it had cost less than the amount that we'd been spending on cinemas). I don't see films right after they come out, but since I stopped watching ads on TV and in the cinema, I've started caring about that a whole lot less.
I am TheRaven on Soylent News
I was lucky to go to a reference theater in LA. Perfect sound, perfect picture. No sticky floors or icky seats. It can be a trip elsewhere if done right. Also, no ads before rolling the film. My problem with going to the local multiplex is this...endless ads and previews. When you need to get there a full half hour before the movie you see is rolled, and are forced to sit through loud commercials and endless previews, but hey, I paid to sit here ! Worse, each ad requires full use of the sound system and as much razzle dazzle as possible. Local movie theater ads...then the distributor's ads...then the mandatory ad reel from the studio...more movie theater ads...and then, maybe...the actual movie. Star Wars took over a half hour to get to the movie. Imagine going out to a nice dinner, but the appetizers are all lemons, a bowl of sugar, an onion, and you are forced to eat each one before the main course comes out. Wrecks the palate before you begin. I'd rather see a Blu Ray at home in most cases. It has to be something I really want to see to subject myself to the pack at the beginning of the film.
Explain that directors and film editors ALWAYS put Easter Eggs in those scenes. Also swap(1,6)
Someone get the lights. We're done here.
Great reply to the points. Couldn't habe said it better
I do not like going to movie theaters to watch movies. Too often, you have the chatty cathy talking over the movie, or worse, playing siskel and ebert. I like being able to watch a movie in the comfort and privacy of my own home. I have a decent-sized 60" television which provides an experience that is more than adequate. I can also pause the movie to use the bathroom or fix a snack. I'm a little hard of hearing so if I miss a line, I can always rewind. Plus, prices to see movies in the theater have become really ridiculous. Between the cost of the movie and maybe some popcorn and a beverage, you are approaching the cost of eating a decent dinner out. I would rather sit and eat a relaxed dinner. There is just no compelling reason to go to see a movie in a theater anymore.
I still like the theater on one condition: I go to morning showings. I took a few hours off work and went to Episode VII the day after it was released at a 9:30 a.m. showing. It was me and about four other people in the theater. The evening and afternoon shows were sold out for at least a week solid. (No, I'm not interested in debating the merits of Episode VII. It was one of the rare films I just wanted to see right away.)
Eliminating the crowds eliminates 90% of the nuisances. And it's nice giving a film your full attention now and then, even if I only do it a few times a year.
Sweet informative mod.
Depends on the wife. The best strategy is to find this out about her *before* you get married; if she's jealous about you looking at women in a movie, don't marry her. (It's also not a bad idea to just not get married in the first place.)
Avatar had fantastic 3D and visuals. Plot-wise, it was ok. But it was absolutely worth seeing in the theater (or at least a really good 3D home-theater screen) just because of the 3D.
However, that was in 2009. I don't think there's been any movies like that since, just a whole bunch of lousy movies with lousy 3D.
I think #10, bragging rights, is the main reason people I know go to movies. They want to be the first to see it no matter what it costs or what efforts they have to endure.
Except The Verge has no concept of bragging rights...
Bragging rights. Tell me which one sounds better: “When I saw A New Hope at midnight at the drive-in” vs. “When I watched A New Hope on VHS in 1982.” There’s no question, okay? That was just a rhetorical exercise.
Good. Because anyone bragging about seeing something called "A New Hope" is three years late for any credibility.
I'm picturing an old neckbeard dude saying "Usher, please remove this man, he cited a gallup poll!"
Where are you going that they still have ushers you can find BTW?
You have a legitimate high end sound system that can compete with the best of theater sound setups. The only thing you don't yet have is elevated surrounds for Dolby Atmos, and there aren't many films that take advantage of that yet. And your 4K OLED screen produces a better image than any current theater technology. Most people don't have equipment like that, so a well equipped theater is likely to have an edge.
The one thing you can't compete with, aside from the dubious advantage of the crowd, is sheer size. You can fill your vision as thoroughly with your OLED screen by sitting at an appropriate distance. But the bigness of the theater screen has an impact on the brain that is not just about filling your visual field, and you can't duplicate that in a living room.
Most movie previews are available on YouTube. If you want previews with your movie, put together a suitable playlist and watch them first.
Theaters around here have been adding real bars; they can match or exceed your at-home drink selection unless you have a really well equipped bar. But your home bar is much more affordable, and it has your favorite brands even if they are obscure.
The bragging rights thing is mostly about seeing it first. If we get same-day home viewing that will largely go away. But I suspect that the Thursday night preview showings will remain a theater thing for now; same-day will probably mean that the viewing window will open at noon on Friday.
A final question remains for this at-home thing: how good an image will they offer? If they want to match the quality of the theater image they're going to have to deliver a BIG file - perhaps 100GB or more. (It won't have to be as big as the DCP because the data compression used in that format is inefficient by current standards.) If they stick to the data rates that are currently being used for 4K streaming (15-25 Mbps, which adds up to a bit over 20GB for a two hour movie) you're going to see more compression artifacts than you see in the theater.
The Sony 4K projectors are excellent for 2D movies. They're better to my eyes than the equipment that is currently in most IMAX theaters. (The few with the frickin' laser beams are the exception.) But they are marginal for 3D because they don't put out enough light.
Hugo. That's another movie that got 3D right. And it's also a wonderful film.
Computer animated films always do 3D well, which isn't surprising since they're made from 3D data models. But Up is the only one I've seen where watching in 3D added much to the experience.
I rather liked how the 3D in Tim Burton's take on Alice in Wonderland worked out. That was a conversion from 2D, and in the live action scenes in the real world it looked unconvincing. But in Wonderland, where all the backgrounds were computer generated, it worked really well. It had the paradoxical result that Wonderland looked more real than the real world did, which was effective in the context of the film.
That's all I've got. 3D can enhance a film if it's done well and if the film is something that calls for it. Otherwise it's mostly a waste of time. It's not going to bring much to the table if you're making a character-driven film; what would be the point of making Moonlight or Manchester by the Sea in 3D?
Whether you can take the drinks into the theater depends on local law. Around here you can certainly bring in your beer or wine; haven't tried it with the spirits.
Digital projection has allowed theaters to adopt much more flexible screening times. I have seen cases where each of the four or five screening times is a different film. Once you have loaded all the films and their associated decryption keys into the server, it's just a matter of pushing one button to make the system show another movie.
You also had that back in the days of multiple reels that were actively changed by projectionists. But it was lost in the era of gigantic platters that hold an entire film. Most theaters with platter systems only had one platter per screen, so once it was set up that screen was going to be showing nothing but that one film for a week. Some fancier theaters had two platters so it was possible to switch between the two films, so you might get something family friendly for the matinees and an R-rated film for the late shows.
Setting up those platters was a lot of work. The films weren't shipped that way; you still got them on individual reels. All those reels had to be transferred to the platter and spliced together, and when the run was over you had to take the film back apart and put it back on the reels before returning it. Transferring a DCP file to a server is much easier.
I won't go find an attendant. I'll just refuse to move. THEY can go find an attendant and miss the first ten minutes of the movie. But I admit that I don't care if the people around me hate me; I'm RIGHT after all.
A book should serve as an ax to the frozen sea within us.
Kafka
Wish I could upvote you. Haven't been in a theater since 2012 and I doubt I'll ever go back. People is the problem. They're on their phones, they get up to go get snacks, drinks, or go to the bathroom. They talk incessantly. In addition, when I watch a movie in my home, there are no commercials. I'm forced to watch them in the theater.
What if I don't want to laugh?
For example, when I was watching The Lord of the Rings, I believe it was The Two Towers, there was a scene where Gollum was having an argument with Smeagol. The entire theater was laughing at the back-and-forth between the two. It seemed to me that I was the only one who recognized the seriousness of the moment at hand, the severe mental illness and psychological stressors that brought about that exchange. Sometimes the rest of the audience is dumb.
1. The big screen. There's something to be said about watching visual storytelling on a three-story screen, particularly when the film really takes advantage of the format.
If there's something to be said for it, then say it.
2. People everywhere. A group of people laughing together simultaneously triggers a feeling that you should laugh, too; during a suspenseful moment, you can feel dozens of strangers suck in their breath together.
A group of people talking to each other and making phone calls during the film, on the other hand...
3. Focus. Even people who try their hardest to give a movie their undivided attention on a living-room screen have fallen victim to temptations like "Well, I'm just sitting here, I might as well pay the electric bill."
Ah, argument by assertion. If I want to watch something, I watch it. If I don't want to watch it, I don't.
4. Relentlessness. Part of the advantage of that kind of focus is that movies that are tense, scary, or deeply emotional can cast much more of a spell over you when you don't have the option to pause or turn away from the worst, then rewind later to catch it safely out of context.
More argument by assertion.
5. A massive speaker system.
... is an excellent reason not to go to the cinema. I might be willing to pay cash to see a film; I'm not willing to pay with my hearing.
6. Previews.
Oh, hey! We have ads! You can't get those at home!
7. Disruption. A problem with watching movies at home is that it makes the film-watching experience blur into the same experience as surfing cable channels, running a Netflix comedy show in the background while you do dishes, or half-assedly watching an Adventure Time marathon while stoned.
Assertion, assertion, assertion. Perhaps I do not do any of those things. (As it happens, I don't.)
8. Alone time. Going to the movies with friends or your significant other can be a cherished pastime, especially when you're surrounded by an excited audience.
Whereas I can't cherish the time I spend with friends and family at home? And - mirabile dictu - some of us don't think an audience improves things.
9. 32 ounces of cola in the dark.
Ugh.
10. Bragging rights.
What the ever-lovin' fuck? People brag about going to the movies?
What a mind-bogglingly stupid series of arguments.
The Sony 4K ones in the theaters new me don't seem to have very good contrast or dynamic range, in my opinion. Perhaps my theaters use cheap(er) ones.
I don't know, but it works for me.
I didn't see those movies so I'll grant you those, but it sounds like basically after at least 8 years of the modern wave of 3D movies, we have 4 that are worth watching in a theater. That's really not very good economics, and not enough to make a convincing case that theaters are worth patronizing, and to keep those theaters in business.
Speaking of keeping them in business, I keep seeing articles about certain parties trying to brainwash us into going back to the theater, so I'm really curious: are there are hard numbers about how the cinema business is doing these days? Are they just whining, or are they really in danger of going under as an industry? Maybe I'm being forgetful or missing something, but I never seem to see this part of the story. I do see stories regularly about how Macy's and Sears are closing stores and Kmart is shutting down and various other retailers have folded, but I haven't seen anything about theater chains like AMC shutting down hundreds of locations.
You're not that different. You both hate the commercials, he just likes the previews. Personally, I mostly agree with him; I like being able to see previews too, for movies I'm interested in. However, it'd be better with a "skip" function if the movie is obviously crap. But the previews are really not a complaint of mine with theaters; I have far bigger complaints about them (volume, other patrons, no rewind/pause, sticky floors, high prices, no good food, etc.).
There's no way to please everyone 100% all the time, that's true, but it's possible to come to workable compromises and not worry about small details. But theaters aren't doing anything to address all these other complaints which many other people have.
There's a certain group of people who think there's some kind of prestige in being first to see/hear something. I knew a guy in my dorm in college who thought he was somehow getting bragging rights because he picked up a copy of REM's "Automatic for the People" album when it was just released. Whoopee, that's nice. These are people who chase the new shiny, and have little appreciation for quality, or ability to discern it.
Gravity was good in 3d.
Star Trek transporters are just 3d printers.
They don't just sit there and passively let the hero walk into a trap, they'll jump right up and try to warn him. "Look out, he's behind the door! Don't go in!"
It restores your faith in humanity, after a day of reading libertarian psychopath comments on the internet.
Star Trek transporters are just 3d printers.
I started going to the movies again when they opened a Movie Tavern in the area. Reserved stadium seating, large reclining chairs, waiter service to your seat with a button on the tray to summon them, decent food and BEER in a glass!! Prices aren't much higher than a regular movie theater and the food is around Applebees quality and price with a decent drink selection. Shit - the beer is cheaper than the popcorn. Score that a fucking win in my book! Living like Vincent Vega in Amsterdam.
Well, if you're stopping it to check for nipples while watching with other people that is pretty weird and selfish behavior. So I don't see any reason why I'd presume there is anything wrong with her response, or that she's jealous. I mean, even a person who is feeling jealous, they would like be even more upset at the asshole behavior. To not even be bothered by the anti-social part, and then also get jealous about screen-people, yeah, hopefully a person would notice that sort of problem at the dating stage. But then it that case they're both so useless that maybe they should stick it out.
There are probably half a dozen more that I haven't seen. I'd like to see the technology survive for the sake of the films where it really adds something.
I also saw the three Hobbit films in HFR (high frame rate) 3D. (Like Avatar and Hugo, they were filmed natively in 3D.) I didn't cite them as examples because I'm not in love with them as films. Jackson tried to do too much with too little source material, he completely changed the tone of what is supposed to be a charming children's story, and he committed the cardinal sin of not trusting his audience when he decided to end part 2 with a cliffhanger. (Trying to make sure people came back for part 3 is the only justification for ending it in the middle of a battle rather than ending part 2 at the end of the battle, which would have been much more natural. If I were ever to show the trilogy at home I would fix that; I'd splice the battle scene together to run as a unit at the end of part 2 and take the bathroom and snack break after it was over.) But the 3D was effective at immersing you in the environment; it's a showcase for what the technology can do.
HFR and 3D are a synergistic combination; each enhances the sense of realism of the other. That was perhaps the reason that some people reacted so negatively to its use in The Hobbit. They don't want to be immersed quite that thoroughly in a movie experience, they prefer a bit of separation from it. Virtual reality movies, should they ever appear, will be a tough sell to people who feel that way.
Personally I only saw the first Hobbit movie, and was rather unimpressed, not only by the story but also the FX. It looked really fake in many places. The 3D and HFR was technically impressive, but I didn't think it was really great overall. It is weird how different those movies were from the LotR movies. Are we sure they were made by the same Peter Jackson? Maybe the real one was killed and he was replaced by an evil clone. That would explain it. Or perhaps he has an evil twin brother who knocked him off.
Anyway, the problem I see is that even if there's 20 worthwhile movies, that's still only about 2.5 per year. That just doesn't seem like enough to keep very many theaters going, maybe not even any. However, that brings me back to my prior post: what are the box-office sales really like? Well, according to this doom-and-gloom article, plus these domestic ticket sales numbers from 1995 to now, it's really not that bad. Just in the US, the number of tickets sold seems to really have been rather constant since 1995: it was 1.33B (billion!) tickets in 2016, up from 1.22B in '95. Of course, most years in between '97--'15 were higher, but not that much. 2010 and 2011 were even worse, as was 2014. But overall, these numbers look fairly constant to me. So even with all the "theaters suck!" comments here, obviously someone's buying these tickets, and it makes sense since so many anti-theater comments are complaining about the other patrons. Now if you look at these numbers on a per-capita basis, it doesn't look so great since the population has grown since '95, but still, it sure doesn't look like the theaters are in danger of losing all their viewers any time soon. If they can't figure out how to stay in the black and keep their doors open with all these willing theater-goers, then they're doing something else very wrong. Honestly, this sounds to me like an industry that's whining and moaning because they think they're entitled to constant growth, and they're no longer getting it, but this is nothing new: theaters used to be a LOT more popular (per capita) way back before the color TV became commonplace, or before TVs became affordable.