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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
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
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
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.
(My wife has a serious pause button abuse issue)
The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
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.
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.........
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?
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.
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
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
A 65" screen with a soundbar does not equal a Home Theater.
There's no spec sheet for a home theater, it's whatever someone is happy with. My 65" TV and 2.1 soundbar are more than adequate.
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...
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
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
>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.
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?
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.
You'll never get good sound without superconductor speaker cables and a continuous supply of liquid nitrogen to keep then working. Don't forget the extra virgin olive oil to keep the electrons lubricated.
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