Netflix's CEO says movie theaters are old news. Director Rian Johnson says his next movie belongs there anyway.
Netflix's CEO says movie theaters are old news. Director Rian Johnson says his next movie belongs there anyway.
I'm confident more people would see films in theater if they had jobs that paid better and worked them fewer hours. My friend with a full time office job and bartending gig at night trying to make rent isn't spending a lot of time and money on theaters.
It's like that meme with the dog saying "no take ball, only throw". The rich don't want to pay us any money, but they want us to spend a lot of money.
I disagree, the people with better pay would use that extra cash and replicate the theater in their homes, and that is not hard to do even on a low budget these days. Why would I want to go into a theater with uncomfortable seating, over-priced and bad food (they need to update their offerings,) people on phones, chatting, yelling, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with a stranger, and not be able to pee without missing a portion of the movie?
I did say "more people" not "all people".
Also, go to better theaters. Alamo Drafthouse (I think they settled their union busting problem) for example will kick people out for being disruptive, and has pretty good food delivered to you at your seat.
Also there's a pretty big gulf between "Let's spend $60 for dinner and a movie" and "let's spend $1600 for a home theater setup"
People are social creatures, and many people enjoy watching something with a crowd.
Me, I prefer watching at home so I can be comfortable and piss at my leisure. But every so often as a change of pace I'd go see it in a theater.
Netflix is old news. The entire system of streaming has full circled back to cable.
This goes for most of the streaming channels, added commercials, increased the prices, it is basically a split cableTV model.
The traditional method of running a movie theater is old news. I don't understand why they've been so slow to adapt, especially when the answer is staring them right in the face; just show older movies.
Theaters are following an outdated business model where they mostly show newly released movies. But people don't want that anymore. Who wants to spend $20 on some generic Hollywood BS that's cranked out today? You know what they would spend $20 on? Seeing The Matrix on the big screen again, taking their kids to see Labyrinth or The Goonies, watching Saving Private Ryan with all the power that movie theater sound systems can deliver.
Oh sure, they're slooooowly adapting. Sometimes theaters will have a single screen with some limited event, not even hosted by the theater, showing something like a Miyazaki film, or a single Star Wars film to celebrate its anniversary. But those are few and far between. Go look at the showtimes for your closest movie theater. The choices suck. Now imagine if there were showtimes for Terminator 2, Seven Samurai, Interstellar, The Big Lebowski, or one of the original Indiana Jones's. Hell, even movies that are considered campy would be good compared to new stuff today. If there was a showtime for The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift, can you honestly say that wouldn't be a more appealing choice than The Accountant 2?
Movie theaters are fun! The whole experience is fun! Getting your drink and snack, settling into a comfy chair, and really watching a movie; no talking, no phones, just the movie with premium quality and sound. And there are SO MANY movies! Why is this experience still almost exclusively for new releases, most of which suck now? You want more people going to your theaters? The solution is RIGHT THERE, just adapt!
I'm lucky to live in LA where there are theaters like this! Alamo Drafthouse is great
In the city I am currently living some independent movie theaters are showing 4k versions of more or less old movies (recently Le Haine, Captain Harlock, Paprika), most of them in original language with subtitles and I am having a blast. I am happily going back to movie theaters and I whish they'd do it more often (also supporting local businesses is a plus).
Someone linked to this clip by Ryan Coogler, director of Sinners (and so many more) talking about film formats.
We stopped going to theaters since the pandemic, but his explanation is getting me amped about going to see this film, even though horror's not my thing.
Netflix has its place but it doesn't replace the theater experience.
I am not a horror fan either and I really enjoyed Sinners. I would almost go so far as to say it has more in common with dramas and musicals than it does horror.
Man who's income relies on people seeing movies on his platform wants other platforms to watch movies gone, more at 11
Netflix was built on people sitting at home, paying halfways attention, being able to pause or watch again
It's an indictment on the modern life
A good film deserves respect. Leave your phone alone. Enjoy the experience
Johnson is right
Between subtitles and the ability to pause/watch in segments I’ve been able to take in and enjoy a lot more movies than I would be able to otherwise.
Accessibility and ease of use should not be condemned for the sake of some “purity” ideal.
That said, if I’m in a movie theater I will absolutely shut my phone, pay attention, and be respectful. Basic consideration in public spaces should always be a given.
Theaters are an outdated model. 1. they are too expensive, especially if a family is involved. 2. even if pricing wasn't an issue, people are now (pushed by COVID) more comfortable (literally) in their own living room. I don't see anything that is going to change this.
Alcohol is even older news and yet people still love alcohol?
What do movie theaters being a new concept or not have to do with people liking them?
"Old news" is an idiom meaning outdated or no longer relevant. It isn't quite that literal.
My point is the minds of business execs like this are so rotten that they can't understand the difference between old and outdated, they value things on vibes and hype because they don't actually know wtf they are doing.
The more people stick their heads into their phones the more the idea of making an event to go see an awesome movie in theaters becomes attractive vs watching it on a phone the way people already watch everything else.
Rian Johnson? The guy that directed The Last Jedi? 🤢
Yeeeah I really can't take anything he says seriously.
Movies do belong in cinemas. Rian Johnson‘s movies do not.