VOD, streaming, netflix, tablets, pay per view, hulu, pirating, burning DVDS....the world has more choices than ever when it comes to movie entertainment. Moreover, movies can be at your fingertips in high definition at the touch of button almost instantaneously.
This begs the question: Are movie theaters becoming obsolete?
As an avid and frequent attendee of the local cinema I would hope not. There's nothing quite like the experience of going to the movies. When you sit down in that seat, and the lights dim, you munch your popcorn and for two hours or more you're transported to the South in the 1860s, the gritty crime filled streets of NYC, or a futuristic dystopia 1,000 years in the future. If you're lucky the film is entertaining. If you're VERY lucky it is memorable. And once in awhile you're blessed with a life changing movie. That's the magic of cinema.
On the other hand you have theaters with screaming kids and adults who don't care. The concessions are overpriced and don't get me started on the cost of movie tickets. Indie films are sacrificed for the superhero movie. And the sound can sometimes be so deafening you find yourself screaming WHAAATT???? like Little John for an hour afterwards.
From that perspective wouldn't it make more sense to stay in the quiet of your home and enjoy the film there? A place where you can make your own popcorn for a couple bucks, see the movie in higher definition than the actual theater, AND avoid the screaming kids? (Provided you don't have any of your own of course.) For some people it's no contest.
And that is why your local movie theater is in danger.
There are just so many convenient and cheaper options available that I fear within a few decades the local movie theater will be a thing of the past. I foresee a time when customers will pay for new theater releases and view them directly on their television, smart phone, or tablet. Speed and ease have become the buzzwords of the 21st century and movies are no different.
You can already see the writing on the wall as small local theaters are being edged out of the picture. The local Rochester theater in my hometown, The Little, is in danger of closing down due to costs. This is in large part due to the reasons aforementioned but also because of large companies like Regal and Tinseltown.
But I fear that they may one day find themselves in the same predicament as The Little.
Is there a way to prevent this? Possibly. It comes down to one thing: money. When it comes to Hollywood they recognize one color and one color only--green. They will go where they can make the most money and if they determine at some point that movie theaters are no longer the best way to make money from their films, then theaters are doomed.
But believe it or not I remain optimistic.
There are people who will always crave that unique experience that is the theater. I sincerely hope that if I ever have children I will get to experience taking my son or daughter to the theater for the first time. However, I'm a realist enough to know that it may not happen.
In the end I don't have the prescience of a Kyle MachLachlan from 1984's Dune. It is my sincere hope however that the song "let's all go to the lobby" will still resonate a century from now.
There's no question that people are beginning to prefer the home experience over going to the theater. Home tech has caught up, and combine that with privacy and cost, and it's no wonder theaters are suffering. Some sports venues are experiencing the same thing, but sports will always have the "be there for history" aspect, and along with the idea that each game happens once, in one place - compared to the same movie being shown on 1,000's of screens.
ReplyDeleteI think the one thing that theaters need to do, and are already doing, is make the movie-going experience both more social, and more upscale. It used to be that going to a movie was a cheap date, not so anymore. So, places are doing stuff like having full dinner menus with waitstaff service, higher-end food, etc. Personally, I would think it would be fun to watch a movie and eat a good meal at the same time, with friends.
One other thing I would like to see to go along with that is maybe have some way for people to sit around the table and have conversations with the people during the movie. That would make it seem more like being at home. Maybe instead of a single theater with a lot of seats, have smaller rooms (seating, say, 10-20 people max) with a large screen, full waitstaff service, full bar, etc. Basically, combine the movie theater with an upscale restaurant.