Dustin Hoffman says the cinema is at it's worst.

A afternoon matinee for $16.50, that is insanity!

It seems, that Hollywood, just flew over the cuckoo's nest.

 

Even buying the home video is starting to go away. I suspect within 5 years or less, it'll all be downloads, video on demand, Pay TV, and internet streaming. No more physical media.

The ArcLight is pretty much the most expensive theater in LA, and they tout themselves as a "premium" experience, with no ads, only 2 or 3 trailers prior to the movie, and (theoretically) higher-quality sound and so on. But $16.50 is a bit much, particularly for non-3D, non-Imax, non-65mm and all that stuff.

 

Just because people keep claiming that older people are feeling that way, this does not make it true.
I am older today, and very proud to be, at this point in history. I wouldn't trade the years I was younger in order to be a youth in today's times for ANY amount of money. My generation (and the one before) - when it comes to Arts And Entertainment - will probably always be well-regarded, and the more "dominant" in terms of actual Quality.

 

This has been predicted for at least the past 15 years, but it hasn't happened yet. Even if it gets dramatically lessened, there always were and always will be people who enjoy physical collecting. You can still, for example, collect old 16mm reels of films and show them on a projector. Even get new lamps and repairs, too. The same applies to records, tapes, jukeboxes, 8-Tracks, anything -- it never "disappears" unless an individual wants it to.

 

No, some of them really aren't.

 

Hard to buy a DVD if it's not issued.

 

Perhaps, but they're still being issued.
By the time they're not (if such a day arrives), I'll already have all the movies I could ever want. Hell, I'm pretty much there right now.

 

Not really. Before now, there hasn't been the streaming/download bandwidth to make physical media go away. Now there is, and it will only continue to ramp up. Physical media is on death watch.

 

Let me know when I am no longer able to watch and listen to my physical media.

 

cinematic
adjective cin·e·mat·ic \ˌsi-nə-ˈma-tik\
: of or relating to movies
1 : of, relating to, suggestive of, or suitable for motion pictures or the filming of motion pictures <cinematic principles and techniques>
2 : filmed and presented as a motion picture <cinematic fantasies>

 

He's right.
I just revisited Marathon Man. In no way could that ever be replicated today. Sure it's not perfect and when examined the story shouldn't work at all but it's due to the performances and crafting to the picture that it not only works but is a classic. Hoffman for example is way way too old for his part but his sheer conviction in the role sells it and provides a weight that can stand up to even the likes of Olivier.

There is no subtext any longer in pictures, the bean counters won't allow for it. They'd absolutely keel over with something reeking of depth like Night Moves. That's another I just re watched, where nothing is explained, it hits you like a load of bricks, and merely Gene Hackman's beaten expression speaks VOLUMES.

 

I think physical media will still be made but it'll be more niche...

 

Artistically speaking, some movies are more basic and ordinary, while others are more profoundly done (ie "cinematic"). That's what people mean when they say some films are more cinematic than others.

 

Really.

Who are these people?

 

Very niche, like trying to buy a 45RPM single today. I'm sure there are people who do it.

Tell me: where are all these DVDs and Blu-ray discs being sold at? I see almost no stores carrying physical media any more, certainly not department stores. And all the video chain stores and music chain stores have closed up.

 

well that won't be a problem for me as I have a lot of catching up to do in my collection...buying more than i can watch at the moment. I find it comforting have all these movies.

 

hug, hug...

 

I agree with you 100%. I'm very sad by the death of physical media in our lifetimes: no more still photographs, films, audio tapes, video tapes, CDs, DVDs, books, magazines... nothing. Painting and other kinds of fine art will survive, but those are one-off's, not mass-market releases. There's not a lot of charm to downloads, streaming, and pay-per-view.

 

I cannot imagine a world without those things...but, we have been use to the normalcy of physical possessions.... many youngsters of today see it as a waste of space.

 

They're being sold online mainly these days. Same place as the downloads.
Just because everything in the marketplace has shifted to online rather than stores, it doesn't mean there is no market.

And I think some young people also feel there is no charm to those non-physical things, which is why we are also seeing an interest among new generations in vinyl and collecting, at the precise same time that "everything is going to downloads and streaming". Kids were not interested in vinyl in 1995 -- but they are now. How can that be, NOW of all times, with physical media supposedly about to become some kind of dinosaur? Because there will always be people who want to have things, own things. And some of today's youngest are just learning to enjoy it. (By the way, I still see all those things you have mentioned above out there).

 

That in no way refutes the social and technological trends in media consumption. There are ALWAYS outliers in whatever category you care to reference. No one is saying that all the niche markets will totally disapper, but not by a long-shot will they be mainstream. Think I'll go now and listen to my crystal radio set...

 

I'm not saying they'll be mainstream, nor that they need to be. Just saying it means nothing to those who love physical media.
There will always be enough of us to go around and stay happy together. I'm looking forward to the new blu-ray set of The Complete LOST IN SPACE TV SERIES (weird, because about 10 years ago Fox executives split the old DVDs series into "two=parters", because back then it was claimed it was not commercially viable anymore).

 

I'm thinking niche more like laserdisc. Hollywood will find formats that appeal to more 'serious' videophiles and continue to make some form of physical media...

Funny - every time I go to Wal-Mart, Target or even the local Safeway, I see DVDs and Blu-rays all over the place. Crud, I think they sell DVDs at 7-11!

 

A very common thing seen on DVD/Blu forums are people getting near sexual gratification when discussing the hunt for hard to find embossed/debossed slipcovers and steel books. Lots of youtube videos as well with people showing off their collections. Male and some females.

I got into vinyl in the late 90's. New stuff very tough to find but used stuff could build a solid music collection quickly.

I don't see physical sales of music/movies, but the stores selling them have to adapt. Vancouver has a half dozen DVD outlets with decent selections, one with 30,000 different titles on hand for sale.

 

I'm only allowed 20GB a month, that sounds like a lot, but if my wife tours every house for sale and I look at some You Tube, it runs out fast.
I don't see how anyone can stream a lot of movies with that restriction.