If you want variety in movies, go see them in the theater, dammit!

My wife, who has seen 120 films in the theater this year just Tweeted:

2 minutes before Yardie starts, on a Saturday night. Directed by Idris Elba. Why the **** am I the only one in here? People who complain about there only being prequels, sequels, remakes, reboots & super movies in theaters, **** YOU.
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This is the film she is talking about:



This is in downtown Chicago on a weekend night. And she is literally the only person in the theater:



No, don't wait for it on NetFlix, because that is not enough to keep new films being made. If you only show up in the theater for huge spectacle movies, that is all they are going to make.

 

Nah, I prefer the Netflix motion picture experience to the theatrical motion picture experience, hands down. In fact, it is Netflix that is making a diverse (from budgets to genres) constellation of movies and other content, more so than the major studios.

 

It's not a sustainable model.

 

What isn't?

 

I think Netflix has been bleeding thru a lot of cash.

 

Also, the existing studios really don't like selling films to Netflix or Amazon, which is why they got to the film production business in the first place. Both are depending upon constant growth, and there's only so far that can go. I'm sure Netflix is going to hit a plateau if they haven't already, and Amazon has already signed up most of the middle class and wealthy, and has had to seek out ways to attract the poor.

Whether some like them or not, movie theaters are a sustainable model.

 

I'm lucky if I thoroughly enjoy 3 films a year these days. The idea of trudging myself to the theater to go see a movie I'll most likely grow bored with doesn't appeal to me in the slightest, even if I might find myself pleasantly surprised on occasion. I would also add that you consistently fail to address the complete oversaturation and fragmentation of these small, poorly marketed films, choosing instead to put their failures primarily at the feet of moviegoers. Who exactly (aside from your wife, apparently) is supposed to go to the theaters on a consistent basis just for the vague goal of saving independent or mid-range movies? Why are we supposed to deduce that there are all these great movies out there just because you or your wife enjoy them?

 

Don't know the Spring Break start and end dates for Chicago but my town is in the start of it and the rivers and parks are crowded even on weekdays not to mention weekends so I don't think an empty theater on a single day is an accurate indication no one likes to watch movies in the theater.

There's also another problem in that there doesn't seem to be a lot of advertising for such movies as Yardie. I've never heard of it and don't see its trailer or any billboard ads promoting it in my neck of the woods, but that's pretty much typical in the tourist town I live. There's a lot of movies I've never even seen the trailer or the title unless I go looking for it online which is rare. Most of the time I have to stumble on it such as it is in this thread for Yardie.

How else am I suppose to watch it unless it's online? And I'm not driving 50 miles to Austin or San Antonio to watch any movie in a theater even if it's good.

There's just too much content and not enough time to cull through all the mediocrity in order to get to the really good stuff and that includes all entertainment on all distribution formats.

 

I prefer BD over all...

 

I support the film industry I double dip.
Theatre presentation + media purchase.

 

I did go out of my way - making special trips to the nearest cinema to me that screened 'The Other Side of the Wind', 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' and 'Roma' all of which I wanted to see on the big screen and without subscribing to Netflix but I am hoping not to have to do so too often in the future.

I've seen around 25 films in the cinema so far this year, although had I been watching "Destroyer" with Nicole Kidman at home this week I would have given up on it well before the end of the two hours

 

It can be argued that they used to be. Even that they can be, but the modern-day movie theater experience is in deep trouble IMO. Howzabout the rosy picture for the the theater owners!? Especially the independents. Think there's many entrepeneurs dreaming about opening a movie theater? When you add to that the abysmal behavior regularly on display by the audiences....tellyawhat, as bad as the whole scene is right now, I fully expect it to worsen in the years to come.

 

How are movie theaters a sustainable model if there's one patron at the theater in downtown Chicago on a weekend night?

 

It came out last year in the UK. The DVD and Blu-ray are available. Mix reviews on IMDB.

 

Most theaters I've ever been to in my local area are terrible. I haven't been to one in the last few years and left thinking "that was a great experience."

 

The theater experience + price elasticity of demand.

 

I don't enjoy the theatre experience at all. It's too loud, it can be crowded, it's expensive, requires travel, etc. I don't know if streaming is sustainable, but outside of major urban areas, I don't think theatres are - maybe if they scale down the number of movies showing at any given time, but I doubt it.

The variety of movies I can see streaming or renting has never been greater and I'm quite happy with that - also I'm more than happy to ignore all the big spectacle/superhero stuff.

Your wife clearly enjoys the theatre experience - that's great - my guess is she's in the minority.

 

I'm just going to point out that it IS St. Patrick's Day weekend. Half the people downtown are on benders after watching the parade / river turn green while most of the rest of Chicago is avoiding the area like the plague. Hordes of drunk people aren't fun if you aren't drinking with them....

That being said, I'm guessing this wasn't a one time thing and your point is still valid.

 

I’m terrified of bed bugs.

 

A lot of the theaters here are stinky and basically unclean. The main theater downtown smells like a gym locker. The staff are too lazy to pick up after the customers. Raising the minimum wage didn't seem to motivate them to work any harder. It seems to have had the opposite effect. What I really hate about theaters is rude people who text and talk on their phones. Also, there is a special place in hell for those jerks who step on my feet while moving to seats in the center of a row. They don't even apologize for their awful behavior. Those are the worst. It just makes me want to stay at home and watch Netflix or the movie channel. I didn't mention the popcorn and drinks are so criminally overpriced, but everyone knows that. Theater goers are a trapped audience.

 

I take my youngest (18) to the theater a couple times a year. The new generation of theatres is quite nice with plenty of room and soft reclining leather seats. It's our "thing". Truth is... it doesn't even really matter what we watch. Any time I get to hang with my son it's a win- win.

 

If it wasn't for my kiddo I would not go to the theater. It's just a worse experience than home theater every single time, and costs more.

 

I didn't even know about this movie so I'm not surprised at the non-existent attendance. Only 60 reviews from critics.

Yardie (2019)

It's bombing.

Box Office: 'Captain Marvel' Stays No. 1 With $69M, Soars to $760M Globally

Idris Elba's feature directorial debut, Yardie, rolled out in 77 theaters more than a year after playing at the 2018 edition of Sundance. The film was gunned down in its debut with a location average of less than $300.

 

Last time I saw a movie in a theater was 2006. I like watching at home.

 

After thinking on it a bit, really, an accurate thread title would be "If you want more variety in movies shown in movie theatres, then you should go to movie theatres"

Not convinced at all that movie attendance influences variety of what's available at home.