Can a Netflix Movie Be Considered a "Real" Movie?

Roma did release to theaters. My parents and I saw it in November here in Maryland.
In fact it the rules are it has to be shown in a movie theater in either LA or NYC before Jan 1st to qualify for Oscar Nominations.

Now if the members of the academy don't want to give the award to Netflix, well that's another story.

 

Roma has been in theaters here in Chicago since release.

 

I don’t necessarily agree that Netflix movies shouldn’t qualify for Oscars, or aren’t real movies or whatever... but I think it is a valid question given that up until recently we have all subscribed to the idea of the “TV movie” as something distinct from a “real” movie, and Netflix falls somewhere in between.

The closest equivalent we had was the direct to video movie — but nobody ever worried about those getting nominated for Oscars!

 

I would agree with Spielberg if he phrased it differently: If he said that everything going to Netflix or streaming is bad business, then I agree with him.
But the truth is, AMAZON and Netflix are putting up the money for risky films while the major studios have abdicated these responsibilities....they do super hero films.

 

That’s exactly why people have started looking to them... your weird little movie can play on a few screens to a few people who will take the time and pay the money to go to it... or it can instantly have millions of eyes on it, or the potential for millions of eyes.

(Of course it can also be buried in Netflix’s avalanche of content that doesn’t really get promoted that well...)

 

There are many crappy theatrical releases just like video releases.

Think of all the theatrical releases that initially bombed that found its audience later in video; Big Lebowski, Office Space, Blade Runner, Donny Darko and countless others.

 

Same here in Seattle.

 

Agreed...

 

Sadly Spielberg, is behind the times while I think most content on netflix , is sub par
Once and a while they can do something great.
He needs to ask what great awe inspiring movie has he released lately..

 

Let's be real. The age of the "TV" movie is over. The playing field is leveled now, and the only criteria is quality. Saying a film made for Netflix is not a real film is like saying a recording made outside of a recording studio is not a real record. The only question should be: is it any good?

 

ROMA even played in 70MM here in my city for about a month.

 

Tell that to The Hallmark Channel and Lifetime...

 

Funny, I could have sworn I saw it in a theater. Maybe the oxygen is different in California. I know the mountains are taller...

But, I lived in California for a time, and the money is indeed the same color.

BTW, I'm glad we got this topic sifted out of the "Oscars" thread. This deserves a legitimate discussion...Spielberg's point notwithstanding...

 

Correction: They did release it in some theaters. It was shown up here in Portland.

 

OK, well I should've mentioned that I don't watch TV. But I do watch Netflix on my TV.

 

And it’s coming back here in a Seattle theater in 70mm next week

Fu$$ you Spielberg.

 

Yeah, I have to say this whole thing is just a little ridiculous.

I haven't been to a theatre in maybe 2 years. Apparently all these 2 hour long stories I've been watching at home aren't really films, nor are they worthy of praise, simply because I watched them outside a movie theatre. Never mind that it is exactly the same thing that I would see, hear, and experience whether I was at home or in a theatre.

It all sounds very elitist to me. Maybe if the best movies were released in theatres but like someone said, the theatres lately specialize in super hero comic book movies.

I guess if it's just because they need to set eligibility criteria for the Oscars then that's fine. You have to draw the line somewhere I guess. But just because something doesn't qualify because of some arbitrary rule doesn't make it somehow less worthy of critical acclaim.

Finally, I have never paid attention to the Oscars and I doubt I ever will.

 

Roma won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, which tells me it is a film. The cat is out of the bag, or left the barn and the door can't be shut once the horses are out of Pandora's box. You get the point.

 

Exactly. It's all over but the shouting.

 

Ah, but they DID release it to the theaters they own or have arrangements with.

Oscars alone don’t explain Netflix premiering its movies in theaters

Roma played in several theaters in LA and the Valley, but only for a week or so. I think the Laemmle in Santa Monica and West Hollywood had it for several weeks. It's still playing at the Landmark in West LA.

I think there's an inherent problem with an all-foreign-language film getting Best Picture. I think this is the reason why Best Foreign Language was created as a category.

I think that's pretty close to my belief as well, but I think when Netflix spends $20M-$30M+ on a feature film made with SAG actors and a union crew, it is to all extents and purposes a theatrical motion picture. It's a big paradigm shift compared to the way things used to be, but I don't see it changing. I hope movie theaters exist forever, but some things go away and stay gone: Tower Records and Blockbuster are two examples of stores that ain't coming back, mostly because of technology.

 

Well it’s been in Seattle for a couple of months.

 

Agree 100%.

 

I'll bet it has. Netflix has not released any information on what it's grossed in theaters, but I think its Oscar success would guarantee it will get a wider theatrical release over the next few weeks. It's a beautiful, very high-res (6K) image that will hold up very well on a big screen... essentially digital IMAX in most ways.

 

I respect your entire body of work, Mr. Spielberg. But, well, you're old. Things change. Go yell at some clouds.