Glad I dropped Disney+ and not HBO Max
December 3, 2020 11:36 AM   Subscribe

Warner Bros. will launch every 2021 movie on HBO Max at the same time they hit theaters -- CNBC; Warner Bros. Smashes Box Office Windows, Will Send Entire 2021 Slate to HBO Max and Theaters -- The Hollywood Reporter; ‘Dune,’ ‘Matrix 4,’ and Every 2021 Warner Bros. Film to Debut on HBO Max and in Theaters at Same Time -- Indiewire
posted by valkane (93 comments total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
Just FYI, TIL if you sign up to HBO Max using Apple's billing, all family members on the iTunes account get the subscription.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 11:52 AM on December 3, 2020 [4 favorites]


Or if you leave the password written on a piece of paper on your fridge.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 11:54 AM on December 3, 2020 [42 favorites]


Someone asked me if I had a top 10 movies of the year. Not only have I not even watched that many new movies this year, but I'm hard-pressed to even name 10.

It feels like all the better stories are being serialized for episodic tv content, and if this doesn't put the final nail in the movie theater experience, I don't know what will.

(Like, literally, for the cost of a movie ticket, you get a full month of HBO Max. Invite a few friends over and you've "bankrolled" the evening. There's no comparison.)
posted by Christ, what an asshole at 12:05 PM on December 3, 2020 [3 favorites]


Basically, the pandemic accelerated trends that already existed. Movie studios were already looking to shift to streaming as the primary form of distribution, and 2020 just gave them the reason to do so. Disney hasn't committed yet to this because they still see their major films as "events", but we're already seeing them more willing to get their material out on streaming.

The writing is on the wall for movie theaters - evolve or die.
posted by NoxAeternum at 12:10 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


Most of my recent, pre-pandemic movie theater experiences left me torn between love of seeing a move on a big screen and hatred of all the rude & noisy fellow viewers.
posted by PhineasGage at 12:12 PM on December 3, 2020 [21 favorites]


Someone asked me if I had a top 10 movies of the year. Not only have I not even watched that many new movies this year, but I'm hard-pressed to even name 10.

There's a reason for that: We're in the middle of a pandemic that has closed most theaters and postponed most major releases.

Speaking as somebody who used to go to the movies at least a couple of times a month if not weekly, I really miss the theatrical experience at my local independent/arthouse theaters. I'm hoping that the changing landscape still has a place for small theaters even if the large chains go extinct, but I do feel like something important is being lost and we might not get it back.

(Also, if our political leaders could have been bothered to do something to help out small and mid-sized businesses amidst the COVID crisis instead of just reopening everything before it was actually time, maybe the US theatrical market wouldn't have gotten completely hollowed out this year.)
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:16 PM on December 3, 2020 [14 favorites]


Is this something I would need to have some sort of streaming box besides a Roku to understand?
posted by Huffy Puffy at 12:17 PM on December 3, 2020 [7 favorites]


The big screen these days is mostly digital projection, with visible pixels if you sit too close. So a high end home screen with comfortable chairs is now a far better viewing experience than a theater where people are coughing, whispering, crinkling wrappers, and the like.

The writing is on the wall for movie theaters - evolve or die.

The question is, what should they evolve to?
posted by beagle at 12:21 PM on December 3, 2020 [2 favorites]


Okay, but the thing you really want to watch on HBO Max is The Dog House a British show about a rural dog rescue where they interview people about what they want in a dog, choose a candidate for them and then have meet and play in a special meeting area.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 12:22 PM on December 3, 2020 [20 favorites]


I'm currently doing a trial month of Max. I tried watching Return of the King and found that the audio was clipped when I watched it on my Amazon Fire, and on my PS4 the audio was fine, but the video was compressed to hell. So I'm not really excited about watching Dune on this platform. It seems like HBO has been having tech struggles like this for years.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 12:22 PM on December 3, 2020 [4 favorites]


Is this something I would need to have some sort of streaming box besides a Roku to understand?

Yes, because HBO Max is not yet on Roku. But they are negotiating a deal. Meanwhile there is a workaround, if you are a wizard.
posted by beagle at 12:24 PM on December 3, 2020 [2 favorites]


Welp, add "theatrical release windows" to the list of COVID-19 casualties, I guess.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 12:27 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


Disney hasn't committed yet to this because they still see their major films as "events",

Disney+ take in less money per year than a single decent Marvel movie. There are 7 of those movies coming out in the next 12-14 months.
posted by sideshow at 12:27 PM on December 3, 2020 [2 favorites]


I'm of the view that this is ultimately a good thing for the industry artistically. Spielberg and Scorsese are of course correct that with the decline of theaters we're losing the full power of the cinematic experience, as well as a sort of communal bonding experience with our neighbors. But Spielberg and Scorsese don't have trouble getting their projects funded. The modern theatrical experience was leading to the death of mid-budget films, non-action films and films that offend the Chinese Communist Party. I think all of those genres have a brighter future with streaming platforms than the exhibition industry as it exists today.
posted by gsteff at 12:30 PM on December 3, 2020 [13 favorites]


This isn't the most depressing news I've read today but it's in the top 3.
posted by octothorpe at 12:37 PM on December 3, 2020


The question is, what should they evolve to?

I've talked about this in other threads - what's going to need to happen is that going to the theater needs to be an "event". One route (which major chains like AMC have experimented with) is to become a less dickish version of the Alamo Drafthouse; another is to embrace more "event" style releases to get asses in seats.
posted by NoxAeternum at 12:41 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


DC comics (owned by Warner Bros.) has taken some moves during the pandemic that might end up the same way, but cutting comic shops out of the equation instead of movie theatres. It's a similar kind of situation where the writing's been on the wall for a while but they're the ones actually pushing forward.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:47 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


Haven't movies that do "day-and-date" streaming releases have been ineligible for major awards in the past? If so, it'll be interesting to see if Warner Bros. or the AMPAS blinks first.
posted by Johnny Assay at 12:47 PM on December 3, 2020


If so, it'll be interesting to see if Warner Bros. or the AMPAS blinks first.

AMPAS blinked back in April.
posted by Mothlight at 12:55 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


become a less dickish version of the Alamo Drafthouse

Indeed. I hope my local indie movie theatre survives. They would do a couple big films for the money, but a lot of smaller stuff that didn't hit the major theatres, and the major value-add was the concession stand. I know most theatres make their money on concessions, but this place had good popcorn with real butter instead of canola oil, freshly baked goods (chocolate cake while you watch a movie!) and beverages like fresh lemonade, a variety of good teas, and so on. And they kept it very clean, hardly ever a sticky floor or something.
posted by mrgoat at 1:04 PM on December 3, 2020 [4 favorites]


I'm not dropping Disney Plus until after I see Pixar's new movie, "Soul" (December 25th). (edited to correct the title)
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 1:12 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


I've talked about this in other threads - what's going to need to happen is that going to the theater needs to be an "event". One route (which major chains like AMC have experimented with) is to become a less dickish version of the Alamo Drafthouse; another is to embrace more "event" style releases to get asses in seats.

At this point what they have to do get me as customer is get rid of the other customers, give me the remote and let me order food and drink from wherever I want. About the only thing they now offer that I don't have at home is a big huge recliner.
posted by srboisvert at 1:13 PM on December 3, 2020 [2 favorites]


Despite the shocking lack of pug, I was looking forward to seeing Dune at the Alamo Drafthouse. Novelty cocktails and a big screen are better than my home cinema, which is a mini iPad and a folding chair.
posted by betweenthebars at 1:14 PM on December 3, 2020 [4 favorites]


Okay, but the thing you really want to watch on HBO Max is The Dog House a British show about a rural dog rescue where they interview people about what they want in a dog, choose a candidate for them and then have meet and play in a special meeting area.

Canadians (or people whose IP addresses suggest they are in Canada 😉): This is available free on CBC Gem, and it is as much a balm for the soul as you think it is, although/because some of the dogs and people have difficult backstories. Such a lovely show.
posted by Superilla at 1:22 PM on December 3, 2020 [5 favorites]


The local theater I had a soft spot for (Seattle Cinerama) was hollowed out with labor reportedly mistreated after Paul Allen died and had closed in February for "ongoing indefinite renovations" anyhow, so at this point bring on the mega-streaming.
posted by CrystalDave at 1:23 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


About the only thing they now offer that I don't have at home is a big huge recliner.

I'm very impressed if you have a 40 foot screen, Dolby Atmos/3D sound, and a professionally calibrated picture/sound stage, srboisvert. I think recliners are pretty cheap compared to those things so treat yo self.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 1:23 PM on December 3, 2020 [6 favorites]


I'm not dropping Disney Plus until after I see Pixar's new movie, "Soul" (December 25th).

Hunh. I've heard a lot of people talk about how Disney has no soul, in discussions about not paying for Disney+, but usually I think they mean something else.
posted by mstokes650 at 1:30 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


I mean, no a person can't have a forty foot screen at home. But they can have a 4k screen as big as a goddamned bedsheet for what an ostensibly typical family of four spends at the theater in a year and they can sit close enough to it that it fills up their field of vision as much or more than they'd get 25-100 feet from that forty foot screen. Dolby Surround sound is sold for the home too.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:30 PM on December 3, 2020 [8 favorites]


All I wanted for Christmas was Dune. Thanks, 2020.
posted by hototogisu at 1:31 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


Got a projector when the first kid came and I realized we would never go to the movies ever again. That didn't happen, but it was a few years.

Now on projector number three and while it's a great way to watch movies spur-of-the-moment, I brought the teens to see 2001:Space Odyssey in 70mm with another group (pre covid) and that's , you can't beat that. Movies in the movie theater are different, sometimes better sometimes not, but I like sitting in a room full of strangers, all watching the same thing.

But spending the weekend watching Hitchcock on a perfectly acceptable-to-good home system is not bad either.

...will have to see if we can get this from outside the continental US...
posted by From Bklyn at 1:33 PM on December 3, 2020 [5 favorites]


You can have movie-tasting popcorn with Flavacol, too!
posted by Melismata at 1:34 PM on December 3, 2020 [6 favorites]


I'd compare the decline of cinemas in the age of streaming to the decline of standalone cameras (at least as something average folks make a point to own and use) in the age of smartphones with cameras.

That is: I don't think many people are seriously arguing that the new way is actually better than the old way; it's just that the gap in quality between the two has shrunk enough that fewer and fewer people are going to put forth the effort and expense to go for the more refined option.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:38 PM on December 3, 2020 [21 favorites]


I mean, most people probably realize a nice Canon will take better photos than their iPhone, but the iPhone does pretty great and it's right there. Similarly, people know there are ineffable things about the theatrical experience they can't replicate at home, but sitting six feet away from a big ass screen with a quality sound bar is pretty nice in and of itself and doesn't necessitate leaving the house, paying exorbitant costs for snacks, operating on someone else's schedule, etc.

And that's before considering the thought of sitting with a roomful of people that may have carriers of a deadly disease among them.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 1:42 PM on December 3, 2020 [14 favorites]


I'd be quite sorry if the local theater went kaput, as it's over a century old. Given the nature of the local population, which swells and ebbs with the arrival and departure of the college students, it will be interesting to see how the owners try to adapt (although it would probably be difficult without a big interior renovation).

From the point of view of someone living in a small village, the shift to streaming has its advantages: besides the aforementioned local theater, there's really nothing else for me without spending a fair amount of time on the road. So there's a loss of ambiance, but a gain in convenience.
posted by thomas j wise at 1:48 PM on December 3, 2020


I mean, most people probably realize a nice Canon will take better photos than their iPhone, but the iPhone does pretty great and it's right there. Similarly, people know there are ineffable things about the theatrical experience they can't replicate at home, but sitting six feet away from a big ass screen with a quality sound bar is pretty nice in and of itself and doesn't necessitate leaving the house, paying exorbitant costs for snacks, operating on someone else's schedule, etc.

This is kind of the perfect comparison. Because my current phone's camera is far better than the last high end camera I owned a decade ago and unlike that camera it fits in my lifestyle almost seamlessly. My current phone also only cost the equivalent of my wife and I going to 5 movies and getting popcorn and cola.
posted by srboisvert at 1:56 PM on December 3, 2020 [4 favorites]


AMPAS blinked back in April.

Well, yes, but that was explicitly only for the year 2020 (I thought.) Now you have a major studio basically saying "All of our movies are going to be day-and-date streaming for 2021 as well." Or did AMPAS extend the rules waiver?
posted by Johnny Assay at 2:06 PM on December 3, 2020


The high point of my cinema-going experience was going to BAFTA screenings when I lived in London. Putting aside all the unreplicable stuff (free drinks, free tickets, live Q&A, etc.), we were treated to:
  • Movies starting right on time with no ads or trailers
  • Absolutely no talking and basically no eating
  • Most people applauded at the end of the credits out of politeness
It made going to see movies an absolute treat, one which we don't get in Edinburgh. I'd happily to pay a premium to remove the trailers and ads from movies, but unfortunately I suspect most people wouldn't bother.
posted by adrianhon at 2:08 PM on December 3, 2020 [9 favorites]


My main problem with watching movies at home is the sound. I like the "is this going to give me tinnitus?" experience of going to a theater and there's no way to replicate that at home without annoying your neighbors.
posted by simmering octagon at 2:10 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


(Roku users on Xfinity: if you subscribe to HBO Max as part of your monthly cable subscription, you can watch it through the "Xfinity Stream Beta" Roku channel.)
posted by eamondaly at 2:12 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


And despite the sometimes irritating people there's a unique thrill about seeing a film and taking that ride with a crowd of people.
posted by Liquidwolf at 2:14 PM on December 3, 2020 [3 favorites]


I like the "is this going to give me tinnitus?" experience of going to a theater and there's no way to replicate that at home

I like that feeling, too! The closest I can get at home is using my sound-isolating over-the-ear Bluetooth headphones connected to my Fire TV or Google TV device. I mean, really, that works fantastic, but only when I'm watching alone. (Discovered this by accident trying to be polite about watching horror movies on weekend afternoons.)
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:16 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


I'm not sure why they're acting like the theater experience can't return. The pandemic will end and people will go places again, maybe by mid 2021 even.
posted by Liquidwolf at 2:19 PM on December 3, 2020 [3 favorites]


It's the Prince Charles I'm looking forward to going back to. It's open, but I'm not going quite yet. Basically a rep cinema (like the Penultimate Picture Palace in Oxford, which was my haunt when I was a teenager), with some left-field first runs and just-out-of-first-runs. The place I had my favourite cinema experience of the last few years (which I keep going on about) - sitting in a packed Screen 1 watching Mulholland Drive and I realise this room full of people is completely silent, which is a completely different silence from the one you get from a room without any people in it.
posted by Grangousier at 2:36 PM on December 3, 2020 [8 favorites]


Liquidwolf has one thing right; we're all stir-crazy and pent up, the minute it's safe to go to the movies, we'll go to the movies...and restaurants...and traveling. The tricky bit is if all of those go under before we can.

The movies are Big and Communal, which you can't do at home. They're great for big dumb movies like Independence Day or for big Serious Films that make you cry with a bunch of other strangers. I saw Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse in a theatre and it was bad-ass. I like it at home, too, but the theater was more fun.
posted by emjaybee at 2:37 PM on December 3, 2020 [8 favorites]



Movies starting right on time with no ads or trailers
Absolutely no talking and basically no eating
Most people applauded at the end of the credits out of politeness

So basically live theatre.
posted by jmauro at 2:37 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


There are a lot of films that just don't work at all for me on a small screen. I enjoyed Pacific Rim in the theater and tried to re-watch it on TV and didn't get more than 45 minutes into it before giving up. It's just not worth it.
posted by octothorpe at 2:43 PM on December 3, 2020


the minute it's safe to go to the movies, we'll go to the movies...and restaurants...and traveling.
Judging by US transmission stats, at least, the collective 'we' never stopped.
posted by CrystalDave at 2:44 PM on December 3, 2020 [10 favorites]


I have never connected so well with a complete stranger, and it is one of the best memories of my entire life (yes, it's been a good life so don't laugh when I tell you the memory in a second), that I saw Arrival at 2pm on a Tuesday or Wednesday... I skipped out of work, ordered a beer and watched Arrival 2 seats away from a 70ish year old woman who also was having a beer. We laughed uproariously. We cried. I have seldom felt so connected and in love with life, my emotions, the world and ... more?

Anyway, it was cool.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 3:00 PM on December 3, 2020 [15 favorites]


The only times I've really been to the cinema the last few years are for Star Wars films. I always go for the midnight screening if I can, because it's a fun experience. And almost every fucking time, the cinema still puts on twenty fucking minutes of ads. Not trailers, just ads. At midnight. Just show me the fucking film!
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:17 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


I would love it if maybe theaters survived doing more of the Golden Age roadshow style of screenings. We went to see 2001 in the 70mm when we lived near the AFI theater, and went out of our way to the crummy Angelika pop-up on like a Tuesday night for a few anime special screenings that came with a souvenir postcard. If there were more showings with Q&A panels, or souvenir kitsch, or something to make it feel special, I'd gladly pay the upcharge.

But yes, at least once a year I like to watch things explode or feel feelings while eating popcorn in an over-air-conditioned room of strangers, and I am sad that didn't happen at all this year. Watching at home is comfier, but not the same.
posted by bowtiesarecool at 3:31 PM on December 3, 2020


I love cinemas and hate massive televisions. I've got a 40 inch TV that does what I need it to, but gets nowhere near the experience of a cinema.

And like Grangousier, I'm really looking forward to returning to the Prince Charles, where I have a lifetime membership.
posted by knapah at 3:37 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


The Dog House

Oh this sounds just the thing I need! Sadly it looks like Canada's HBO Max carrier, Crave, does not have it. :( but that sounds so very heartwarming.
posted by Jon Mitchell at 3:45 PM on December 3, 2020


jmauro: So basically live theatre

Would that it 'twere so simple! I still shudder at the Hamilton ultrafans who were singing along to the songs a half-beat before the performers, or the audience members so adept at coaxing the most decibels out of a simple pack of sweets.
posted by adrianhon at 3:45 PM on December 3, 2020 [3 favorites]


I'm not sure why they're acting like the theater experience can't return. The pandemic will end and people will go places again, maybe by mid 2021 even.

Without something like straight up cash infusions from government, "mid 2021" is going to be too late for lots and lots of theaters, especially in the US. This announcement is literally the last coffin nail getting hammered in.
posted by sideshow at 3:52 PM on December 3, 2020 [2 favorites]


A lot of the big box theaters will fold. I actually think this might be a boon for smaller, local houses.
posted by signal at 4:38 PM on December 3, 2020 [2 favorites]


I get notifications from a gift card reselling site that really really wants me to know AMC gift cards are marked way down. All time low! Wait no, now it's all time low. Wait, it's actually now. Or wait
posted by DirtyOldTown at 4:59 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


I don't see roadshows as viable in the internet age; they were viable when word of mouth travelled slow enough that they could prime people to want to see the show but not have word reach them before they were sick of hearing about it.

I think there are two separate but related problems here: how venues can encourage that magical communal experience of an entire audience reacting to a movie together now that "showing a film" is not enough of a point of difference; and the crumminess of major multiplexes, particularly in the US, that make the movie-going experience actively unpleasant.

I don't personally know what the secret to the former is, but I've seen it solved - the movie club at my university had an amazing audience, and people go to cult screenings like Rocky Horror for that same communal experience. The latter is probably costlier but also pretty basic; cut the ad reels, replace the carpets, keep the screen empty until the lights start and remove patrons who are disruptive.
posted by Merus at 5:02 PM on December 3, 2020


There's half a dozen theaters around me, and they did show mainstream movies, but I also watched a lot of indie and foreign stuff that just wasn't available easily online. I don't know if those smaller films made any money, and I had a feeling it was the big blockbusters that made money while it was the smaller movies that kind of filled in the gaps in theaters.

I think that's what I'm going to miss. I mean, it's super easy to watch the new Marvel film or whatever, but I don't know exactly how to find the kinds of movies that play in only 15 theaters across the country.
posted by FJT at 5:09 PM on December 3, 2020


It has been a quieter year than normal for movie releases, but there are still plenty of feature films coming out that are worth people's time. Here are twelve that saw wide release this year that I thought were good, or at least interesting.

- Palm Springs
- I'm Thinking of Ending Things
- Shirley
- The Invisible Man
- Da 5 Bloods
- Possessor
- Greatland
- Emma
- Dick Johnson is Dead
- Bacurau
- His House
- Sound of Metal

Yes, it has been a pretty good year for horror films.

We also have some heavy hitters coming up like Soul and Wonder Woman. I'm told Over the Moon was an excellent shot across Pixar's bow by Chinese filmmakers. Not really my kind of film so I haven't seen it yet, but I probably would have watched it with a niece or nephew had it not been 2020.

Not a 2020 release, but one silver lining of the pandemic is that La Flor has been made available to stream and watch for free. I didn't think I'd ever get a chance to see it because no festival near me was ever going to bring in a 14 hour narrative feature.
posted by forbiddencabinet at 5:09 PM on December 3, 2020 [5 favorites]


Letterboxd says that I saw 27 movies in the theater last year and only 9 this year since there were only two months that I could but I did go to an Oscar marathon in February right before things shut down. I really hope that there are some theaters left by the time we can go back to the movies.
posted by octothorpe at 5:14 PM on December 3, 2020


Movie theaters will still be around. AMC and Lowes and countless mom and pops will go away but the structures and the projectors will still exist and banks will lend money because capitalism always needs to make money. As much as the pandemic has been an economic cataclysm for many people and businesses , it is also an opportunity for anyone who comes out the other side. Unfortunately, that will be whoever manages to hoard the most resources, which means the already wealthy stand to gain.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 5:28 PM on December 3, 2020 [3 favorites]


Disney+ take in less money per year than a single decent Marvel movie. There are 7 of those movies coming out in the next 12-14 months.

Are there, though? Black Widow is on its third release date at the moment and is looking ever more like the football to Disney’s Lucy. Of course, the joy of studios staking out release dates is that they line up all in a row and with a franchise you can just shift everything one notch along. Black Widow is currently slated for a release in May of 2021, having been bumped from
May 2020 to November 2020, each time pushing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals along to subsequent holes in the belt. So far as I can tell, Disney has abandoned their previously staked out window of February 2021 for releasing anything.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 5:34 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


The last movie I saw in the theater was Black Panther back in 2018. The whole place stank like urine (I'm assuming someone probably did piss somewhere in the theater), a pair of teenagers kept texting with their bright-ass phones and another person somewhere in the back kept loudly explaining the plot of the movie to their date. I've never had as bad an experience as that before at the movies, but most of them still aren't good. I'm freakin' thrilled that WB is trying this out and I hope it sticks past 2021.
posted by haileris23 at 5:38 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


I have an annual membership to my local theater, as well as to the local film society.

Films were being shown in my town outside of the hvac boxes, and paired with bars and short menu restaurants, for years now

I think the art theatre survives on grants and members and art gallery work, and the movie theatre survives on booze. The second one has been hit this year, but started its own subscription service to stream new films via a website.
posted by eustatic at 5:39 PM on December 3, 2020


DC comics (owned by Warner Bros.) has taken some moves during the pandemic that might end up the same way, but cutting comic shops out of the equation instead of movie theatres. It's a similar kind of situation where the writing's been on the wall for a while but they're the ones actually pushing forward.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:47 PM on December 3
[1 favorite +] [!]


This sucks. Marvel shut down releases for a couple months in solidarity with the shops.
posted by eustatic at 5:40 PM on December 3, 2020


I've never had as bad an experience as that before at the movies, but most of them still aren't good

I'm really glad I saw "get out" , "sorry to bother you" and the marvel movies in the theater. Horror and comedies are much better in a crowd.

Hell, even "I am not your negro" was better in a crowd, with people reacting and clapping, snapping at different times.
posted by eustatic at 5:46 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


A lot of the big box theaters will fold. I actually think this might be a boon for smaller, local houses.

Well, actually...

A few months back the DOJ voided United States v. Paramount, sometimes known as the Paramount Consent Decree. What this means is that nothing now stops studios, like D or Paramount, from owning movie theaters, where they will only show their films, much like what they are doing with streaming. Likely we're going to see a flurry of chain acquisitions before C19 is over. Prices paid will be rock bottom since everyone will be looking to cut further losses and get out.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 5:56 PM on December 3, 2020 [5 favorites]


Well, yes, but that was explicitly only for the year 2020 (I thought.) Now you have a major studio basically saying "All of our movies are going to be day-and-date streaming for 2021 as well." Or did AMPAS extend the rules waiver?

Well, who knows? But it's gonna be hard to put the genie back in the bottle. We will have to see what happens, but I have a hard time imagining that the Academy will adapt rules for 2021 that will penalize the entire release slate of one of the major studios. I suppose if theatrical moviegoing comes back in a big way in time for festival season AMPAS could say "FU, WB" and revert to pre-pandemic rules but I dunno.

The last movie I saw in theaters was Black Panther back in 2018. The whole place stank like urine (I'm assuming someone probably did piss somewhere in the theater), a pair of teenagers kept texting with their bright-ass phones and another person somewhere in the back kept loudly explaining the plot of the movie to their date. I've never had as bad an experience as that before at the movies, but most of them still aren't good. I'm freakin' thrilled that WB is trying this out and I hope it sticks past 2021.

Yeah, the theatrical experience has become badly compromised over time, thanks especially to cell phones. (Cell phones! Now you can bring petty domestic distractions with you wherever you go!) But I still log around 40-50 movies in theaters every year despite being relegated mainly to matinees and Monday/Tuesday night screenings to reduce the likelihood of someone shining their phone around like a flashlight or talking loudly through the screening or bringing their infant or whathaveyou. I'll miss movie theaters badly if they disappear. But I'm also surprised that other people still seem to enjoy them as much as I do!
posted by Mothlight at 5:58 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


What this means is that nothing now stops studios, like D or Paramount, from owning movie theaters

Well, there was also some speculation back then about a new challenger like Amazon buying theaters for the cheap and turning them into a vehicle to not only show movies but synergize with whatever other businesses they already have.
posted by FJT at 6:00 PM on December 3, 2020


Well, there was also some speculation back then about a new challenger like Amazon buying theaters for the cheap and turning them into a vehicle to not only show movies but synergize with whatever other businesses they already have.

So...365 Everyday Value® branded concessions?
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:07 PM on December 3, 2020 [2 favorites]


I'd definitely miss having the option of going to a theater, but most films really are just as good if not better at home even if you can only spend a couple grand and a few hours getting set up, with the proviso that you have to be mindful of the neighbors when it comes to sound at late hours.

These days a sizable TV that will fill your entire field of vision and a decent enough sound system for a small room will run you under $1500. Call it $2000 by the time you buy a Blu-Ray player and a calibration device for the TV, though that is rarely necessary now that most TV manufacturers ship with a cinema/movie mode that's nearly bang on. Even sub $500 amplifiers have come with a little microphone that will calibrate the sound correctly for over a decade now.

There is a loss in terms of the social aspect, but that only applies to a small subset of films anyway.
posted by wierdo at 6:16 PM on December 3, 2020


These days a sizable TV that will fill your entire field of vision and a decent enough sound system for a small room will run you under $1500

I have to imagine that in the wake of C19 theater closures there's been a huge spike in home theater (display and sound systems) sales, a windfall for both manufacturers and big box stores/on-line resellers like Best Buy.
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:24 PM on December 3, 2020


BTW, I'm not trying to say anything bad about theaters, just correcting some apparent misconceptions about what it takes to get a technically equivalent viewing experience at home. It's not. cheap, but it's a hell of a lot more affordable than it was back in 2008. Literally half what it used to cost, just between the TV, disc player, and a digital media player.

Most video e/ntertainment has gotten a lot cheaper over time, yet ticket prices keep increasing at a rapid pace, which is probably why a lot of theaters were struggling even before the pandemic. That's just another nail in the coffin. Happily, like drive-ins, theaters aren't likely to ever completely go away, just become less common.
posted by wierdo at 6:31 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


Most of my last half-dozen theater experiences were when companies rented out a theater at 9AM on release day to show the newest Marvel/Star Wars feature to a bunch of IT d0rks after an hour of sales pitches, or as a reward to faithful customers.

Also, I saw "Frozen 2" last December and really enjoyed it, right before the lock-downs started.
posted by wenestvedt at 7:03 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


FWIW: we're friends with a lot of small-time movie directors and producers in Chile, which is itself small-time. Before the pandemic, their more successful runs might total a few thousand viewers–they didn't make money off actual tickets, but rather worked the festival circuits for financing, awards, etc–.
Now, they have more work and income than before the pandemic, as streaming has opened up new markets and audiences they couldn't access before.
I'm not saying it's all win-win, but I think the breakup of the cinematic–industrial screening complex could bring about more diversity.
posted by signal at 7:26 PM on December 3, 2020 [5 favorites]


I don't really have strong feelings about the movie theater experience vs. watching something at home. But I really liked being able to buy a ticket for just the one movie I wanted to see, instead of having to subscribe to yet another streaming service in order to see it. I had to subscribe to Disney Plus to see Hamilton, and other than the Howard Ashman documentary, there really isn't much else on there for me. The animated movies/Star Wars/Marvel movies are all things that I've seen once already, and that was fine with me. I really didn't need the ability to rewatch them.
posted by creepygirl at 7:27 PM on December 3, 2020


most films really are just as good if not better at home even if you can only spend a couple grand and a few hours getting set up, with the proviso that you have to be mindful of the neighbors when it comes to sound at late hours.

I mean... I've been a home theater nerd for over 20 years. I set up my first surround system (5.1) in the late 90s, and have continued from there. I love watching movies at home, and frankly have not missed theaters this year. But I think you overstate how easy it is to truly replicate the cinema experience at home.

First, in most rooms, even a 70" TV is not going to fill someone's field of vision as much as a theater screen. Two ways you can solve that. You can get a projector, but that means you need a big enough blank wall, a place to mount the projector out of the way, and a room you can make totally dark. Or you can spend an amount of money that could buy you a car to get a TRULY large flat screen. Neither is something most people will do (and both cost a lot more than $2000).

But more importantly, I think the sound situation is much more difficult than you portray. As I'm sure you know, a sound bar ain't gonna cut it. At a minimum, you're going to want 5.1, which means finding room for three speakers in the front, find a spot for a sub, and (most challenging for most people) locating an appropriate spot for surround speakers, and getting them wired up without running visible wires around the room. That of course doesn't get you Atmos or anything fancy like that, but it's at least a start. I also remember from my days living in apartments, that even outside of late hours, I couldn't really play that kind of system at a volume approaching what you'd have in a theater without people getting annoyed. Bass travels.

This is not to say that you can't have a truly outstanding experience watching movies at home without doing all of this stuff. You definitely can. And that experience beats the theater in many ways. But there's just no way that it matches theaters in sound quality or immersiveness without a much more involved project that you're suggesting.

So, even though I have a great system and am antisocial, I do hope theaters stick around for the experience we can not really replicate at home.
posted by primethyme at 7:46 PM on December 3, 2020 [2 favorites]


Sitting closer is an equally viable option to shelling out for a projector and screen that will be bright enough to not look like crap and wireless surrounds are a thing now if you aren't like me and willing to live with a wire showing for a foot or two. Neighbors are the biggest issue, though bass projection can be changed quite dramatically by very small changes in position. And even if you do have that problem, full range speakers and a seat mounted kicker will vibrate your insides as well as any theater without making you a pariah.

I'm not saying there is no effort involved like there is when buying a movie ticket, I'm saying is a few hours for literally years of enjoyment in most cases. Atmos can add some mild complication, though even then there are speakers that reflect the sound off the ceiling if you can't mount something up there. Not that it's really necessary, if the person making the 5.1 mix did their job worth a damn.

It's kinda like electric cars.. most people could do it if they wanted to, though there are certainly some people for whom it is an unworkable solution for various reasons. My main point was just that it doesn't take the kind of money that it used to, anyway.
posted by wierdo at 10:33 PM on December 3, 2020 [1 favorite]


It's not the field of view or the sound that I love about seeing movies in the theater; no matter how good my home theater rig is, I'm still sitting in my own TV room. You can never replicate the full emersive effect of sitting in a big dark room without domestic distractions. I get into almost a waking dream state watching a good movie in a movie theater and lose the rest of the world for the duration.
posted by octothorpe at 4:44 AM on December 4, 2020 [3 favorites]


It seems to me there is a business opportunity for micro-theaters. The home theater built for a few grand these days is OK, but it won't work unless you have room, and if you live in a city apartment, you don't have room. But you don't want the Alamo Drafthouse model — it's still big, there is still noise, and it's linear: you're going to watch the movies they show, on their schedule, drinking their beer and eating their greasy food.

By contrast, the micro-theater model would be: 10-15 comfy seats in a storefront; book it online for anytime day or night; bring your own film in any format, OR book any first-run or classic movie the theater operator has available; bring your own food and drink, or none, OR use the food service. Restaurants and bars could install these in a private room, or they could be free-standing. Basically, it's Uber for movies. Pricier than a regular movie house, but a much better "event" experience than Alamo Drafthouse.
posted by beagle at 6:27 AM on December 4, 2020 [2 favorites]


It seems to me there is a business opportunity for micro-theaters.

Distribution costs would have to change, I think, along with rent, because you have to have washrooms, fire exits, etc. I mean this is basically the smaller-screen multiplex model, just with added booking ability, and that went belly-up.
posted by warriorqueen at 6:53 AM on December 4, 2020 [1 favorite]


washrooms, fire exits, etc. I mean this is basically the smaller-screen multiplex model, just with added booking ability, and that went belly-up.

OR, you could think of it as basically a restaurant, which already has washrooms, fire exits, etc., with a portion that's modified into a viewing room. If they could acquire first-run movie rights, it's a new revenue stream for the restaurant, at a relatively low capital cost and low risk. Unfortunately, it is more likely to work at scale, meaning you'll see it at the Chilis and Olive Gardens of the world than at your favorite neighborhood bistro.
posted by beagle at 7:05 AM on December 4, 2020


I think there are bars that do that - I can think of a few possible ones around here in South London, but I can't be sure. Because I'm not going to go to a bar to watch a movie. Many people would, though. There are lots of alternative cinema things in London - Secret Cinema, for example, and they show movies outdoors in parks or the courtyard of Somerset House.

Secret Cinema is my idea of hell, I must confess, but it's very well liked by people who like that sort of thing.
posted by Grangousier at 7:13 AM on December 4, 2020


Increasingly, these discussions about movies and theaters post-COVID are making Metafilter's class privilege blinders really obvious.

To wit, there are many many many people who can swing $20-$60 once or twice a month to go see a movie in theaters, who will never have the hundreds much less thousands of dollars to pay for a 56 to 70 inch TV and a fancy surround system and the monthly costs of high end 4K streaming on multiple platforms and the monthly costs of housing large enough to set all this up in.
posted by soundguy99 at 7:29 AM on December 4, 2020 [6 favorites]


Umm, I get that Mefi has to be careful about class privilege here but I’m struggling to find the big overlap in people who spend $60/month on going to the cinema but wouldn’t already have a pretty decent big TV for well under $1000. Yes, people have talked about expensive TVs and projectors in this thread, but you don’t need them to deliver what many people would consider a very decent home viewing experience.
posted by adrianhon at 7:39 AM on December 4, 2020 [1 favorite]


there are many many many people who can swing $20-$60 once or twice a month to go see a movie in theaters, who will never have the hundreds much less thousands of dollars to pay for a 56 to 70 inch TV and a fancy surround system

But by your own numbers, that's anywhere between $240 ($20/month x 12) to $1440 ($60 twice a month x 12).

(On preview, adrianhon beat me to it.)
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 7:41 AM on December 4, 2020 [2 favorites]


We subscribe to the Cinemark Club for $10 each and get one free ticket and discounts for more. So if we don't buy food there, it's < $20 for the two of us to see a movie.
posted by octothorpe at 8:37 AM on December 4, 2020


Good timing, since I was thinking about giving up HBO "Max," having seen everything we wanted to.

Now to figure out how to stop having so much overwork that I can actually watch a movie without having to multitask on a laptop.
posted by doctornemo at 8:50 AM on December 4, 2020


Thank you octothorpe, I wanted to mention something like that as well - when someone "can swing" a trip to the movies, that might entail taking advantage special deals and incentives that aren't available in the same way for at home viewing. That $20-$60 a month soundguy mentions could well be going towards two-for-one Tuesday, or the family matinee where kids under a certain age get in free. I've known several senior citizens on fixed incomes who parlay their volunteer hours into endless streams of free viewings for themselves and their friends at the local arthouse cinema. Netflix is a great deal, but they don't accept volunteer hours as payment.

I also think adding up all those theoretical dollars over the course of a year obscures that those $20-$60 monthly are theoretical for a working class moviegoer in a way that a middle class home cinema owner's annual $240 is not. You might have that $20-$60 if tips were good, if you don't lose a shift, if child care doesn't go up.
posted by EatTheWeek at 8:56 AM on December 4, 2020 [2 favorites]


You can never replicate the full emersive effect of sitting in a big dark room without domestic distractions. I get into almost a waking dream state watching a good movie in a movie theater and lose the rest of the world for the duration.

I cannot remember who I heard describe that wonderful feeling as you're sitting in a movie theater, popcorn, drink, etc, at hand, waiting for the movie to begin -- detached from other-worldly cares, but they really articulated that "pre smartphone" feeling of "Nothing to do but wait for the movie to start"
posted by mikelieman at 9:03 AM on December 4, 2020 [4 favorites]


I like going to the movies for its eventyness, but I don't really care about the tech, sound, etc. I'm just was happy to watch a movie on my phone, tablet, macbook, large tv or movie screen. I understand that some, or most people, care about this, are excited for 4k, etc., it just doesn't reach me.
posted by signal at 11:55 AM on December 6, 2020


‘Dune’ Director Denis Villeneuve Blasts HBO Max Deal
Streaming can produce great content, but not movies of “Dune’s” scope and scale. Warner Bros.’ decision means “Dune” won’t have the chance to perform financially in order to be viable and piracy will ultimately triumph. Warner Bros. might just have killed the “Dune” franchise. This one is for the fans. AT&T’s John Stankey said that the streaming horse left the barn. In truth, the horse left the barn for the slaughterhouse.
posted by homunculus at 7:38 PM on December 11, 2020


Not to beat a dead horse, but one can also buy things used that are in perfectly good condition. MeFi has lots of blind spots regarding how people who aren't represented here (or perhaps just choose not to share their perspectives in full) actually live.
posted by wierdo at 1:10 AM on December 12, 2020


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