Hey Dom, I hear they got a double feature for a dime! |
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Will the Movie Theatre Ever Be Replaced?
More and more these days people are sticking close to home for their entertainment and why wouldn't they?
With so many home entertainment choices out there it is very easy to save a few bucks and have a movie night in the comfort of your own living room.
It was only a few decades ago that to watch a movie at home you would have to wait until one of the major networks would screen a movie, with commercials, which would most likely be on a holiday or during sweeps week.
I can easily remember the annual viewing of The Wizard of Oz on network television brought to you by Crest Toothpaste.
I could easily talk about the rise of the picture disc which gave way to the VCR, which gave way to the DVD, which gave way to the Blue Ray and now we have streaming video.
Almost on a daily basis I am able to sit down point my remote control to my Netflix sponsored Roku player which pulls down movie titles from my instant queue and in only a matter of seconds I am watching a feature film.
Right now I have about 265 titles in my instant queue. Granted these titles are not necessarily what would be called "new releases" in the video store but every once in a while Netlfix throws in a gem. Just recently they let instant viewers put "Wall E" into their instant queue.
I fully believe we are only a few handshakes away from new to video releases being made available to instant viewers on Netflix.
This brings me to my 
Behold....the Black Box! |
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main point. How many agreements are we from first run theatrical releases being able to be viewed in your boxers on your television?
Already there are hundreds of websites that show bootleg copies of movies that are in current releases in movie theatres nationwide. Most of these copies are, of course, terrible quality. A lot of them are from individuals who sit in the theatre with a camcorder (not with a steady hand) and record the movie from start to finish and upload them. However, there a number of good quality screeners (movies supplied to Academy Award voters and video stores) that are uploaded which anyone can view.
Television executives caught onto the "if we can't beat 'em, join 'em" trend by creating the website "Hulu". Instead of viewers watching these bad copies of their favorite television shows on YouTube or bootleg copies on random forums throughout the internet, they jumped on board and provided episodes, sometimes whole seasons of shows to Hulu for everyone to watch in excellent quality. Sure you have to watch a few advertisements here and there but they are minimal and nothing comparative to watching on live television.
Hulu also provided movies on their site. These movies are not first run and are often titles like "Police Academy" (the first one) and "Turner and Hootch", however, just like Netflix streaming, they to sometimes offer up some gems that are new to video.
How far off are motion picture studios to jumping on board 
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the streaming video train and providing first run theatrical releases?
Take a look at a new website called Epix. Three major studios, Lionsgate, MGM, and Paramount, have joined forces to launch this site, which will not only show television shows in HD, but will also show their own films. These films will primarily be films that just left the theatre but are not yet on video. Oh, and did I mention there will be no charge for this service? Think of it as Hulu for movies.
With this sort of launch, isn't it inevitable for studios to just bite the bullet and start offering new theatrical releases for viewing? I am not saying, at first, that this will be instead of a theatrical release, but an "in addition to" choice. For this sort of choice, you may very well have a charge for it, but it would be available to you in your own house.
If you see one film offered like this, then in this writer's opinion, it will be the beginning of the end for the silver screen. You cannot offer up this sort of choice of viewing a newly released film at home or in the theatre and think of it as a one time shot. People will demand more, and we all know about supply and demand.
If we fast forward down the celluloid road, the large silver screen might go the way of the drive-in movie theatre, yes, there are a few still left around the country, but not many, and it is more of a nostalgic event to attend.
I have heard a lot of people tell me that there is no way movie theatres 
I can't believe I still have to pay five bucks for a soda! |
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will ever be replaced because people like going to watch movies on the big screen. That is true. However, given the choice of watching a new release at home or going out to a theatre, which one will most people choose? Ask yourself what you would choose. In this day and age it is not always about what you would do, but rather what is more convenient to do. You may see yourself going out to the movie theatre but in reality it may just be easier to click a couple of buttons on the remote and be done with it.
If enough people feel this way then it is only a matter of time before movie theatres are a thing of the past. This is not a definite and maybe this is article is more of warning than anything else. If you want the local movie theatre to survive, go to them. It is that simple. Wanting them to survive without taking action and watching movies in your home will do nothing but contribute to their demise.
We are at a crossroads in consumer entertainment. This is the era that will dictate what happens going forward. So far it is very clear what the people want: multiple entertainment choices in the home. This isn't necessarily bad or good, but, then it depends how you look at it. There is no way that public viewing and private viewings can exist together for the long haul, therefore we all have to make a choice, a click, a ticket, whatever it may be, just know whatever choice you make will have a definitive effect on the future of entertainment and that future is now.
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A little corner of the world where you get to read my rants and raves on the world of entertainment. Lucky you.
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| Jeff Lurie |
Skye enjoys telling people that while he rarely wears underwear, when he does it is usually something rare and exotic. Inspired by scaring circus clowns and random 80's movies, Skye has always had a passion for writing and the world of entertainment. He hopes that through his writing he will in turn inspire others or at the very least propel them into a life of mopping adult coin operated booths.
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