RIP, the movie theater?

[Two Types]

I like to think there will always be specialist cinemas. I regularly go to the British Film Institute and there isalways a respectable sized audience. By giving audiences the choice of the weird and wonderful they capture an audience whose tastes are beyond the standard multiplex fare. My daughter (18 years old) is a case in point, she has hardly ever bothered to go to the cinema during her teenage years. Quite simply she has no interest in bland rom-coms, torture porn, regurgitated Sci-fi or any other of those films that are churned out in endless series. But she will got to the BFI to watch endless 1940s/1950s dramas. But she's branching out later this month when she get's her first chance to see 'Pink Flamingos' - God knows what she'll make of that!

 

[tonyb]

I like to think there will always be specialist cinemas. I regularly go to the British Film Institute and there isalways a respectable sized audience. By giving audiences the choice of the weird and wonderful they capture an audience whose tastes are beyond the standard multiplex fare. My daughter (18 years old) is a case in point, she has hardly ever bothered to go to the cinema during her teenage years. Quite simply she has no interest in bland rom-coms, torture porn, regurgitated Sci-fi or any other of those films that are churned out in endless series. But she will got to the BFI to watch endless 1940s/1950s dramas. But she's branching out later this month when she get's her first chance to see 'Pink Flamingos' - God knows what she'll make of that!

Lord knows I have no real expertise in this field, having never worked in it and not even being much of an enthusiast, but what I do know of media in general has me thinking that you, Lizzie, Old Rogue et al have identified where the future of the movie theater lies. With more "cinema-like" offerings from the premium cable channels, and more and more films (can we still call 'em films when they become all digital?) made with the increasingly large home screen in mind, the movie theater will remain for those special films and special occasions.

I've heard it said many times that per-capita movie theater attendance during the 1930s and '40s was much higher than it is now. I've never attempted to verify that, but I don't doubt it. Movies were still novel then, and the only way to see one was to go to the theater. Right now, at this moment, I could watch any one of literally hundreds of movies (thousands, maybe?) on my home flat screen, my computer, my wife's iPad, even my telephone, if it came down to it. I'm not suggesting that any of those match the image quality and field-of-view one gets at the theater, but what I've seen of some of the new flat screens, and what I hear is coming down the pike, has me wondering how much longer that reality will hold.

 

[sheeplady]

Maybe he (or she) wasn't looking for a second date?

lol, I'd say either socially incompetent or you're right. When I dated when I was young, despite not having much money (same with the people I dated) I never went to a first date on someone's couch, even though the movies weren't always financially possible.

That's assuming people still date.
(see the numerous posts and threads about today's hooking up "culture")

People who "hook up" still go on dates on occasion. If people didn't go on dates, no one would ever move in with each other or get married... two things which haven't stopped. Most people who end up living with each other (even if their relationship started as a hook up) date at some point.

 

[sheeplady]

I've heard it said many times that per-capita movie theater attendance during the 1930s and '40s was much higher than it is now. I've never attempted to verify that, but I don't doubt it. Movies were still novel then, and the only way to see one was to go to the theater. Right now, at this moment, I could watch any one of literally hundreds of movies (thousands, maybe?) on my home flat screen, my computer, my wife's iPad, even my telephone, if it came down to it. I'm not suggesting that any of those match the image quality and field-of-view one gets at the theater, but what I've seen of some of the new flat screens, and what I hear is coming down the pike, has me wondering how much longer that reality will hold.

Some of the older people I've interviewed who lived in my community (the ones who lived in towns or cities with a theater) spoke about going to the movies 1-3 times a week during the 30s and 40s with the entire family, sometimes more (depending upon what was showing, if the kids did their homework, the house was clean, etc.). Now that's not representative, but I don't know anyone who goes to the theater more than once a week or every other week, unless they work in one. So I wouldn't be surprised. Interestingly, most of these people no longer attend movies in the theater- they watch them at home. Most of the people I interviewed really mourned the loss of movies in our culture and the social experience of the movies, something which isn't seen in the large theaters of today.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Most theatres in the Era changed their program every three days or so, or sometimes as often as every two days. It was very rare for a film to run on the same screen for more than a week, so there was always something new.

We have many regulars who attend every week -- they're even known by the specific day they always come. Mr. Monday, Tuesday Matinee Lady, King Friday, etc. We usually change our show weekly, and when we hold a film over the regulars will often come to see it again, just to keep up their routine.

 

[jamespowers]

I haven't been to a theatre in years. I don't see that changing much either in the near future considering the dreck that they have been putting out. I wouldn't spend fifty cents to see anything new and if I wanted to see it then I can wait for it to hit cable. That is what I do with most action flicks.
There is just so many high quality vintage films that I can watch at home with my young children and not have to worry about what propaganda or risque behavior is going to be portrayed. When G really meant G.

 

[Gingerella72]

I love going out to a movie.....but the problem my husband and I find is that the movies coming out these days are crap, and aren't worth going to see in a theater.

A few years ago an old-time theater here (The World Theater) was purchased by a new non-profit group, rennovated back to its 1920's splendor, and is now successfully running as a volunteer-driven enterprise. It had fallen into decay over the decades and in the 80's, to compete with the brand new mall and 3-plex (wow! lol) movie house, they owner split the theater in half. Literally, he just took out a few seats and dropped a wall down the middle of it, didn't even bother to re-position the existing seats to face forward. It ran as the "World Twin" until it closed a few years ago. The man who was responsible for buying the World and bringing it back to life via the World Foundation is Jon Bokenkamp, who found some success as a screen writer in Hollywood. He is a Kearney native (we were in choir together in high school, heh). The rennovation was almost completely funded by donations.

Anyway, it is a perfect example of what can be done do an old movie palace. The new World owes its success to strong and clever marketing, a strong presence on Twitter and Facebook, and getting involved in community events. They're trying to get a liquor license so they can rent the joint out for private functions, too. On opening weekend this summer they played The Princess Bride and gave out free popcorn to anyone dressed up as a pirate, princess, or Billy Crystal. Everyone in the audience was quoting lines, it was so much fun to be there. They've also done a Grease sing-a-long, Wizard of Oz, Gone With The Wind (and I swear every resident of all the local nursing homes were in attendance for that one, lol!), and some indie-type movies that would never be seen at a conventional theater in this part of the country.

http://www.theworldtheatre.org/

 

[Wally_Hood]

Back in the late seventies and early eighties there were a number of "revival houses" that had a solid schedule of thirties, forties, and fifties movies and I visited them frequently. The Balboa in Newport Beach, the Wilshire (?) in Fullerton, and one down in LA and another near UCLA. The bill of fare was mixed with classics, foreign, and some niche offerings (Jimmy Cliff reggae, Ray's Apu trilogy, Rocky Horror etc.). I could not get enough of watching the old movies they way they were created, that is, to be seen on a big screen. I found out that a fun date would be to take a young lady who had never seen Wizard of Oz or Casablanca or Singin' in the Rain on the big screen. They inevitably enjoyed what was a unique experience for them.

Then there was a short span of time in which I joined the Los Angeles County Museum of Art just so that I could get their mailers and drive downtown and watch their amazing retrospectives at the membership discount.

 

[Espee]

I walk by the "slightly stale movies" plex ($1 to $4 depending on day of the week, and whether it's 3-D) and it's only about once in 2-3 months they have anything I want to bother with.
But I drive 20 miles and spend $8 for a classic (or not-so-classic) at Old Town Music Hall.