Netflix vs Theaters
 

Netflix Wants Big Movies Day and Date With Theaters

In my opinion this guy is the worst but he's also probably right that inevitably in a few decades movie theaters will be obsolete.

Re: Netflix vs Theaters
 

Once upon a time I was a staunch defender of the value of seeing films in theaters. And in the abstract, I still am. But with the rise in narcissistic behavior that makes an enjoyable experience rarer and rarer, I say bring it on. Tear the whole thing down, charge me $30-40 for a same-day stream into my home. Do it. I'm so ready.

Re: Netflix vs Theaters
 

Whenever I hear people talk about what a terrible experience they have going to see a movie in a theater lately I feel like I must have been absurdly lucky with almost every movie theater I've been to and every crowd I've seen a movie with in my life

Re: Netflix vs Theaters
 

If you generally go the same theater, maybe you're just in a good area for that sort of thing. That and maybe you're less sensitive to it than I am, though my sensitivity to it has been brought about by the multitude of bad experiences, so who knows.

As a college student without much cash to my name (at least until this summer), movie theater experiences usually need to be great for them to not be bad, in terms of the movie and the audience. That's probably why I've had as many bad experiences in theaters. But in addition to this, I don't think theaters have the same pull for me because I never had a moment in a theater where I was blown away by a movie. In fact, the first time I recall truly being amazed by a movie, I was watching it on a computer screen. I haven't seen any of my favorite films on the big screen yet, and while I would like to, I don't see theaters as much of a special place because the just about all of the best movies I've seen (save for Ozu's Late Autumn), I've seen on a smaller screen. I don't think they have much to offer me, but my school's library and the internet have tons.

Re: Netflix vs Theaters
 

I love going to the theater and do it several times a week but i am in a fortunate position with a state funded theater that only costs half the price of a normal ticket and with no commercials. The people who go there are usually film nerds who behave in a normal fashion. Watching Satyajit Rays, Truffaut and Godards film on the big screen have been a tremendous experience.

Netflix in Denmark is pretty horrible (though you can bypass it and get access to the US Netflix) so I primarily use MUBI or Pegleg for streaming. Older films can usually be found on vimeo or at archive.org

Re: Netflix vs Theaters
 

Jesus, if they take away theaters, I will have absolutely nothing to do with my existence. Honestly, I can't think of going to the movies and having a bad time. As for whether or not it'll actually happen, I don't think it's very likely to happen. I can't see it ever fading away.

Re: Netflix vs Theaters
 

I haven't had any bad experiences at the theatre to date, but I don't go that often anyways.

I think going to the theatre is a lot of fun, depending on the movie of course.

Maybe you're in the wrong theater? They are not all run like frat parties. Why would you rather pay 40 bucks to see a movie on a small screen when you can go to a decent theater and pay 10 to see it on the big screen?

Re: Netflix vs Theaters
 

If they release movies the same day on Netflix as in theaters then those who share/steal and release on the net will have a party.

The absence of other people is an amazing thing

Agreed. Other people ruin everything, it's almost like...hell is other people.

Re: Netflix vs Theaters
 

Depends. I have to be really hyped up for a movie to pay $12 just to watch it on a big screen, with a chance of the people there not being annoying, unless my friends want to watch a stupid movie like Scary Movie V and I have nothing better to do. For the most part I just wait for a DVD release or if I'm not at all amped ill just watch it if it becomes avaliable to stream.

Re: Netflix vs Theaters
 

I still love going to the movie theaters myself. But then again I have a military discount, and the local theaters here also have a $5.75 price for the first showing of the day per movie. All I have to do is bring my refillable bucket where I pay three bucks for popcorn and smuggle in a Red Bull and I am golden!

Re: Netflix vs Theaters
 

I've been saying this on the site for a few years now, simply because this is the only way I can see it going. Once the studios find the way/audience to make it work it'll make dvd profits look like chump change.

Re: Netflix vs Theaters
 

movie theaters, especially the small time, second running ones are ALWAYS great to go to. There is one nearby that is the old, old style, with a large balcony and they play old movies on weekends and they even have an old time pipe organ that they play before the movie and during intermission. VERY effin cool. Watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang last summer there. Fantastic way to watch a childhood favorite

Netflix 99% of the time for sure. My only real exceptions for wanting to be in a theatre are good comedies (I love being in an audience where everyone's laughing), or the newest Tarantino

Re: Netflix vs Theaters
 

I think the last film I saw in theaters was the avengers.. it's so much better watching films at home.

You can smoke, hang out with your pets, get freaky with your significant other, pause the film and go to the restroom, sit in a more comfortable chair.

These are just some benefits I can think of off the top of my head. I'm fortunate in that I enjoy old films, so I have a queue of dvds that never seems to end. Eventually when a new movie comes out, I bump that to the top of the queue..

It's working for me. The only problem is that I never see commercials so I have to actively search for new movies that are being released. This forum helps since you guys talk about movies as they come out.

Yeah, I've tried several theaters in the area. I've had bad experiences in all of them. I even went to see The Master, on a Tuesday, in the afternoon...and still got people talking right in front of me. It's a culture-wide problem. If you haven't experienced it much, great, but I'm pretty sure that's the exception.

Er, because of all the talking and cell phone usage we've been discussing this entire time.

That's without even getting into the convenience.

It's a television based problem. Television has hurt the film industry in many ways.