+3
I would argue that changing up the structure might actually increase the potential for more movie discussions as well as possible growth in dedicated users. That depends on how the structure is handled, of course, and there's probably any number of right, wrong, and in-between right or wrong ways to go about it. As to the argument, as I understand the site now then a post about a movie can easily get swallowed up by other unrelated threads if comments are slow. It can be difficult to track if I'm looking for a thread, and that's assuming that I know a thread exists because it's sitting on random page 43 due to lack of comments.
Search works, but when it doesn't, that supplemental search page full of filters can be intimidating. Having a dedicated branch of threads (however that gets sorted) can give users looking strictly for topical conversation a static location to find it and return to it without chasing it around the thread list. I know there is a bookmark option (or whatever it's called) for threads that I want to track, but to be honest I think I've used that all of one time and only because I accidentally found the feature. I couldn't tell you how to activate that at will. *focuses really, really hard like Zach Galifianakis in Dinner for Schmucks* no. Didn't help =\
There's also an odd site culture here (IMO!), where users post completely random movies commentary in threads like What Are You Watching Tonight? That seems to fill a void as it appears popular, but really it's all just one-off hits. If any discussions start, I would image they get swallowed just as threads do in the general lists, assuming minimal conversation is taking place. It's a quick in-and-out for bite-sized reviews and little room for honest conversation. I can understand if a new user pops in for conversation, but not able to find it, pops out. I have no proof of that, I'm just stating that I can empathize with one who might do that. Threads like TWD or GoT or any other ongoing series shows that there is discussion to be had, but those are popular topics and those threads seem to hang around the first or second page more than most. I think that approach is halfway there, but it does little to support lesser known threads for other shows and movies. If anything, those few threads at least show that there is desire for dedicated conversation. Though this may only be a correlation that they have high page counts due to popularity of the show rather than as proof that dedicated threads are some solution to a perceived problem.
I honestly think that SOME type of structural considerations could be helpful to the site as a whole. Again, that depends on the goal and how it is handled.
__________________
"My Dionne Warwick understanding of your dream indicates that you are ambivalent on how you want life to eventually screw you." - Joel
"Ever try to forcibly pin down a house cat? It's not easy." - Captain Steel
"I just can't get pass sticking a finger up a dog's butt." - John Dumbear