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Steven Spielberg to act like big baby and lobby Academy Awards to not allow nominations of Netflix movies

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CitizenVectron

CitizenVectron

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I don't believe that the free market is some perfect thing, but I do know what it means, and companies forcing conditions on people to eliminate choice goes against the meaning.

 

It's like how theatres (or studios?) have forced 3D screenings onto everyone. If I have a choice, I will take the 2D screening of a movie. Usually though, big movies only have a single 2D showing at the worst time. People will then choose to the see the option they prefer less because the choice has been taken away. If they really don't like 3D movies, they will then just wait until they can watch it at home or in second-run theatres (which I have done). I know why it's done, because they can make way more money off people and people are lazy. But it's still an anti-consumer practice.

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23 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said:

I don't believe that the free market is some perfect thing, but I do know what it means, and companies forcing conditions on people to eliminate choice goes against the meaning.

 

It's like how theatres (or studios?) have forced 3D screenings onto everyone. If I have a choice, I will take the 2D screening of a movie. Usually though, big movies only have a single 2D showing at the worst time. People will then choose to the see the option they prefer less because the choice has been taken away. If they really don't like 3D movies, they will then just wait until they can watch it at home or in second-run theatres (which I have done). I know why it's done, because they can make way more money off people and people are lazy. But it's still an anti-consumer practice.

 

That doesn’t happen anymore regarding 3D, at least in the US exhibition industry. The theaters know that less than half of patrons will

opt for 3D if presented with a 2D screening at the same time. There are some weirdos who want 3D though. We don’t offer 3D at our theaters because it doesn’t fit our business model of no frills affordability. 

 

But the issue here is that studios are removing the choice of consumers seeing the film in theaters at all because it is cheaper to go straight to streaming. It isn’t about consumer preferences at all, just the bottom line quarterly results.

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TwinIon

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I think the theatrical experience is valuable, but using artistic awards as an enforcement mechanism of sorts is just silly. Roma is great art regardless of how it was released. How many filmmakers might not even have the ability to get their creations into a theater? Is their art somehow less worthy? If art is niche or has less commercial value, a streaming service might even be the best option for distribution. Netflix says that 80 million people watched birdbox. That's more than the number of tickets Black Panther sold in the US. I know that kind of thing matters to Ava DuVernay.

 

I know I'm in a small minority when it comes to theater going, given that I go a few times a month. While I was in the top % even before subscription services, after movie pass and A-List, I spend a lot more time in the theater now. This week I'll have seen They Shall Not Grow Old, Apollo 11, and Captain Marvel. I think these kind of subscriptions, while obviously not for everyone, prove that people do value the theater experience, it's just a pricing difficulty. The whole industry is still trying to figure out how to change, but I do think that ultimately the thing that will doom or save theaters is their ability to figure out a modified business model. Maybe it's more subscriptions. Maybe it's becoming part of subscription services (like the rumors of Netflix and/or Amazon buying theater chains). Maybe it's focusing only on the high end or maybe it's more variable pricing. I just hope it gets figured out, because I do love going to the movies.

 

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CitizenVectron

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54 minutes ago, sblfilms said:

 

But the issue here is that studios are removing the choice of consumers seeing the film in theaters at all because it is cheaper to go straight to streaming. It isn’t about consumer preferences at all, just the bottom line quarterly results.

 

I agree that movie companies should have the choice to release movies in either the theater or at home, in any order and at any speed. If people want to watch them more in the theater (or at home), then companies will shift to follow that demand. But rules demanding that they stay in theaters for a period of time go against that, because it's an outside body telling companies what they are allowed to do, or face punishment.

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3 minutes ago, CitizenVectron said:

 

I agree that movie companies should have the choice to release movies in either the theater or at home, in any order and at any speed. If people want to watch them more in the theater (or at home), then companies will shift to follow that demand. But rules demanding that they stay in theaters for a period of time go against that, because it's an outside body telling companies what they are allowed to do, or face punishment.

 

This proposal doesn’t say how long the movie has to stay in theaters, just that if it plays in theaters the distributor has to wait 4 weeks to put it on streaming services. AMPAS has always required a one week minimum theatrical engagement to qualify for an Oscar nomination.

 

1 minute ago, Chris- said:

 

Oh yeah? How much for a popcorn and soda pop, Daddy Warbucks?

 

Two tickets, two large drinks, and large popcorn is $21 at our indoor theater. Closer to $25 at the drive in, though that is two movies for that price.

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CitizenVectron

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3 minutes ago, Bloodporne said:

I don't think Spielberg deserves mockery or disrespect for his opinion. I personally don't remotely care about the subject but I refuse to believe that if I did, my take on it would be more educated than a legendary film director's. 

 

He also directed Crystal Skull.

 

Your move.

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1 hour ago, Jose said:

That is awesome. I need to move to Houston. Food is incredible there, too.

 

If you’re ever in Houston, message me and we’ll go on a food and beverage tour of the city together. The food scene is great and as far as I gather, relatively cheap compared to other great food cities.

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Joe

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For sure! My wife and I were actually there in November, but it was just for a weekend as a high school buddy of mine was getting married. We went to Crawfish and Noodles and the Hay Merchant. Both were amazing. We want to go back soon.

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3 minutes ago, Jose said:

For sure! My wife and I were actually there in November, but it was just for a weekend as a high school buddy of mine was getting married. We went to Crawfish and Noodles and the Hay Merchant. Both were amazing. We want to go back soon.

 

Hay Merchant is fantastic. The crew that opened that have some other concepts opening the next 12 months that I’m excited for.

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Alpha1Cowboy

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I feel that a small part of this is Hollywoods fault.  They are the ones that have taken a sledgehammer to the theatrical release.   I come from a small town with a small town 2 screen theater (I actually remember when it got its second screen)  and absolutely loved watching movies there.  In the laste 90's Hollywood changed and started requiring 3 week comitments to first run movies and this really hurt small town theaters because they just don't have that type of volume and it severely limits the amount of movies that can be seen...especially during summer blockbuster season.  On top of this came the new digital distribution of films that studios required which meant expensive upgrades.   My Hometown theater bit the dust around 2013 as did many others in the same position.  

 

That said ..for rural areas that meant a lot more homes getting larger screens with ATMOS and HDR to enjoy closer to how they were meant to be enjoyed...it also meant that the concept of going to the theater is disappearing as well.   

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CitizenVectron

CitizenVectron

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Honestly at some point Disney could probably just open their own theatres. Then they can:

 

A) Provide exclusive early releases to drive up visits

B) "Sell" themselves the movies in order to perform phony accounting

 

Vertical integration is the future. Disney could produce, create, distribute, and screen movies (or stream them).

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Bloodporne

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45 minutes ago, Kal-El814 said:

It’s better than the almost literally unwatchable Temple of Doom. At least Skull gives us the sublime pleasure of watching Shia LaBouf get flogged in the dick by trees. 

I do hate Shia LaBouf...

 

*quietly adding to Amazon queue*

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1 hour ago, CitizenVectron said:

Honestly at some point Disney could probably just open their own theatres. Then they can:

 

A) Provide exclusive early releases to drive up visits

B) "Sell" themselves the movies in order to perform phony accounting

 

Vertical integration is the future. Disney could produce, create, distribute, and screen movies (or stream them).

 

It is illegal...for now :p

 

1 hour ago, Alpha1Cowboy said:

I feel that a small part of this is Hollywoods fault.  They are the ones that have taken a sledgehammer to the theatrical release.   I come from a small town with a small town 2 screen theater (I actually remember when it got its second screen)  and absolutely loved watching movies there.  In the laste 90's Hollywood changed and started requiring 3 week comitments to first run movies and this really hurt small town theaters because they just don't have that type of volume and it severely limits the amount of movies that can be seen...especially during summer blockbuster season.  On top of this came the new digital distribution of films that studios required which meant expensive upgrades.   My Hometown theater bit the dust around 2013 as did many others in the same position.  

 

That said ..for rural areas that meant a lot more homes getting larger screens with ATMOS and HDR to enjoy closer to how they were meant to be enjoyed...it also meant that the concept of going to the theater is disappearing as well.   

 

Most studios only require two weeks, especially on single and twins. The studios also footed the bill for digital conversion via the virtual print fee where they paid $700-$1200 to the theater for each movie they booked. Small towns are the perfect place for theaters because there often aren’t many things to go out and do on a Friday or Saturday night. I actively look for closed theaters in small towns to re-open :)

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28 minutes ago, Kal-El814 said:

Since I know fuck all about the business side of this... how / why do you succeed where “the same” business previously failed?

 

A significant number of theaters closed because the old people who owned them didn’t want to deal with the digital conversion. Amusingly, the digital conversion saves money because a properly constructed system is 99.9% automated.

 

But the big key to success in really small markets is to be community focused. We are very active in supporting positive community oriented things around the area our theaters are located. I also am very personally involved in things such that my personal phone number is made available. I go do all the career day stuff at the local schools, and we even created a program where we do paid job training for special needs high school students during the summer. Even dopey stuff like pre-movie advertising is strictly limited to local businesses and the ads have to include the business owners in them so they are kind of amusing and lowfi. People love them.

 

And to be quite frank, I’m damn good at pricing things such that despite our much lower prices at the concession stand, we sell more product in terms of dollars per customer than the major cinemas, which is not remotely normal in this business.

 

13 minutes ago, SimpleG said:

Child labor

 

I wish, my kids just watch the movies when I take them with me :/

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Alpha1Cowboy

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14 hours ago, sblfilms said:

 

It is illegal...for now :p

 

 

Most studios only require two weeks, especially on single and twins. The studios also footed the bill for digital conversion via the virtual print fee where they paid $700-$1200 to the theater for each movie they booked. Small towns are the perfect place for theaters because there often aren’t many things to go out and do on a Friday or Saturday night. I actively look for closed theaters in small towns to re-open :)

 

 

Interesting to know.  

 

 

Almost made it to 100 Years :-(    Its closing also killed the Pizza Place/Arcade across the street from it....the two kinda went hand in hand.

 

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/10222

 

 

Koronis Cinema

 

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TheLeon

TheLeon

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They already do need to have some sort of theater presence to qualify, right? That's the only reason Netflix will bother to put some movies into theaters at all. If someone like HBO wanted to do the same thing with one of their movies I assume they could qualify as well. 

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fuckle85

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The shittalking Spielberg is getting online for this is somewhat justified but also hits a bit close to home for me because it almost feels like a) people are forgetting how amazing a director he was and b) as anyone who grew up watching his movies knows he's like your dad if he made movies for you (or the dad you wish you had, depending on how good of a father your real dad was/is).  That said, sometimes it gets to a point where you gotta start taking the opinions of the thought leaders in your generation more seriously than those of your elders', and his recent movies and his comments in that article are pretty good examples of why.  

 

 

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