I remember seeing Return on the Jedi in theatres in the 80s. The experience was surreal.. a huge screen, awesome sound, and the ambience of excitement that goes with seeing a blockbuster in a packed theatre. Nothing felt better than seeing Darth Vader slam dunk the Emperor in a cloud of smoke and lightning.
Now in 2006, that excitement of waiting in line and finding the right seat is replaced with seeing a red Netflix envelope in my mailbox. (”Ahh, another Disc of Prison Break, Season 1.. AWESOME”). That’s right - I’m now all about watching movies on the couch. HD TV, a year supply of microwave popcorn from CostCo, Bose Sound system… who needs a crowded theatre. Even more, with all of the Hollywood remakes of old flicks and the general crap that Tinsel Town is pumping out these days… who needs to go to the theatre and spend a ridiculous amount of money on a ticket and some snacks! Goodbye $8 Popcorn Tub, Hello Jiffy Pop!
But I have to admit - the nostalgia in me still loves to go see a good movie in the theatre. Of recent note, seeing Cars, Superman Returns, and X-Men 3 were must-sees in 2006. In 2005… Batman Begins, King Kong, and Star Wars Ep III. But that’s the exact problem.. seeing a “good movie” is pretty hard to do nowadays. Going to see a movie now is more about risk management than having a good time. Is this $50 bucks I’m spending on me and my date really worth it?? There’s nothing worse than seeing those credits roll at the end and realizing that you’ve been bamboozled.
And the industry isn’t making it easier to convince me to go to the box office. With Apple’s recent announcement to sell movies through iTunes, there will be a proverbial opening of the flood gates for other media outlets to start inundating us with on-demand, yet NEW movies. It’s so much easier for me to pay 15 bucks a month for Netflix and wait 3 months for a movie to arrive on DVD. At that, I can just hit pause and handle my business in the bathroom and/or hit the fridge for more snacks.
This makes me ask the question - Are we witnessing the deterioration of the movie going experience? Will this result in fewer profits for studios and if so, will this affect the quality of movies? I don’t necessarily correlate more $ with a better quality movie, but it’s great to be able to see some KEWL special effects every so often. Maybe this will all result in a chance for some good indie filmmakers and less famous actors to get into the game. What do you guys think?
Speaking of being bamboozled. I remember seeing Ocean’s 12. When the credits came up all I wanted to know was- where’s the damn address for me to submit my ticket stub and get a full REFUND.