A Growing indifference to Cinema Going

[Cathbad]

I think that whole era of cinema had a very different feel and direction for sci-fi that has been lost in this era of easy CGI. In the past there was a very distinct magical/mysterious element attached to a lot of sci-fi. The scene where the Guild Navigator is moving the strange cylinder that is the ship through space etc... We've lost that in a huge way - I think honestly Star Wars might have been the start of the gradual shift, though Star Trek also pushed it along (the early films captured the mystery magic better as a more serious and bigger budget evolution from the original series - however TNG started ot shift away from it steadily)

I agree, the plot was rushed and hurried and if you'd not read the book it would feel rather forced. They certainly tried to push too much into too little space; but I feel they captured the important moments well. Many of the key plot elements from the book were present and where it deviates its more that you get the feeling that it was because they just couldn't fit it in; as opposed to a desire to change things. Again it was made in a different era of cinema when following the source material wasn't the abnormal behaviour that it is today (where its almost as if following the source material is heavily discouraged)

It was very disconcerting, listening to everyone talking to themselves, too! For me, that is what ruined the experience. I'd read the novel only a few months earlier, and was looking forward to it. When they gave me a handout as I entered, I knew it wasn't going to go well.

 

[BAYLOR]

It was very disconcerting, listening to everyone talking to themselves, too! For me, that is what ruined the experience. I'd read the novel only a few months earlier, and was looking forward to it. When they gave me a handout as I entered, I knew it wasn't going to go well.

Dune cannot be done is a two hour time frame. It needs more then one film to do justice ot the story.

 

[KGeo777]

I was intrigued to hear about the fantasy film company Arrowstorm recently as it is a regional player like the old days (based out of Utah). Production quality is quite good. I can't speak of the storytelling but they have some films completed in the last few years--partly from crowdfunding--and they sell directly to Walmart/Amazon. They have completely bypassed the Hollywood apparatus (they have to-since no mainstream media is likely to be interested in promoting them even if they wanted to buy advertising).
One hopes that it will pave the way for other companies to start offering more regional audience-friendly films again-especially since corporate Hollywood has signaled quite clearly it no longer wants to offer regional audience specific films but a one-size-fits-all product for the globe, with an extremely narrow ideological thematic range. This I think is the root of the problem. Traditionally artworks always reflected a particular background and heritage at its core-if you watch the Seven Samurai you do not expect Albanians to show up.

I used to think of Hollywood as a monopoly but this is somewhat inaccurate since major Hollywood can finance itself regardless of audience interest. It is not truly tied to markets. This was always the case with the majors. In 1930 the British film producer J Arthur Rank discovered that the Hollywood majors had an 80% hold on UK cinemas (thanks to friends in government). Laws were passed to prevent the domination so domestic British film could develop, but Hollywood got around it with "quote quickies." They shot films in Canada designed for the UK market. In the US they were in court for blockbooking-another anti-competition tactic. The majors would force theaters to take a group of films even if they only wanted a few--and that meant less space for other companies with less financial resources (or rather finances totally dependent on audience response-something major Hollywood did not have to worry about).

Still, the Uk eventually bounced back in the 1950s which until 1970 was the golden age for domestic British film--but then in the early 70s when once again Hollywood reasserted its control. The blockbuster killed the diversity in genre film--but the official story is that people just wanted less variety. This is not truthful. The distributors were consolidated or driven out of business. EMI sabotaged British film production. People were not given a choice. In the 90s corporate media mergers went into full effect.

If Hollywood was truly dependent on audiences then how can something like CNN stay afloat with so little reported viewership? Or how can the Oscars continue to make political statements if they are said to be turning off viewers and harming advertising? What happened to the advertisers being the ones making decisions?

Another important consideration is the phenomenon of Hollywood Accounting. This is the widely known practice for Hollywood to cook the books on finances to make profits appear or disappear. If they can be dishonest about that--what else can they be dishonest about?

There were film companies that were entirely dependent on the marketplace. RKO, which made King Kong, or Walt Disney Productions (when it was distributed by United Artists--which came into being precisely because several Hollywood bigwigs were fed up with the creative stagnation of the majors).
Hopefully we are nearing the end of the corporate art experiment and it can go back to reflecting a more audience-directed creativity process. Bankers and Hedge Fund Managers should be nowhere near the art-making process.

 

[Vince W]

I think that whole era of cinema had a very different feel and direction for sci-fi that has been lost in this era of easy CGI. In the past there was a very distinct magical/mysterious element attached to a lot of sci-fi. The scene where the Guild Navigator is moving the strange cylinder that is the ship through space etc... We've lost that in a huge way - I think honestly Star Wars might have been the start of the gradual shift, though Star Trek also pushed it along (the early films captured the mystery magic better as a more serious and bigger budget evolution from the original series - however TNG started ot shift away from it steadily)

Too true. There was a magic in the creation of those things that is lost with CGI. Everything looked and felt more real on screen. There's a sharp quality to CGI that makes everything look a little too perfect and fake.

 

[Lumens]

CGI is still in its infacy, and I think some of it already looks great. I love both sets and CGI, there is still a place for both, but some things are just not possible with sets, obviously.

 

[AlexH]

Really. I find most Netflix recommendations waaay off the mark for me. There are very few things on Netflix that have made me want to keep watching the same thing over and over.

Maybe your brain doesn't match their target market? I've never watched anything on Netflix - I've maybe seen an episode of Black Mirror since it moved from Channel 4. I'm tempted to take a month's free trail to watch GLOW, as I've written a story about a girl who wants to be a pro wrestler. Stranger Things seems appealing too.

I actually enjoy delayed gratification - so if there's a cliff-hanger at the end of an episode of something, I'm happy to wait a week or so before I watch the next episode. It's one reason why I'm only up to series 3 of Breaking Bad (which was brilliant) and half way through series 5 of Game of Thrones.

 

[HanaBi]

As well as my extensive film library on my NASbox, I also have Kodi - so can view all sorts of films from the various apps that cover my kind of genre.

The cinemas by me are all chains and don't have much appeal in terms of what they have to offer; but there is the Electric Cinema in Birmingham City Centre, that does sometimes show art-house, film noir and indie films that pique my interest - and the seats are very comfortable, and the prices quite reasonable; as are the rather discerning patrons.

 

[Vince W]

Maybe your brain doesn't match their target market? I've never watched anything on Netflix - I've maybe seen an episode of Black Mirror since it moved from Channel 4. I'm tempted to take a month's free trail to watch GLOW, as I've written a story about a girl who wants to be a pro wrestler. Stranger Things seems appealing too.

I tried Glow. I struggled through two episodes and gave up. I thought it was terrible.

 

[BAYLOR]

This whole summer , I didn't bother going to any movies at all. The last films I went ot was Solo.

 

[Vince W]

I haven't been to the cinema since Paddington 2.

 

[BAYLOR]

I haven't been to the cinema since Paddington 2.

Nothing really bowled me over.

 

[Narkalui]

What came out last, Captain America Civil War, or Star Wars Force Awakens? Those were the last two films I saw at the cinema...

 

[Vladd67]

I think the last film I saw at the cinema was Robin Hood with Russell Crowe. To be honest with four kids it’s such a hassle, although my wife has taken the two oldest to see things.

 

[BAYLOR]

What came out last, Captain America Civil War, or Star Wars Force Awakens? Those were the last two films I saw at the cinema...

The Last Superhero film I saw in the theaters was Captain America The Winter Solider .

 

[Lumens]

Bladerunner here. The second one...

 

[BAYLOR]

2 months after a film completes its run, it goes to cable, streaming and dvd. So why spend the 10 bucks to see it on the big screen in the first place ?

 

[Cathbad]

2 months after a film completes its run, it goes to cable, streaming and dvd. So why spend the 10 bucks to see it on the big screen in the first place ?

Because absolutely nothing beats the big screen cinema experience!!

 

[Dave]

Because absolutely nothing beats the big screen cinema experience!!

Can I like this twice?* **

(*providing there isn't a group eating a three course meal of donuts and crisps, slurping drinks, farting, talking loudly, kneeing the back of your seat, and getting up and down every few minutes)

(**Home cinema set-ups can be just as good - projected screen, surround sound - if you have both the money and the space.)

 

[Overread]

I do admit when there was 2 years or longer before a film came out on VHS there did feel to be more uniqueness to going to the cinema and more pressure because the VHS was never dirt cheap and you knew it was going to be a long time before you'd get to see it. So there was that extra pressure of "lets go now".

These days sometimes by the time I think of seeing a film on the big screen its already on DVD!

 

[Vince W]

Because absolutely nothing beats the big screen cinema experience!!

There are some films that need a big screen experience at least once. There just haven't been any for me recently. However, I try to go at off times to try and avoid the worst people you meet in cinemas today.