When theaters no longer need to overcome the hump of theater exhibition, movies will no longer need to be The Avengers in order to break even. And if movies are no longer The Avengers there will be bloody little reason to pile into a room to see them with 800 strangers for $15.
There will be no coming back from this. Yeah you can still buy vinyl but we all know you listen to Youtube or Spotify. Movie theaters are the first definitive industry casualty of the coronavirus.
The future belongs to Bird Box.
Honestly? I can do without. The older I get, with some niche movies aside like Godzilla, the more I like smaller, simpler films. The Sisters Brothers was a treat, for example, so was Knives Out. As much as I love the characters, I don't remember Iron Man or Captain America making a cameo on either. Besides, in regards to marketshare and screenshare and releases, at this point boycotting Disney is like boycotting theaters in general.
I surmised about a year ago that movies and television are a 'boomer phenomenon that will vanish into the sand as they sundown into oblivion. But I also have agreed with everyone saying how precarious the economy is and what a catastrophic implosion we've been due and it's one thing to know something and quite another to see it happen. It's like understanding that global warming is going to kill us all but still being shocked when the glacier falls into the ocean.
I welcome the change. I think I have seen maybe 3 movies in the theater in the last 5 years and I enjoyed none of them. My idea of hell is sitting in a dark crowded room with 300 people all talking, eating loudly and texting while I try to watch a movie. These days I just wait for the digital release and watch in the quiet of my own home.
Also, I would argue that the cruise ship industry was the first casualty of the coronavirus.
Yesterday was the 16th, bro. But I think that's the only thing you got wrong.
Hey man. You’re right that I’m listening to Spotify right now. But when I’m home? I like my vinyl. Or using my stereo to listen to the jazz show on KNKX. I think the independent theaters like Central Cinema will be just fine, though they’re a tiny fraction of the movie market.
Disney has already driven a stake into the heart of independent theaters by denying them the Fox back catalog. This direct to consumer play via Disney+ is just their followup move against the major first-run cinema chains.
The question is, will your home vinyl habit alone support the next Adele album? I think we both know the answer to that.
Here's the question : will tge industry adopt exhibition rules to allow those theaters to exist? Because right now you will pay a minimum of $500 per screening for any film you care to name and that is fucking fantasy money from here on out.