If cinemas had never existed, just TVs in people's homes, and a startup (post pandemic) tried to pitch the idea as
"Its like theatre but for films, everyone buys a ticket and then you play a film on a really big screen and you watch it with a few friends and lots of strangers, we think we can get exclusives for a few months before they go to streaming"
I think if I were to pitch something like the small London theatres, there'd be a market. The differences:
* Smaller screens
* Comfier seats
* Higher quality snacks
* Plus beers, cocktails, small appertiser type meals (e.g. sliders or similar)
* Films known to have cinematic/spectacular appeal from any time rather than just the latest releases.
* 'The Room' playing once a month
I would absolutely pay current cinema prices, plus food + drink for an afternoon of comfort and films that I otherwise wouldn't see, in the atmosphere they were meant for. I guess it brings it closer to theatre in that sense as you tend to have a better idea of what you're seeing, whether people like it, whether you already like it and whether it's going to be worth your time/money.
Not sure if it’s nationwide, but my local Vue halved their seat count a few years ago, replacing the crappy fold-down seats with ultra-spacious recliners. It really made a huge difference and pre-pandemic I’d try to go at least once a month, especially at quiet times when I was often one of only two or three people in the screen.
Obviously the fact that so few other people were there is not great for the theatre, but it was a really enjoyable experience.
Not to mention it set up something of a feedback loop—I’d see trailers for upcoming films that I would then go back to see. I don’t really see ads for films at home, so even though cinemas reopened some time ago I hadn’t thought to go until recently (well, that and the fact that it’s probably a hot-bed for infection).
What that sounds like is a party room that comes with a wide screen entertainment system. What might make that work would be a system where you can group up with people you are more connected to, not complete strangers.
You’ve just described The Alamo Drafthouse. A chain of movie theaters based in Austin, TX and now making it’s way across the continental US. If you’re in an American metro area there’s a strong chance that there may be one in your city.
The culture of cinema appreciation and improved experience that they’re fostering is such a significant improvement over the sterile feel of Regal or AMC-type cinemas that I will always favor The Drafthouse over them whenever I can.
There is a strong appreciation for cinema that permeates the entire chain. From their programming of new AND old films, to their special events, to their creativity in presentation.
There’s a lot of little touches that really make a difference. As you wait in the theater for the show to start they play purpose-made 30 minute pre-rolls that relate to the film you’re about to watch. These can include videos that flesh-out or explain the lore of the story you’re about to watch, funny Youtube clips of home-made skits based around the film’s IP, or bizarre film-nerd deep cuts that you would never see unless you know the type of person who collects them (Turkish Spiderman comes to mind).
All of this replaces the teeth-grindingly irritating commercial reels that play in most theaters while you wait. The kind with shitty purpose-made “Hollywood Insider” trivia clips, or “unscramble the celebrity name” quizzes. The difference that it makes to not have to endure these while you wait for the movie is significantly more enjoyable.
>I would absolutely pay current cinema prices, plus food + drink for an afternoon of comfort and films that I otherwise wouldn't see, in the atmosphere they were meant for. I guess it brings it closer to theatre in that sense as you tend to have a better idea of what you're seeing, whether people like it, whether you already like it and whether it's going to be worth your time/money.
All of the theaters in CA/WA that I've been too in the last 5-10 years fit your description with the exception of the last two points (I avoid theaters without #4). There's nothing like a Pixar movie in theaters with a pitcher of Imperial Stout and surf-and-turf dinner.
And I don't have a nationwide perspective, so it might be different elsewhere, but every theater I've been to over the past decade or so has been slowly converging on that model.
Well, I'm not gonna lie, I'm already doing that an order of magnitude more often than going to a movie theater. But then again, maybe that supports the point - now that huge TVs are so common, is there anyone who wanted to watch movies at home that wasn't already doing it in 2019?
What if it's 'bring your own entertainment', and you're just renting the room and equipment? They login to their own netflix account and play whatever???
There is such a system already if you are a millionaire.
You get access to first release movies that you can play at home but it not streamed but sent to a bespoke media server.
I think it'd depend how convincing you were on exclusives. While the biggest movies aren't being made by streaming companies I think there'll always be a market for being able to see the biggest movies earliest. Keeping everything in today's timeline, Disney+ would probably be the biggest reason to think you wouldn't succeed - because now a bunch of the biggest movies are being made by a streaming company.
> While the biggest movies aren't being made by streaming companies
What major movie studio isn't connected to a streaming company? Sony owns or co-owns several. Universal has common ownership with Peacock. Disney obviously has Disney+, also Hulu. Warner is part of AT&T, so is tied to HBO Max by ownership. Paramount is tied to CBS All Access (soon to be rebranded as Paramount+). 20th Century is now a Disney brand. Lionsgate has Starz streaming. etc., etc., etc.
You're missing the top quality sound system and complete blackout of other sources of light, which are both hard to achieve at home. (These days, I'd argue a good 45-60inch 4k TV is probably up there in terms of image quality though, which wasn't the case a decade ago.)
Most digital cinema I've been to is actually 2K, including so-called IMAX screens. The black levels aren't all that black either, and the luminosity is low. The only upside is color accuracy and less compression.
Calibrated TVs and home projectors have had better potential quality than movie theaters for a long time.
Yes people would be interested if the theater focused on quality. There are some movies I'd like to see in theaters just for the experience, and movie theaters can cultivate that by cutting ads, focusing on superior picture/sound quality, and otherwise creating a premium experience. Movie theaters would definitely be smaller than they are now though.
Maybe if you have thousands of dollars to spend on a home-cinema, it's not worth it but you can't really replicate the cinema experience both in terms of being blasted by the speakers and socially.
Seeing an awful film in a cinema is a hard experience to describe and/or replicate, for example.
Wouldn't this same argument apply to Starbucks or even just any restaurant in general?
I can make coffee or cook food at home, why would I go some place and pay to do the same thing in a crowd?
The reason is because these businesses are able to deliver a better product than most of us have access to at home. There is also a huge communal and social aspect to doing these together in public rather than alone or in very small groups at home.
Coffee places and snack joints fulfill an immediate need: I need a coffee/food now. I'm rarely urgently in need of a movie.
Restaurants are more comparable, I suppose, but cooking a restaurant quality meal takes time, effort, and skill, turning on Netflix doesn't. You're right about the social aspects, though it's often a downside as much as an upside.
Yes and the running costs are lower and you can pack in two or three showings in an evening. We plan to keep tickets relatively cheap but make a big profit on confectionary. Unfortunately there's no interval, so we'll make everyone walk past the confectionary on their way in ...
"Its like theatre but for films, everyone buys a ticket and then you play a film on a really big screen and you watch it with a few friends and lots of strangers, we think we can get exclusives for a few months before they go to streaming"
Do you think anyone would be interested? Discuss.