|   Will HD-DVD mark the end of the movie theater? | Keith from Canada
Sep 2, 2003 11:36 AM | | Last night, after watching "Any Given Sunday" in HDTV, I got to thinking...would I have taken the time to go to the theater to see this movie had I known it would be coming to my home in HD with full 5.1 audio? The answer of course is a resounding NO!
I know that DVD has pulled some people away from movie theaters...I'm just wondering what will happen when DVD gets even better, combined with increasingly lower prices on large widescreen TV sets?
Any thoughts? |
| re: Will HD-DVD mark the end of the movie theater? | Kam
Sep 3, 2003 12:58 AM | | I don't think so, although it will pull away enough for there to be a response from the film industry.
I think the whole movie going experience will always be there, and the group dynamic of watching a movie with others. I think the film industry has been feeling the crunch as of late, with this poor boxoffice summer where they usually make most of the money.
And check out the stats of the last five years, take the generally biggest opening weekend of may 4th
Top 20 grossing films
1999 - 81mm (mummy leading the box office)
2000 - 83mm (gladiator)
2001 - 105mm (mummy returns)
2002 - 157mm (spiderman)
2003 - 147mm (x2)
So it's been going up pretty steadily even during the time of more advancement in hd and dvd's with only a slight dip this year. Overall though, i think the dip in boxoffice this year can be attributed to crappy movies and the total lack of originality with sequels and remakes and non-original source material.
But with ticket prices just being ridiculous, (at least here in nyc (10 all the time, no matinee, no nothing), i very carefully choose the films i'm going to go see and contribute to their boxoffice. If it's not a "must see" imo, then i don't go see it, i can wait and see it on my HT.
But if nyc had matinee prices, i would defintiely go see a lot more movies, so i think in the rest of the world which has normal ticket prices for matinees, movie going is still a relatively cheap excursion.
I think the really interesting question will be the film industries response to HT.
Movies went widescreen, in part, to battle the 4:3 TV. The native resolution of 35 on the camera's plate, isn't that much wider then 4:3. Kubrick and Woody Allen both shoot in 35's native mode, that's why their films are "fine" on a tv, there is no "widescreen" version of their films. A "full frame" negative of 35mm film isn't THAT wide. Anamorphic adapters that create the 2+ aspect ratios are coming more into play now then before. Definitely i think it's been an artistic choice for now, but i think the choice will be a business one soon as well to combat the 16:9 tvs. Studios will want to differentiate the "movei going" experience even more. Most people will see the black bars on their 16:9 sets and be dissapointed (then again, most people don't understand widescreen vs. full frame in the first place).
just some thoughts :)
peace
k2 |
| re: Will HD-DVD mark the end of the movie theater? | money
Sep 14, 2003 12:20 AM | | I don't think so, either. It still makes nice date material and most home theaters do not have 50 foot screens.
However, I have pretty much stopped going to movies in favor of watching DVDs and HD programs at home. I think that many married and/or shacked up couples will most likely stay at home to enjoy a movie. Lately, seeing the movie in the theater has been a complete pain. The last movie I went to had at least two phones ring during the film. The movie I saw before that, I had a lady sitting behind me that had to re-interpret the entire movie to her son. People's inconsiderate attitudes of late have turned me away from the movies as much as the 57 inch HDTV that I have at home! |
| re: Will HD-DVD mark the end of the movie theater? | Angry Neighbors
Sep 18, 2003 11:24 PM | | I don't think the movie theater will ever suffer too much from DVD's because some movies are a must to see at the theater, but I for one wait till the movie is on its last week and try to see it on a weekday night or a weekday matinee because of inconsiderate people! The last straw for me was seeing Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon with a man reading the sub-titles to his 5 year old son who couldn't possibly understand the concept of the movie any way! I have spent enough money on my home theater to make it almost as enjoyable as going to the theater. |
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