AMC ain't gonna like this
Here's a link to an interesting article I was pointed to this morning. In a nutshell, it seems that the major studios are looking to bring first-run movies to the home, through cable and satellite providers, so you'd be able to download a movie at the same time as it's in theaters. Obviously, this is bad for theaters. It's probably intended as an anti-piracy measure, and we all know how well those tend to work.
But setting aside the piracy issues, would I want to skip out on the theater experience entirely? My initial reaction is "no, absolutely not!" but I think that's an old instinct, hanging around from the days when I used to see movies every weekend, usually with a small-to-medium group of friends. After last Friday's experience seeing Iron Man 2, I'm no longer so sure. The movie was fine, as I said, but because of scheduling issues, I saw an 11:00 a.m. showing. I figured I'd grab something lunch-like at the theater, or default to popcorn...until I saw the prices. $6.50 for pretzel bites? $6 for a small popcorn, $8 for a large? $4.50 for a bottle of water? I know the prices have been getting worse for years, and I've been a lot more restrained when buying concessions at theaters, but Elora and I agree that for popcorn movies, you need popcorn, and Iron Man certainly qualifies. But wow, I just couldn't pay that much for crappy theater food, so I passed. Given the choice between overpriced theater popcorn and Elora's popcorn, I'll go with Elora's every time (she's a bit of a popcorn connoisseur; she mail-orders kernels from Fireworks popcorn...good stuff).
Ah, but what about missing out on that theater-going experience? Seeing a movie with other people, being with fans like yourself? Yeah...I don't so much care anymore. It's not like I regularly have bad experiences at a theater, but I've had a few (the guy who dropped his hot nachos-and-cheese on my head is particularly memorable). I do know that I've sworn off the Friday-night-at-8:00 premiere showing forever; theaters that crowded are just annoying. A half-full theater is fine by me, and I admit I do like the Regal Cinema closest to my house...stadium seating, decent-sized screens, digital projection, and their loyalty program isn't bad. But I've also got a pretty decent setup in my family room, so it's kind of a toss-up. I could be motivated to spring for shades for the skylights, so I can actually watch movies during daylight hours.
This is all just speculation at the moment, of course. I'll need to know the particulars of the program, whether I'd need special equipment, what it'd cost, that sort of thing. But just based on what I know right now, I think I'd be tempted. How about you guys? And ancillary question: If a friend invited you to come watch a first-run movie on his big-screen, surround-sound setup, instead of inviting you to the theater, would you be more or less likely to accept?
(Note to mmaresca: The comments in the article I linked to specifically mention the Alamo Drafthouse as a compelling argument for continuing to go to the theater.)
But setting aside the piracy issues, would I want to skip out on the theater experience entirely? My initial reaction is "no, absolutely not!" but I think that's an old instinct, hanging around from the days when I used to see movies every weekend, usually with a small-to-medium group of friends. After last Friday's experience seeing Iron Man 2, I'm no longer so sure. The movie was fine, as I said, but because of scheduling issues, I saw an 11:00 a.m. showing. I figured I'd grab something lunch-like at the theater, or default to popcorn...until I saw the prices. $6.50 for pretzel bites? $6 for a small popcorn, $8 for a large? $4.50 for a bottle of water? I know the prices have been getting worse for years, and I've been a lot more restrained when buying concessions at theaters, but Elora and I agree that for popcorn movies, you need popcorn, and Iron Man certainly qualifies. But wow, I just couldn't pay that much for crappy theater food, so I passed. Given the choice between overpriced theater popcorn and Elora's popcorn, I'll go with Elora's every time (she's a bit of a popcorn connoisseur; she mail-orders kernels from Fireworks popcorn...good stuff).
Ah, but what about missing out on that theater-going experience? Seeing a movie with other people, being with fans like yourself? Yeah...I don't so much care anymore. It's not like I regularly have bad experiences at a theater, but I've had a few (the guy who dropped his hot nachos-and-cheese on my head is particularly memorable). I do know that I've sworn off the Friday-night-at-8:00 premiere showing forever; theaters that crowded are just annoying. A half-full theater is fine by me, and I admit I do like the Regal Cinema closest to my house...stadium seating, decent-sized screens, digital projection, and their loyalty program isn't bad. But I've also got a pretty decent setup in my family room, so it's kind of a toss-up. I could be motivated to spring for shades for the skylights, so I can actually watch movies during daylight hours.
This is all just speculation at the moment, of course. I'll need to know the particulars of the program, whether I'd need special equipment, what it'd cost, that sort of thing. But just based on what I know right now, I think I'd be tempted. How about you guys? And ancillary question: If a friend invited you to come watch a first-run movie on his big-screen, surround-sound setup, instead of inviting you to the theater, would you be more or less likely to accept?
(Note to mmaresca: The comments in the article I linked to specifically mention the Alamo Drafthouse as a compelling argument for continuing to go to the theater.)