The End Of Your Local Cinema?

[Maurice Leakey]

I was watching a TV programme recently which was talking about the major film studios now streaming new movies at the same time as exhibiting them in cinemas.
It gave the impression that viewers now prefer to stay at home to watch new films rather than go out to a local movie theatre and pay exorbitant prices for admission, popcorn and drinks at the concession stand, and then to see a film shown without any signs of showmanship.
Is this really the end of your local cinema?


Maurice

[Dominique De Bast]

In my point of vue (and I know most of people will disagree), the cinemas already ended when they switched to digital. I still go there but if they close I will not feel as sad as when a real cinema had to stop forever.

[Osi Osgood]

I agree, Dominique. I can't speak for other people, but occasional scratches and the occasional shouts for "focus!" we're just A part of the experience. What turned me off from going to the local cinemas were the cell phone jerks who just can't unplug for a bleeding hour or two to watch a film!

[Steve Klare]

There's no question that the public cinema isn't as special as it used to be: you think back to the 1930s and 1940s you had a big picture in front of a crowd, even including some color. The sound was immersive. At home, maybe you had Radio. As great a medium as that could be, going out to see "A Picture" that everyone was talking about was a big deal, and where they could, people did it a couple of times a month.

Technology advanced and every time it got better at home, people forecast the end of the public cinema: TV, Color TV, Cable TV, Large Screen TV, Digital TV, Streaming TV, "Soon it will make no difference if you go out or stay home".

-but, I think there will always be some need for public cinema for the same reason that everybody who has a kitchen still eats in restaurants: just to get out. We need places to go just to be someplace else: a change of scenery. We get tired of seeing that big stain on the living room rug and hearing the neighbors arguing! We also need neutral ground so we can meet up with friends without anybody having to make their house presentable. At the very least, a young couple going out on a first date needs a place that's fun and public too. "Do you wanna come to my place and stream a movie?" is a creepy first date. The privacy is a little excessive in the instance people don't behave their best, or it may contain the equally opposite creepy possibility of "Do you wanna hang out with my Parents?". These are bridges that get crossed after a number of early dates.

I think we will lose quite a few as a result of the last year. The jury is still out on whether or not our local Mom and Pop movie theater will reopen. If nothing else a major multiplex opened in what used to be our Sears about a month before Corona washed through here: even if it weathered the storm, the business environment is different now too. Yet, there will always be a need to "go out to a show", even if the need is less and the show aint what it used to be.

[Brian Fretwell]

Yes at one time the cinema (apart from what we called "fleapits") were often warmer and more comfortable than a lot of people's homes, so a trip there was an escape. I know some have really increased the comfort and experience levels recently, but too late and at too high a price compared to at home entertainment now.

[Graham Ritchie]

A few weeks ago Yvonne wanted something from the Hornby Mall across town where the old cinema once was. I was not really interested in going there, but while at the mall I did bump into the mall manager. I came up from behind and said, "what time does the movies start"... ha ha . Anyway we did have a quick chat and I did say that I thought that, by pulling the plug on the cinema back in 2011 was most likely the right thing to do. Things have changed that much since 2011 that I doubt the place would have survived,

In saying that, for the 10 years I was there right up to the end, the local people always supported the place and the local kids never let the place down during the "money making" time of the school holidays. The school holidays was it for the place, with sell out sessions and the like. I feel that if we stayed operating after 2011 that would have slowly changed for the worse, if indications from other city cinemas are anything to go by.

There are many factors that come into play, mostly I think is that "times have changed", The idea of going to the cinema to watch a movie has become less and less. The cost of going, was never a factor, if those long ago school holidays were anything to go by. In fact its cheaper to go now, than it was then, and yet numbers going have dropped of a lot.

Simply put, times have changed as with peoples attitude in going to the cinema to watch a movie, there will always be some that will still go, but not in the numbers needed to keep the place profitable and in business.

However in saying all that, it was good while it lasted.

[Osi Osgood]

I not a theatre operator, but from what I have read, the cost of 'hiring" a feature film from the studios had still continued to rise, though all that they are sending are digital files instead of prints, so studios are saving "bookoo bucks" getting they're product out, not sending out prints, but the local cinemas, desperately just trying to keep up with costs of ever-present digital upgrades, are continually digging the hole ever deeper and at some point, go under permanently.

[Lee Mannering]

Yes Osi they are up against it.

When the uk Warner Village Cinemas closed(now Vue)it was the loss of a friend. Going to Warners was amazing with its huge displays, refreshments and top end presentation. The nearest to that here is The Odeon Blackpool but even that was sad when they booted out the reel projectionist and digital went in. Went to the last show very sad and I felt for the two chaps in the box.

As with the rest of business battling covid impact the digital side will not.miss a trick cashing in on cinemas misery unable to trade so streaming is flourishing of course as result.

I can even see the new Bond film being streamed before it sees a cinema screen yet as they will probably go for a double whammy to max profit. Cinema is turning into old school with a younger generation of film viewers and I'm guessing collectors will be the reel guardians of film in the end.....

[Maurice Leakey]

The Odeon, here in Bristol, got rid of their two projectionists after they had taught the manager to programme, and run, the three NEC digital projectors from his office.
Yes, his office, not from the projection room.

Maurice

[Mike Newell]

I think COVID has fast tracked a lot of social changes and has directly affected cinemas by them being forced to stay closed for most of 2020. Attendance at cinema in UK is relatively high compared to 1970s and 1980s figures. More people have home cinema set ups so I can understand the attraction of streaming. Bottom line is if movie companies can reduce costs and still maximise profits by streaming compared to releasing movies in cinemas they will go that way. It will be interesting if piracy or bootlegging can be controlled via streaming.

There will always be an audience or customer base for going to cinemas but it will shrink and number of cinemas will reduce. Thankfully, with the current retail shrinkage there won’t be the same demand to turn them into supermarkets or shops.

I actually think the big problem coming soon for all the movie companies is that the movies they are releasing are all too much the same. CGI, Franchises, Endless Sequels and the entire Marvel universe. You can actually see they are going for the the overseas market all visual not much storyline. Not much point if English is not your first language. US box market share is now maybe 25-30 percent of box market Europe 20 percent with remainder from Asia and rest of the world.

At some point a giant bubble is going to explode and like the 1980s they will be a big collapse in profits and big losses for them all.

[Dave Groves]

I believe the cinema will survive, but audiences will probably be small in some areas while other areas will actually flourish. Much depends on two things: 1. The studio's attitude to the theatrical experience. If they want it to survive they need to support it. Sky high rentals help no one and every encouragement to pull in the older audience should be made. The success of the 'Silver Screen' proves there is a daytime audience among the retireds. 2. The local Cinema should wake up to the challenge. The manager should be visible welcoming the audience. Curtains instead of looking at blank screens, and music playing rather than a big O with sounds of rushing water!! A little more imagination in programming at some situations would help. I phoned the manager of our local cinema to ask if they were showing 'The Christmas Candle'. 'No. We don't show that sort of film'. So, I finally discovered the distributor and hired their sole blu-ray copy. 100 folk turned up on the Saturdaynight and paid £5 each to see it. Perhaps the studios might help independents once their own backlog has gone through. Why not encourage volunteers to help out. A free ticket would probably work wonders, and someone checking each screen for sound and vision and to deal with the hooligan element who never stop talking might help. Why not try an old film with a new one double bill. And stop putting up the price for blockbusters and 3D! O.K. It's old fashioned but go out fighting. Try a little enthusiasm to swamp the defeatism. Not every cinema in the U.K. was on it's last legs before the virus struck. The patient maybe unconscious at the moment but death is not inevitable. We might just be surprised.

[Ed Gordon]

There was an interesting discussion of this topic on a podcast I listened to a few weeks ago. The 10 minute discussion starts 21 minutes into the podcast at: https://bobrivers.com/bob-and-zip-show-20201211/. I would guess that the audience for this is in the 50+ age group (...not a prime movie going group).

[Lee Mannering]

Mark Kermode has just been on BBC1 saying the Cinema experience wins hands down every time and the best movie experience

[Terry Sills]

The last time I went to see a film at a cinema I was so disappointed that I have never been since. That was many years ago and it was like sitting in an overcrowded room - small - noisy idiots among the audience - no atmosphere or anticipation of the main feature, so unlike the big Odeons and ABC's of yesteryear. I guess I was spoilt by those great old cinemas and the younger generation have no experience or any idea of what it was like then. There used to be a cinema in Wareham that until recently still had 35mm projectors and showed real film. Even they have now gone digital.
what a sad demise of what used to be a really enjoyable treat.

[Mike Newell]

Funny Mark Kermode is one guy who sends me to sleep every time he appears on tv. Cinema closures won’t really affect him as he lives in London and there will always be cinemas available to him. I agree with Terry’s point about audiences. If they are not having their dinners watching the movies , small children are crying or going to the toilet or the worst are old wrinklys who talk through the movie an actually brought sandwiches and flasks of tea. You wouldn’t be allowed to have that sort of behaviour at theatres or live shows. I think losing a weekly Film programme on television didn’t help either For all Barry Norman or Jonathan Ross’s faults they did publicise films that weren’t blockbusters.