4 ms·

How is it better to promote a theater chain than Netflix?

jplayer01 9y ago
Promoting local business and movie culture instead of a soulless American global firm? France doesn't value capitalism and "freedom" (to destroy all other values) as in the US.
- geff82 9y ago
  Netflix is not soulless, at least some of their self-made offerings are about the most passionate there is.
- chc 9y ago
  It seems strange to say that a company that produces works of art is more soulless and capitalist than a glorified snack bar that shows other people's art to draw customers.
  - alphonsegaston 9y ago
    I don't think it's at all out of context with the functioning of contemporary Capitalism, especially in the United States. The film and tv industry in the US are used incessantly to manufacture desires and new forms of consumption, even setting aside product placements. Critics of Capitalism have observed this since the 1950s: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_industry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_industry
- SomeStupidPoint 9y ago
  It just strikes me as, well, self-defeating to have an international celebration of film confined to your nation's take on it and promoting your local businesses while ignoring major contributors to the medium. It seems strange to say, "Well, a film must be in a cinema" when that's not how most people watch them. (At least not the vast majority of films they watch in any of the countries I've been in.) It's not that they banned all soulless corporations producing faux art, they just banned a change in watching habits to prop up an industry with poor value proposition. Film as a medium is a valuable part of culture; theatres aren't necessarily. Theatres must offer something over sitting on the couch -- and in the US they have, introducing things like bars and food services.
  - Hasknewbie 9y ago
    Very much this. It's going to reflect poorly on them that an international film festival can be pushed around by a local movie theater lobby. I especially liked the undertone in some pieces (not Slate) that Netflix is 'exploiting' Cannes to promote its movies, as if that was not the actual point of a festival.
  - vacri 9y ago
    > It seems strange to say, "Well, a film must be in a cinema" when that's not how most people watch them. (At least not the vast majority of films they watch in any of the countries I've been in.) David Sedaris goes on at length about moving to France and falling in love with the film culture there, where movies are shown in small theatres very cheaply. This was back in 2000, so things may have changed, but he was very clear on the differences between the American and French theater-going experience. > Film as a medium is a valuable part of culture; theatres aren't necessarily. You should probably stop calling it 'film', then. Most theatres can still show actual films; few homes can.
    - tripzilch 9y ago
      "Film" is the UK English word for the US word "movie" (which has a red squiggly because of my English (UK) spell-check). That's all it means.
- smohare 9y ago
  A movie playing in a theater promotes about as much local business and culture as snake oil promotes health.
- rakoo 9y ago
  Absolutely not. This is not about small movie clubs struggling against the giant american megacorp; it's movie theaters being angry that Netflix doesn't bring them any money (and the extremely obscure movie sector, that has already been scolded for having shady flows of money such that no one understands what's going on). One party creates and finances movies, the other distributes them. One party is present globally, and as such is relevant to the culture, the other just decided to reduce screening time of european and independent creations to one week only, against previous arrangements. Who participates more to the movie culture? Another point, streaming-only movies have already been shown in the past but they weren't a problem because they didn't threaten the big movie associations. Netflix completely bypasses them and that suddenly becomes a problem.
  - quadrige 9y ago
    Yes it's also a giant vs small cinemas fight: some cinemas in France have 2 or 3 screens and give access to a very wide selection of films in very isolated parts of France. Netflix's catalog is a pack of shit filled with low-tier comedies from the US, and barely any really independant foreign films. As a platform, they have no point of view on the value of films and no editorial ambitions.
    - Clownshoesms 9y ago
      I agree it's catalog is rubbish, but in Australia there are a great many Bollywood, Nollywood and various other International films influxing lately. Can't imagine what a mess all this licensing etc is. Such a non-productive waste of time.
- aub3bhat 9y ago
  Umm yeah it values banning religious attire (not freedom).
mattnewton 9y ago
Ignoring the parent's law about streaming services, it could be though that the chains all compete with each other for the same movies, but Netflix is the only source of made by Netflix movies. Still seems like many laws and rules about nothing to me.
jclos 9y ago
They target streaming-only movies, not Netflix. I'm sure if Netflix sold the rights to their movies so that they can be shown in local cinemas they wouldn't have any issue.
james1071 9y ago
Better according to you or according to the French?
xg15 9y ago
This would promote the business of theaters, not a single chain.

Promoting local business and movie culture instead of a soulless American global firm? France doesn't value capitalism and "freedom" (to destroy all other values) as in the US.

geff82 9y ago
Netflix is not soulless, at least some of their self-made offerings are about the most passionate there is.
chc 9y ago
It seems strange to say that a company that produces works of art is more soulless and capitalist than a glorified snack bar that shows other people's art to draw customers.
- alphonsegaston 9y ago
  I don't think it's at all out of context with the functioning of contemporary Capitalism, especially in the United States. The film and tv industry in the US are used incessantly to manufacture desires and new forms of consumption, even setting aside product placements. Critics of Capitalism have observed this since the 1950s: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_industry https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_industry
SomeStupidPoint 9y ago
It just strikes me as, well, self-defeating to have an international celebration of film confined to your nation's take on it and promoting your local businesses while ignoring major contributors to the medium. It seems strange to say, "Well, a film must be in a cinema" when that's not how most people watch them. (At least not the vast majority of films they watch in any of the countries I've been in.) It's not that they banned all soulless corporations producing faux art, they just banned a change in watching habits to prop up an industry with poor value proposition. Film as a medium is a valuable part of culture; theatres aren't necessarily. Theatres must offer something over sitting on the couch -- and in the US they have, introducing things like bars and food services.
- Hasknewbie 9y ago
  Very much this. It's going to reflect poorly on them that an international film festival can be pushed around by a local movie theater lobby. I especially liked the undertone in some pieces (not Slate) that Netflix is 'exploiting' Cannes to promote its movies, as if that was not the actual point of a festival.
- vacri 9y ago
  > It seems strange to say, "Well, a film must be in a cinema" when that's not how most people watch them. (At least not the vast majority of films they watch in any of the countries I've been in.) David Sedaris goes on at length about moving to France and falling in love with the film culture there, where movies are shown in small theatres very cheaply. This was back in 2000, so things may have changed, but he was very clear on the differences between the American and French theater-going experience. > Film as a medium is a valuable part of culture; theatres aren't necessarily. You should probably stop calling it 'film', then. Most theatres can still show actual films; few homes can.
  - tripzilch 9y ago
    "Film" is the UK English word for the US word "movie" (which has a red squiggly because of my English (UK) spell-check). That's all it means.
smohare 9y ago
A movie playing in a theater promotes about as much local business and culture as snake oil promotes health.
rakoo 9y ago
Absolutely not. This is not about small movie clubs struggling against the giant american megacorp; it's movie theaters being angry that Netflix doesn't bring them any money (and the extremely obscure movie sector, that has already been scolded for having shady flows of money such that no one understands what's going on). One party creates and finances movies, the other distributes them. One party is present globally, and as such is relevant to the culture, the other just decided to reduce screening time of european and independent creations to one week only, against previous arrangements. Who participates more to the movie culture? Another point, streaming-only movies have already been shown in the past but they weren't a problem because they didn't threaten the big movie associations. Netflix completely bypasses them and that suddenly becomes a problem.
- quadrige 9y ago
  Yes it's also a giant vs small cinemas fight: some cinemas in France have 2 or 3 screens and give access to a very wide selection of films in very isolated parts of France. Netflix's catalog is a pack of shit filled with low-tier comedies from the US, and barely any really independant foreign films. As a platform, they have no point of view on the value of films and no editorial ambitions.
  - Clownshoesms 9y ago
    I agree it's catalog is rubbish, but in Australia there are a great many Bollywood, Nollywood and various other International films influxing lately. Can't imagine what a mess all this licensing etc is. Such a non-productive waste of time.
aub3bhat 9y ago
Umm yeah it values banning religious attire (not freedom).

mattnewton 9y ago

Ignoring the parent's law about streaming services, it could be though that the chains all compete with each other for the same movies, but Netflix is the only source of made by Netflix movies. Still seems like many laws and rules about nothing to me.

jclos 9y ago

They target streaming-only movies, not Netflix. I'm sure if Netflix sold the rights to their movies so that they can be shown in local cinemas they wouldn't have any issue.

james1071 9y ago

Better according to you or according to the French?

xg15 9y ago

This would promote the business of theaters, not a single chain.