7 ms·

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 bu

• Zhyl 6y ago
  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.
  • pfdietz 6y ago
    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.
    • nicoburns 6y ago
      It already works. There are lots of local independent cinemas like this.
      • ethbr0 6y ago
        My understanding is that their economics have been tenuous, especially if they're trying to compete with commercial theater-like AV technology. What I'd love to see would be group-buys at local theaters, with the entire catalog of film at pre-negotiated prices.
  • galuggus 6y ago
    I would also show TV shows. For example Rerun the wire or the sopranos one episode a week
  • deergomoo 6y ago
    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).
    • sammorrowdrums 6y ago
      Is that Cambridge? They did that at the Grafton Centre and I went much more often.
      • deergomoo 6y ago
        Newcastle-under-Lyme: I guess they’ve done it in a lot of them
    • ValentineC 6y ago
      Did they start charging more for the recliners? The cinemas in Singapore have both fold-down seats and recliners, and the premium halls with recliners cost 3x more.
  • akiselev 6y ago
    >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.
  • SpicyLemonZest 6y ago
    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.
    • foogazi 6y ago
      When does it converge into a home theater in someone’s house where you can just drink/stream what you want?
      • nicoburns 6y ago
        Probably never. People like to go out for the experience. You might as well ask when pubs will converge into people just drinking in their kitchens.
      • SpicyLemonZest 6y ago
        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?
  • the8472 6y ago
    So a high-end home-cinema setup (heh) that you can rent for those who don't have the space or can't afford the hardware?
    • londons_explore 6y ago
      Sadly charging people money to view stuff on your home cinema is pretty much impossible to do legally. AirBnB for home cinemas would be awesome if it existed though!
      • gremlinsinc 6y ago
        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???
  • Slow_Hand 6y ago
    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. They have my strongest recommendation.
    • Slow_Hand 6y ago
      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.
• zucker42 6y ago
  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.
• mcintyre1994 6y ago
  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.
  • dragonwriter 6y ago
    > 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.
• alexchamberlain 6y ago
  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.)
  • nitrogen 6y 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.
• tonyedgecombe 6y ago
  Don't forget to throw in the stink of popcorn, sweet sticky carpets, 30 minutes of advertising and distracting bright phones in the auditorium.
• oramit 6y ago
  Yes! I have a fine TV setup at home but I want to get out of the house too. Post pandemic the last thing I want to do is stay in.
• api 6y ago
  No, not at all. I think theaters have been dying for a long time but very slowly, and the pandemic just accelerated their demise.
• deleted 6y ago
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• slg 6y ago
  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.
  • morsch 6y ago
    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.
• mhh__ 6y ago
  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.
• undersuit 6y ago
  So it's like a play but not live? Interesting. Does it cost less than attending a full production?
  • codeulike 6y ago
    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 ...
• tibbydudeza 6y ago
  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. It is about $3000 per rental. https://www.redcarpethomecinema.com/ https://www.redcarpethomecinema.com/