Recommend (or don't) a movie thread v2

[TheScorpion]

Ah, Mandarin. From a distance it looked like it said Hungarian.

Edit: and the two foreign films actually look pretty good, just took a peek at the trailers. Might have to check em out. Still pretty funny that Tenet is playing in half the theatres.

Also that "Unhinged" movie with Russell Crowe looks straight from a Walmart clearance bin.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Ah, Mandarin. From a distance it looked like it said Hungarian.

Edit: and the two foreign films actually look pretty good, just took a peek at the trailers. Might have to check em out. Still pretty funny that Tenet is playing in half the theatres.

Also that "Unhinged" movie with Russell Crowe looks straight from a Walmart clearance bin.

I actually enjoyed it. Not much of a storyline but lots of crashed vehicles and people getting killed. Russel Crowe was huge, by that I mean weight wise. He was perfect for the role.

[sl888]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I stumbled across an Australians time-travel/Sci-fi movie last night called Pre-determined. Stars Ethan Hawke (who I think is under-rated) and got a lot of attention down under, but i don't recall hearing much about it up here. Anyways if you like time travel stuff, it's a good one - but as with most, don't tug on the logical thread too hard, as it probably all falls apart. But I would recommend.

Predestination

[AC]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Given your list you will enjoy Suspiria. As a horror movie fan I'm drawn to artsy type of horror shows because I find a lot of the regular ones are too generic and not scary or frightening at all. The Colour Out of Space fits this criteria but unfortunately it's a little too bad to be recommended.

Originally Posted by Coach

+1 for Suspiria. I’m not a huge horror fan at all so it takes a pretty “good” movie to make me sit through one. The one parallel dance scene in that movie haunts my dream for real. So beautifully filmed but absolutely a shock to sit through.

Watched it over the weekend.

Yeah, it was great and pretty insane!

[Dion]

A good friend of mine is considering shutting down his theatre in High River for a period of time. The attendance has not been good and he struggles some weeks just to cover the cost of the movie rental, employees and utilities.

We've been showing classics from the past as the rental costs are much lower and have had up and down results. Showing double features on weekends for a 2 for $7 rate still doesn't draw great numbers. Last weekend we gambled on "Unhinged" and had break even results. Predicting what people will come to watch is a coin toss.

When a major studio requests that he has to show "Tenet" for a minimum of 4 weeks, that isn't going to work financialy. Disney is another studio that is very difficult to deal with. You can tell the studio as much but they don't care. A friend of his owns the Napier in Drumheller and he made the mistake of taking "Tenet". In the second week he was averaging 6-10 people per night and he's not happy.

All the above makes me wonder how the big chains are surviving. It's clear people are still afraid to go the movies because of this pandemic

[Harry Lime]

Most of the old movies that I see being screened have been of the Avatar and Jurassic Park 2 variety. I think that there would be a better response with genre movies. Some classic sci-fi (Robocop/Starship Troopers) and horror (Army of Darkness/Cabin in the Woods), some simple marketing. Classic feelgood movies one generation old (Blues Brothers). Couldn't be that expensive, and you could rotate quickly through them.

I've thought that weekday matinees should be done like this for a while. Things that would be great to see on a big screen.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

Most of the old movies that I see being screened have been of the Avatar and Jurassic Park 2 variety. I think that there would be a better response with genre movies. Some classic sci-fi (Robocop/Starship Troopers) and horror (Army of Darkness/Cabin in the Woods), some simple marketing. Classic feelgood movies one generation old (Blues Brothers). Couldn't be that expensive, and you could rotate quickly through them.

I've thought that weekday matinees should be done like this for a while. Things that would be great to see on a big screen.

A few weeks after reopening we did a combo of Grease and Dirty Dancing which drew a lot of women, especially for the later as they all wanted to see Patrick Swayze. Another weekend that did well was a combo of "ET" and "Jaws".

[Inglewood Jack]

Originally Posted by Dion

All the above makes me wonder how the big chains are surviving. It's clear people are still afraid to go the movies because of this pandemic

fear of infection, plus many people realizing that they prefer the home movie viewing experience over the theatre. not all, but many. my unoriginal prediction is that the theatre business never returns to its previous state and permanently contracts to serve viewings where there are clear advantages over streaming.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Inglewood Jack

fear of infection, plus many people realizing that they prefer the home movie viewing experience over the theatre. not all, but many. my unoriginal prediction is that the theatre business never returns to its previous state and permanently contracts to serve viewings where there are clear advantages over streaming.

It used to be that studios would give the theatres a few months before a new release went to the streaming services. Now they want to break that model and stream it when it's being released in theatres. That would kill the big chains and smaller movie houses.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Dion

It used to be that studios would give the theatres a few months before a new release went to the streaming services. Now they want to break that model and stream it when it's being released in theatres. That would kill the big chains and smaller movie houses.

It's not breaking any model, it's recognizing people's desires have changed, and technology has opened up new avenues for entertainment. Will theatres have to adapt? Ya. Will some go out of business? Probably. Welcome to the world.

[nfotiu]

If theaters die, do feature length movies die with it? My appetite for watching movies at home is way down from years ago. I still enjoy going to a premium movie theater a few times a year.

If I'm at home, I'm much more likely to watch a series than a movie. It used to be only movies would have the acting and writing talent, and production quality, but TV has more than caught up to that. Most stories are better told over a 10-13 episode series than a 2 hour movie. I just don't see the need for the format if watching at home is the only option.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

It's not breaking any model, it's recognizing people's desires have changed, and technology has opened up new avenues for entertainment. Will theatres have to adapt? Ya. Will some go out of business? Probably. Welcome to the world.

It's breaking a long standing business model that has existed between studios and movie theatres. Theatres were given 60 to 75 days before the movie went to streaming. It will cause theatre owners to question weather showing a movie that will go to streaming also, to be profitable enough to show.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Dion

It's breaking a long standing business model that has existed between studios and movie theatres. Theatres were given 60 to 75 days before the movie went to streaming. It will cause theatre owners to question weather showing a movie that will go to streaming also, to be profitable enough to show.

And the automobile "broke" the business model of horse drawn carriages. These things happen. Resisting and holing out hope that things will go back to how they were in the before times never works out. Ask Blockbuster.

[Locke]

Yeah, I mentioned something similar in the Arena thread.

How long is it going to take for people to pack Sports Arenas? Same with Movie Theatres. A lot of people were avoiding the movie-going experience as it was....now?

[Itse]

Just saw The New Mutants.

I'm hesitant to recommend it, but I really liked it. It's got personality and heart and the ideas of a really good movie there, the pieces just never really quite click like they'd need. The acting also is very "teen movie" standard.

As a kid who basically grew up on X-men comics though, this movie has got "it" more than any other X-franchise movie, in the "I don't know what I want, but I know when I see it" sense. This wasn't the best, but this was "it". If you're a Marvel/X-Men/superhero fan, I highly recommend checking it out just for variety. lt's also just a little over 1,5h so it's not a huge commitment

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

And the automobile "broke" the business model of horse drawn carriages. These things happen. Resisting and holing out hope that things will go back to how they were in the before times never works out. Ask Blockbuster.

And yet a chain like AMC was able to work out an agreement with Universal Pictures.

Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but AMC will get a share of the premium video-on-demand revenue.

"The theatrical experience continues to be the cornerstone of our business," said Donna Langley, chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group. "The partnership we've forged with AMC is driven by our collective desire to ensure a thriving future for the film distribution ecosystem and to meet consumer demand with flexibility and optionality."

Defending the impact at the box office, Aron said that the first three weeks of ticket sales is when "a considerable majority of a movie's theatrical box office revenue typically is generated."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainmen...rsal-1.5667096

[Fuzz]

I assume that's the studios throwing AMC a lifeline for awhile. You don't just pay someone for doing nothing. I suspect this deal won't last all that long, if the studios see success in the direct to consumer model.

[Wastedyouth]

Tenet was, really not good.

Wtf did I just watch?

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I assume that's the studios throwing AMC a lifeline for awhile. You don't just pay someone for doing nothing. I suspect this deal won't last all that long, if the studios see success in the direct to consumer model.

As long as the studios see movie theatres as a viable option, the agreement will last. That said I agree with you in that it could be a very short marriage.

Anyhow, some interesting stats to add to the equation.

Watching movies in the theater vs. via a streaming service U.S. 2018-2020

According to a study held in March 2020, just 18 percent of adults said that they strongly preferred seeing a movie for the first time in a theater, and 27 percent said that they would much rather stream the film at home than visit a cinema. Preferences for watching a new release in a cinema instead of via a streaming service in the United States changed significantly between 2018 and 2020, signaling a shift in consumer behavior and potentially a risk for movie theaters in the country.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/...tching-movies/

[Strange Brew]

Saw Tenet yesterday. Entire family had activities so headed to theatre myself. Almost had the place to myself on Sunday afternoon. Finally 3 people showed up so wasn't too worried about getting infected.

As for the movie. Man it looks amazing. Beautifully shot and it's truly a spectacle. And it definitely keeps you engaged.

But in the end somewhat disappointing. The "protagonist" seemed to lack any depth and I found myself not really caring about him and his relationships. And while the concept is complex as hell and I still find myself thinking about the mechanics, the plot itself is rather thin.

The acting is average, except for Branagh who is always great and Elizabeth Debicki.

Spoiler!

She was awesome and interestingly she played the IDENTICAL role in The Night Manager.

It is worth seeing IMO but not everything I was hoping for.