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Sarah wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 10 2020 10:40am

The movie industry will presumably have to make cheaper blockbusters if cinema capacity doesn't return to previous norms in the medium term; perhaps we've just seen the end of a contemporary golden age.

I guess it depends on what the return has been via the netflix/amazon release route. There will be lots of individuals who paid more than the price of a cinema ticket to watch as well as families paying less overall. It would be very interesting to see this with a whole number of films over a comparative period. However, with the big releases of Bond et al being put back perhaps this question is already answered. Either that or film studios haven't embraced an impending reality. I suspect the latter point is probably more of the issue than the former.

A "golden age" could also be termed "an age of extravagance", where the whole system is cost bloated, which means consumer experience prices are overinflated. If everyone in the business of producing films are onto too good a thing then reducing expectations across the board, in terms of what everyone is earning, is the reality. It won't necessarily lead to a lower quality film being produced as the norms in doing so will need to change across the board, just like in so many industries in a covid infectious world.

Sadly when things attempt back to normal standards will drop massively from an already low point.

No real films, just reboots, rechurns and 1 star idiot movies for the masses.

Anything goes in the cinema, no manners etc just bums on seats at any cost.

On the plus side im enjoying cinemas at moment. Empty theatres, low prices, screening the classics.

Chadwick wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 10 2020 9:05am

The small cinemas on the other hand have a business model that relies on fewer screens and therefore fewer films. They are also much more inclined to show an older classic.

There's a couple near me that are restored art deco buildings and they are fabulous inside. Not just visually stunning; the seats are huge and plush, the bar serves drinks in glasses and they installed a modern digital projection and sound system along with the old 35mm projector, so you get the best of both worlds. They've had social distancing from the day they opened - you can't touch the seat in front when you stretch your legs out! Down in the stalls, the seats are arranged around tables (rotating chairs) and there is a bar at the back of the stalls that you can visit during the film. It really is a very different experience, and the ticket prices are the same as the big multiplex (albeit no Meercat Movies).

I've been to one of these too, but unfortunately it is nearly an hour away from home. It was a great experience. It was pretty similar to how you describe your examples. This kind of more flexible venue, with more personal service and less reliance of volume has greater scope for survival for sure.