The next time you see a movie at the theater pay attention to how dirty the film is. Usually it’s not something the eye picks unless it’s specifically looking for it. Once you notice the dust scratches and other cinematic reel dings, you truly see how damaged the film is. Even new releases are full of visual impurities. If you haven’t noticed what I’m talking about forget I ever said anything because I don’t want to ruin your movie going experience. Once I was told about it I understood I probably haven’t seen a truly clear movie ever at theaters.
The first quarter of my freshman year in high school was spent working part time at an AMC Cinema. We wore these huge goofy buttons that said we won’t go over 5 dollars in price. Well obviously things have changed. As with everything the ticket, snacks, and drinks have all went up. These two drawbacks and others like them: theater too full, loud people, etc are elements we all are willing to endure to enjoy seeing a movie. THX certainly compensates in sound, and with new technology like RealD 3D on the rise the trip to the cinema may have new twists in the future.
Do they really have a future though? I understand there are the gems that will come along like the Dark Knight and still rake in millions. Will those far and few between be enough to keep theatres of the future in business? Does Blue-Ray on 60+ inch HDTVs spell the end?
As home theatres become increasingly more sophisticated they continue to drop in price. Will the experience of watching a movie at home with a better picture and sound replace the drive to go see it on a big screen? What ramifications could this have for Hollywood? Hopefully not a surge of Sci Channel original movie like tomatoes.
