Extinction Rebellion: Is The Movie Theater Dead?
Has the pandemic finally seen off the theatre-going experience or is there hope?
Let's face it, cinema was already undergoing something of a paradigm shift before covid-19 took hold. In the era of streaming, the world of visual entertainment has changed enormously and this certainly has an effect on the business of theatrical exhibition. Television has strived for excellence for many years, but over the last decade, the amount of new streaming services competing in the marketplace has exponentially increased the content on offer.
With the enormous financial success of big-budget, big-name series it seems that cinema and streaming services are fiercely competing. Audiences are hungry for dramas and stories that play out over a much longer run time of several hours, where character development and narrative can be allowed time to breathe and grow. Now with some of these services branching into movie production, it seems all bases are covered.
While all this could give cinemas cause for concern, it should be noted that much of this content could not be possible without the success of certain film franchises where these audiences were originally found. Without the Lord of the Rings films, it's unlikely that a big-budget epic fantasy series like Game of Thrones gets green-lit; the genesis of several Netflix comic book series only follows the triumphs of such films as The Dark Knight and many Marvel adaptations, particularly The Avengers series. As viewing habits shift, perhaps an implicit dialogue is developing between the film industry and the small screen.
With Netflix leaning their weight into making more films in a variety of genres and also buying their own cinema in New York a year ago for premieres, it seems highly possible.
Then the pandemic hit and, along with many non-essential businesses, theatres were forced to temporarily close their doors. In an already uncertain time for cinema, this presents a new challenge to their existence. Meanwhile, streaming services have inevitably flourished. With a captive audience, the likes of Amazon Prime, Disney+, and many more watch their stocks boom. Studios and theatres on the other hand are biting their nails, delaying productions, and pushing back release dates until business as usual is resumed. The question being asked currently is, will it ever be so again?
A question that hangs heavy in the air after the highly controversial move of Warner Bros and HBO Max to release a slew of films on the platform and in theatres simultaneously. With zero windows of theatrical release, this move is to the chagrin of many directors including Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve, the latter responsible for the much anticipated epic Sci-Fi Dune. Once again, the tension between streaming platforms and the film industry is ratcheted up. This comes from the seemingly panicked manner of its execution.
As Christopher Nolan says, “its very, very, very, very messy. A real bait and switch… it's not how you treat filmmakers and stars and people who — these guys have given a lot for these projects. They deserved to be consulted and spoken to about what was going to happen to their work.” So the level of frustration felt by the creators of this work is entirely understandable. This could make for quite depressing reading, but I want to argue here that there are reasons to be positive — in times of great change, there have to be. Is there room for recovery, for positive commercial relationships to exist between studios, artists, streaming platforms, and crucially theatres? Let's attempt to cut through the doom and gloom and focus on three reasons the sacrosanct act of going to cinema may not have such a bleak outlook.
1. We’ve been here before
When television appeared and it became clear that there would likely be one in every household, the film industry feared for its livelihood. It was thought that with the advent of this new home entertainment technology, theatres would lose out. Of course, this wasn’t the case. Then, years later, the introduction of the VCR looked surely set to finish off cinema. Why would anyone visit a theatre in the age of the home video? Despite the fact that ticket sale revenue fell briefly in the mid 80’s, this feared demise proved premature. Ticket revenues rose again in a period that proved to be a somewhat resurgent golden era with Hollywood heavyweights George Lucas and Steven Spielberg dominating the box office.
Much was made of both of these perceived threats. They were headline-grabbing moments and many within the industry felt it signaled the end. As we all came to see, however, cinema did more than survive, it flourished. For these reasons, I would argue that the crisis being talked of now may also pass leaving the theatre-going experience intact. Even the most sophisticated of ultra-HD, large projected, 7.1 surround sound home entertainment systems fails to rival the sensorial experience of the cinema. The darkened auditorium, the smell of popcorn, the swish as the curtain goes back and the enormous screen is revealed which will immerse you in another world for a couple of hours is something difficult to replicate elsewhere.
Of course, it is possible that something as far-reaching as a pandemic could have greater implications than any of these previous threats. Without a crystal ball, I cannot say for certain that survival is assured. Yet, theatres have weathered the advent of television, home video, DVD/Blu-Ray, and even file-sharing piracy. Is this perhaps little more than a headline-grabbing moment? I can’t help but feel that going to the cinema will remain unique enough to attract audiences to come.
2. Drive-In Revival
In a mask-wearing, socially distanced world, the drive-in screening has undergone a bit of a revival. Here in the UK, during the summertime, the annual outdoor screening events that took place at country manors and so on went one step further and family vehicles took the place of picnic blankets. More screenings took place and where there were once around five working drive-ins, post lockdown this leapt to around the forty marks.
These sites are, as mentioned, temporary and seasonal using existing venues rather than purpose-built ones. Whilst the number of these increased due to these new circumstances, do I really think a revival of drive-ins is likely to occur on such a scale and with such demand that it saves an ailing exhibition industry? No, probably not. The point of talking about this trend though is it's an example of how variety can exist within a marketplace and enable competitors to flourish. It could be one example of how adaptation enables evolution and combats extinction.
I have never actually experienced a drive-in movie. I would love to when possible. It is one of a plethora of retro pastimes that appear to be very popular in the early part of this century, but instead of being niche, this could really have wide appeal. Equal parts hipster and family suitable, being able to take your car to the local drive-in to watch the latest blockbuster sounds like a really gratifying experience to me. It could be one of a variety of public viewing options to add to the mix.
Cinephiles have always loved embellishments to the experience. Whether it's in the toned-down form of a small projector screen at a student union bar or the ostentatious affair of seeing horror movies in scary real life locations that mimic the film, recent trends show an inventiveness that is unlikely to go away after the pandemic has subsided.
3. The Social Network
It may not seem like a social occasion, sitting in a darkened theatre and staring silently into an enormous screen. Yet, there is something communal in the act of watching a film at the cinema, something edifying in sitting next to a stranger and allowing the movie to take you both away to the same fantastical place. I personally have no issue going to the cinema alone. There are some like me, film buffs whose hunger for the popcorn and big screen experience is keen enough to be unperturbed by the solo cinema trip.
For the majority though, even in 2020, it is a place you go with someone else. With a friend or group, on a date, for kids and teens, it may be part of birthday entertainment, for many, it's a staple of Friday night activity. It's no accident that lots of films are released on a Friday or that independent cinemas so often provide bars and restaurants. Multiplexes are often found surrounded by an array of eating and drinking options for the same reasons. Going to the cinema is without a doubt a social activity.
Lots of people around the world are desperate to get back to socializing in as normal a way as possible, to be able to go to bars, restaurants, classes, and all manner of social gatherings. Going to the cinema is without a doubt one of those longed after things. With this in mind, it seems likely that cinemas will see audiences return, perhaps even a small surge in attendance.
Parting thoughts
The film industry has been adapting to threats for most of its existence. As the world around becomes more technologically refined, recent years have seen these take different forms. Everything from torrent sharing to streaming has loomed large over Hollywood. It has given rise to different mitigating measures such as the widespread introduction of 3D and studios developing their own online platforms to release films.
However, the pandemic has presented obstacles quite different from anything that came before. Whilst I share the worries of those directors of Warner Bros projects, I do not think people will forego the cinema experience entirely or forever. It is a worry predicated upon people's fears of mingling in a post-Covid world and is precisely the motivation for releasing these projects in theatres and on-demand simultaneously.
For a film with the scope and scale of Dune though, it represents a win for the commercial side of the business at the cost of the art. Villeneuve understandably wants his film to be experienced first on the big screen. The move that Warner Bros/HBO have made will likely curb numbers visiting the cinema, many will opt to watch Dune, The Matrix 4, etc. for the first time at home. With a bit of luck, they will want a repeat viewing on a big screen.
Meanwhile, despite receiving a mixed critical reception, Nolan’s Tenet was heralded as the film to save cinema and did indeed become one of the year’s top-grossing movies. It remains to be seen how all this will impact these films in the coming year and, in the long term, I do believe audiences will return. So the question is, does this become something of a call to action? Well, sort of, yes! When we can, let's make a special effort to visit our local theatres, a drive in, on our own, with friends and family, but above all to simply enjoy the unique experience of the silver screen!
