I was watching TV today, which happens fairly regularly, and I saw a commercial for the DVD release of Saved! (which I haven't seen) and I thought to myself "Wasn't that just in theaters not TOO long ago?" I did a little bit of searching and found that it was released back in May of 2004. Four months after it's theatrical release and it's already on DVD. That, my friends, is a rather quick theater to dvd conversion.
Remember a few years ago when movies wouldn't come out on DVD or VHS sometimes upwards of one year after it's theatrical release? Maybe it's just my imagination but movies are being released sooner and sooner on portable formats. Does this signal the slow death of the cinema? Will all movies soon be direct to DVD releases? I wouldn't find it too surprising if within the next 50 years the whole theater industry went out of business.
I'm sure when drive-in theaters first came out and they were all the rage no one ever thought of them all going out of business... but where are we now? Hardly ANY drive-in theaters exist. There used to be one by my house that I'd go to with my friend Steven pretty much every weekend. It was awesome and it sure beat indoor theaters on a good night and yet they all went out of business. You may be thinking "but... theaters have larger screens and louder sound than my tv at home!" But with the current technological advances in home entertainment you can easily (not necessarily cheaply) get quality equal to or surpassing that of your average theater in the comfort of your own home.
Is this necessarily a bad thing? Yes and no. Yes because then you'll have to buy every movie you want to see (which will only be like twice the price of a movie ticket, so it's not THAT bad) and no because given the amazing capabilities of high end home entertainment centers you may be able to enjoy a movie on a completely new level. Let's just hope that this wouldnt be the death knell of the movie industry, a lot of their profits come from theaters...
So I say to you all: enjoy the theater going experience while it exists and be prepared to stock up on popcorn for when your home turns into your own personal theater, if it ever does happen.
On a side note: I've discovered a pet peeve of mine tonight. I really hate when I'm making a sandwich on my lap and the bread has a hole in it and i dont notice it until i squirt mustard on the bread, through the hole and onto my lap. Not cool.
Remember a few years ago when movies wouldn't come out on DVD or VHS sometimes upwards of one year after it's theatrical release? Maybe it's just my imagination but movies are being released sooner and sooner on portable formats. Does this signal the slow death of the cinema? Will all movies soon be direct to DVD releases? I wouldn't find it too surprising if within the next 50 years the whole theater industry went out of business.
I'm sure when drive-in theaters first came out and they were all the rage no one ever thought of them all going out of business... but where are we now? Hardly ANY drive-in theaters exist. There used to be one by my house that I'd go to with my friend Steven pretty much every weekend. It was awesome and it sure beat indoor theaters on a good night and yet they all went out of business. You may be thinking "but... theaters have larger screens and louder sound than my tv at home!" But with the current technological advances in home entertainment you can easily (not necessarily cheaply) get quality equal to or surpassing that of your average theater in the comfort of your own home.
Is this necessarily a bad thing? Yes and no. Yes because then you'll have to buy every movie you want to see (which will only be like twice the price of a movie ticket, so it's not THAT bad) and no because given the amazing capabilities of high end home entertainment centers you may be able to enjoy a movie on a completely new level. Let's just hope that this wouldnt be the death knell of the movie industry, a lot of their profits come from theaters...
So I say to you all: enjoy the theater going experience while it exists and be prepared to stock up on popcorn for when your home turns into your own personal theater, if it ever does happen.
On a side note: I've discovered a pet peeve of mine tonight. I really hate when I'm making a sandwich on my lap and the bread has a hole in it and i dont notice it until i squirt mustard on the bread, through the hole and onto my lap. Not cool.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home