
A Good Movie Is a Good Movie No Matter Where It's Seen
Andy Marken July 18, 2024
0 Comments
The life we enjoy is very much worth the sacrifice. - Rudolf Hoss, Zone of Interest, A24, 2023
Shortly after the end of CinemaCon, we were chatting with a friend down in SoCal about the roll-out of A24's action film Civil War because the build-up hype made it a project we both were determined to see.
The big question was how, when do we see it?
At the time of our discussion, it was going to hit the theaters right after the NATO (National Association of Theater Owners) week-long movies for movie houses event, but the thought-piece project was also scheduled to be available later for people to buy for their permanent home library (PVOD). Then, Warner was going to encourage folks to sign up for their Max streaming service to build their subscription base.
Then, at some time in the distant future, it will probably be made available on Prime then Pluto and/or Tubi.
Yeah, we both decided we'd wait to see it on our own screens with our own home popcorn.
And that just about summed up the shape of the movie-going industry, despite the optimism that Michael O'Leary, the new head of NATO, the studio executives and theater owners are facing.
Even O'Leary had a tough time believing the industry was prepared for a revival when he said, I believe the future of the theatrical industry is limited, and then quickly corrected himself and said limitless.
Yes, it's been tough for the movie house industry in recent years.
First, we had the pandemic shutdown that put padlocks on theaters around the globe and then just as they were struggling to reopen and entice people to come back and put their seats in seats, the creation industry had the double six-month SAG-AFTRA/WGA strikes.
Studios had to make a hard call - shift the most expensive projects to 2025 or push out as many projects as possible and beef up the potential for their streaming services to gain subscription numbers/profits.
Since they are all hustling to improve their bottom line, they did both without a huge bright outlook for theater owners who need a steady flow of great video content and ticket buyers.
Don't get us wrong, the theater industry isn't going to head in the same direction Peak TV seems to be moving toward, but it is going to have to reassess and realign its future.
AMC's CEO Adam Aron sorta set the tone late last year when he tweeted that AMC didn't fall into bankruptcy, that the company is still here and, in his words, is blazing new trails. In addition to investing in a gold/silver mine, it's offering its AMC-branded popcorn in grocery stores, and even selling popcorn holder collectables.
Collectors' Item - AMC has tried almost everything to attract folks to put seats into seats, including collector popcorn specialties. The Dunes Part 2 limited edition package even attracted the Utah legislature that probably never saw the movie.
Of course, the Dunes Part 2 popcorn bucket may have gone a little too far because the Utah state legislature banned it because it might give young men impure thoughts.
Maybe; but you kinda wonder what they thought when they first saw it, but the added drama probably did help sell added tickets and expensive buckets of popcorn.
But more importantly and professionally, they also signed direct deals with Taylor Swift and Beyonce to show their concert films in their theaters.
Now that and other modest events AMC is probably also exploring shows how thinking outside the box can rejuvenate the industry and was well worth Aron's salary bump to $25M plus!
Depending, of course, on the ups/downs of Wall Street.
Changing Habits - It takes planning and money to go out to the movies but on a whim, you can sit at home and watch what you want, when you want it. Tough choice.
The theater industry has been rearranging the lifeboats since 2002 when it had its true peak ticket sales.
Since then, people have been steadily turning to their home/personal screens as the cost and hassle of going out for a special evening became special.
Ups, Downs - Theater ticket sales may be down but the box office for theater owners remains healthy. Volume will take time to return with more, easier film viewing options.
With fewer seats in seats, theater chains made up the difference by raising ticket prices which helped their grosses but didn't do much to entice more folks to visit their houses.
Big Budget - Going to the movies on an impulse is becoming more difficult with the costs continuing to rise especially since the cost of one ticket can give you a month's of streaming enjoyment.
Since that didn't help much, they figured the next best thing was to improve the cost of the concessions which enabled them to brag about steady box office increases rather than a growing number of folks in the seats.
That helped them but didn't do a thing for the studios that had to foot all the marketing costs of the films that were gracing the huge screens but still only gave them a share of the actual ticket sales.
When tech giants like Netflix and Prime showed folks they could enjoy good to great films/shows without leaving their living/family rooms and that they could pay for a whole month of home entertainment for about a quarter of their burdensome cable bill, they caught the attention of consumers.
Delicious, Filling - A big tub of fresh, greasy popcorn at home may cost a dollar so at the movie theater, you need to savor every expensive bite.
But then Wall Street jumped into the picture and said after showing their movies/shows in the theater and on their networks, renting content to the techie streamers rather than going direct to the consumer themselves would be a lot more profitable.
After all, studios were great at pr
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
26/08/2026
For large media companies, the content archive is a gold mine. There are thousands of hours of existing, high-value assets just waiting to be tapped for highlig...
26/08/2026
Ad Supported Viewing Represents 71.5% of TV in Q2
Streaming Captures Over 48% o...
26/08/2026
Charity sector ad spend reached $278 million as 44% of Australians donated to ch...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
MediaKind today announced that CNBC UK has selected Beam to modernize its contribution and distribution infrastructure, bringing greater flexibility, resilience...
26/08/2026
Telestream, a global leader in media workflow technologies, today announced the next evolution of Telestream UP, expanding the cloud-native platform introduced ...
26/08/2026
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced its 2026 Honorees, recognizing individuals and organizations whose contrib...
26/08/2026
New solution bridges connected TV (CTV) and ecommerce to make shoppable performance advertising easier to scale for streaming platforms and broadcasters
Broadp...
26/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Recent advances in robotics, automation and artificial intelligence...
26/08/2026
How WeFX Made From's' Monsters Feel Uncomfortably Real
Brie Clayton August 26, 2026
0 Comments
From eight-foot dolls and feathered birds to R...
26/08/2026
Eleanor Roosevelt High School Elevates Student Rallies with Blackmagic Design
Brie Clayton August 26, 2026
0 Comments
Student led production team uses...
26/08/2026
K-Frame and Maverik X innovations extend familiar production control into AMPP, alongside new replay, audio, commentary and communications capabilities.
At IBC...
26/08/2026
New products continue to enable any signal, anywhere for creators...
26/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced a new integrated newsroom experience with Agence France-Presse (A...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
26/08/2026
PTZ Camera Manufacturer and FPGA Design Specialist Join Alliance to Advance IPMX and Open AV-over-IP Standards
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) today...
26/08/2026
BATON offers ZOO Digital advanced audio and video quality analysis, and scalable architecture
Interra Systems, a leading provider of end-to-end quality assuran...
26/08/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the continued expansion of its managed coach communications partnership with Scottish Rugby Union. Now entering its third ...
26/08/2026
Zixi brings Broadcaster V19 and showcases interoperable platform on Stand 5.A76
Zixi, a leader in live video delivery and workflow orchestration, will be exhib...
26/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Jeffery Kelly, the H. Lutcher Brown Professor of Chemistry at Scrip...
26/08/2026
Indie Developer Launches Orty, aWindows App That Helps Freelance VideoEditors Fi...
26/08/2026
BTS on Sinners and Is God Is Shot with Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro
Brie Clayton August 25, 2026
0 Comments
Award winning filmmaker Travis Henry elevat...
26/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced a new integrated newsroom experience with Agence France-Presse (A...
26/08/2026
As RT marks 100 years of public service broadcasting in Ireland, today we announce a season of fresh, original content, while preparing to move into a second c...
25/08/2026
Open, Sustainable, Predictable: What Utah Scientific Is Bringing to IBC 2026 As broadcast leaders prepare to gather at the RAI Amsterdam for IBC 2026, the main ...
25/08/2026
NC State's Matthew Byrd breaks down how an IP-based infrastructure is delivering greater flexibility and scalability for Wolfpack productions...
25/08/2026
Deal expands the DTC reach in-market of Capitals, Wizards, Mystics games and oth...
25/08/2026
The two-year renovation period will create a stadium of the future for the NFL f...
25/08/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, includ...
25/08/2026
Shell Energy Stadium in Houston has installed a new L-Acoustics A Series loudspeaker system, designed and installed by LD Systems, a Clair Global brand. The 20,...
25/08/2026
FloCollege is expanding its distribution and product offerings for the 2026-27 season, covering more than 20 NCAA partner conferences across Division I, II, and...
25/08/2026
TNA Wrestling and REVOLT have announced a content partnership bringing exclusive TNA Xplosion matches and content from TNA's library to REVOLT.
Our indust...
25/08/2026
Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its Q3 2026 Data Hub analysis showing that FAST sports programming is growing at more than ...
25/08/2026
Amagi has appointed Thomas d'H rouville as Head of Sales for France, Benelux, and Nordics. Based in Paris, he will lead Amagi's growth strategy across t...
25/08/2026
IPC has appointed CCATech as its channel partner in Brazil, expanding the company's presence in Latin America. CCATech was founded in 2023 by Carlos Abrah o...
25/08/2026
FanConnect has announced the FC4, a multi-output media player designed to drive mid-sized video walls, multi-screen concession stands, and multi-display digital...
25/08/2026
JWX has launched JWX Content Hub, a platform for publisher video that combines content transformation, social distribution, audience engagement, and monetizatio...
25/08/2026
Techex has appointed Stuart Almond as Chief Revenue Officer. Almond brings more than 25 years of experience across technology, media, and telecommunications, ha...
25/08/2026
Grass Valley will demonstrate infrastructure connecting SDI, SMPTE ST 2110, MXL, and software-based processing at IBC2026 (Booth 9.A01, RAI Amsterdam, September...
25/08/2026
Franchises are taking greater ownership of production, distribution, and the fan...