Theatrical Releases at Home

[Ben]

It appears they are finally moving forward with my wish for new movies to be released for home viewing at the same time they hit the theaters. Kinda sorta. Looks like the initial service will cost $50 per movie. The comments indicate they are probably figuring friends will get together for home viewing parties and split the cost.

Of course the whole reason I want the service is so I can watch a movie in comfort and free of yakety people. So at $50 a pop, I'll continue to wait for the DVD release. :)

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/mar/14/peter-jackson-steven-spielberg-jj-abrams-screening-room-napster-sean-parker

[Brad Johnson]

If I  had a passle of kids or was part of a bunch of people who went to the movies together then it'd be a decent deal. Friend of mine has three kids. A trip to the movies costs them $35, minimum. That's a matinee and doesn't include snack bar stuff. A non-matinee show plus snacks could easily double that. For them fifty bucks to see a first-run movie in the comfort and convenience of their own home would be a bargain.

Fifty bucks just for the one of me me? Not gonna happen.

Brad

[Jamisjockey]

For the four of us to see a movie, it's 10-12 each, so that's almost 50.

[T.O.M.]

I think it depends on the movie.  There are some that I want to see on the big screen with the extra loud speakers, and the over-priced snacks, and the crowd of people, for the experience.  Star Wars.  The Marvel films.  Probably Batman vs. Superman.  Most others, I can wait for the DVD.  Especially since i see now that the Star Wars DVD is coming out around 4 months after the theatrical release.  Yeah, I can wait that long.

[Devonai]

I tend to agree, but over time the movie-going experience is creeping further away from nostalgia. Of course, never again will I experience Star Wars with uncomfortable chairs, sticky floors, and cigarette smoke. They don't even have Pac-Man in the lobby any more.

Also, this new service has a 99.9% less chance of being shot during the show.

[MechAg94]

I tend to agree, but over time the movie-going experience is creeping further away from nostalgia. Of course, never again will I experience Star Wars with uncomfortable chairs, sticky floors, and cigarette smoke. They don't even have Pac-Man in the lobby any more.

Also, this new service has a 99.9% less chance of being shot during the show.

So it is 99.9% less chance than the 0.000001% chance you had before?  

The theatre in town here is fairly new.  No cigarette smoke.  I don't care for a packed house.  I just like seeing some of them on a big screen with a good sound system while eating popcorn with the crappy synthetic butter poured all over it.  But I typically wait at least a few weeks after the first run and then watch the first showing at noon to avoid any sort of crowd.

My brother said there are theatres near him that have early morning showings.  I have been mulling over the worth of driving 60 miles to see a movie at 8 AM so it doesn't burn 3 hours of the afternoon. 

[Ben]

I totally get wanting to see a movie on the big screen. A lot depends on one's sociability. While being a certified misanthrope, there are social scenes that I will tolerate - meeting friends for drinks and whatnot, as long as the gatherings are small.

The one place where my misanthropy really kicks in is when I'm watching a movie or TV. Even sitting in the house with family or friends,  I CANNOT STAND people talking or making noise and making me miss stuff. I want absolute silence and will sacrifice the really big screen* to get it. I realize that's my own foible and that other people are "more normal" in this regard. :)

*Though I find that I like the viewing and sound experience I get with my home setup over the theater screen, and with the TVs coming out now, it makes it (in my opinion) much more feasible to get the theater experience.

[T.O.M.]

I totally get wanting to see a movie on the big screen. A lot depends on one's sociability. While being a certified misanthrope, there are social scenes that I will tolerate - meeting friends for drinks and whatnot, as long as the gatherings are small.

The one place where my misanthropy really kicks in is when I'm watching a movie or TV. Even sitting in the house with family or friends,  I CANNOT STAND people talking or making noise and making me miss stuff. I want absolute silence and will sacrifice the really big screen* to get it. I realize that's my own foible and that other people are "more normal" in this regard. :)

*Though I find that I like the viewing and sound experience I get with my home setup over the theater screen, and with the TVs coming out now, it makes it (in my opinion) much more feasible to get the theater experience.

I get the talking thing.  After my Army time, and a year spent as an intake prosecutor, I developed the ability to completely tune out an entire conversation and listen to something else.  Wife hates it, because she'll have TV on, and if I'm reading, I'll have no idea what's happening on TV.  Some can happen if I'm watching TV and she tries talking to me.   

On the home theater, if I could do what I'd want to do, and build a devoted theater in the basement, I'd be fine.  Big TV, sound system, dark walls, good seating, fridge for beverages...  Maybe after the kids are off at school...

[Brad Johnson]

I have family that likes to come over for "movie night". I put movie night in quotes because they do everything but. Chat amongst themselves, watch youtube vids, talk on the phone, etc.. Invariably they chime in with "..what's happening here... why are they doing that... who's that?". Generally makes it hard for those of us trying enjoy the movie.

I get my revenge, though. My HT system is a decently potent 700+ watt 5.1 setup.  When they decide to wander away from actually, oh, watching the movie I just bump the volume a couple decibels. If that doesn't get the idea across I engage Auxiliary Nuclear and put both subs online. Both fifteen inch subs. At full gain. 

Brad

p.s. The whole neighborhood knows when I'm playing WOT...

[brimic]

I can see paying it for a group, plus the 2.5hr movie can be paused 1/2 way through so I can go relieve myself of the 92oz MtDew I drank with the tub of popcorn that was 75% consumed before the movie even started.

[RoadKingLarry]

The wife and I have figured out that at our local movie mill the mid week matinee shows or the earliest evening showing of movies that are near the end of their run can be as near a private screening as you can get in a regular theater. We have seen several movies where we were the only ones in the theater.
Tuesday-Thursday are the best bet for no people.