Do you think movie theaters will survive?

I thought I had heard all the Regals were going to close permanently. Mainly because of lower attendance, and a slowdown f making new films due to pandemic.
Will theaters survive? Probably not..or if they di they will be vastly different.
But even before the pandemic hit, I am guessing not as many were going. Between higher ticket prices and concession prices it could almost bankrupt people.
Plus, with the advent of streaming services, and in home rentals , theater viewership has suffered. Think of it...you can "rent" a movie on Amazon for $3.99 and up. Watch in the comfort of home...and multiple people can watch for the one price. Snacks cheaper too.
 
Some movies can be enjoyed without any loss on a small(er) screen, but some were *made* to be watched on a huge screen... who didn’t thrill to the opening panoramic shots of the Austrian countryside in the “Sound Of Music”? Epics like “Ben Hur” “Master and Commander” and “Lord of the Rings” are just so good on the big screen! Ah well...
 

There could be a way for theaters to flourish both during and after the pandemic - turn them into a combination movie theater and Disney-style ride experience. Create floating bubbles and people sit in them and these bubbles float around in the theater so that people can move around freely to find a good spot or just float around and be annoying to other patrons if they get bored. Since ceilings in theaters are generally rather high, there should be enough room for a bubble to sit above another bubble so that these things don't have to block each other's view. All the seats would be removed and replaced by these floating bubbles. Each bubble can hold one or two people just like a seat on Ferris wheel. I would think that an enterprising company could create the technology and sell these things to enterprising theaters.

What a wacky world we live in, and getting wackier all the time. :) :)

Tony
 
Our local Regal theater was only opened 2 weeks before it closed again. It is the only Regal in the state. There is no indication when it will reopen. With the virus on the rise again, and most people staying away from the theaters due to the restrictions in attending and the dangers of staying indoors for so long with other people: Will theaters survive?

We are losing some of the AMC theaters here.
 
I suspect there will be several "drive in" movie theaters reopening in the future, as more and more traditional theaters shut down.
You're absolutely right. One of the biggest chain of Cinemas here have recently closed due to the affects of the recent lockdown , and people I suspect, discovering they can watch at home for a fraction of the price since, and without running the risk of being infected in a theatre.
It's a blow to the entertainment industry... but instead although we don't have the huge areas that the US or Canada may have to house Giant outdoor cinemas ( and have never had drive-in cinemas here in the past).. certain places like historic houses with large gardens, have recently started allowing outdoor drive-in cinemas to be hosted on their land..

https://herts.muddystilettos.co.uk/the-muddy-guide/seven-sizzling-drive-in-cinemas-near-you/
 
In my area, movie theaters are folding just like the malls which largely contain them. Even in the pre-CV era, attendance at theaters was dropping as prices went up. Did people really need or want expensive theater upgrades intended to lure them that included stadium seating, "rocking chair" seats, and surround sound? Padded upholstery seats are now a nightmare to sterilize adequately against COVID between audiences, and social distancing isn't profitable when management needs to pack theaters. The theater industry created an overpriced white elephant, and the model no longer works well in current reality.

I'm glad that I had the movie theater experience through my childhood and into middle age, when going to the movies was a fun, safe, and affordable entertainment experience, even if the floors were often sticky...
 
Please note that te following are my personal observations, based on how I grew up, and what I am seeing these days. If other people grew differently and see it differently, please remember that these are my personal observations rather than global fact that everybody should feel the same or have had the same experiences, so there is nothing to disagree with or fight over. Instead, if your experiences and observations are different, I am interested in reading about them.

One sad aspect of people finding out what technology can do as a result of COVID-19 distancing and related cautions is that it increases separation of people. Going to the movies, people are around each other and can often have spontaneous conversations as they enter or leave the theater or wait in line for refreshments. No chance of that when sequestered away in our homes in front of the big screen TV. It is the same with shopping at brick and mortar stores being replaced by online sites. I often tend to strike up a conversation when waiting in line to check out groceries, so I still have that opportunity. However, having met new (to me) people in a hardware store or other brick and mortar places that may start giving way to online shopping, is something I would miss.

Though forums can help with the isolation, I personally don't believe they can really replace actual contact with people. I think by now we are all pretty much familiar with the miscommunication that can easily happen in forums because we don't REALLY get to know people online as we do in person because such communication does not have all the factors that we use to communicate, such as tone of voice, facial expression, and body language. We also don't have that immediate feedback that can easily clarify any misunderstandings in just a few seconds, that otherwise result in some rather hostile exchanges in even the friendliest forums.

Also, there is an ironic side to all this online shopping. When I was growing up, the Sears and Wards catalogs were a primary source of shopping. My mother would line us up and take measurements for school clothing as per the instructions in the catalog, and order clothes. Many items were purchased via these catalogs. The Sears Christmas catalog was pretty much a tradition during the holiday season. Then, shopping malls started showing up and the trend went from the catalogs to shopping in brick and mortar stores. As web sites and online shopping gained traction in more recent years, we are coming full circle with the "catalogs" being pictures and description on a web site.

My wife and I watched a movie last night (Amazon Prime streaming) about Steve Jobs. The point was made that the iPhone (smart phones in general) are serving to isolate people, as that section showed the all too familiar scene of people standing in an area such as a bus stop or other area that people congregate, and all ignoring each other as they focused on their smart phones. So, to me, like anything else in life, technology serves as a double-edged sword, bringing the world to our homes in ways previously unimaginable, but at the same time, isolating people. We can do most everything we need from home - shopping, exploring the world, chatting on forums, attending classes, checking in with our doctors, etc., all without ever interacting with a "real" human being in person. I think, based on comments I read here, that people are missing that interaction.

Tony
 
Interesting point, Tony. But aren't a lot of those people on their phones interacting with other "real" human beings that way also? I don't know the statistics on this, but are most of them texting, emailing, talking, etc. as opposed to just playing games with the computer?
 
Interesting point, Tony. But aren't a lot of those people on their phones interacting with other "real" human beings that way also? I don't know the statistics on this, but are most of them texting, emailing, talking, etc. as opposed to just playing games with the computer?

They are interacting with real human beings as we are here in this forum, but (at least to me), it isn't the same as being in the same room or place as the other person. Think of relatives or lovers who talk long distance and express the desire to see the other person in the same place (i.e. coming home). If talking on the phone was sufficient, such feelings would not need to be expressed.

My experience is that we humans do crave in-person interaction at some point in our lives. There will always be exceptions, but they are relatively few (i.e. real hermits who live way off the grid and never come in contact with other people).

Tony
 
They are interacting with real human beings as we are here in this forum, but (at least to me), it isn't the same as being in the same room or place as the other person. Think of relatives or lovers who talk long distance and express the desire to see the other person in the same place (i.e. coming home). If talking on the phone was sufficient, such feelings would not need to be expressed.

My experience is that we humans do crave in-person interaction at some point in our lives. There will always be exceptions, but they are relatively few (i.e. real hermits who live way off the grid and never come in contact with other people).

Tony

That lack of contact has created issues in communication in actual face to face interactions. It is difficult to have a conversation with someone that is looking me in the eye because they don't seem to understand the context anymore.
 
Another "peace and quiet" we don't do is on our powerboat. When we are on local lake, we pop in one of our Classic Rock, Motown or Oldies CD's and crank up the volume.

One thing for sure, my wife is extremely glad that I'm NOT the "quiet" type. We know a couple of men who are the "quiet" types and we both say "boring".

We both really, really look forward to the time we can go back to a Mega Theater and see a good movie. Nice recliner, the buttered popcorn and Coke. Nice way to spend a Friday or Saturday evening.

We are major Star Wars fans and seen the last movie, The Rise Of Skywalker, twice at the local Mega Theater. Only movie we don't own is Solo.
 
That lack of contact has created issues in communication in actual face to face interactions. It is difficult to have a conversation with someone that is looking me in the eye because they don't seem to understand the context anymore.

To me, human communication is one of the most difficult things we attempt to do, whatever means we use to do it. For me, in-person communication makes it easier to ask "do you mean...?" BEFORE I make an assumption and run with it. We can also do that on the phone, but for me, in-person works better. In a forum, once the thing is said in a post, it is there for all to read and then respond to. By the time, the poster gets back to the forum and tries to clarify, it is already too late because the thread is off and running as people "pile on".

I can see your point, and agree with there are people that we simply can't truly communicate with, no matter how hard we try. I try to give it a fair shot before realizing this and moving on.

Tony
 
To me, human communication is one of the most difficult things we attempt to do, whatever means we use to do it. For me, in-person communication makes it easier to ask "do you mean...?" BEFORE I make an assumption and run with it. We can also do that on the phone, but for me, in-person works better. In a forum, once the thing is said in a post, it is there for all to read and then respond to. By the time, the poster gets back to the forum and tries to clarify, it is already too late because the thread is off and running as people "pile on".

I can see your point, and agree with there are people that we simply can't truly communicate with, no matter how hard we try. I try to give it a fair shot before realizing this and moving on.

Tony

One of the threads on here I noticed there was some misunderstanding over something that was typed out and an accusation was made. When the individual questioned what the problem was they were never dignified with an answer. Seems a bit unfair to me. I didn't see where there was anything bad stated so I couldn't quite understand what the issue was. But if that one person had come back and discussed it with the other maybe they could've resolved. People judge too quickly and give up. There's no context here so they have nothing to work with other than the written word. It's sad.
 
One of the threads on here I noticed there was some misunderstanding over something that was typed out and an accusation was made. When the individual questioned what the problem was they were never dignified with an answer. Seems a bit unfair to me. I didn't see where there was anything bad stated so I couldn't quite understand what the issue was. But if that one person had come back and discussed it with the other maybe they could've resolved. People judge too quickly and give up. There's no context here so they have nothing to work with other than the written word. It's sad.

Yes! Forums can become very difficult to deal with when such a problem arises.

There is a small email group of people that met on a guitar forum that consists of me, another guy, and a woman with the focus on exploring and playing fingerstyle acoustic and jazz guitar. Our communication styles are each quite different. I can't comment on mine very accurately because I can't see it as other people would (one of the problems with communication). The woman communicates in a very non-conflicting way, while the other guy, if you disagree with him, becomes very caustic. I have nearly dropped out of our little group on a couple of occasions because of that.

In this forum, I have seen, and even been involved in, a spat or two. From what I have seen, these generally seem to get resolved and everybody moves forward. Other forums I have been in, I have seen where one or another person involved in a spat, starts sniping the other person relentlessly. Fortunately, I have not been involved, but when I see that happen often enough, I tend to leave that forum because I consider it to be a toxic environment and as I get older and see the end drawing nearer, I feel I don't want to waste my time in that manner.

Tony
 
As far as I know, there have not been any movies made in the past 8 months!! Nothing new to go see that we see on streaming..
There are still new movies “In the can” blockbuster to be released when the virus is over as if any threatens will be left to be opened by that time.
 
I thought I had heard all the Regals were going to close permanently. Mainly because of lower attendance, and a slowdown f making new films due to pandemic.
Will theaters survive? Probably not..or if they di they will be vastly different.
But even before the pandemic hit, I am guessing not as many were going. Between higher ticket prices and concession prices it could almost bankrupt people.
Plus, with the advent of streaming services, and in home rentals , theater viewership has suffered. Think of it...you can "rent" a movie on Amazon for $3.99 and up. Watch in the comfort of home...and multiple people can watch for the one price. Snacks cheaper too.

I tend to agree with you. I think that what at least partway killed the theaters was the high price of tickets. You could easily spend north of $100 taking a family to the movies. And taking someone to the movies certainly wasn't a cheap date anymore.
 
I miss going to the movies so much! I went every week before everything. My local movie house is just running movies after 3PM. I was thinking it will never recover unless they open at noon. I never go to the late movies....I hope they make it.
 
The theaters in my area are being allowed to reopen this Friday at 25% capacity.

It will be interesting to see how many choose to reopen and how many people will go to the ones that do.

I have mixed feelings about reopening businesses at 25% capacity. It seems like it would be more expensive to reopen in many cases than it would to remain closed.

We'll see.
 
Interesting article, Robert. Perhaps some of those theater spaces can be repurposed when Covid subsides. Which it eventually will.

I don't think it's yet time to sound the death knell for movie theaters. Will some close? Of course. But like bowling alleys, which were ubiquitous in earlier decades and are far less so now - but still exist, movie theaters have a sufficiently loyal fan base to remain viable.

My children loved going to movie theaters, especially from ages 4-16. Likewise my grandchildren. By next summer (hopefully sooner) they'll undoubtedly return to the theaters, no social distancing required.
 
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Our local Regal theater was only opened 2 weeks before it closed again. It is the only Regal in the state. There is no indication when it will reopen. With the virus on the rise again, and most people staying away from the theaters due to the restrictions in attending and the dangers of staying indoors for so long with other people: Will theaters survive?
Just heard last night some movie theaters are renting out the whole movie screen area to twenty people for an evening or something like that.
They are being forced to get creative, I guess. Here come the social distancing "family" reunions.
 


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