The/my TLDR: we as the audience probably need to re-frame how we decide which movies we go and see. Instead of just going for the obvious blockbusters … we need to decide on our own hype as we did with barbenheimer. The movie industry might be crumbling, and we, the audience might be as much to blame as the shitty execs.
Interesting. I’m now wondering if there are cultural issues here that aren’t the same everywhere.
I still go to the theatre occasionally, and I’ve not had any of those problems, like at all. I do also tend to try to go during off-peak times to avoid crowds though. But even so, I’ve been in packed theatres and never had problems like that.
The stuff about spectacle is kinda what the OP video was about. If we’ve lost faith that there’s anything good to be see in a theatre, and so aim only for the obviously shallow offerings of a theatrical experience like the effects etc, then that seems a lot like a downward spiral from a negative feedback loop, where films just got worse over time, or less interesting, in order to maximise profits presumably, and so we lose faith, and so “interesting” films don’t make money, and repeat.
All the comments in this thread are forcing me to realise how on point the video is (more than I had realised at first). From this sample, cinema has died somewhat and it’s probably too late.
For my money, I’d just gotten tired of the whole streaming TV schtick. Modern TV seasons are too often written like cheap LOTR trilogies (8-12 x 40-60 mins = LOTR trilogy runtime) with filler and contrived drama or stakes. Compared to a decent or good film, modern TV kinda sucks IMO. I’m rather sad right now TBH.
What modern TV have you seen? What sort of thigs do you like?
Recently watched Wheel of Time, Silo, Foundation, Generation V, strange new worlds and probably some others I’ve forgotten.
Currently watching Monarch and For All Man Kind.
I like “interesting” which tends to lean fantasy/sci-fi.
Got. I thing against modern TV. It just feels like I can see the pattern in its production now and unless they have really great story ideas (which they tend not to IMO, not great) it wears a bit thin and I much prefer the focus of a film.
Did you like the shows you listed there?
Yea. I’ve got a typo in my previous message.
I liked them well enough. Got nothing against modern TV. It’s just that I feel like I can see the new format that’s settled in. Seasonal arcs, 8-12 episodes, hitting marks in the first, middle and final episodes etc. I like the focus of films is all and sometimes meandering quality TV can have.
I mean this is a specific format of the west. Korean dramas, for instance, do not necessarily have that format. I assume you’ve watched Severance, by the way.
Otherwise I would note Dark, Foundation, Altered Carbon
I also don’t see it’s substantively more notable than the old 20-24 episode monster of the week format that was prominent prior to streamnig.
Yes … watched Severance and really liked it.
Started Dark … dunno exactly why but it kinda threw me off. Mystery shows like that can strangely polarise me. Either they capture me or repel me with a tired feeling of not wanting to wait to know what’s going on.
Haven’t seen Altered Carbon … maybe I’ll give it a shot … thanks!!
Thing about the 20-24 episode format was that it felt different from films. A modern TV season, to me, feels like a stretched out film. Older TV felt more like chill time … like going to a restaurant you like and visit once a week … like hanging with friends. Which may or may not be laudable … but I think it was a different feeling from films.
You can still find that format in network TV. Of course it’s mostly police, medical and lawyer shows but then that was always the case then anyway. A lot of younger people don’t like the MOTW of the week ‘chilled’ format because everything felt irrelevant. The plot would resolve within the episode and the team would live, except maybe on a mid-season episode or end of-season arc. Everything would feel flat. Most modern TV shows are indeed now long-form movies (if we’re being reductive) but the extra time to build and advance wider plots and do larger worldbuilding is why, or partially why, they’ve eaten into the diversity of contemporary cinema.