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[Hyun Sai]

I like the theater experience, socializing, meeting people. People want to protect themselves from the negatives of going out, and totally miss how great it can be.

Nothing can be perfect, but staying at home all the time is not life for me. I will definitely go and see Dunkirk in theaters, Imax if possible.

 

[AntraxSuicide]

And he's right about the Netflix model of distribution. I'm disappointed that the irishman is gonna be a Netflix release even tho I'm happy they financed the project

Ideally Netflix movies get like a one month limited release in theaters before they hit the platform imo. Would have been cool to have seen okja in cinema

Again, this is just going to force subscribers to wait an arbitrary amount of time with potentially no other recourse on limited films. I certainly wouldn't be paying Netflix if they were holding out on content.

 

[Monocle]

Sooner cinemas die the better.

WTF, no. I love the large screen format and powerful sound. Premiers for big movies are like nothing you can get at home.

"Hey guys, I just streamed the new Star Wars on my iPad. Great premiere!"

Nooooooooo thanks. Theaters turn movies into awesome events.

I like the theater experience, socializing, meeting people. People want to protect themselves from the negatives of going out, and totally miss how great it can be.

Nothing can be perfect, but staying at home all the time is not life for me. I will definitely go and see Dunkirk in theaters, Imax if possible.

Yep.

 

[uncelestial]

Horse salesman yells at car.

The billions of dollars people spend at the box office every year is no match for this great argument.

 

[HeartlessNobody213]

Definitely don't want Cinemas to die. Been to the movies 14 times this year and have about 4 trips left throughout the year.

I'm not rich so I can't replicate Dolby Cinema at home.

Price isn't an issue since I mostly see movies alone and I see them on Saturday morning when it's cheap and people are usually on their best behavior.

 

[molnizzle]

People want to watch movies at home. Point blank. If I could just order a new movie for 20$ on my cable box or through an internet site and skip the theatre then so be it. Not having to share a theatre with loud ass teenage kids will be a god send. Sorry Mr. Nolan but theatres are kind of a novelty this day and age.

Yeah.

Horse salesman yells at car.

Yeah.

Watching a movie like Dunkirk or Gravity anywhere but the cinema would be in detriment of the movie, so it's obvious why one of the directors of these movies wouldn't be a great fan of services basically undermining the existence of movie theaters.

I've got a movie theater in my house though.

Spoiler

"Media rooms" are becoming more and more common, at least where I live. You con't find a home on the market here without one.

 

[itsbenoclock]

Who is dying to watch an arthouse film in a theater anyway?

me

 

[HeatBoost]

Netflix has more than 100 million subs at $10+/month.

Conservatively, that is $12 billion/year in gross revenue and constantly going up.

The Netflix model has a high buy-in, but every additional sub is more and more profit. It is a cyclical model where more subs -> more profit -> more spending on higher budget content -> more subs, etc.

Netflix will have a blockbuster action film. Just give it time.
.

or

they could keep doing what they're doing, which seems to be working perfectly fine without them having to fork up a gigantic production budget?

Like, what motivation is there for them to sink Avengers money into a movie release?

I don't get people who say there's no distinction between theatrical production values and TV. Show me a Game of Thrones episode that looks as good as the Lord of the Rings movies. Hell, with the exception of Into the Badlands, show me a TV-sized production with anything resembling "pretty good action"

 

[Raptor]

This is out of touch AF.

You seen the numbers Wonder Woman just did?

Then what the hell is Nolan angry about?

He is yelling at clouds for nothing at all.

Netflix aint hurting shit.

 

[Mushroomer25]

I've got a movie theater in my house though.

Spoiler

"Media rooms" are becoming more and more common, at least where I live. You won't find a home on the market here without one.

So you're telling me every home in your area code comes pre-equipped with an IMAX theater?

That ain't exactly commonplace.

 

[molnizzle]

This is out of touch AF.

You seen the numbers Wonder Woman just did?

Was Wonder Woman available for streaming or digital purchase?

So you're telling me every home in your area code comes pre-equipped with an IMAX theater?

That ain't exactly commonplace.

I mean, obviously not an IMAX and some are better than others. But media rooms, yeah.

 

[HStallion]

or

they could keep doing what they're doing, which seems to be working perfectly fine without them having to fork up a gigantic production budget?

Like, what motivation is there for them to sink Avengers money into a movie release?

I don't get people who say there's no distinction between theatrical production values and TV. Show me a Game of Thrones episode that looks as good as the Lord of the Rings movies. Hell, with the exception of Into the Badlands, show me a TV-sized production with anything resembling "pretty good action"

Strike Back? Black Sails?

 

[AHA-Lambda]

People want to watch movies at home. Point blank. If I could just order a new movie for 20$ on my cable box or through an internet site and skip the theatre then so be it. Not having to share a theatre with loud ass teenage kids will be a god send. Sorry Mr. Nolan but theatres are kind of a novelty this day and age.

This. I'm sorry but all this criticism I hear of "but it's not coming to cinemas!!" just screams of snobbery from those attached to the industry

 

[Fallout-NL]

People want to watch movies at home. Point blank. If I could just order a new movie for 20$ on my cable box or through an internet site and skip the theatre then so be it. Not having to share a theatre with loud ass teenage kids will be a god send. Sorry Mr. Nolan but theatres are kind of a novelty this day and age.

Agreed, the experience sucks a good 5 out of every 10 times. Would skip it if I could.

 

[Schweinehund]

I kind of agree with him if it's having a serious impact on theaters. Going to the theater gets me into a different mood, it's hard to describe. It's a lot like going to work vs working from home, I feel like I get way more accomplished in a different setting. Watching a movie at home is not the same thing as going to the theater.

My experiences at a theater are rarely negative, I usually go during Matinees or at night.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

The billions of dollars people spend at the box office every year is no match for this great argument.

Films like Okja and Dunkirk would not contribute large enough slices to those billions of dollars for this counterargument to really balance out the force. Nolan for his part seems completely adamantly against releasing his types of film for streaming audiences and arguments like "If Netflix has made a great film, they should put it in theaters. Why not? Stream it 90 days later.” are completely unpersuasive considering how Nolan would absolutely not accept the deal in reverse.

 

[Mushroomer25]

This. I'm sorry but all this criticism I hear of "but it's not coming to cinemas!!" just screams of snobbery from those attached to the industry

I could say the same of people who apparently can't enjoy a film if the guy three rows back coughs too loudly, and demand everything be immediately available to stream on their personal 4K set.

 

[the_darkness]

Was Wonder Woman available for streaming or digital purchase?



I mean, obviously not an IMAX and some are better than others. But media rooms, yeah.

The point is that calling cinema a novelty is dumb.

 

[Empty]

he's completly right. no-one likes to give amazon any credit as their shows are largely rubbish whereas netflix's are largely very good, but their system for films is brilliant and seeing the amazon studios logo before a good film in the cinema is now becoming a regular occurence.

 

[Syriel]

So you're telling me every home in your area code comes pre-equipped with an IMAX theater?

That ain't exactly commonplace.

Finding a real IMAX theater these days is a challenge.

IMAX digital is a scaled down version, that can't compare to IMAX film projection.

And most theaters are still stuck with DCI 4K projectors, which is 4096 x 2160 vs 4K displays at home, which are 3840 x 2160.

If you want HDR in a theater, you need to find a Dolby Vision equipped theater...which don't even exist in half of the US states as-of-yet.

It is very easy to build a home theater which supports 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos, and outclass the display and audio experience of many of the theaters across North America.

 

[Skii]

Depends on the flick. I think Netflix entertainment comes and goes for many and that's fine. But they don't resonate in word of mouth for long.

Something like The Big Sick (produced by Amazon) has had great legs at the cinema. Racking up more money as it went along. Feel like it wouldn't have even left a blip on Netflix given it's so reliant on a growing release.

But if you released the big sick at the same time in the cinema and amazon, where would people watch it?

 

[Phamit]

or

they could keep doing what they're doing, which seems to be working perfectly fine without them having to fork up a gigantic production budget?

Like, what motivation is there for them to sink Avengers money into a movie release?

I don't get people who say there's no distinction between theatrical production values and TV. Show me a Game of Thrones episode that looks as good as the Lord of the Rings movies. Hell, with the exception of Into the Badlands, show me a TV-sized production with anything resembling "pretty good action"

Battle of Bastards?

 

[Doctoglethorpe]

Agreed. Replace them all with drive ins.

Can't wait to see Star Wars in a snow storm! It'll be like we're actually on Hoth!

 

[ZeroX03]

I don't see the problem in having a proper theatrical release before it goes to streaming. If you don't want to see in theaters, don't go?

 

[Mushroomer25]

Finding a real IMAX theater these days is a challenge.

IMAX digital is a scaled down version, that can't compare to IMAX film projection.

And most theaters are still stuck with DCI 4K projectors, which is 4096 x 2160 vs 4K displays at home, which are 3840 x 2160.

If you want HDR in a theater, you need to find a Dolby Vision equipped theater...which don't even exist in half of the US states as-of-yet.

It is very easy to build a home theater which supports 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos, and outclass the display and audio experience of many of the theaters across North America.

On a screen one fiftieth the size.

 

[MechDX]

Sooner cinemas die the better.

Agreed

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

It will be very interesting to see what Netflix decide to do with Scorsese's THE IRISHMAN.

Once again, James Cameron is going to return from the depths to save the cinema experience.

 

[number11]

But if you released the big sick at the same time in the cinema and amazon, where would people watch it?

If The Big Sick was a Netflix film, how many would know about it? There's a ton of small indie films on Netflix just hidden away. Minus a YouTube trailer, Netflix barely does any promo for small films.

 

[Marty Chinn]

I've got a movie theater in my house though.

Spoiler

"Media rooms" are becoming more and more common, at least where I live. You con't find a home on the market here without one.

I'm currently in the process of building a dedicated theater with probably at least a 140" screen and 7.4.1 speaker setup in it, but I'm under no disillusion about it doing Gravity or Dunkirk justice compared to a large theater screen let alone IMAX. Gravity was incredible and no home system will replicate that.

 

[overcast]

But if you released the big sick at the same time in the cinema and amazon, where would people watch it?

Thing is, I think very few people would watch it. The movie would get funded of course but I do wonder who gains profit there? It wouldn't spread given it's just another "indie rom com". I personally scan through dozens of those without care on Netflix.

 

[Karish]

He's right. The fact that Netflix barely released Okja and Beasts of No Nation in theaters is an insult to the very films they finance. They should do what Amazon does with a limited arthouse run with possibility of a wide-expansion, but then right on Netflix within a month of leaving theaters.

/Thread

 

[EternalDarko]

Horse salesman yells at car.

Yep, sorry Nolan but I have a far better cinema experience at home than any overpriced antique with annoying asses kicking seats, using phones and chatting through the whole thing.
All I need is more UHD HDR content and I'm happy.

 

[DeathoftheEndless]

The billions of dollars people spend at the box office every year is no match for this great argument.

What percentage of those billions do the theaters actually get?

 

[Discotheque]

Thing is, I think very few people would watch it. The movie would get funded of course but I do wonder who gains profit there? It wouldn't spread given it's just another "indie rom com". I personally scan through dozens of those without care on Netflix.

Exactly. It's been doing pretty good. Also getting more attention than it would have if it was grabbed by Netflix

Hell I wouldn't be surprised if it gets some awards nomination for screenplay

 

[HStallion]

What percentage of those billions do the theaters actually get?

Depends on the studio but not a lot

 

[Nipo]

I'm currently in the process of building a dedicated theater with probably at least a 140" screen and 7.4.1 speaker setup in it, but I'm under no disillusion about it doing Gravity or Dunkirk justice compared to a large theater screen let alone IMAX. Gravity was incredible and no home system will replicate that.

You can approximate it much closer than you expect. Download the IMAX spec sheets and pay close attention to Field of View. Then build out your theater with the seating at the same FoV. YOu'll be sitting a lot closer than you'd expect but with 4k projectors that is no longer an issue and you'll have the imax experience. We went with two rows of seating. One for Imax level and one for where we normally sit in a standard theater.

 

[plagiarize]

When Nolan talks I just hear Peanut's adult sounds.

I get it. You like shooting light through celluloid.

WOMPWAHWOMPWAHWOMPWAH

Decent director though.

 

[Conkerkid11]

The exclusivity to theaters model is dumb anyways. I understand it's very profitable, but it's dumb.

 

[ThoseDeafMutes]

I will say that Netflix and similar services wouldn't be able to replace cinema without rethinking their monetisation approach. As much as I love the idea of movies day one at no additional cost to a subscriber, movies with 100+ million dollar budgets aren't going to be viable unless either they charge to watch up front or only make a small number of them in comparison to how many get made now.

 

[Marty Chinn]

You can approximate it much closer than you expect. Download the IMAX spec sheets and pay close attention to Field of View. Then build out your theater with the seating at the same FoV. YOu'll be sitting a lot closer than you'd expect but with 4k projectors that is no longer an issue and you'll have the imax experience. We went with two rows of seating. One for Imax level and one for where we normally sit in a standard theater.

Ya, I'm planning on two rows of seats, but I'm currently doing research and testing with a projector in the planned room, and I feel it just isn't the same. Just how putting a phone to your face isn't the same, nor is using a VR headset to simulate a large screen doesn't feel the same either. Testing with a projector to simulate things has put my expectations in check for me. Not that it won't kick ass in the end, but it's just not the same or close to me.

 

[Nipo]

I will say that Netflix and similar services wouldn't be able to replace cinema without rethinking their monetisation approach. As much as I love the idea of movies day one at no additional cost to a subscriber, movies with 100+ million dollar budgets aren't going to be viable unless either they charge to watch up front or only make a small number of them in comparison to how many get made now.

Netflix has almost 100 million scribers now with that number expected to almost double by 2022. Even their 50 million US subscribers are providing 500 million a month in cashflow or 5.5 billion a year. Movingin away from increasingly costly licensing deals to limited partnerships (like with disney) and self created content would allow them to spend nearly a billions a year making movies and shows. If they can put out 12 big budget movies a year that would be huge and all they need.

 

[plagiarize]

I will say that Netflix and similar services wouldn't be able to replace cinema without rethinking their monetisation approach. As much as I love the idea of movies day one at no additional cost to a subscriber, movies with 100+ million dollar budgets aren't going to be viable unless either they charge to watch up front or only make a small number of them in comparison to how many get made now.

What bothers me about the Nolan quote is that it presumes it's a zero sum game. Netflix must be trying to shut down movie theaters. It can't just be an additional avenue for providing great art or entertainment.

Yeah, I'd have loved to see Okja on a giant screen. I'm still really greatful that Netflix helped fund it though.

Nolan is happy to work with Warner Bros, yet they release a bunch of films straight to digital... so....

 

[Syriel]

On a screen one fiftieth the size.

What does screen size matter when it fills your field of vision all the same?

If you have a good 4K HDR/Dolby Vision display at home and a Dolby Atmos sound system:

• Resolution is near identical to theaters.
• Color depth at home is better than most theaters.
• Sound system at home is better than most theaters.

Why would you opt to pay more for a lesser product (the theater) in that case?

Now, if theaters were all running DCI 8K, with 16-bit color depth, you would have a visible quality difference.

Theater vs Home Theater is like Arcade vs Home Console.

There used to be a massive quality gap between what you could get from the Arcade/Theater vs Home, but the Home offerings have caught up and in some cases surpassed the dedicated offerings.

 

[Bobo Dakes]

Nolan's desire to preserve film just went from endearing to just snobbish. I mean, I get it, you don't want to lose film, but not everyone that likes movies has the luxury or the access to the ideal experiences he's describing.

Come with me to the beat up old IMAX theater I drove 45 minutes to see Interstellar at 3 years ago and see why the Liemax theater 10 minutes away from me was the much better option. Come with me to Planet of Apes showing on a Friday night with a large crowd and deal with people turning on their phone and loud popcorn chewing.

Netflix works because it serves as an alternative.

There's a middle ground here, but he's just being stubborn. And I say that as someone that will drive 45 minutes to see Dunkirk on 70mm.

It's a joke, but some of you actually sound like this.

 

[Nipo]

What bothers me about the Nolan quote is that it presumes it's a zero sum game. Netflix must be trying to shut down movie theaters. It can't just be an additional avenue for providing great art or entertainment.

Yeah, I'd have loved to see Okja on a giant screen. I'm still really greatful that Netflix helped fund it though.

Nolan is happy to work with Warner Bros, yet they release a bunch of films straight to digital... so....

For the record Netflix would love for theaters to show Okja in addition to their streaming it. Theaters refuse to play anything that doesn't have an exclusivity window of X weeks.

 

[illusionspark]

I like the theater experience, socializing, meeting people. People want to protect themselves from the negatives of going out, and totally miss how great it can be.

Nothing can be perfect, but staying at home all the time is not life for me. I will definitely go and see Dunkirk in theaters, Imax if possible.

Stop socializing and meeting people during my movie. You are why I can't go see a movie in theaters anymore. Hah. Just kidding. But seriously, who are you meeting at movie theaters (unless you mean meeting up with your friends)?

 

[DeathoftheEndless]

Depends on the studio but not a lot

Right, which is why its silly to use the huge box office receipts to describe the health of the theater industry.

 

[DrSlek]

I could pay $20 for an adult ticket and see 1 movie at my local, very overpriced cinema....or I could pay $15 a month and see many movies in the comfort of my own home.

I wonder which is better for me, the consumer? I guess we'll never know...

 

[Ploid 3.0]

You haven't heard of The Handmaiden, Chi-Raq, Wiener-Dog, or Lost City of Z? These are not obscure releases, if you follow non-blockbusters with any consistency. Cafe Society is a Woody Allen flick, ffs.

I too only barely heard of Neon Demon because of gaf. Like you said, I don't follow movies so it explains why I haven't heard of any of the movies you listed. They went well I hope, I didn't even know amazon was doing well on their video service outside of the series with the guy from Arrested Development (mentioned in award shows a lot).

 

[Poor GRIMES]

I get his grievances but Netflix movies are (most of the time) on Netflix because they wouldn't be as successful with a normal theatrical release. It's expanding the movie market rather than taking away from it, imo. He shouldn't start to worry until the summer blockbusters start premiering on Netflix too.