Film is a rapidly changing medium. This isnât surprising, really. Itâs still relatively new. Something thatâs been around for barely over a hundred years is going to find itself constantly evolving. Currently, we find ourselves in the digital age, as has been the case for some time. Things seem to be moving faster than ever. DVD gave way to Blu-Ray, from there we moved on to streaming media; services like Netflix, Hulu, etc⊠And of course itâs given way to piracy as well. With all of that in mind (And COVID) itâs tough to say the traditional movie theater will survive.
But I think they can. Horror has always been at the forefront of the innovations in moviegoing over the years. Even 3D, as much of an eye-rolling phenomenon as it has become, is not something I discredit simply because it gave people a reason to go to theaters again. It is gimmick mentality, but itâs nothing new. William Castle was the master of theatrical gimmicks back in the â50s. This included turning out lights in the theaters, experimentation with various sound sources, actually sending a shock through the seats and even 3D.
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Now, 3D has outstayed its welcome and films that are in 3D often arenât advertised as being such. It ran its course just as it did in the 1950âs and the 1980âs. It moves in cycles. But people are still going to the theater. The gimmick is fading, and movie theaters still matter, so maybe we donât need to rely on flashy things for their survival. Box office numbers still matterâŠwhether thatâs a good thing or a bad thing, Iâm not sure.
The movie theater provides an experience that you just canât get at home. Both are incredibly worthwhile. Thereâs something in the magic of sitting in a crowded theater (post-pandemic) especially in a horror film, which is constantly filled with screams and laughter from beginning to end. And thereâs something deeply satisfying about sitting at home and binging the horror selection on Netflix, discovering hidden gems among all the really, really terrible titles. Part of the beauty of film is that with one movie you can have completely different experiences. Maybe something was going on in your life the first time you saw a particular film, maybe it was a first date, that will make you remember it foreverâeven if it wasnât a particularly good movie.Another important thing to look at here is the resurgence of retro theaters. Part of the logic here might be that if every movie can be piratedâand is being piratedâthen the theater experience itself needs to be the main draw rather than the movie. This has led to more and more appeal in seeing older films in the theater. Particularly an original 35mm print. The Alamo Drafthouse, essentially a film geek holy grail, continues to expand and open in more and more cities. Then there are the local art-house cinemas as well that continue to make screenings of older features into an event.
Even major chain cinemas are getting in on this action, scheduling cult classics for one night only, sometimes in a themed series. These strategies are working, and they work well. Itâs incredibly satisfying to see Jaws with an audience that is seeing the film for the first time, maybe going in skeptically but jumping at all the appropriate moments all the same. Just look at The Rocky Horror Picture Show. That movie has not been out of theaters since 1975 and it is still going strong, having been transformed over the years from a campy cult classic to an iconic film for the LGBT community.
Still, the key to saving theaters doesnât lie in just playing older features. Simplistic as it might sound, it lies in going to the movies. Thatâs really all people have to keep doing. As long as that appeal is still there, as long as itâs an event, something to do with friends, then itâs hard to imagine that the cinema experience wonât be around for some time to come.