What’s Killing Movies These Days?

It seems like there is always something people are worried about. Whether it deals with film, music, or anything else. Lately I’m seeing a few reoccurring subjects that just don’t want to die out. In general it seems like the biggest worry is that technology will ruin films forever. In some regards people with those concerns may have a point. Generally the people with these concerns tend to overstep a bit and end up sounding a bit radical. Even if some of these sentiments are true it won’t be the industry itself who chooses what to change, it will be movie goers.

1. On Demand and availability: I thought I would start with the On Demand controversy first since this is what really got me interested in the subject. Early last week contributor Peter Sciretta wrote a story about Brad Bird’s stance on movies becoming readily available through the On Demand service that many cable companies now provide. Mainly Bird (Director of Ratatouille, The Incredibles) feels that the magic of cinema is now lost in the On Demand world and that basically were McDonalizing the movie industry. In that respect I think Bird has a point. The movie industry has lost a large portion of its magic. Going to a movie opening weekend is nothing like it was a decade or so ago. Revenue and attendance is considerably lower.

Let’s face it. The excitement isn’t at the local multiplex anymore it’s in the homes and on the computers of millions of people all around the world. Besides the obvious financial concerns, is that really a problem? More people are now seeing more films thanks to this new technology and I think that should be the main goal of any studio. The distribution problem has now been fixed or at least partially solved thanks to the On Demand service. Movies are available in more homes and studios can still make a profit by charging standard rates.

Of course Bird also brought up that watching a movie on a 20” screen isn’t nearly as exciting as seeing it in a theater. With some movies this statement is absolutely correct. Take, for example, 300. You could feel and hear every torn piece of flesh and I walked away generally happy spending $7.50 for my ticket. Once I tried to relive that same experience on DVD it fell pretty flat, losing most of the qualities that made it so fun to watch. Other movies aren’t affected at all — Good Will Hunting would be a good example. You probably aren’t going to enjoy it anymore than you already do by seeing it on a bigger screen. When it comes down to it, I don’t think anyone could truly argue that a film keeps its “magic” when it’s shown at home. That’s primarily because going to the movies is always a little more of an adventure in itself.

2. Torrents and downloading: This goes extremely well with another point Bird made in that article. People are now watching movies not only at home but on their computer, phone, and etc. This is where I’m split. I don’t think watching a movie on your computer is that big of a difference from seeing it on TV. In fact, my computer screen is 1080p but my TV is still from the Stone Age. I’ll take my chances watching on my computer instead. Seeing a movie on your phone, however, is an entirely different ordeal. I’m not going to say “you’re fucking retarded for watching movies on your phone” or “don’t do it.” I will say that I certainly wouldn’t enjoy it.

I can’t go on without referencing that semi-famous You Tube video of David Lynch talking about this very same subject. To sum it up, Lynch feels you can’t really grasp all of a movie’s details with such low picture quality. My heart lies with Lynch here; I don’t think you can pick up on every detail if you watch a movie on a phone. There are so many things happening visually (and this is especially true with a Lynch movie) that a phone’s resolution just won’t ever be able to pick up. Of course I am assuming phones will continue only to get smaller to the point where Will Ferrell’s SNL parody becomes reality.

This is all ignoring the main problem with people downloading movies. I hate to be the one that brings up that financially it’s hurtful but you can’t really deny it. To a degree the studios could lower prices but it would be too little too late. They can’t really blame the people downloading because the price of going to a movie is still only rising. Here’s some simple economics for you: the more the prices rise the more downloading that will take place. I’m not worried so much for those big budget franchise pictures as I’m worried about all the smaller films that won’t get picked up because of decreasing profits. But, who knows, maybe it will cause a turnaround for independent films (maybe they’ll actually become independent again).

3. Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI): This was more of an issue back in the late 90’s when the best technology used was still poor at best. It caused the dreaded remakes of classics like Star Wars Episodes IV - VI. George Lucas had the right idea of exposing younger generations to the older movies before releasing Episodes I - III but the additional scenes were just flat out unnecessary. There were also movies like Donnie Darko that just as easily could have done without the second rate effects. Watching it again makes me cringe a little more each time.

CGI and special effects aren’t a total loss. There would never be movies like Toy Story or the Matrix without them. Instead we would be still making an obscene amount of war, western, and romance movies. There are still some instances where some movies rely a little too much on special effects and forget that a movie also needs a good plot and cast. While this remains a slight problem today I have hope that directors will obtain the common sense of when and when not to use special effects. Even though the industry is starting to identify technology’s place in film this won’t stop some fans from becoming nervous when sequels are added onto classic trilogies (ahem, Indiana Jones).