How often do you see movies in the theater?
What do you like about the experience? What do you dislike?
In “In an Era of Streaming, Cinema Is Under Attack,” A. O. Scott and Manohla Dargis, the chief film critics for The Times, discuss the current state of moviegoing. In the article’s introduction, they write:
Seen any good movies lately? Seen any movies? Chances are you have — but maybe not in an actual theater. Americans used to adore going out to the movies, but that love has been on the rocks for decades. Once, the rival was television. Maybe it still is given that so much more of what’s produced specifically for the small screen seems so much more worthwhile (or at least watchable) than it once did. But the threat to movies appears more existential now, because the very digital revolution that has changed how movies are made has also changed how many of us watch them.
Movies are no longer only in theaters or living rooms, but also on our devices, streaming at us wherever and whenever we want them — that is, if the connection is good and you have access both to the Internet and to devices. (Less than half of lower-income households in the United States have Internet service at home.) But like every other digital advance, the on-demand era brings loss and anxiety in its wake, including whether movies — one of the defining mass arts of the 20th century — can continue to provide a communal experience.
Manohla Dargis writes:
One of the big, possibly bad movie stories of the last few months has been Sean Parker and Prem Akkaraju’s proposed new venture, Screening Room, which would bring first-run movies into living rooms for $50 a pop for 48 hours, though customers would also have to pony up $150 for the device to stream these titles. A lot of the news stories on Screening Room have focused on the industry: Theater owners have given it the thumbs down, because it will cut into their business, as have those lovers of big-screen spectacle, Christopher Nolan and James Cameron. Those who support it include Steven Spielberg and, surprisingly, Martin Scorsese.
Right now, Screening Room sounds like a hustler’s dream, suitable mostly for agoraphobics and children’s birthday parties. But it is worrisome for what it suggests for cinema and its future. That may sound apocalyptic, but it’s not, given how fast movies zip from theaters to video on demand …
In his response, A. O. Smith writes:
The deeper question, though, is whether the widespread, at-your-fingertips availability of movies is a blessing or a catastrophe or a little of both. Without wanting to play the devil’s advocate — or Sean Parker’s — I’m not entirely sure that streaming is necessarily an existential threat to moviegoing. Recent market research from the Motion Picture Association of America suggests that frequent moviegoers (defined as people who see a movie in a theater at least once a month) are more likely than their more casual counterparts to own gadgets like tablets or smartphones. And also, not to be completely heretical, what’s so sacred about “the darkened cinema” anyway?
It’s often idealized as a space of collective reverence and aesthetic bliss, where photochemical alchemy unfolds in room full of worshipers. But how often does that really happen? Most of the time aren’t we just eating unhealthy snacks and watching a digital file in obnoxious company? Couldn’t we just do that at home?
Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:
— What is your reaction to the idea of the proposed venture Screening Room? If it becomes a reality, would you like to be a customer? Why or why not?
— Do you enjoy watching movies? If so, where are you most likely to watch them?
— How closely do your experiences with seeing movies in the theater reflect A. O. Scott’s obsevation that most of the time, it’s “eating unhealthy snacks and watching a digital file in obnoxious company”?
— How do you think moviegoing could be made more appealing?
— Conversely, how can theaters draw more people to the delights offered by a visit?
Students 13 and older are invited to comment below. All comments are moderated by Learning Network staff members, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.