Lots to chew on here from someone who knows. And I can't argue against most of it either.

"The movie business is over," Diller said in an exclusive interview with NPR on the sidelines of the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, a media and technology conference in Idaho. "The movie business as before is finished and will never come back."

Bull. Shirt.

If you care about seeing something other than Disney movies, he's right though.

The cinema I had growing up is gone and it's not coming back.

He's also talking about what's being made more than where it's being shown. Hard to argue against it.

The movie business, or just Hollywood?

Denizens of Los Angeles tend to conflate the two.

He's talking about the industry itself, the garbage it's making, the lack of movies people really care about, the rise of Amazon to market movies as incitement to buy their other "goods", etc. Even what defines a movie. The entire process of a film being made, how it's marketed, who watches it, etc. -- that's irrevocably changed, not for the good, obviously.

He did run 2 studios, so he kind of knows what he's talking about.

Where movie theaters are concerned, aside from the new Bond picture I do not ever see myself going back to them. That is not because I hate movie theaters, but the product does not appeal to me. I am not going to support Disney's product...worst studio in the history of movie making...and they control most of the industry now. Honestly, there hasn't been anything released in recent memory aside from GODZILLA VS. KONG that has appealed to me.

Epic pass for me.

mkaroly wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 9:42 amThat is not because I hate movie theaters, but the product does not appeal to me.

The 9th FAST & THE FURIOUS movie and 24th Marvel film aren't enticing enough for you Michael?

There is no compelling reason to go back at this point. Since the first megaplex experience in 1988, I've not been a fan of the cattle heard atmosphere, over-salted popcorn, and bloated concession prices. The more satisfyingly experiences over the last few decades were generally the ones in the small, privately-owned, mom & pop theaters. But the movies were either smaller and more intimate or vintage classics. Even seeing the newer tentpoles were a little better in these venues, but the very nature of those movies (Marvel, etc.) seems out of place for the intimate theaters. The last movie that I saw in the theater was in 2019. Currently, I have no desire or plans to go back, unless it's to the one theater that still creates a satisfying experience. However, even the Lafayette Theater had been hanging on by a thread prior to the pandemic. Now, it's closed and who knows if/when it will open. I have seen some new run movies there, but mostly the classics over the last 20 years (Raiders, Goldfinger, The Sand Pebbles, Jaws, Hoosiers, Rudy, It's A Wonderful Life, Alien, Planet of the Apes).

https://lafayettetheatersuffern.com/

I understand what Diller is saying and agree. This will not be same any more. With companies like Disney, I wouldn't be surprised if they bought some of closed theater venues to own their own Showcase Entertainment venues. Where else can you dine with a woke Snow White or universally inclusive Cinderella in the Disney Restaurant, shop and buy Eyore at the Disney Collectible Gear Shop, then watch the latest Avengers: Era of Compliance, Toy Story 18, or Ice Age 61, while getting coupons to do it all again next week.

. With companies like Disney, I wouldn't be surprised if they bought some of closed theater venues to own their own Showcase Entertainment venues. Where else can you dine with a woke Snow White or universally inclusive Cinderella in the Disney Restaurant, shop and buy Eyore at the Disney Collectible Gear Shop, then watch the latest Avengers: Era of Compliance, Toy Story 18, or Ice Age 61, while getting coupons to do it all again next week.

That's such a good point.

One thing Diller talks about is that the studios were once interested in making movies. And had enthusiasm about it, and the process of releasing and selling a film. Of course they were looking to make money, but there's a difference between a studio where you had executives like him and others who spent their lives in an industry making entertainment for the masses -- and were invested, attached to what they were doing -- and what we have now, which is mega corporations like Amazon buying a movie studio. Do you think Amazon cares about what they're making? Or knows anything about it? They're in it as a side game to get people invested in a mechanized buying platform to buy other stuff from them.

So is Disney for that matter, in a way that you mention. I can see them buying a chain just to put their movies in -- they can keep putting new "episodes" (err, sorry, "movies") of the Marvel series there every few months. Plus expand it with more merch possibilities -- i.e. collectibles you can buy only there. Kind of like bringing Disney World to your town!

Even seeing the newer tentpoles were a little better in these venues, but the very nature of those movies (Marvel, etc.) seems out of place for the intimate theaters. The last movie that I saw in the theater was in 2019. Currently, I have no desire or plans to go back, unless it's to the one theater that still creates a satisfying experience.

The one local theater to us that still exists was a tiny little complex that was fine to bring Theo to see a "family movie" and just get out of the house. Most movies I want to see on a screen that's at least bigger than my TV so I bypassed it for those situations. It closed a few months ago.

We're lucky because the owners of the "Mystic Luxury Cinema" about a half-hour from us in Connecticut just purchased it and plan to operate it as they do that complex -- catering to adults with luxury recliners, food, wine, etc. Special old movie screenings and family discounts, etc., in addition to the usual new releases.

I can see myself going back there once they get it renovated, but those stacks of unused tickets I have sitting in my desk for the Showcase Cinemas chain...it's going to take something I actually WANT to watch to get me to go see "corporate multiplex" programming again. It's a content problem first and foremost -- which they were battling before COVID ever came about.

AndyDursin wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 10:52 am

mkaroly wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 9:42 amThat is not because I hate movie theaters, but the product does not appeal to me.

The 9th FAST & THE FURIOUS movie and 24th Marvel film aren't enticing enough for you Michael?

Ha ha ha!! Absolutely NOT!!

Great points Ed.

I think he's right. The business as we all knew it certainly is finished just like many other things.

AndyDursin wrote: ↑Sun Jul 11, 2021 12:08 pm I can see myself going back there once they get it renovated, but those stacks of unused tickets I have sitting in my desk for the Showcase Cinemas chain...it's going to take something I actually WANT to watch to get me to go see "corporate multiplex" programming again.

I'll gladly take those off your hands, then.

AndyDursin wrote: ↑Sat Jul 10, 2021 9:16 pm He's talking about the industry itself, the garbage it's making, the lack of movies people really care about, the rise of Amazon to market movies as incitement to buy their other "goods", etc. Even what defines a movie. The entire process of a film being made, how it's marketed, who watches it, etc. -- that's irrevocably changed, not for the good, obviously.

He did run 2 studios, so he kind of knows what he's talking about.

I certainly haven't enjoyed most of what's been made in the past few years -- and there were more good pictures in the 1980s. But Barry Diller sounds like he's trying to adopt the pose of "cultured arts patron" when he and his generation of studio execs didn't take exactly take huge chances.

A lot of the more unique films in the 80s came from independent operators like Orion and Saul Zaentz, who were taking chances on "less mainstream" fare, which occasionally resulted in big hits (like Amadeus).

But Diller and other major studio execs were considerably more profit-driven -- perhaps as much as those of today. It's just that in the late 1970s and 80s, allowing young filmmakers more of a free hand became the "commercial" thing to do (after the success of Jaws, Star Wars, etc.). Studios seized upon the filmmaker, unlike today where they've seized upon the franchise. But Barry Diller and other execs were still "following the money". It's just that "following the money" back then meant letting Spielberg and Zemeckis do their thing.

In fairness though, Diller probably had a better faculty for recognizing a good idea than Jeff Bezos!

I thought one of his larger points is that at least you had people who were enthusiastic about film in a lot of the overhead positions. Their goal was still making money, to be sure, but a lot of the people running the studios still cared about the film and how it was marketed and released. They all wanted the eventual film to be successful. Thus at least there existed a corporate entity that was still excited about the movie business in that era.

Thats not what is happening now for the most part . Plus they're making movies for Netflix or Amazon that he says aren't even movies. They're just "things" that consume 100 minutes but there's no care, no personality to them. They're not "movies" in the broader sense. And I can't say I disagree.

It's just that "following the money" back then meant letting Spielberg and Zemeckis do their thing.

Certainly better than today where they won't let anyone do their thing!

Does E.T. or Back to the Future even get made today by the Walt Disney Company? Undoubtedly not.