 
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
|
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
76.99.185.128
During the last trip to the reasonably good movie theater in Phily, it occurred to me that today there is practically no way someone can experience the classical movies as they were intended - on a large screen in a room with other movie lovers.
Gone are the time when we could get the full impact of La Strada or L'Avventura... I can't think of any place within 1 hour drive, where someone interested in classical movies could really experience them. We are now relegated to 60" LCD's.
Way back then, we had multiple choices... on any given weekend we were able to see more than one great film. And we, sure as hell, took fool advantage of that. And not just old classics, but great foreign current releases constantly showed there too.
The Ritz Cinema in Phily is dying. We were the only people in the room... fortunately some other old farts showed up eventually, but we are talking about maybe 5% of seats taken. The average age was over 55, I believe.
We later walked to the Ritz East... it looked like a real ghost town, it reminded me of a closed down strip mall. I was actually quite surprised to find out the cinema was still "working" - that is one single film showing in two rooms... but I did not see any people there.
So... how is it in your part of the world?
With books all you need is a chair and a lamp to enjoy it. But the times of fine cinema seems to be forever gone - as if all good restaurants in your town suddenly disappeared, leaving you with the Macs and Burger Kings. And those of us who refuse to "dine" there, are stuck in our family rooms...
This is so sad...
Follow Ups:
A thing of the past for certain.
Still quite a few decent repertory theaters in the area and places that show
foreign films Eartin would approve of. The Castro remains the King, or Queen.Saw Contempt there a bit back. Speaking of backs, God Bless Bardot's Divine Derriere.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure
Edits: 08/07/15
Our last indie film theater went upscale multiplex after Katrina and they now have to run the latest drek to pay for it. They sometimes run classics later at night but they are on a small screen. We do have a single screen theater that also shows classics on a bigger screen but it sure ain't Panavision or Cinema Scope. I feel sorry for those who will never experience Star Wars or an extreme close up of Lee Van Cleff's face in all it 70mm glory.
"Trying is the first step towards failure."
Homer Simpson
Edits: 08/05/15
Gens X and Y are all about ear buds and watching the latest entertainment on their phones or tablets. They have no real interest outside of the immediate or "what's happening RIGHT NOW". We can say that Western Culture has been crushed by the blinding speed of the Digital Age.
Where I live is a "family-oriented" culture. All the theaters give preference to family rated entertainment first, R-rated films second with almost nothing leftover for Indie or Foreign film. Classic Film doesn't exist. Our Cinemark does have Opera and special events a few times a month.
Thanks to the electron being manipulated in every conceivable way our future generations are sending things we enjoy to the museum. Soon books will no longer be written because no one can sit still long enough to get through them.
The sales of serious music are in 1% range, many orchestras are barely making it, living with no recording contracts, surviving on donations.
But at least for the time being the symphonic music can still be enjoyed in its natural habitat.
Enjoy it while you can, as I don't see it last much longer.
We only have a few such outposts left in the US. Seattle has been a standout for decades regarding various "art houses" for classic cinema, but within the past 2 or 3 years, several of the 6 or 8 they had have closed down. The trend is down and out.
Seattle's beloved Harvard Exit theater closed about 3 months ago; the building to be renovated for office and restaurant space. It was originally constructed in 1925 for the Seattle Womens' Century Club; later sold for renovation into a theater under agreement that the ornate lobby would not be altered. A beautiful old structure in which I've seen many movies. It just felt good to sit in there, regardless of what was shown.
The multiplexes cannot operate without the Hollywood front-liners and mega-CGI flicks. No money in anything more esoteric.
If you can find enough like-minded people, many cinemas will rent their facilities, acquire the film you want, and screen it. It's surprisingly not that expensive, even for films new enough to be on a digital cinema package but not "popular enough" to make the regular schedule.
If you can't find enough like-minded people, then you understand the situation...
It's not what you asked, but it's what other people who wish the same have done around here. And they're modern theaters, and the movies show at realistic times (7pm, weekdays). A full theater is a full theater, the owners (chains) don't care if it's the latest Disney/Marvel or something they've never heard of.
I recently read about a guy here who only shows films in his theater. He loves film (i.e. no digital stuff) and invites people to come watch the films he screens for free. He's only in his 30s. So you're not alone.
Otherwise, it gets quite depressing! :)
I get the distinct impression many people go to these film screening "events" just to hang around with like-minded people.
But yes, the very nearby brand new multiplex that used to show mostly less-mainstream films got turned into stores and offices. Not a good era to be starting a multiplex...
...show live opera from the Met and classic films at least one day a week.
Movie theater demographics have changed in case you haven't noticed.
The audience for "classical films" is too small to fill a theater.
Even the independent art film theaters are going under.
At least you can watch anything you want at home now.
Post a Followup:
| FAQ |
Post a Message! |
Forgot Password? |
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2025, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
