AMC Says ‘Almost All’ U.S. Theaters Will Reopen in July

[DLD]

... Anyway, I'm sure the following list of names fully agree with the open letter - are they all hacks? Nolan, Tarantino, Scorsese, Spielberg

No, but they have vested interest in the status quo.

A few notes -

HBO Max and HBO (cable) have 57 million subscribers in total. It remains to be seen if cable subscribers will get to see WW1984 but, since their HBO subscription includes free streaming service, it's basically a moot point.

As to the "old days" - in 1986, Mitsubishi began manufacturing a 35" tube TV, which could be paired with the 3-channel Dolby surround for a pretty decent viewing experience. The model continued strong into 1990.



However, by 1989, Mitsubishi, Sony, Pioneer, Hitachi rear projections (45"-60") began to gain prominence, while the ultra high end gravitated to the CRT two pieces. With a line-doubler, you got 480p, which was good enough from a normal viewing distance.

First consumer Dolby Pro-Logic audio receivers began to trickle out by mid-1988. Pro Logic was four channels - left, center, right, rear - and the sound quality was more than adequate. Off a laser disc, it could have been set up for a far superior experience than a regular movie theater.

 

[John Brawley]

Interesting take on how simultaneous streaming releases nurture piracy and what that means for the media and in-person experience economy: https://www.wired.com/story/2021-platinum-age-piracy-streaming/amp

Half the reason piracy exists is because the “distributors” of this content make it so hard for legitimate buying experiences.

The freakin cloud only stays above the territory that you live in. Fancy that. A cloud that obeys borders.

Just in the apple eco system alone I have three apple ID’s. And that’s because there’s different content in different territories. What you BUY in one won’t necessarily work when you are in other territory. This applies to apps too of course. Quite often you want an app that’s only available in the local apple store, but you’re logged in with an account from another country, you can’t buy it. (IE ride sharing apps or local parking meter apps)

It’s so frustrating that content you’ve PAID for can’t be watched. You’ve done the right thing. You have no alternative other than buying it again and sometimes, it’s not even available to you to buy (again) because there’s no local distribution.

In Australia, when I was last there a few years ago content would often just not be available at all, or if it was there was a 6 or 12 month delay in the rights for it to be available.

The sooner we get past the old world geo-borders distribution idea and TRULY go borderless the less piracy there will be. Most people WANT to do the right thing. If you make it easy and simple then most people will do the right thing.

Of course there will always be a certain level of theft and piracy, but I don’t think it’s totally certain that piracy always hurts a release in the way that the studios like to complain about either.

I say this as a producer and creative on some highly downloaded movies. One of them was a film called 100 Bloody Acres, a low budget comedy film. We couldn’t get local distribution and back in Australia and then word of mouth overseas lead to it becoming one of the most downloaded Australian movies in the year it was released.

https://www.smh.com.au/entertainmen...llegally-downloaded-films-20131106-2x11q.html

Now if there was a way to actually see or buy the film at that point of time would it have been as downloaded ? Would it have been even more so ? Who knows. I do think the corporate mentality of studios and cinema chains have a lot to answer for here in terms of the overall health of the industry that ultimately sustains us all.

JB

 

[Batutta]

A few years later, I used to go the Galaxy theaters, which was a couple of blocks from where I used to live. Except, unlike Run&Gun, I used to go to the matinees - cheaper and also void of crowds.

https://losangelestheatres.blogspot.com/2017/02/galaxy-6.html

Wow, Galaxy closed in 2003.

I used to go to that place. By my school and very near to where my then girlfriend, now wife lived. A pretty generic multiplex but they had some cool throwback film festivals. Saw 70mm prints of Superman and Jaws there. Also a good chance you'd see a semi famous actor there.

 

[Run&Gun]

Half the reason piracy exists is because the “distributors” of this content make it so hard for legitimate buying experiences.

The freakin cloud only stays above the territory that you live in. Fancy that. A cloud that obeys borders.

Just in the apple eco system alone I have three apple ID’s. And that’s because there’s different content in different territories. What you BUY in one won’t necessarily work when you are in other territory. This applies to apps too of course. Quite often you want an app that’s only available in the local apple store, but you’re logged in with an account from another country, you can’t buy it. (IE ride sharing apps or local parking meter apps)

It’s so frustrating that content you’ve PAID for can’t be watched. You’ve done the right thing. You have no alternative other than buying it again and sometimes, it’s not even available to you to buy (again) because there’s no local distribution.

In Australia, when I was last there a few years ago content would often just not be available at all, or if it was there was a 6 or 12 month delay in the rights for it to be available.

The sooner we get past the old world geo-borders distribution idea and TRULY go borderless the less piracy there will be. Most people WANT to do the right thing. If you make it easy and simple then most people will do the right thing.

Of course there will always be a certain level of theft and piracy, but I don’t think it’s totally certain that piracy always hurts a release in the way that the studios like to complain about either.

I say this as a producer and creative on some highly downloaded movies. One of them was a film called 100 Bloody Acres, a low budget comedy film. We couldn’t get local distribution and back in Australia and then word of mouth overseas lead to it becoming one of the most downloaded Australian movies in the year it was released.

https://www.smh.com.au/entertainmen...llegally-downloaded-films-20131106-2x11q.html

Now if there was a way to actually see or buy the film at that point of time would it have been as downloaded ? Would it have been even more so ? Who knows. I do think the corporate mentality of studios and cinema chains have a lot to answer for here in terms of the overall health of the industry that ultimately sustains us all.

JB

Yep. A lot of their pain and suffering is self inflicted.

I also have similar feelings about the banking industry. EVERYTHING is electronic and automated today. There is absolutely no reason things like bill payments and funds availability should still be bound by 5pm cut-offs(sometimes 2pm) and "weekends". It's ridiculous that in 2020, something like paying a bill on-line after 5pm on a Friday really won't happen until Tuesday. Same antiquated way of thinking.

 

[DLD]

I used to go to that place. By my school and very near to where my then girlfriend, now wife lived. A pretty generic multiplex but they had some cool throwback film festivals. Saw 70mm prints of Superman and Jaws there. Also a good chance you'd see a semi famous actor there.

They had a record/CD/video store in the same building (Goody's?) but, when they closed, the foot traffic there really died down. It was never a popular location to begin with. The renovated El Capitan, the Egyptian and the Chinese picked off most of the Hollywood crowd and parking in the whole area wasn't the nicest. The nightclubs at 7070 were also coming and going.

As to what JB said - right now, the streaming and the broadcasting rights are not the same across territories because of the different deals and the fairly slow expansion of streamers (Netflix just started operations in Russia). It's actually easier to set up a first party download service, if you can drive traffic to that site. Other than that, this is sort of like the music market was twenty years ago - way before YouTube, Pandora, Spotify, iTunes ... and all that jazz.

 

[John Brawley]

Yep. A lot of their pain and suffering is self inflicted.

I also have similar feelings about the banking industry. EVERYTHING is electronic and automated today. availability

And so why the heck does the US still operate on CHECKS (CHEQUES) ????

I mean I have never had to write a check in my entire life till about 4 years ago when I moved to the US. Now I have to write on bits of paper, POST them to someone so they can SCAN them using a banking app and then cash them after a few days.

I actually had to look up how to write a check correctly because I’d never done it before. Because electronic banking for transferring between bank accounts is entirely routine in every other part of the world...

Don’t even get me started on why payroll companies even exist...

It’s insane.

JB

 

[Run&Gun]

And so why the heck does the US still operate on CHECKS (CHEQUES) ????

I mean I have never had to write a check in my entire life till about 4 years ago when I moved to the US. Now I have to write on bits of paper, POST them to someone so they can SCAN them using a banking app and then cash them after a few days.

I actually had to look up how to write a check correctly because I’d never done it before. Because electronic banking for transferring between bank accounts is entirely routine in every other part of the world...

Don’t even get me started on why payroll companies even exist...

It’s insane.

JB

Don't get me started. I opened up a new retirement account earlier this year with my bank. The bank that I already deal with. The bank that I have numerous accounts with already. To open the account I had to write a check, a physical paper check, take it to my advisor at the branch here and he then had to FedEx it to their main office in New York. Are you Mother F'n kidding me?! In 2020 they couldn't transfer the money out of my account that is already part of their bank. I thought he was messing with me when he told me that.

A lot of clients offer the option of 'direct deposit' for payment, but the ironic thing is, you usually have to provide them with a voided paper check for them to set-up the direct deposit, so they don't have to send you checks.

It's stupidity at its finest.

 

[ahalpert]

It's all about Zelle (aka chase quickpay but interbank). Zelle is what life should be. why can't everyone use zelle

 

[JAMedia]

And so why the heck does the US still operate on CHECKS (CHEQUES) ????

I mean I have never had to write a check in my entire life till about 4 years ago when I moved to the US. Now I have to write on bits of paper, POST them to someone so they can SCAN them using a banking app and then cash them after a few days.

I actually had to look up how to write a check correctly because I’d never done it before. Because electronic banking for transferring between bank accounts is entirely routine in every other part of the world...

Don’t even get me started on why payroll companies even exist...

It’s insane.

JB

The US banking system is about 40 years behind Europe. It's insane how it works: slow and expensive.

In both business and personal finance we haven't used cheques for about a decade. They are still available as when the UK banks wanted to do away with cheques about 5 years ago there were some people who objected. There are some times cheques are useful but I rarely see them now (one for the last 2 years).

 

[lambert]

Lots of very valid reasons why many people I know prefer checks. Many of these paperless payment requires a minimum sophistication / complication that many Don’t need/wants in their lives. Some see it as a further eroding of their privacy. As tedious as writing checks can be at times it does give one a monthly assessment on where ones money is going. Some it’s a ritual meeting with elderly family members to pay bills every month. My father always looked forward to visiting his mother frequently and going over the bills, having a meal. I have no objection to any streamlined methods of payments but I hope we can still hold on for those who chose to still paying with checks and cash. I’ve watched people get angry with an elderly person paying with exact change. For some that interaction might be the only human contact in a while.

 

[JAMedia]

Lots of very valid reasons why many people I know prefer checks.

This is why there are still (rarely) cheques used in Europe and why the banks would not kill them off completely. I think usage had dropped something like 95%

Many of these paperless payment requires a minimum sophistication / complication that many Don’t need/wants in their lives. .

Most things in the UK are now paperless. AFAIK no one gets a monthly or weekly pay cheque and hasn't for over a decade. I haven't in over 40 years. The only people not paid directly to a bank account are those paid in cash.

Some see it as a further eroding of their privacy.

I don't see how that works. The banks still know the person. account and amount it is coming from and going to. Also cheques have been forged and altered, also many accidentally laundered in clothes in a washing machine.

As tedious as writing checks can be at times it does give one a monthly assessment on where ones money is going.

No more than a paperless system and indeed on a paperless system you have instant access the EXACT state of the account and all transactions. you have an actual view not an estimate

Some it’s a ritual meeting with elderly family members to pay bills every month. My father always looked forward to visiting his mother frequently and going over the bills, having a meal. I have no objection to any streamlined methods of payments but I hope we can still hold on for those who chose to still paying with checks and cash. I’ve watched people get angry with an elderly person paying with exact change. For some that interaction might be the only human contact in a while.

You can still have your social, though I have never come across this sort of thing before. But then cheques fades from UK life over the last 4 decades. My Children in their mid 30's have never written cheques. They also find them an irritant as they have to go to a bank (when it is open) to pay them in. Their Grandmother sends a cheque (for Christmas) to me with instructions to dole out various amoujnts to each. So we transfer electronically to children and grand children, usually before we have got to a bank a week or two later!

In business we haven't seen a cheque in about 5 years. And that was the only one in the year.

 

[lambert]

I get it, every society is different. An unacceptably large group of folks in the us cannot fill out a check without help, some from failures in education, some injuries, some language issues. Many are locked out of banking systems in us for many reasons. In some communities ministers help congregants with paying bills. I know several owners of very successful profitable businesses that struggle to fill out a check. Some don’t have access to smart phones and computers.

 

[lambert]

Many folks have garnishments, judgements, etc , so a side job may be paid in cash or by check. No moral judgement but it is a reality that sometimes keeps the lights and the kids fed. Will it catch up with them one day, probably.

 

[JAMedia]

I get it, every society is different. An unacceptably large group of folks in the us cannot fill out a check without help, some from failures in education, some injuries, some language issues. Many are locked out of banking systems in us for many reasons. In some communities ministers help congregants with paying bills. I know several owners of very successful profitable businesses that struggle to fill out a check. Some don’t have access to smart phones and computers.

In the UK over 2019/2020 Winter I helped at a homeless shelter. All the guests had a mobile phone! Simple (non-smart) phones cost from £5 in the UK Though not all the guests had a bank account. Some had held on to them from when they weren't homeless.

From your description the US seems to have more in common with 3rd world countries than developed countries.

 

[lambert]

Many of my neighbors on my street are Amish or Mennonite. Many live very happy and prosperous lives without the intolerable existence of not having a smart phone. I’ve worked on many Native American reservations on films and have friends who’ve grown up in incredibly challenging conditions. So of course America has far to many challenges for many living here. I’ve also lived in third world countries where my friends and neighbors were very happy and contented. Please don’t equate lack of technology with the inability to live a meaningful and happy existence. I’ve had shamans from various indigenous from around the world visit and enjoyed the modern experience as a tourist but had no desire to embrace it in their daily lives.

 

[Batutta]

I’ve also lived in third world countries where my friends and neighbors were very happy and contented.

My friend grew up in Colombia and said the same, that there you can be poor and still live a good life, but didn't find that to be true in America.

 

[lambert]

I agree Battuta.

 

[ahalpert]

My friend grew up in Colombia and said the same, that there you can be poor and still live a good life, but didn't find that to be true in America.

My wife's mom is from like the 10th poorest country in the world (Togo) and was shocked to see homeless people when she came to the USA. They just don't exist in Togo. People rely on extended family and social networks. Just a very different way of living. (They have loads of other issues, though.)

Re: checks, a surprising number of people still pay me by check. Probably at least one client each month mails me a check. It's pretty annoying because of the uncertainty around the whole thing (when will it arrive, could it be lost?) But at least I can deposit it from home using my mobile phone app.

 

[lambert]

My point is that technology isn’t necessarily the key to happiness. Purpose is probably a more important factor.

 

[Paul F]

... From your description the US seems to have more in common with 3rd world countries than developed countries.

Indeed, what is hard to fathom is the vastness of the US and how rural and is some cases, how 3rd world it is. What is presented in movies, news, and youtube is just one part of what the U.S. is. There are many, many backwater areas of the U.S.. My family moved to the Ozarks after my father retired. It is exactly as it is portrayed. My sisters' house, 5 miles from town, until a few years ago, had a party line - they shared a telephone line with their neighbor. My niece lives in a mobile home on 20 acres and her toilet drains into an open cesspool; and it is legal. My brother-in-law ran a truss making company and struggled to find guys sober or not on drugs willing to work.

When my brother-in-law ran a general store, he had a helper that worked 8 hours a day, but accepted no pay. He lived up on a mountain and came into town on his tractor. If you went to his property and did not give the secret honk signal on your car horn, he would shoot you. Why didn't he take pay? Because 'it would ruin his welfare payments'. You can't make this stuff up. The U.S. is not all it appears to be on TV and the news.

I grew up in a house that burned coal in a furnace (with ducts to each room) for heat. We couldn't afford coal one year so my father and I went out and gathered any wood we could find including tearing down fences. The house had no toilet. We pissed in a pot and we went to the outhouse for #2.

In Wyoming, while on a trip across the country, we stopped for breakfast in a tiny town. A guy stopped at the 4 way stop on his old Farmall tractor, left it running at the intersection and came in for breakfast. Not one car came along the whole time we had breakfast. Breakfast came one way. The only choice you had was how your eggs were cooked.