Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Extinction Agenda

I went with Babushka and Gundumschlong to go see Tim Burton's new movie "Corpse Bride". I liked it, although it wasn't as good as his classic "Nightmare Before Christmas".
However, while sitting in the near empty theatre it occured to me that the movie theatre is quickly becoming a dinosaur plodding onwards to extinction. Ticket prices keep rising yet the quality of movies out there seem to continue to diminish. Most of the movies are either remakes or sequals, and those that arn't mostly fall into the 2 catagories of 'don't want to see them' or 'can wait for the video'. Yet they continue to jack up ticket prices as well as the price of snacks. You end up paying almost as much for the popcorn and soda as you do for the movie tickets themselves. Don't even bring up the fact that you can now get everything from mozzarella sticks to nachos to cappuchino at the theatre. It's getting rediculous. Is it a movie theatre or a coffee house or a diner?
Be honest, what the was the last movie you saw in a theatre that you really couldn't have just waited to watch on your TV? The only ones that look better on the big screen are the epics, like Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Troy, and others of the same. The rest will look the same on a big screen TV as at the movies. Be honest, take a look at the recent movie list at movies.com and tell me which of them are worth you spending $9 per person to go see whan in a few months you can pay $4 at the local rental place and watch them without other people talking through most of the movie (Unless your watching it with Bufica who talks through all the movies anyways (Just Kidding Bur! Ducks a thrown brick)) and keep them up to a week? Especially when you can make your own snacks, and while microwave popcorn isn't as good as movie theatre popcorn, at least your not paying $5 for a bag of popcorn you probably won't finish and the butter and salt run out after 6 handfulls anyways.
Someday, probably soon, the theatres will go the way of most drive-in's and the dinosaurs and the dodo bird and the disc camera. You'll get to tell your grandkids about them and it will be just another 'when I was young' story.

PS. this whole thought started as I was writing a letter to Recovered Believer and it just kind of blossomed to a full post. Also, I know thats not how you spell theatre, but I like it better this way so Nyah!

6 Voices In The Darkness:

Blogger ThreeOliveMartini Screams...

that IS the way you spell theatre.. and i have a popcorn tip.. make the person making your popcorn fill the bag a third.. put the butter .. fill a third more ..put the butter.. fill the rest of the way .. put the butter.. then you get butter in every bite!

AND if you are one of those places that you do your own butter.. take a clean large ziploc.. pour th epopcorn in .. put the butter on shake put it back in the theatre bag..

can you tell i like butter ?

10:11 AM  
Blogger Dorko Screams...

A., You may be right, hate to think it b/c I love to see big movies on big screen... Titanic, Jurasic Park, last one that was 'big' was Hitchhiker's (creation sceen - teeheehee)

12:37 PM  
Blogger Burfica Screams...

wait, did you just diss me??? Oh well....your probably right. Acctally I don't talk through movies, I just grope whoever I'm sitting next too. hehehehee

We like to see the epics on the big screen but also alien/action and dissaster movies. Like Day after Tomorrow, and War of the Worlds, and Fantastic Four. Just can't beat that. hehehee

We go to the matinees here $4 for a movie, but for 4 people in fricken snacks I pay about 25 LOL

12:55 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous Screams...

you are so right. i'm a huge movie buff and my whole life i have went to the movies at least 2-3x's a month but this year maybe 2 or 3 total. it's not even the prices that piss me off but the selection. remember the days of seeing a preview and saying, damn i have to see that. it hardly ever happens anymore. the candy and drink thing, we always sneak that stuff in anyway in a big purse. crack open that bottle of wine or coke at a loud moment. (you hope, i have got a snicker or two when it got quiet and i cracked open a can) movies suck this days. hopefully its just a bad period for movies and soon times will change again. i hope because you can't replicate going to the theatre while sitting on your couch. there's something about being there that can't be replaced. oh well...

1:58 PM  
Blogger Julie Screams...

I agree, movies just aren't the same kind of fun cool thing - they aren't such well done films anymore and the atmosphere is not worth the money.
Hope you are well, hugs and kisses sweet dear one

9:00 PM  
Blogger V Screams...

Some places are catching on to that... near me you can see a movie for $4, $2 at matinee!! You can't beat that at Blockbuster or anyplace.

Also, I think someone should re-open some snazzy drive-ins and bring that whole adventure back. Joe Bob Briggs and I agree on that one, I guess. :)

4:25 PM  

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