LOS ANGELES - M. Night Shyamalan says a move to eliminate the window between a film's theatrical release and its debut on video would diminish the artistic integrity of moviemaking.
Part of what makes movies an art form is that they are viewed on a big screen with a big audience, Shyamalan said in an interview in Friday's editions of the Los Angeles Times.
"If I can't make movies for theaters, I don't want to make movies," the 35-year-old writer-director said. "I hope this is a very bad idea that goes away."
The proposal to simultaneously release movies in theaters and on DVD is the most pressing issue facing the exhibition industry today, with the discussion focusing on the need to increase studio revenues.
Shyamalan said his speech at the ShowEast convention in Orlando, Fla., on Thursday night, was intended to address "the human factor."
"When I sit down next to you in a movie theater, we get to share each other's point of view. We become part of a collective soul. That's the magic in the movies," he was quoted as telling some 800 theater operators and suppliers.
"Nobody has benefited more from DVD sales than me. I bought my house on DVD sales from `The Sixth Sense,'" he said. "But take away my house. That's not why I do what I do."
He added: "If this thing happens, you know the majority of your theaters are closing. It's going to crush you guys."
Personally, I think his point is fairly bogus. I don't go to a theater to experience a movie with 100 other people. I hate the fact that they're there at all for the most part. I go for 2 reasons. I either A) can't wait until the movie is released on DVD to see it, or B) want to see it on the biggest screen I can. I'd love for movies to come out on DVD at the same time, and I think you'd see more people buying DVDs without having seen the movie before if they have even a little bit of faith in it. The price of buying a DVD isn't all that much more than seeing it in a theatre.
The only argument he makes that is valid is that it will hurt the theatre industry. A lot. But I'm not crying for them, the super-mega-omniplex theatres have gotten a bit out of hand.
I'm going to have to agree. I don't think it's a good idea (for theatres) especially when you consider that now a days, it's a lot more affordable to have your own 100+ inch screen at home and you can bet in the future there will be even more people with them. Just think back some 5-8 years or so. Remember the number of people with projection screen TVs? Ok, look at the number of people with them now. Almost everyone I know has one. Well, now the number of people with 100+ screens is about the same as the ones with projection TVs 5-8 years ago. Think 5 years from now. I know of 3 other people with them and I have like 1 or 2 telling me they want to get one as well to see if I can help them. One thing is for sure, movie studio's will still make their money and increase sales on home theater equipment and cause prices to drop. Hey wait a minute, this is a BRILLIANT IDEA!!!
When the world is mine, your death shall be quick and painless.
I agree with him on one point, there is something about seeing a movie in the theaters. I remember seeing the incredibles in the theater and laughing my ass off. I didnt see the movie again untill it just came out on dvd, and when i watched it, I just smirked a little bit. It might be just due to the fact that ive already seen it, but I think movies are actually funnier when theres more people laughing at it.
Personally, I don't really care if the theatre business goes down the drain. Look at drive-in's. They used to do booming business across North America, but now they're a rare sight. I think the standard theatre is going to go the same route. Not anytime soon mind you, but it'll happen.
Personally, I don't really care if the theatre business goes down the drain. Look at drive-in's. They used to do booming business across North America, but now they're a rare sight. I think the standard theatre is going to go the same route. Not anytime soon mind you, but it'll happen.
Actually, you shouldn't even be referrencing drive-ins when discussing the possible demise of movie theaters. Here's a little trivia for you. Drive-ins came about as an idea of what to do with a big plot of land (investment) while you waited to make real use of the land like building a shopping center, selling it, etc...The owners didn't really care about making any money. They just wanted something to pay the expenses of holding on to that land. And turning it into a drive-in was an extremely cheap way to do this. Similar to putting in a fence around your land and dropping some cows in there. All of a sudden it falls under agriculture status and things like taxes are no longer an issue.
When the world is mine, your death shall be quick and painless.
