End of a cinema era

[Paddy]

Such a shame. I go through phases with cinema going, depending on what's on of course, and have only gone to a large chain like Cineworld when that's the only option. Ticket prices have been getting higher and higher making watching a film more of a special treat than something you can do regularly.

The big (film) distributors have killed of most of the independent cinemas; there are some indis' still about and will survive due to private donations.

In Padstow there is the Cinedrome, I remember this as a kid on holiday. Most towns and cities had independent cinemas that screen major releases after doing the mainstream circuit along with indi' films and continental films subtitled films such a Fellini' "Juliet of the Spirits" (A masterpiece of film art)

Personally, I think CGI (Computer-generated imagery) has killed of the quality of films together with the lack of dialogue.

[edison]

Cinemas have been in decline for years. They're an outdated business model and frankly customers have better things to do than pay £10 a pop to sit in dirt laden scummy cinema seats and eat overpriced grimy nachos/hotdogs/chocolates. Before lockdown I'd take the family out to watch an average/sh1tty movie and that was £50+ gone just for that! The only good thing was the popcorn.

AV tech has become much better for home use and if you're going to do something like watching movies - that doesn't require social interaction or meeting new people - then why not sit at home and watch movies on your own big screen with surround sound.

We do enjoy the theatre because now there's something you can't recreate at home (even though my wife loves to create drama). A total rip with tickets costing £100 each but hey it's a special event for us.

Cinemas are dead.

It's too soon to say if cinemas are dead - the announcement only affects Cineworld in the UK, for now at least.

But saying cinemas have been in decline for years is way, way off the mark. UK cinema attendances have risen almost every year since the early 80s. in 2019 they were at their highest for almost 50 years.

[Paddy]

It's too soon to say if cinemas are dead - the announcement only affects Cineworld in the UK, for now at least.

But saying cinemas have been in decline for years is way, way off the mark. UK cinema attendances have risen almost every year since the early 80s. in 2019 they were at their highest for almost 50 years.

Slightly down in 2019 old chap.

• Annual cinema admissions UK 2007-2019 | Statista

and

UK cinema admissions 1935 to date

[eek]

Cinemas have been in decline for years. They're an outdated business model and frankly customers have better things to do than pay £10 a pop to sit in dirt laden scummy cinema seats and eat overpriced grimy nachos/hotdogs/chocolates. Before lockdown I'd take the family out to watch an average/sh1tty movie and that was £50+ gone just for that! The only good thing was the popcorn.

AV tech has become much better for home use and if you're going to do something like watching movies - that doesn't require social interaction or meeting new people - then why not sit at home and watch movies on your own big screen with surround sound.

We do enjoy the theatre because now there's something you can't recreate at home (even though my wife loves to create drama). A total rip with tickets costing £100 each but hey it's a special event for us.

Cinemas are dead.

Where do you live? Up North I was heading (until Covid closed it) to a recently refurbished de luxe cinema at £7 a head....

[Andy2]

Where do you live? Up North I was heading (until Covid closed it) to a recently refurbished de luxe cinema at £7 a head....

Cineworld in my town had also refurbished last year and the seats are the most comfortable I have ever seen. its a shame they are closing down now.

[SueEllen]

Cinemas have been in decline for years. They're an outdated business model and frankly customers have better things to do than pay £10 a pop to sit in dirt laden scummy cinema seats and eat overpriced grimy nachos/hotdogs/chocolates. Before lockdown I'd take the family out to watch an average/sh1tty movie and that was £50+ gone just for that! The only good thing was the popcorn.

AV tech has become much better for home use and if you're going to do something like watching movies - that doesn't require social interaction or meeting new people - then why not sit at home and watch movies on your own big screen with surround sound.

We do enjoy the theatre because now there's something you can't recreate at home (even though my wife loves to create drama). A total rip with tickets costing £100 each but hey it's a special event for us.

Cinemas are dead.

Attendances go up and down.

The chains put the prices up and attendances go down. They cut them and they go up.

And both Cineworld and Odeons refurbish their cinemas otherwise people stop going.

[edison]

Slightly down in 2019 old chap.

• Annual cinema admissions UK 2007-2019 | Statista

and

UK cinema admissions 1935 to date

I used the cinema industry body figures but you're right, I was out by a year. 2018 was the peak but even so, the 2019 number was the second highest number in the last 50 years.

Now that Cineworld is closing their US cinemas too in the world's biggest market, then things look a lot worse. It's a horrible catch-22... studios won't release blockbuster films till people are ready to go back in numbers but people won't go back if there are no major new films to watch.

It does seem perverse though that cinemas are closing whilst gyms can reopen and they are one of the higher risk venues for covid transmission.

On a wider note, if cinemas are likely to close well into next year, you wonder what hope there is for other indoor cultural venues like theatres and concert halls.

[mjcp]

The big (film) distributors have killed of most of the independent cinemas; there are some indis' still about and will survive due to private donations.

THIS!!

I've been directly involved in an indy cinema via an end client and I've worked with a ex snr CW exec.

The distributors will require:

Their latest blockbuster to be prime screen for x weeks or you don't get to show it.
That you remit daily seat sales / occupancy figures within 24 hours. Its a contractual requirement and they can use it to stop you getting new films / claim costs etc based on non performance.
They charge a % of seats sold, rather than a fee for showing the film per site / day etc.
They require specific projection and sound equipment or you don't get to show the latest films.

So if you're a small indy, you need a ticket sales platform that can remit in near real-time (£££ per month), you need multiple screens and if your second screen is not as good as the other, you cant have both the summer block busters. You need to update your equipment every few years or you don't get the new films on opening week/month. (£££££/££££££ every few years)

If you're a large Co, all the above applies, plus you need to leverage to fund the build / refurbs of the out of town locations etc to run at scale.


Ever wonder why a box of popcorn and drink/hotdog is £10? See above... its about the only way to make money form a cinema showing current /block buster movies.

And trivia: you know the life sized cutouts / posters etc you see in the foyer? Yeah, they (disty) track them like a hawk: N sent, N returned... and if one goes missing from your allocation - big problems for you, you might not get the next big film etc etc.

Show biz, what a money obsessed cesspool from top to bottom, hands in the pie at every opportunity (and other appendages in other apertures: Weinstein, Ailes, O'Reilly etc etc)!

M

[Paddy]

I used the cinema industry body figures but you're right, I was out by a year. 2018 was the peak but even so, the 2019 number was the second highest number in the last 50 years.

Now that Cineworld is closing their US cinemas too in the world's biggest market, then things look a lot worse. It's a horrible catch-22... studios won't release blockbuster films till people are ready to go back in numbers but people won't go back if there are no major new films to watch.

It does seem perverse though that cinemas are closing whilst gyms can reopen and they are one of the higher risk venues for covid transmission.

On a wider note, if cinemas are likely to close well into next year, you wonder what hope there is for other indoor cultural venues like theatres and concert halls.

Fortunately, many theatres, concerts and opera companies are sponsored and some are registered charities. It is easier (less difficult) for them to reopen after being shut down.

The opera organisation to which I am a patron, made a decision to close down for a year. Next year they may have to close as well because next year's season would have to be planed during this month onwards. Even without covid-19 there would be delays because of Brexit; there is no mechanism for obtaining work-permits for EU artists to perform for a four month season next year.

[ladymuck]

...
It does seem perverse though that cinemas are closing whilst gyms can reopen and they are one of the higher risk venues for covid transmission.

...

Slightly odd comparison.

Cinemas are closing because of a lack of customers / films to show. If they had sufficient demand, they would remain open (as some are).

Gyms are open because there is sufficient demand to keep them viable. The viability is probably down to the membership model and getting pre payment from the gym members.

Although I do agree that gyms aren't necessarily safe. There was a bit on the radio this morning where it was mentioned the aerosols emitted in an enclosed space can linger for up to 4 hours. You'd want a gym with a really good airflow system, it's not just about wiping the equipment after its been used.