What happened to the movie-going experience? I’m looking past the difference in “3D” movie pricing that doesn’t make the movie better, or complaining about overpriced popcorn, candy, and additional butter charges to a powerless teenager.
I want to know what happened to the spontaneity of actually watching a movie? The wonder, awe, excitement … the actual escape?
These days movie-goers are just fandoms, hype beasts, and dare I say, followers of pop culture trends as opposed to cinephiles, film buffs, or people actually longing for a great night out. What happened to just watching a movie trailer, or reading a non-review article about the movie, then going to watch it for yourself?
I actually work at movie theatre in Mississauga, and the method my managers use to determine if the night was going to busy or not would be movie ratings/reviews online.
Apparently if a critic didn’t enjoy the movie, you wouldn’t either because you and this ‘faceless name’ have the same taste in what’s funny, what’s interesting about the plot, and pacing of the story … for a movie that you haven’t even bothered to see yourself!
If you are one of those people, I wouldn’t blame you. Yes, movie tickets are expensive, and you want to get your money’s worth. Hollywood’s solution? Expanded universes, spin-offs, reboots, and sequels! No, it’s not just the Marvel-DC superhero genre.
It’s Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts, Rocky/Creed, Star Wars, Insidious/Annabelle, Transformers/Bumblebee, Fast and Furious/Hobbs, live-action Disney, Jurassic Park and many more in a list that can easily surpass a 300 word count. Everything is just so formulaic and comfortable. Where’s the risk? The discovery? The ability to preserve something as a ‘cult-classic’? The quest for new art?
