[EV NXT]

As I type this it is raining. Heavily. I never take my car to a mall to avoid parking and traffic jams and a check of Uber reveals a 350% surge in fares!

Why would anyone in their right mind step out of the comfort of a cost home to see a movie in bad weather braving the cold and threat of floods?

With the advent of reels on YouTube and its cousins, a lot of interesting stuff get thrown at you within 1 minute intervals spoiling your attention span in relation to screen views.

Some of the content on OTT make even the best movies a bit vanilla. It looks like the second coming of the cinemas is nearing its end.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by dragracer567

I am gonna have to disagree with most of the folks here but I really love going to the cinema.

You do realize much of the respondents are older folk right? Those who are going to count time, effort, money over the movie watching experience

I do see my junior colleagues at work over the years, they used to go for a movie as groups most of the Friday and watched 4am shows of big ticket movies right after a night shift. The frequency of these visits gone down in the 4-5 years I've seen them. All of us go through this cycle.

If you see theaters aren't really running empty. But the business models have changed long before Covid. The days of continuous shows of Mera Naam Joker at Safire and 760 day run of Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak at Melody are history, these were dependent on repeat viewerships, they are looking to maximize profits on initial viewership and insulate from possibly negative impact from word-of-mouth. Few years back, one would have to wait forever for home video releases, nowadays streaming rights are sold and movies are on streaming platforms under 2 months from theatrical release even when handful of shows were running.

To an extent streaming platforms have ensured post-theatrical release revenue isn't entirely lost to piracy.

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

Pappillon, a 1970s biopic. Pappillon was actually remade in Malayalam as Kalapani with full of Swadesi elements.

The amount of criticism depends on what is done with the source material, and how much can be adapted to target country and audience. It also depends on your personal tolerance with remakes. I am a Tamil who loved A Wednesday and Lalettan's Drishyam and chose not to watch Unnaipol Oruvan or Papanasam.

The last Hollywood movie I saw in theater was the Joker . I was amused to see a guy playing games in his handset during the showtime. 95% of the audience was youngsters. I received some strange looks when I walked in. I was 51 only at that time

I guess it does matter where you watch. Few years back I saw Three Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri and the theater was filled with 30+ year olds, and a lot of womenfolk at that. Pretty much same experience when I saw Liam Neeson's Commuter on big screen. Both movies were seen in some multiplex theater in Madras.

I eventually stopped watching 18+ movies in theater, due to theatrical censorship is another matter.

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

Innovative directors like Anurag Kashyap

Am honestly surprised, Anurag Kashyap survived this long. When Black Friday got its theatrical release and I highly recommended it to my then colleagues, there were very less takers

[download2live]

For me movies used to be a family affair. But PVR model which swept whole of India made sure that many like me stopped going.
Sure there is money which has to be made but the massive rip off in the name of tea/coffee/popcorn is something which I still cannot accept. And add to that insufferable content paraded out. And then the star kids.

Anyone remember how water bottles were sold at inflated price (not at MRP). And then some irate gentleman filed a case in Supreme Court about this.
The solution?
Cinemas started getting water bottled with higher MRP printed on them along with the message "Specially packed for XYZ" cinema !

However OTT platforms are also full of many sub-par web series. I see Amazon and Netflix spending insane amount of money on below standard web series hoping something will click.

I am a grumpy middle aged man now.

[Raghu M]

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

SR, in my opinion, can be remade. I sincerely hope I won't get banned for suggesting this. . An innocent person gets trapped, evidence in support of him gets smothered, a heartless prison, he gets exploited by the corrupt and cruel babus, an escape plan that works. All these are already been depicted in various Indian movies years (decades) before SR. But none of them can match SR.

SR has several elements that run parallel with Pappillon, a 1970s biopic. Pappillon was actually remade in Malayalam as Kalapani with full of Swadesi elements. The Cellular jail in Andaman formed the backdrop. It was a big budget movie, flopped in box office.

OT.

While I believe that our movie makers have the talent to handle any project, its the stars that make the task impossible. For example, in TFI, no big star is ready to be hit by the bad guys. He is always correct, smashes anyone and everyone to pulp, can woo any girl in the world (even if he is in his 50s). The other big point they always mention is - my fans won't agree if I do a deglam role. So, if SR were to be made in Telugu, it would have a jail intro scene where the hero would beat everyone to pulp, then an item song around the time they are doing the roof scene and by the end of the movie, the hero would be out in the open challenging the entire system and he would be acquitted by the courts in a dramatic way (of course covered by all news channels). I just hope (rather pray), no one attempts it here.

[ValarMorghulis]

The last movie I saw in a multiplex was Thor: Love & Thunder at IMAX PVR Koramangala. Total expense:
1. Movie tickets x2: Rs. 1410
2. Coffee x1: Rs. 350
3. Lunch x2 @ Toscano: Rs. 2800

The only thing I didn't regret that day was the lunch. Lasagna & dessert were exquisite.

Apart from that the movie disappointed biiig time (despite being an MCU fan), the coffee was swill and the traffic was pathetic. That we decided to venture to Phoenix@Whitefield on a Sunday at 2pm was another thing that'll make me think 100 times before going out on a weekend.

The movie before above was Dabangg 3 on Jan 2020, & I partly think the entire Covid saga was God's punishment for watching such an anathema in a theater.

Will I go to the cinema again? Probably, if there is a fab Hollywood spectacle (missed Top Gun 2).
Bollywood in theaters, is a big no, at least for the time being. And no Bhramastra or LSC or Pathan can convince me otherwise.

[mayukh42]

Originally Posted by ABHI_1512

Innovative directors like Anurag Kashyap or Tigmanshu Dhulia have struggled big time.

OTT platforms are winning since we are getting to see movies which were only loved by critics earlier

Agree. OTT is a great platform for such directors, who were never commercial to begin with.

Black Friday is still one of the best Bollywood creations I have watched (notwithstanding some inaccuracies because it was based on a novel). However, I'd like these directors to continue experimenting rather than sticking to the same formula which has been the case of late.

I would'nt say so soon that OTT platforms are winning - it is just so in temporary context, chiefly because it is "new".

Netflix is having its biggest crisis from which myopic management can think of escaping only though "ads". They are not able to read the writing on the wall that it is because of content quality.

Prime Video with its newfound love for "additional subscription" to already subscribed customers wouldn't be sustainable either in the long run. Its just the same cycle repeating - what stops Eros or Hoichoi to launch their own apps and subscription instead of through Amazon? Just like Tata Sky vs Hotstar.

They need to provide variety of content catering to all kinds of audience at a cost effective manner (we cannot compare this cost with that of going to a theater, as the economics are different) and without ads. This is sustainable, because the difference in price of a ticket will be more than compensated by number of subscribers - mobile included.

If they cannot connect with the audience, if they cannot maintain quality like no ads which is a major appeal, if they prioritize unsolicited social justice "gyan", audience will find another way.

[naveen.raju]

We used to go to the theater every Sunday even if it's a crappy movie that's showing. Like many pointed out, now there's good content on OTT's and all major movies showing in theaters will be released in 2-3 weeks. More than movies, it's the series that gets you hooked.

The only genre I miss watching in theater is horror since my wife is least interested. I just love the theater ambience (very less crowd) which makes that eerie atmosphere.

My last visit to the theater was in Feb '20. Will definitely check the next conjuring release in the theater.

[Malyaj]

Bollywood stands exposed by the onslaught of OTT. For too long they have indulged in nepotism, groupism, elitism, all the while peddling some financier's pet narrative. OTT has also broken the iron like grip that Ekta Kapoor and her likes had on the TV industry.

However I stopped visiting movie theatres because I couldn't stand it anymore:

1. Never ending commercials
2. People constantly talking during the movies
3. People arriving late and disturbing others while finding their seat
4. Second time watchers explaining the story to their companions
5. Chomping on nachos and popcorns and making that crunch-crunch sound
6. People passing smart alec comments like running commentary
7. I am a horror movie buff and I dislike it when everyone is laughing during the scary scenes.
8. Cold drink glass that is big enough for a cow. Deliberately no small size available.
9. Over enthusiastic kids running up and down the aisle and parents not giving a damn.

[myavu]

Originally Posted by ajayc123

I am wondering if guys here are still continuing to use the cable TV or have some folks started to discontinue the cable.

I had disconnected Tata Sky long way back sometime around late 2018. The Dish is still there on the terrace watching sky for no reason whatsoever

[hrman]

Totally relate to this post. Here's what I have transformed into in the past 4 years:

1. Bought a decent Benq XGA Projector, projector screen and sound towers, set me back by 41K about 4 years back.
2. Invested in a decent sofa and a single recliner
3. Cut the cable (No cable tv, no DTH) I am exclusively subscribed to OTT channels. My spend is roughly 4k per year for Hotstar, Amazon Prime, Netflix (Shared) and Sony Liv put together.
4. I pay a slightly higher amount for a good stable 300 mbps Broadband connection.

The last movie I watched in the theatre was Rocketry, which was my first theatre movie in over 4 years, sponsored by my organization.

I believe it takes roughly Rs.700 per person per visit to the movie theatre. If a family of 3 goes every time, it will be about Rs.2100 incl. popcorn, cold drinks, parking, ticket and fuel cost.
After seeing my first 20 movies in this setup, I reached my break even point over 3 years back and ever since, any movie is a bonus.
The latest India-Pak match on a huge 110 inch screen within the comfort of your own home is unmatched. Yes, you do have many many paisa-vasool moments.

Looking at the movies currently churned out by Bollywood, I feel sorry. There was a time when the mighty Khans ruled Bollywood. Their sun had to set one day.
And yes, I am on closing on 45 now and some things in my life have a different meaning compared to what it did 20 years ago.

[CeeBeeR]

I'm a huge movie fan and for certain movies I prefer going to the theatres for the experience. Other factors in favour of theatres are:
1) It is a shared experience with friends and strangers alike. We can't replicate crowd pleasing moments like the 'Avenger Assemble' scene or the sheer craziness of the 'Tenet' scenes at home.
2) It's a better viewing experience when you're not distracted by other things. In theaters, it's just you and the screen, nothing to distract you unless you wish to be distracted (mobile usage, focusing more on the snacks etc).
3)In a spoiler filled era, I prefer to catch the movie at a theatre than see it a month or two later and risk accidentally seeing spoilers in the media. Btw, this applies to only mystery movies and spectacle based event movies, not to biographies obviously.

I prefer watching stuff on OTT when I'm in the mood for watching movies or series at a leisurely pace. Also, there are content which is meant to be seen on a small screen as opposed to the aforementioned spectacle based event movies that are meant for Imax screens. Gems like 'Her' and 'Searching' deserve the intimacy of a smaller screen.

As for whether Bollywood's falling standards have provoked a rise in OTT, I believe the Hindi film industry always had a majority of bad movies in theaters at any given point of time.
A beautiful movie like 'Sonchiriya' will always fare poorer compared to something mediocre like 'Luka Chuppi' whether it is released in the theaters or released directly in OTT.

Also, the handful of south movies that did well at the box office doesn't point to an improvement in the quality of cinema or changing trends. There is huge pile of garbage in the southern film industries as well.
Likewise, there are other wonderful movies in South which don't follow mainstream cliches and should have been made available to a wider audience in other parts of the country.

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by myavu

I had disconnected Tata Sky long way back sometime around late 2018. The Dish is still there on the terrace watching sky for no reason whatsoever

Me too done the same since 2019. It has lived through its prime years. And it's good that Tata Sky guys have an eye on the sky and never send SMS's or any sort of reminders to recharge and reactivate the set top box. The dish on a 24X7 basis enjoys the weather hence.

[sandeepmdas]

Originally Posted by download2live

Anyone remember how water bottles were sold at inflated price (not at MRP). And then some irate gentleman filed a case in Supreme Court about this.
The solution?
Cinemas started getting water bottled with higher MRP printed on them along with the message "Specially packed for XYZ" cinema !

PVR actually launched popcorn in supermarkets and I guess other snacks too. I saw them displayed in Pothy's Trivandrum. I think this is a pre-emptive strike to counter any future PIL court drama. They can always claim they have diversified into packed snacks business and their products are available in supermarkets also. What a simple solution.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by mayukh42

Prime Video with its newfound love for "additional subscription" to already subscribed customers wouldn't be sustainable either in the long run. Its just the same cycle repeating - what stops Eros or Hoichoi to launch their own apps and subscription instead of through Amazon? Just like Tata Sky vs Hotstar.

Distribution. I subscribed to Lionsgate Play through Amazon Prime. Frankly, hadn't even heard of Lionsgate before Prime showed me some good movies that Lionsgate offered. The Prime App is A+ too, and I cannot say the same for a lot of the new apps (including Eros, Voot etc.).

Would love to have all my subscriptions in one place.

The Firestick is fast becoming a "platform" rather than just another streaming stick. Google had the opportunity with ChromeCast, but blew it away by making it too geeky (remember for how long they were anti-remote control).

[ac 427]

OTT beats bollywood theatre hands down.

Bollywood always made crappy content in the past, but they balanced it out with a few gems here and there.
At the moment Bollywood has lost the plot, all bollywood music sounds the same (typical punjabi beats with either a yo yo honey sing or a badshah ring to it). And any new format of story telling gets so bollywoodized its unbelievable.

83 is a classic example. made by kabir khan who knows how to tell a human story keeping a larger idea at play. But - 83 was such a disappointment, so was Laal singh chadda, so was prithvi raj, shershah - the narrative is the same.

I have invested in a banging audio and video set-up at home specifically for movies.
- Q-Acoustics towers and surround
- Marantz AVR
and a 55 inch tv - which will get upgraded to a 75 shortly.

I get all the 5.1 effects, with none of the drawbacks of going to a theatre and suffering through and through.

I also get an option to watch the movie at my convenience, my pace that takes the cake.

So unless Bollywood gets its game together (it looks unlikely), its going to be the occasional visit to the theatres and they will be specifically for Nolan type of movies.

cheers,
ac