Took the Boy to the movies this weekend...

[Devastatin Dave]

The wife and i took my daughter (1 year old on the 12th!!!) to the babysitter and took my son (just turned 3 March 20th) to see Ice Age 2. Great movie BTW for kids and adults. When in line I saw some of the other movies that were being shown and one of them that was opening this week end was the Basic Instinct 2. I thought to myself, "Who the hell would want to see that?" I mean, Sharon Stone is a bit old and if she sis that leg uncrossing scene, her uterus might fall out from all the couch catings and "birth control procedures" that she's had.
Well, Ice Age 2 got the top dolloar this week while Basic Instinct 2 did nada. Now you would think that Hollywood would see that some things just aren't meant to be sequels. The movies just are not very good these days and especially when you go out to the movies and throw down $40 to watch crap that you can wait for the DVD and have the movie...

So here's the question, will going to the movies go the way of the dinosaur or is it still the way to go for certain pictures? I would like this thread to revolve around personal experiences with the movies and please discuss anything about the movies; critiques, movies choices,etc. I think this could be very interesting.

See Ice Age 2, it was great.

[Byzantine Prince]

There have been very few good movies recently I agree. But it won't go to the way of the dinosaur as long as there are art film enthusiasts like myself, family people like you who want to see something with their kids, and dumb teenagers going to see a horror movies starring paris hilton's vagina.

[LeftEyeNine]

Ice Age was the movie that I found funny the most. I'm sure that the sequel is as funny as the first one as well. Glad that you had a nice time with your family. Happy birthday to your pretty daughter in advance.

[Kralizec]

I was thinking the same about Basic Instinct 2, and was exited in hearing there was going to be an Ice Age 2. Glad to hear it's a good movie! I'm probably going to see it some time this week.

I don't think that cinema will be going the way of the dinosaurs anytime soon, but I do think it will become more marginal. Once I saw a documentary about the evolution of gaming and cinema and they showed that since a couple of years, the gaming industry make way, WAY more money then movies. It used to be normal that producers would make games to chip in on the income of a blockbuster movie, now the opposite is already occurring (Doom, Alien vs Predator), and I fear that in a couple of years more the relationship will have switched completely.

[Banquo's Ghost]

So here's the question, will going to the movies go the way of the dinosaur or is it still the way to go for certain pictures? I would like this thread to revolve around personal experiences with the movies and please discuss anything about the movies; critiques, movies choices,etc. I think this could be very interesting.

I think the experience of going out to the movies is still enjoyed by many, but I take your point about the increasingly mundane fare on offer. Cinema seems to have got more popular over here despite having videos, cable and DVDs through the last twenty years. But the unadventurous Hollywood glitterati seem to think in a very limited way at present, and it does not often appeal to me.

Understandable, I suppose, when a big movie costs so much nowadays. The world will turn soon enough.

Personally, I would hate it if the cinema died away. I used to have a small theatre less than two minutes walk away, and would go two or three times a week. I'd meet before with friends, and after for a hot chocolate and great discussion. It's this social aspect that sets the cinema experience apart. It helped that it showed lots of good foreign language films with challenging ideas and techniques.

Some movie experiences might not have happened to me if I relied on the DVD. I can't say, because there's no control experiment, but the anticipation of the LoTR trilogy, the astonishment of Kurosawa, and the sheer emotional impact of a film like Schindler's List - after which I wept uncontrollably in my seat for ten minutes - these are highlights of the movie theatre for me, and life would be poorer without them.

[LeftEyeNine]

Ha great, I just noticed that I missed the topic

Well, movie is for theaters and I'm one of those that think every aspect of culture should be acutalized in its traditional way. Simply I wouldn't find myself into the same laughter while watching some movie at home instead of going to cinema with friends. This "traditional" way also can camouflage some bad points of the movie hence improving your level of satisfaction.

Briefly it is still the way of "watching" a movie by going to the cinema. It's how you can can caught into the ambience the movie creates, if any, a way that can do a slight make up over movie's flaws, a great way to have enjoy time with your family or friends. It is still fun and so will it be.

[yesdachi]

It will not likely die off. It is still a cool recreation (star wars on the big screen vs. on TV at home) and date setting (where else can you go and make out for two hours) but I am sure attendance is already in a decline. IMO in part due to the fact you can wait a couple of months and buy the DVD or even download the movie.

We have been considering taking our little one to see Ice Age 2, its nice to hear a good review.

[master of the puppets]

Ever go to the movies alone... exactly.
The movies are a social experience for freinds, a place where you can enjoy a good(?) story or a bad one and laugh at it later. but there really is something nostalgic about sitting in those comfy chairs staring at that bright screen with cand and popcorn.

The problem now a days is that all the stories are bad(slither) sequels(basic instinct 2) or remakes(king kong), the bright screen can be challenged by the plasma in your home, and the candy and popcorn now adds up to 20$ worth .

i'm sorry to say but the experience really is being ruined by crap movies, over pricing, and debatable greatness when compared to other sources, mostly i have given up on new movies and stick to watching the classics, watched jurassic park 1 last week, still a masterpeice .

[Devastatin Dave]

Thanks Left Eye...

Well I must say, when I was statione din Korea and went to go see Kung Pow at the base theater, it was far more funny there than when I bought the DVD at watched it at home when I returned to the states. It might have been the alcohol, it might have been being with 100 other more imature laughing out load troops, or it good have been the large amount of soju coursing through my veins, I'm not sure. I will say that Lord of the Rings was great on screen expecially when Rohan charged into the forces of Soran. The theater errupted in cheers.
I just feel that the movie industry really take its consumer for granted with some of its sequal, prequals, whatever. I'm waiting for "Passion of the Christ 2, Kicking Ass and Removing Your Name from the Good Book later".

[master of the puppets]

"Passion of the Christ 2, Kicking Ass and Removing Your Name from the Good Book later".

[Hurin_Rules]

Hmm... saw the title of the thread and thought you'd be talking about "Brokeback Mountain."

My mistake

[Devastatin Dave]

Hmm... saw the title of the thread and thought you'd be talking about "Brokeback Mountain."

My mistake

I'm going to wait till he's 5 and starts public school before seeing Broke back. But I'm sure the public school will have already shown him this allowing with documentaries on how being gay is better than being straight all in an effort to recruit fresh meat for the homosexual lobby since they still haven't figured out a way to combine sperm with feces to make babies.

My kids will go to private school, BTW

Back to topic, I guess many people are just tired of movies that is nothing more than moral lecturings by people who play make believe for a living.

[Tachikaze]

I have mostly stopped going to cinemas. But I really loved Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon at a "stadium-seating" cinema. The picture seemed to surround me. LOTR had to be seen in one as well.

But if cinemas disappeared, I won't miss them very much. While I do like to see films with friends, I don't like being in a crowd of strangers who talk, push past me to get to and from their seats (keep in mind how big Americans are), and block parts of the screen (except for stadium seating, which are the only cinemas I attend now).

I also hate sitting through noisy, in-your-face previews that all begin with "It's the must-see hit of the summer!" or "the adventure of a lifetime" and include 300-decible explosions, music, and shouting.

If big screens and full sound were very important to me, I'd invest in a home cinema setup. But I'm content with my modest TV and DVD player. In fact, I've taken up watching movies on my computer. The TV has hardly been turned on in the past few months.

[Major Robert Dump]

The problem is:

money taking the place of creativity

media saturation, particularly with youth, and movies getting to DVD within the year

a growing senior citizen and middle age population whos been there done that

and Hollywoods lack of understanding that there are millions of thinking people who will stop watching star-based pictures if said stars say and do things that make the people mad

drive by the theatre every day, seems like I mostly see middle school aged kids, probably looking for a place to get away from the parents and go make out. I'm simply not interested in seeing anything in the theatre anymore

[Puzz3D]

So here's the question, will going to the movies go the way of the dinosaur or is it still the way to go for certain pictures?

Certain pictures should be seen in the theater. The past few years I've seen House of Flying Daggers, Hero, Alexander (DVD director's cut is better), The New World (twice), Star Wars (once film projection and once digital projection. I liked the film projection better.), War of the Worlds (twice), Kill Bill 1+2 (twice), 28 Days Later (3 times), Open Range, Chicago, Sin City, Godzilla (original Japanese version from 1954), Lord of the Rings 2+3, V for Vendetta and King Kong (some bad CGI is fixed in the DVD version). I'm glad I saw these movies in the theater since I don't have a home theater system with a huge LCD TV screen. I don't go to the theater to see movies I think will be edited for mainstream American audiences. For that type of movie, I wait for the unrated DVD release.

I went to see Godzilla recently because I saw it in 1956 sitting in the front row of the theater with my friend, but this time it was shown in the original unedited version which was too controversial for American audiences back then. I was disappointed though because the screen it was shown on was not very big. Nothing will ever recreate the experience of a kid sitting in the front row seeing that movie. I'm sorry I never got to see King Kong (1933 version) that way, but I did get to see almost every sci-fi movie released in the 1950's and 1960's in the theater. Some of them made a big impression on me such as The Creature from the Black Lagoon in polarized 3D, and the George Pal version of War of the Worlds. The presentation of 2001: A Space Odyssey in Cinerama with an Altec Voice of the Theater sound system was very impressive in 1968. I've only gone to see one theatrical movie at an IMAX theater, Star Wars 1 as I recall, but at $14 a ticket I'm not inclined to see another one there.

So I like going to the theater, but it is getting rather expensive now ($10 usd), and the DVD (costing $20) could be out in 3 months (King Kong for example). When you add in a poorly behaved audience, and sitting through commercials and endless previews, I can see why some people might give up on going to the theater altogether.

There is one movie theater left in Boston. It's a very nice Loews 16 screen theater with stadium seating, and I can get $6 (usd) tickets through work (can't use them in the first 10 days of a movie's release). I can get to the theater for no cost, and, if I time it right, I miss the commercials and epileptic inducing previews. Since I'm not about to pay the exhorbitant prices they charge for someting to eat or drink, getting there right when the movie starts works out fine. I depend on my body's capacity to survive 3 days without food to get me through the movie,and there is a free water fountain if I get thirsty. There is basically nobody in the theater when I go to a matinee showing. There are so few people at this theater when I go that I'm concerned it will close, but maybe their nightime business is good.

[Goofball]

So here's the question, will going to the movies go the way of the dinosaur or is it still the way to go for certain pictures?

Definitely going to the theater will continue to lose its attraction, expecially as home theater systems continue to improve. For me, the main attraction of going to a movie was the sound system that kicked the ass of of anything I could ever have at home.

But yesterday Mrs. Goofball & I were in Future Sop buying a new camera, and from the other side of the store we heard this wondrous, spine-rattling, incredibly loud yet crystal clear cornucopia of sound that had everybody in the store (at least those of us equipped with penises) transixed in amazement. When the sounds ended, the salesman who had been telling me about cameras informed me that what I had just heard was a demonstration of the new Harmon Kardon home theater speaker system.

I looked around and noticed that, like me, just about every male in the store was drifting towards the source of these wondrous sounds making curious, primate-like noises with vacant looks in their eyes and hands drifting towards their wallets.

Unfortunately, I was foiled by Mrs. Goofball in my attempts to obtain the device.

[Navaros]

Sharon Stone has been very hard on the eyes for many years now. One need only watch her in other lower-budgeted things like Catwoman (be careful on that because the Catwoman role is actually played by a male in this movie - you think you are watching Halle but really you are watching a man!) or the Practice etc. Clearly in "Basic Instinct 2" they just spent a lot of money on makeup and computer tricks to make her look vastly better than how she actually looks in real life these days (which is, quite bad).

Must disagree with Dave saying Ice Age 2 is appropriate for kids. I saw a promotional clip of it where the Ray Romano mammoth was begging to fornicate with the Queen Latifah mammoth and there is definitely no way that that scene was appropriate for kids.

[Goofball]

Must disagree with Dave saying Ice Age 2 is appropriate for kids. I saw a promotional clip of it where the Ray Romano mammoth was begging to fornicate with the Queen Latifah mammoth and there is definitely no way that that scene was appropriate for kids.

What have you got against mixed-race sexual relations?

*calls NAACP to inform on Navaros*

[Tribesman]

Navaros is right , I was disgusted the other day to find my kids watching a so called documentary about birds .
It was absolute filth the way the foul creatures flaunted their fancy plumage just to impress the female birds into some really degrading sexual acts .

[Redleg]

Sharon Stone has been very hard on the eyes for many years now. One need only watch her in other lower-budgeted things like Catwoman (be careful on that because the Catwoman role is actually played by a male in this movie - you think you are watching Halle but really you are watching a man!) or the Practice etc. Clearly in "Basic Instinct 2" they just spent a lot of money on makeup and computer tricks to make her look vastly better than how she actually looks in real life these days (which is, quite bad).

Must disagree with Dave saying Ice Age 2 is appropriate for kids. I saw a promotional clip of it where the Ray Romano mammoth was begging to fornicate with the Queen Latifah mammoth and there is definitely no way that that scene was appropriate for kids.

Well I also watched the movie - there was no "mounting" of the mammothes in any scene. The closest to anything "sexual" was the comments about the obligation and duty to mate to continue the species. ( something out of the old testiment there Navaros so it should be acceptable in your narrow fundmentalistic understanding of religion), that and some Mammoth trunk intermingling at the end of the movie.

[BigTex]

The wife and i took my daughter (1 year old on the 12th!!!) to the babysitter and took my son (just turned 3 March 20th) to see Ice Age 2. Great movie BTW for kids and adults. When in line I saw some of the other movies that were being shown and one of them that was opening this week end was the Basic Instinct 2. I thought to myself, "Who the hell would want to see that?" I mean, Sharon Stone is a bit old and if she sis that leg uncrossing scene, her uterus might fall out from all the couch catings and "birth control procedures" that she's had.
Well, Ice Age 2 got the top dolloar this week while Basic Instinct 2 did nada. Now you would think that Hollywood would see that some things just aren't meant to be sequels. The movies just are not very good these days and especially when you go out to the movies and throw down $40 to watch crap that you can wait for the DVD and have the movie...

So here's the question, will going to the movies go the way of the dinosaur or is it still the way to go for certain pictures? I would like this thread to revolve around personal experiences with the movies and please discuss anything about the movies; critiques, movies choices,etc. I think this could be very interesting.

See Ice Age 2, it was great.

Personally I hate going to the movies these days, last one I saw in the theatre was Saw2. Even that was a horrible expierence, first it costs 20$'s. Then I end up siting behind a loudmouthed black women (sorry sometimes sterotypes are true) wouldnt shut up through the entire movie, talking on the phone, talking to her friends about the plot of the movie. Sometimes even oppressively tall stature isnt enough to shut some people up. In all honestly DVD's are far better, you actually get to hear and enjoy the movie, and its only 5$'s at blockbuster, and you even get to see it multiple times incase you missed something.

[Soulforged]

I mean, Sharon Stone is a bit old and if she sis that leg uncrossing scene, her uterus might fall out from all the couch catings and "birth control procedures" that she's had.

Sharon Stone is one of the sexiest womans that I've seen, still I mean.

[Devastatin Dave]

I looked around and noticed that, like me, just about every male in the store was drifting towards the source of these wondrous sounds making curious, primate-like noises with vacant looks in their eyes and hands drifting towards their wallets.

Unfortunately, I was foiled by Mrs. Goofball in my attempts to obtain the device.

Isn't it like a woman to ruin the natural primal male instict and draw to loud boom booms.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Movies wont go away any more than books or paintings. Theatres however are another story. Their nothing more than glorified candy stores. With the advances in home theatre systems I dont think they will survive too much longer. 30 or 40 years maybe.

[Devastatin Dave]

Good to see you again G-man!!!

[Incongruous]

Nothing beats a good piece of theatre, especially the likes of Macbeth or Henry V.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Good to see you again G-man!!!

I havent gone anywhere. Ive just been busy raising an army. Ive gone back to my first love TW. Got one hell of a clan in NTW made up of VI vets. Im just waiting for something interesting to pop up here.

[Crazed Rabbit]

There are some movies that are just meant to be seen in a big ole movie theater. One I like to go to is called the Collosus (sp), in Canada (Ever been, Goofball?). Huge screens, stadium seating.

But bad movies and quick DVD releases will harm box office earnings. And watching movies at home, even on a TV older than me, is nice because you can take a bathroom break whenever you please, eat cheap food, and get a movie for $2.

Gawain, when you say NTW, are you talking about Napoleonic TW?

Crazed Rabbit

[Major Robert Dump]

Gah, I dont even have any TW games installed. I should look into it, since its the reason I'm here in the first place

I seriously think people are just getting sick of hollywood. I mean you see these movies that are the exact same movie as this or that, or remakes, or outright theft, and a few kids see them and think wow great movie, then they realize it has been done 300 times before.

also, not enough movies with sad endings.

hollywood insults everyones intelligence. we need more movies like Barton Fink and Once Upon A Time in The West, but no one has the attention span anymore. No one cares about story, its all about tits and explosions, and I can see that on the internet

[Scurvy]

I still love the cinema, and its not all that expensive over here (UK) only £10 for the whole movie and a drink, which is cheaper than bowling etc...

there are still good films coming out, but in all honesty if your at the cinema in a group (which i hope you always are ) and so the quality of film isnt all that important

major --> i hate films with sad endings
and i dont normally manage to follow complicated films
much rather have the tits and explosions