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SanAndreasX 1 day ago
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Signalstar said:
SanAndreasX said:

Movie theatres are a sacrifice I would gladly make to keep WB and its properties from becoming another MAGA propaganda arm. I have gone to a movie theatre twice in the past 5 years. They're far too expensive and don't offer an experience that matches the high price, especially when I have an OLED TV and home theatre I can watch movies on if I want. That's what's really killing the theatres. $40 for a movie night for two is insane. If they want to survive, they're going to have to figure out how to get those prices down. 

Why do you think Trump is personally getting involved to manipulate the sale into the hands of his oligarch buddy? They already fired Colbert, and it seems like they're doing everything they can to hamper South Park, the only thing of value Paramount really has anymore. CBS under Bari Weiss is an absolute train wreck. Trump certainly doesn't care about the integrity of movie theatres, and neither does Ellison. Theatres will die just as fast with WB under Ellison as they will with WB under Netflix. But we'll be spared all the horrible propaganda MAGA will use DC Comics for. 

And I have gone to see a movie in theaters 60 times this year and will go at least 5 more times before the end of year.

I am a filmmaker. I went to film school. I want to work in the film industry. I write and report about the box office. I am very invested in the continued survival of theatrical exhibition. I know nothing besides Covid has had a worse impact on theaters than Netflix and streaming in general. 

I am also a WBD shareholder. I will gladly sell my shares to Paramount for more money than to Netflix. 

The entertainment industry is run by many wealthy people, a lot of them lean conservative, that is just a fact. Sure Ellison may be more vocal about his Trump support but Trump is temporary. He is term limited and will be dead soon anyway. Ellison says Paramount will look to release around 30 films a year in theaters if they own WB. Netflix only gives their films limited theatrical runs in a small number of theaters mostly to qualify for awards and satisfy filmmaker's egos. 

Movies without a vibrant theatrical environment is just content. 

Sure, but you are an outlier. Far more people are like me. We're not interested in spending $20-25 a head to watch all these mediocre movies in a theatre, and that's what's killing the theatres. I don't go to movies by myself, and so a movie night can range from $40 for a couple to almost $100 for a family. I'm sorry, but that's not a good deal. If theatres were such an amazing experience, they'd have nothing to worry about with Netflix. But for most of us, they aren't $100 amazing. I'll take the family hiking or to a park instead. You can't blame people if they'd rather pop a 75 cent bag of popcorn and plop down in front of their OLED TVs for a Netflix and chill night instead of going to a theater and spending multiple Jacksons.  The box office receipts bear this out. Most of what people show up for these days is MCU and Pixar sequels (Pixar's original stuff isn't doing too well lately). Every once in awhile you might get a Barbenheimer phenonmenon, but that's not enough. 

I don't see Paramount + WB reversing this trend, either. Their content is atrocious, pretty much only buoyed by Taylor Sheridan and Parker + Stone, and they seem to be trying to sabotage Parker and Stone as much as they can without getting dragged into court for breach of contract. Forgive me if I don't see how releasing 30 films' worth of such poor content is going to save movie theaters, especially when I can easily see WB basically being turned into MAGA nationalist propaganda.