Red Letter Media

[Well Intentioned]

I think what it really boils down to is how expensive ticket prices have gotten. The big theatre chains make it sort of easy with “value days” but they are on days of the week that most people wouldn’t go to a movie.

Remember arcades?

That place where you could play 'high-end' games at overpriced rates. Where you'd have to deal with kids running amok or people smoking? Where half the cabinets had wrecked joysticks and you'd have to line up for an opportunity to play?

They got replaced because something better came along -- home gaming more or less caught up and outstripped all the benefits that an arcade had. Same shit here.

Remember vaudeville....? And so on.

 

[Absolutego]

Oh dear God no. There's exactly two-and-a-half good books in the entirety of Dune, and the current adaptation is already through 60% of the way through that.

God Emperor is great for how batshit insane the premise is and all the based quotes Herbert fed Leto II, but that's as unfilm-able a book as ever existed, and Hollywood would ruin it with how they'd have to neuter its politics to make it palatable to their tastes.

 

[Mikoyan]

God Emperor is great for how batshit insane the premise is and all the based quotes Herbert fed Leto II, but that's as unfilm-able a book as ever existed, and Hollywood would ruin it with how they'd have to neuter its politics to make it palatable to their tastes.

I was thinking previously that I wonder how they'd CGI up the attempted assassination in the beginning. It'd be funny as fuck.

 

[Mola Ram]

Sure Godfather was a mega success, based on a book and all, but I don't recall it having any merchandise (back then anyway). Star Wars definitely changed that game. (I'm also not going to count later releases - like you can buy Jaws funko pops and board games now but I'm not sure there was much of it back when it released - though watch me be proven wrong here.)

How this plays into our autistic categories I'm not sure, but I will say Star Wars is unquestionably the bright line of Before Merchandising and After Merchandising. Nobody cared about the merchandising rights for a movie (what merchandise was there? Posters? Novelizations? Maybe the soundtracks, but given all the legal fuckery of the music industry I wouldn't be surprised if there's some reason they're not included), so when Lucas passed on a half million dollar director's fee for Star Wars in exchange for ownership of licensing and merchandising rights, 20th Century Fox laughed and said, sure, go ahead kid, figuring they'd rooked him. One 20 billion dollar merchandising empire later ...

 

[King Dead]

God Emperor is great for how batshit insane the premise is and all the based quotes Herbert fed Leto II, but that's as unfilm-able a book as ever existed, and Hollywood would ruin it with how they'd have to neuter its politics to make it palatable to their tastes.

If I had unlimited money and I didn't give a shit about profits, you better believe I would greenlight movies for every single Dune book. Even God Emperor. Especially God Emperor. A four hour epic where the majority of the runtime is just a man/worm hybrid philosophizing at his love interest that he can't bang? It would be magnificent.

Villeneuve has stated he wants to at least do through Dune Messiah to wrap up Paul's story in a nice trilogy bow, and he's in the process of writing a screenplay for it now. Will it get made? Considering WB has been in disarray for years, who knows? The previous movies have done well so far, with the first having a decent take despite releasing when people were still coof-scared, and the second is currently the number one film of the year, likely until our sole Marvel capeshit of the year comes out. Apparently they've begun the early stages of development, but plans can change easily. In the meantime, ol' Denny's been attached to the perpetually-stuck-in-development-hell Rendezvous with Rama adaptation, so it might be a while anyway (which is fine, Messiah is set 12 years after Dune). Either way, he has no desire to do any more than that, so if it does somehow turn into a whole franchise, everything from Children on would have to be picked up by someone else.

I dunno if it's just that I live in a decent area or what, but my moviegoing experiences are generally positive. People aren't talking during the movie, fights don't break out, and the most disturbance I usually have is someone munching popcorn a bit too loud. When I went to see Godzilla x Kong, a big group of black people were in the seats behind me talking through the trailers, making me fear the worst, but when the movie proper started, no issues at all.

That said, shit's just damn expensive to justify going out as much as I'd like to. Even if I go on discount Tuesdays (about the only day I go anymore), add on concessions and it's not so cheap anymore. And when there aren't a lot of movies worth seeing, it's an even easier decision to stay home. It's a shame, because I love going to the movies, but they just don't seem long for this world.

 

[Flexo]

If I had unlimited money and I didn't give a shit about profits, you better believe I would greenlight movies for every single Dune book. Even God Emperor. Especially God Emperor. A four hour epic where the majority of the runtime is just a man/worm hybrid philosophizing at his love interest that he can't bang? It would be magnificent.

I can't believe I'm on a board with people that love GEoD.

Well at least you all love it ironically.

I still feel like my central processor broke when Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy did a spoof of the book.

 

[Mr. Racewar1488]

Am I the only person that's always hated the whole movie theater experience bullshit? Even when there weren't so many niggers around there'd still be people being loud or laughing at literally everything. Then you have the loud eaters and the people sucking their straws to get the last tiny drops of the carbonated corn syrup. The seats were uncomfortable and the concessions were way over priced.

Today I can download any first-run movie within a few weeks of them being in theaters and I can watch them at home in better quality than the shit theaters in my area. I can also pause the movie to smoke a cigarette or get food that I made myself or bang the girl I invited over. You couldn't even get a handy in the theater without some faggy little usher shining his gay little flashlight at you. Fuck theaters.

"But Kebob Remover, if theaters die then the movie industry will die!" Good, let it die. It's nothing but kikes pushing ESG bullshit. Fuck movies.

 

[Mola Ram]

In the meantime, ol' Denny's been attached to the perpetually-stuck-in-development-hell Rendezvous with Rama adaptation

Oh dear. Rendezvous With Rama has been in development hell so long it's the Afghanistan of the movie industry: the graveyard of empires.

On the other hand, at least it's not Confederacy of Dunces, which keeps killing its amiable fat guy would-be star.

 

[Gog & Magog]

I like the movie theater experience because seeing a film meant for the big screen is so much fun. Last film I saw in theatre was Top Gun Maverick. Story was so so, action unrealistic but awesome. My father and I enjoyed the movie.

You couldn't even get a handy in the theater without some faggy little usher shining his gay little flashlight at you. Fuck theaters.

That is some mighty TMI right there.

 

[Cryogonal2]

When people talk about what they call the "movie theater experience," what they really mean is "I get to sit in a big room with a gigantic screen and I can hear every single sniffle made by the actors."

 

[BubbleButt]

I can't believe I'm on a board with people that love GEoD.

God Emperor is one of my favorite books of all time.

 

[urr13 account]

When they cancelled him, George Miller ditched him. So nah, Mel has every reason to have no interest in Miller.

hope i dont come off too much like this:

but do you have a citation for this? as far as I recall Miller was still trying to get a Mad Max film made with Mel in the lead as recently as like 2003 (though by 2008 there were reports heath ledger was in talks for role) which was after mel dropped the n word (nigger).

mel was at the premiere for fury road:

and Miller said Gibson sat beside him during the movie and he paid a lot of attention to mels reactions and when mel liked it that's when he knew he had made a good movie because he respects him as a filmmaker blah blah blah.

Now I suppose all of this could have just been playing nice for the cameras/interviews. Think of how many people said nice things about Weinstein etc? and maybe in private Miller thought he was a drunk asshole but I cant find any citation of miller straight up throwing Mel under the bus. Everyone who knew mel always seems to speak highly of him (jodie foster, robert downey jr, danny glover, richard donner) contrast that with how quickly people like seth rogen threw james franco under the bus.

Usually friendships in hollywood are very fickle so the fact that post anti-semetic comments and N word usage (he said the word nigger) people who knew mel still said nice things seems like a good indication that he is a good guy (a wholesome chungus if you will), but I suppose they could all be doing some kind of guntgaurding for him, we see how rekietas friends have circled the wagons for him.

 

[Pissmaster]

Remember arcades?

That place where you could play 'high-end' games at overpriced rates. Where you'd have to deal with kids running amok or people smoking? Where half the cabinets had wrecked joysticks and you'd have to line up for an opportunity to play?

They got replaced because something better came along -- home gaming more or less caught up and outstripped all the benefits that an arcade had. Same shit here.

Remember vaudeville....? And so on.

Arcades in America adapted, and now exist as a few giant chains that usually offer something else, like restaurants and bowling alleys.

Come to think of it, I'm surprised more movie theaters don't also operate as restaurants. Dinner & a movie, there you go, a classic phrase everyone has in their heads, but I've never had dinner at a theater. It makes even more sense than a restaurant with a giant arcade.

 

[TerminalTryHard]

Arcades in America adapted, and now exist as a few giant chains that usually offer something else, like restaurants and bowling alleys.

Come to think of it, I'm surprised more movie theaters don't also operate as restaurants. Dinner & a movie, there you go, a classic phrase everyone has in their heads, but I've never had dinner at a theater. It makes even more sense than a restaurant with a giant arcade.

I think some have, or at least there was a movie where I lived at one point that had a full bar in the lobby. Worked great if you wanted a margarita to go with your movie.

 

[jspit2.0]

hope i dont come off too much like this:
View attachment 6053464

but do you have a citation for this? as far as I recall Miller was still trying to get a Mad Max film made with Mel in the lead as recently as like 2003 (though by 2008 there were reports heath ledger was in talks for role) which was after mel dropped the n word (nigger).

mel was at the premiere for fury road:
View attachment 6053477
and Miller said Gibson sat beside him during the movie and he paid a lot of attention to mels reactions and when mel liked it that's when he knew he had made a good movie because he respects him as a filmmaker blah blah blah.

Now I suppose all of this could have just been playing nice for the cameras/interviews. Think of how many people said nice things about Weinstein etc? and maybe in private Miller thought he was a drunk asshole but I cant find any citation of miller straight up throwing Mel under the bus. Everyone who knew mel always seems to speak highly of him (jodie foster, robert downey jr, danny glover, richard donner) contrast that with how quickly people like seth rogen threw james franco under the bus.

Usually friendships in hollywood are very fickle so the fact that post anti-semetic comments and N word usage (he said the word nigger) people who knew mel still said nice things seems like a good indication that he is a good guy (a wholesome chungus if you will), but I suppose they could all be doing some kind of guntgaurding for him, we see how rekietas friends have circled the wagons for him.

I'm not going to get into the weeds. It was right up until the 'incident', when he became 'too old' for the role instead.

Miller is a talented film maker who screwed the latest movie up by feuding with the studio just like he messed up on Fury road leading to a development period entering double digits. Mel Gibson was SUPPOSED to be in it. Miller blamed 9/11 and then by 2009 went with Gibson being too old. By the way, he was 53 in 2009, He could easily have passed for forty.

End of the day, you recast Max to Tom Hardy, a hard 32 and looked 32, at that date because Mel Gibson was toxic due to 'the incident' and the studio wouldn't want him. I don't think his friends threw him in the way you describe, they just shrugged, said sorry mate, and went along with it.

The cancelling of Mel wasn't JUST about the incident. Passion played a part. But from that forward, he didn't appear in Hangover II despite being cast (the crew and Cast objected), his agent dropped him.

Miller could personally like Gibson, I'm not commenting on that. I'm stating that when he was literally at his lowest Miller cut him and moved on. I don't buy his too old narrative.

 

[Señora Airi]

Come to think of it, I'm surprised more movie theaters don't also operate as restaurants. Dinner & a movie, there you go, a classic phrase everyone has in their heads, but I've never had dinner at a theater. It makes even more sense than a restaurant with a giant arcade.

I think there's several chains of dine-in movie theaters. I know Alamo Drafthouse is one, I'm just blanking on the names of the others.

 

[Involuntary Celebrity]

Arcades in America adapted, and now exist as a few giant chains that usually offer something else, like restaurants and bowling alleys.

Come to think of it, I'm surprised more movie theaters don't also operate as restaurants. Dinner & a movie, there you go, a classic phrase everyone has in their heads, but I've never had dinner at a theater. It makes even more sense than a restaurant with a giant arcade.

They could adapt in any number of ways. They're idiots who had a golden age and cranked up prices and forgot how to not just print money. We have other options for movies, but we're now in an age where all our entertainment is screen-based and they have giant screens and sound systems and seats and air conditioning, and they let them sit empty.
It's an industry that grew out of the depression era, it's not like premium ticket/concessions for screening individual blockbusters or nothing are the only two options.

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

They could adapt in any number of ways. They''re idiots who had a golden age and cranked up prices and forgot how to not just print money. We have other options for movies, but we're now in an age where all our entertainment is screen-based and they have giant screens and sound systems and seats and air conditioning, and they let them sit empty.
It's an industry that grew out of the depression era, it's not like premium ticket/concessions for screening individual blockbusters or nothing are the only two options.

I don't even get what's the point. 90% of the revenue goes for the movie publishers. Fucking cut the prices by 90% to boost attendance. Most of the money from refreshments anyways.

Actually what is the maintenance costs of movie theater?

 

[Well Intentioned]

Arcades in America adapted, and now exist as a few giant chains that usually offer something else, like restaurants and bowling alleys.

Come to think of it, I'm surprised more movie theaters don't also operate as restaurants. Dinner & a movie, there you go, a classic phrase everyone has in their heads, but I've never had dinner at a theater. It makes even more sense than a restaurant with a giant arcade.

There's also the development of the 'barcade', which seem to have some longevity, although I can't see them sustaining it, as it seems to be targeted at current-age 30-40somethings. Arcades have also continued to evolve in some form or another from the early 1900s penny arcades. I'd even argue that they're almost coming full circle.

The point I was trying to make, and apologies if I didn't communicate it well enough, is that the video game industry wasn't trying to cling to an outmoded model -- they went with changing tastes/markets or by getting out of the industry more or less all together (eg, Konami and how they basically just make gambling machines.) Much different from the movie industry still clinging to the movie theater model.

There are some theatres which are experimenting around with what you're talking about, re: food and meals in my neck of the woods. There's also a few cinemas near me that try to put on different themed nights to attract business (eg, one month is 'Harry Potter month' and they have one theater dedicated to HP films.)

It's weird, I was watching an episode of Seinfeld that had them at the movies (kinda amazing how many episodes revolved around going to the movies, now that I think about it) and it unlocked a memory I had buried, where they had different queues outside the theater and you lined up accordingly to purchase tickets. Going to the movies even like 20ish years ago was such a fucking hassle.

 

[Pissmaster]

They're idiots who had a golden age and cranked up prices and forgot how to not just print money.

Now that movie tickets are around $20 a pop where I live, I can buy a hard drive for the price of five of them, and load it with more films than the video store in walking distance from where I grew up ever carried.

You know, I didn't even know ticket prices had soared that high, but I haven't been to a movie theater in ages. I think the last ticket I ever bought was $12, and that seemed unbelievable. So after RLM's new video, I checked my local theaters, and yeah, $20. Holy shit.

There's also a few cinemas near me that try to put on different themed nights to attract business (eg, one month is 'Harry Potter month' and they have one theater dedicated to HP films.)

That's a pretty good idea. They could do things like "The Star Wars Challenge" where audience members could get there in the morning and sit through like, the first six Star Wars movies all in a row. Make the movies more of a group experience kind of thing.

There's also the development of the 'barcade', which seem to have some longevity, although I can't see them sustaining it, as it seems to be targeted at current-age 30-40somethings. Arcades have also continued to evolve in some form or another from the early 1900s penny arcades. I'd even argue that they're almost coming full circle.

I've been to a few barcades, and I like them, though I figure they're a mainstay because any bar setting benefits from having interesting things you and your drinking mates can gather around and enjoy. Arcade games (and pinball) are perfect for this.