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Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2025 9:54 am
by Slenver
Count Steer wrote: Wed Jun 18, 2025 9:15 am
On the big screen? Even the stuff our arts centre puts on is pretty mainstream. Distributors don't seem very interested in anything else. (I guess film clubs manage to source older films through other distributors but they're tending towards digital projection too so are restricting themselves to stuff that's been converted).
Wasn't that always the case though? I just mean that even in the mainstream releases, there are plenty that aren't comic book or endless franchises, they just slip more under the radar.
That said, I just looked at the listings for my locals, and all 3 (including the big Cineworld) have a range of 'classics' or obscure arty stuff showing amongst the current releases.
Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2025 10:10 am
by MrLongbeard
Just checked my local screens, for non main stream offerings I can have;
The Phoenician Scheme
The Salt Path
The Ballard of Wallis Island
The first and second sound entertaining, the last looks dire, the first I will deffo add to my planner once it comes out on TV.
Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2025 10:12 am
by Mussels
Mr. Dazzle wrote: Wed Jun 18, 2025 9:03 am
Taipan wrote: Wed Jun 18, 2025 8:30 am
Most of Hollywoods efforts are about CGi/Green screen effects with seemingly no, or little, regard to actual plot and storytelling.
I know I've mentioned this series loads, but
Andor on Disney+ uses 99% real sets/props and spends a long time setting up and telling a story properly.
As a result, critics loved it and the viewing public call it boring
Being Star Wars and Disney made it highly unlikely I'd even give it a try, it might be that Disney's usual fans are expecting something more basic.
Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2025 10:13 am
by Taipan
Slenver wrote: Wed Jun 18, 2025 8:54 am
Taipan wrote: Wed Jun 18, 2025 8:30 am
Most of Hollywoods efforts are about CGi/Green screen effects with seemingly no, or little, regard to actual plot and storytelling.
More accurately, I'd say it's most of Hollywood's
popular efforts that are all like this. There are good movies released constantly, but the ones that people go and watch in the big numbers are all the silly comic ones.
You have to blame the people rather than the filmmakers I think, but you can look past that stuff and see as many good films as you like if you want.
Yes I should have been clearer. I was more referring to Hollywood's "Blockbusters". films, whose release should be eagerly anticipated, now have me just knowing not to bother with. But still some smaller productions are well worth watching.
I also find I know what flims to avoid by who stars in them, as they typically wont be films I'd want to bother with. Its mainly action films as they have just got ridiculous (for me) now. So anything with Liam Neeson, Jason Statham etc is probably a film I won't watch.
Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2025 10:19 am
by Yorick
MrLongbeard wrote: Wed Jun 18, 2025 10:10 am
Just checked my local screens, for non main stream offerings I can have;
The Phoenician Scheme
The Salt Path
The Ballard of Wallis Island
The first and second sound entertaining, the last looks dire, the first I will deffo add to my planner once it comes out on TV.
I've got the 3rd one already on my magic box .
Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2025 12:34 pm
by Count Steer
Slenver wrote: Wed Jun 18, 2025 9:54 am
Count Steer wrote: Wed Jun 18, 2025 9:15 am
On the big screen? Even the stuff our arts centre puts on is pretty mainstream. Distributors don't seem very interested in anything else. (I guess film clubs manage to source older films through other distributors but they're tending towards digital projection too so are restricting themselves to stuff that's been converted).
Wasn't that always the case though? I just mean that even in the mainstream releases, there are plenty that aren't comic book or endless franchises, they just slip more under the radar.
That said, I just looked at the listings for my locals, and all 3 (including the big Cineworld) have a range of 'classics' or obscure arty stuff showing amongst the current releases.
I guess I'm harking back to when I had the 'Screen on the Hill' 5 minutes walk away and used to go to the lates on a Friday night at a cinema at South End Green and had the original Everyman up the hill in Hampstead + a large choice of other non-mainstream cinemas in easy reach. (+ Leicester Square for stuff like Star Wars

).
Used to go to see films a lot at that time but have never been to the (only?) cinema in Guildford. I have been to see things at the local arts centre though. eg Casino Royale.
In the end I just bought a bigger telly.

Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2025 4:44 pm
by ZRX61
Taipan wrote: Wed Jun 18, 2025 8:30 am
Most of Hollywoods efforts are about CGi/Green screen effects with seemingly no, or little, regard to actual plot and storytelling.
Every Mission Impossible is a plotless shitfest just to show off stunts.
Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2025 5:16 pm
by Newey
Last 2 watched were:-
Abba "The Movie" in 1977
Austin Powers "International man of mystery" in 1997
so fair to say I don't I'll be keeping them open.
Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2025 5:17 pm
by Newey
Do they still sell alcohol in there??
Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2025 6:15 pm
by Yorick
The last 2 films I saw. Can't remember in which order.
Rush and Borat
Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2025 9:05 am
by gremlin
This thread sprung to mind this morning when I saw a poster for the 'new' Superman movie. Superman? FFS, it's been done to death.
But then let's see what else is out there at the moment...How to train your dragon (live action remake), Lilo & Stitch (ditto), Mission Impossible (no 463 in the franchise?), Ballerina (John Wick spin off), The Fantastic Four (let's try again).
The only offering I think I'd go to see is The Phoenician Scheme, as I like originality and Wes Anderson is certainly that.
Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Fri Jun 20, 2025 2:26 pm
by the_priest
Wife was going to take the family to Bluewater for a movie, then we added it all up. Close to £100..... nope, we have better things to do with that kind of money. Can hire it via online streaming for £15 and pause, add subtitles and more.
Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2025 2:12 pm
by Rockburner
Rockburner wrote: Thu May 22, 2025 9:46 am
Funny - I literally just booked tickets for the F1 early release on the 23rd in the local IMAX.
Which was last night.
After all the hype I sort of knew that anyone expecting a serious, 100% accurate representation of F1 was going to be disappointed, so we went along for an evening's entertainment instead.
And, that's the best way to treat it... (if you're knowledgeable about F1....

).
I very much enjoyed myself, the production was excellent - the impression of speed was superb; the plot was pretty cliched and some of it a bit forced, but it's not aimed at F1 fans per se, it's more aimed at cinema audiences. If you can watch Top Gun without flinching too often, you'll enjoy it.

Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2025 7:23 pm
by Mr Moofo
At 15 quid a ticket - then about the same in expected snack food, its dead in the water
Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2025 9:27 am
by MrLongbeard
I've never been to an Imax, never been in an area where they are, and they probably cost more than I'd pay, but having pretty much sworn off cinema's, I'd love to give this one a go
Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2025 4:00 pm
by Scotsrich
Speaking of dinosaurs, I took the grandkids to see the latest Jurassic film. They’re certainly milking all they can out of that concept.
I think I’ve seen the first 2 but going by this latest one they don’t seem to have changed much.
Re: The age of the silver screen, are cinemas a dinosaur ?
Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2025 8:12 pm
by ZRX61
One of the local flea pits here is being demolished & will be replaced by a car wash... It's actually the place I went to the last time I went to a cinema.. to watch the original MiB back in the '97.. so it's been 28 years since I went to a cinema.