Multiplex Marvels

Scott Hardie | February 18, 2015
Movie theaters have a long tradition of gimmicks to get you into certain shows, from the corny (Smell-O-Vision and tingling chairs) to the once-corny-but-now-mainstream (3D), to the agreeably impressive (IMAX). The Hobbit's experiment with high frame rate didn't go over well, but that won't stop the industry from trying more things like it. What do you think the next future movie-going gimmick will be?

Scott Hardie | February 22, 2015
I'm betting on something interactive using phones. Movie theaters have rightfully tried to stop people from using their phones during shows because those glowing screens are so distracting, though I've heard of some allowing phones in the few rows at the very back of the room. But it seems inevitable that phones lighting up inside theaters is going to become normal.

Imagine if a theater chain embraced the trend, and turned some shows into "interactive" or "phone-friendly" shows that offered supplementary material on an app while the movie played -- cast info, outtakes, trivia, mini-games, et cetera. If Hollywood really got behind this, studios could film additional material just for this: imagine going to an Avengers movie, and Iron Man has a scene on the big screen, but you can check your phone to see what your favorite hero Captain America is up to in the meantime, in special footage filmed just for the app.

Live concerts via satellite are another semi-recent trend at digital theaters, and the same idea applies: You could attend a live-via-movie-screen concert with your favorite band, and have the app keep a camera locked on your favorite member of the band, or simply surf other angles to make yourself the director. You could even record clips from these angles and save them for later viewing on your phone, or for sharing online if it's the kind of band who's into that. Come to think of it, this idea could work well at live-in-person concerts too, since so many people seem determined to watch concerts on a tiny recording screen that they paid good money to watch in person.

Scott Hardie | April 11, 2015
Or, they could just go with indoor rain.

Samir Mehta | April 11, 2015
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Scott Hardie | April 12, 2015
I'm sure #2 simply has to do with selling tickets. I remember when movie theaters only had one or two screens, and audiences outside of major metro areas had no way to see independent films and foreign films and so on, and the rise of the multiplex promised to change that because there would be plenty of screens for all movies in current release. Then the theaters realized that five screens showing the latest franchise action movie would still sell more tickets than giving up even one of them to a little indie drama, so out the window went that plan.

I also suspect that a lesser factor in it is scheduled showtimes. In surveys of moviegoers, one reason that people often cite for watching more movies at home is that they can pick their own showtimes instead of being stuck with what theaters offer. If they offer blockbuster titles at lots of showtimes every day, that helps to stem the problem.

Will shutdown of cellular service solve the problem of people using their phones? They won't be able to text but they can still play many games and use offline apps. Plus, there's the unfortunate problem that some people need celluar service, like doctors who are on call to return to the hospital while off-duty.

I'm with you, though. All three of those changes would make me more inclined to visit theaters. If we were ever to live in Texas, Alamo Drafthouse would be perfect for us.

Samir Mehta | April 12, 2015
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Scott Hardie | April 12, 2015
As a curmudgeon who doesn't own a smartphone, I never cease to be disappointed by the ways in which tiny screens have transformed society into a place where people expect to be entertained constantly. I can't even pump gas at the neighborhood station without an annoying little screen playing a Jimmy Fallon or Today Show clip, because Heaven forbid that I spend two whole minutes without amusement. So yes, I can imagine teenagers and other immature persons growing bored by some scenes in some movies and pulling out phones to toy with until more spectacular things happen on the big screen.

Scott Hardie | June 27, 2015
Video game tournaments could also bring revenue to movie theaters. I find it unlikelier than the author of that article does, but I guess it's possible.