NPR just published an article about how theatres are beginning to screen projects other than feature films in order to attract new audiences. I first started noticing this last year when Cinemark Theatres bought out the Century Theatres. Before the Bridge to Terabithia and The Number 23 trailers, a cartoon bobcat started dancing around and I suddenly knew things were gonna be different.
There's going to be an opera on my big screen and Emmy Rossum's nowhere in sight.
Cinemark now screens opera events, plays, political round tables, and a virtual cornucopia of not-as-good-as-a-movie entertainment. The advertised upsides of these developments are:
In all honesty, any opportunity for middle America to gain additional exposure to the humanities can't hurt. Maybe Joe Carfactory should go see a live screening of Rent. The real question is: will he? Apparently these events have done well enough to garner funds for additional screenings. With only one or two screens (out of the megaplexes' 12-20) devoted to this boorish example of out-of-the-box thinking, the threat of Hotel for Dogs not getting the number of screenings it deserves might not be as imminent as once thought. Also, let's not feel bad for smaller, independent films. It's not like these theaters were making any room for them anyway.
- people who don't want to pay 160 dollars to see
Cirque du Soleil can now watch it for twenty. - movie theatres get to keep a higher percentage
of the ticket price as compared to screening films. - the opportunity for expansion; plans to screen
sporting events, Oscar ceremonies, Presidential
debates, and more are all in the works.
In all honesty, any opportunity for middle America to gain additional exposure to the humanities can't hurt. Maybe Joe Carfactory should go see a live screening of Rent. The real question is: will he? Apparently these events have done well enough to garner funds for additional screenings. With only one or two screens (out of the megaplexes' 12-20) devoted to this boorish example of out-of-the-box thinking, the threat of Hotel for Dogs not getting the number of screenings it deserves might not be as imminent as once thought. Also, let's not feel bad for smaller, independent films. It's not like these theaters were making any room for them anyway.
So, why go to the theater when you can go to a movie theater? Get out, broaden your humanitary horizons, and enjoy the opera on the big screen. But not on January 9th, that's Bride Wars' time. It's earned it.
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