Friday, February 17, 2006

goodbye movie halls

compact discs rule. throw in a decent home theatre system and most people wouldn't bother with going to cinema halls anymore. at the most i'd give them a few years to chug along but in the long run i see movie halls being quite irrelevant. personally, i haven't been to one in ages.

granted that there's that little extra something about watching a movie on the big screen. but juxtaposed against the pains one must put up with while being there, it just doesn't add up.

even if you ignore the minor hassles involved in checking out movie listings, getting to a decent movie hall, purchasing a ticket, etc. there's always the crowds, the folk who refuse to turn off their cell phones and chat away during the interesting parts of the movie, the mothers with their bawling children, the lack of adequate leg-room if you happen to be a little taller than the average height, the long lines at the toilets and the food counters, etc. i could really go on.

sometimes all you can see is the back of the head of the person sitting in front of you. the temperature varies wildly, it could be freezing cold in some halls, while its stuffy in others.

compare this with the comfort of watching a movie in your own home. its a world of a difference and a much better cinema experience that more than makes up for the loss of the big screen effect. and home theatre systems are only getting better.

coming to the economics of the entire thing, the multiplexes have only made it worse. the tickets are way overpriced. (considering that these guys are exempt from taxes that regular halls pay, you'd rationally expect the rates to be lower, but no!) and then there's the entirely detestable shopping mall feel.

discs obviously allow you to store and share the good films. at this point, i'd like to make it clear that pirated discs are totally not worth the effort and the money expended on them. they can ruin a good movie.

the drawback of watching movies only at home is that you are invariably later than everyone else when it comes to viewing the latest releases. if this doesn't bother you, then it's chill.

its only a matter of time before this becomes a more popular avenue than the movie halls. the long term revenue generating capability of multiplexes come into question. to all the subscribers of the recent initial public offer by inox, a sell recommendation on your stock holding should go down well.

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