What do our local movie theaters owe to us when it comes to the independence, diversity, and quality of their film offerings? My daughter pointed out to me the other day that the movie Milk didn't get shown at Hazlet Multiplex until it had drawn the attention of the Academy Awards. Same for Slumdog Millionaire. Maybe the big theaters have contract obligations, but don't they have any responsibility to the communities they serve? I was in Erie, Pennsylvania for a spell and, even though the place had only a couple of major theaters, they managed to show The Kiterunner within a few weeks of its release. And that is a much smaller market than here in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Our family travels to Red Bank to see indie films. We also use NetFlix to watch movies like The Visitor. The big houses will always show blockbusters to bring in large audiences for popcorn and soda, but they should tithe some space to art films to boost cultural diversity.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Big Movie Houses and Indie Films
What do our local movie theaters owe to us when it comes to the independence, diversity, and quality of their film offerings? My daughter pointed out to me the other day that the movie Milk didn't get shown at Hazlet Multiplex until it had drawn the attention of the Academy Awards. Same for Slumdog Millionaire. Maybe the big theaters have contract obligations, but don't they have any responsibility to the communities they serve? I was in Erie, Pennsylvania for a spell and, even though the place had only a couple of major theaters, they managed to show The Kiterunner within a few weeks of its release. And that is a much smaller market than here in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Our family travels to Red Bank to see indie films. We also use NetFlix to watch movies like The Visitor. The big houses will always show blockbusters to bring in large audiences for popcorn and soda, but they should tithe some space to art films to boost cultural diversity.
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I am surprised that they theater didn't run those movies until they were award winners. My family watches movies almost exclusively on NetFlix unless it's just something you really have to see on a big screen to appreciate (maybe once every 4-6 months, if that).
ReplyDeleteWith all the screens they have to play movies on, you'd think they'd be able to show movies of this kind on at least one.
Hazlet Multiplex doesn't care about what movies the show. They only care about how much popcorn the sell. The kids behind the counter are always trying Super-Size me. Talk about high pressure salesman.
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