It got to 15 minutes past the movie time, still lit, still nothing on
the screen. People started getting up to check, and the manager came in
to announce that the "projector couldn't validate (sic) and they were calling tech support". We ended up taking a refund, as they're planning
on re-releasing a director's cut next week with 16 more minutes added.
I'd heard about digital projection systems before with DRM and authentication, heard about some 3D theaters leaving the projector in 3D mode for 2D movies because they didn't want to risk locking out the projector when they switched modes.
Not quite a dystopian nightmare of Gibsonian proportions, but still a
pain in the ass.
I took my son to see Backrooms. Movie timing is odd nowadays - you don't
No, but there is something dystopian about DRM and some of the other "digital only" things going on lately.
I had not heard of theatres having issues before but am not surprised.
:(
happen, and people actually _go_
to movies, rather than just
happen, and people actually _go_
to movies, rather than just
Getting people into the seats has always been a complaint for movie theaters.. at the same time, though, it costs like $20 (almost?) for one ticket, and the same price for any concessions. Yeah, I'd rather watch it at home and use that money on sushi or something ;).
Getting people into the seats has always been a complaint for movie theaters.. at the same time, though, it costs like $20 (almost?) for one ticket, and the same price for any concessions. Yeah, I'd rather watch it at home and use that money on sushi or something ;).
were always a bit expensive, but they were still a lot cheaper back then too,I only see like 2-3 movies at this new price point. Its becoming
compared to today. I'd go see a movie in a theater if tickets were still $3.25, or even $6 or so, but with ticket prices near $20, and expensive concessions, I'm with you, I'd probably rather skip it and watch it at home.
happen, and people actually _go_
to movies, rather than just
Getting people into the seats has always been a complaint for movie theaters.. at the same time, though, it costs like $20 (almost?) for one ticket, and the same price for any concessions. Yeah, I'd rather watch
it at home and use that money on sushi or something ;).
...and people actually _go_ to movies, rather than just watching at home.
I remember when people were able to afford to see a movie twice a month.
...and people actually _go_ to movies, rather than just watching at hom
Thanks to the skyrocketing price of tickets (even matinaes), at least I can afford to stay at home.
Dumas Walker wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
No, but there is something dystopian about DRM and some of the other "digital only" things going on lately.
I had not heard of theatres having issues before but am not surprised.
:(
niter3 wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
I took my son to see Backrooms. Movie timing is odd nowadays - you don't
This was an awful movie. :D
I remember when people were able to afford to see a movie twice a month.
I used to hit a local dollar theater every weekend, sometimes even during the week. When they closed in 2019, after some 40 years of operation, it was one of the saddest days of my life. That was my social outlet. I'd catch a show, maybe two, have dinner afterwards, hit a DQ on the way home...it was great, especially during warm weather.
...and people actually _go_ to movies, rather than just watching at hom
Thanks to the skyrocketing price of tickets (even matinaes), at least I can afford to stay at home.
...but can you afford the ever-increasing cost and quantity of streaming subscriptions, or the rocketing cost of hard drive space?
Soon we'll probably have to take up _reading_, or *shudder*, talking to people.
Back when 3d movies were a thing, I'd read that the movie theaters had
to log into a site to install and remove the 3d lenses from the
projection system. They were worried about locking out the projector, so they usually left the 3d lens system in - which made 2d movies dimmer
than they should have been.
...but can you afford the ever-increasing cost and quantity of streaming subscriptions, or the rocketing cost of hard drive space?
Then again, I found Battleship more entertaining that it should have
been.
Soon we'll probably have to take up _reading_, or *shudder*, talking to people.
Oh dear God, no! :D
There was what had been a first-run theatre that became a dollar theatre just down the street from my high school. It became one of the Friday/Saturday haunts during high school and early college. At some point, it went up to $1.50 and, sometime after I left the area (1997), I think it eventually shut down. :(
I only see like 2-3 movies at this new price point. Its becoming
severely regressive. I remember when people were able to afford to see a movie twice a month.
...there were a lot of shows in the late 90s that seemed darker than they > should have been. I remember needing to turn the brightness up on the TV.
...a whole bunch of them are made by people who hate me so I'd rather not
uy tickets from their movies.
Re: Re: Backrooms? Not tonight
By: Dumas Walker to Adept on Tue Jul 07 2026 15:46:28
Soon we'll probably have to take up _reading_, or *shudder*, talking to people.
Oh dear God, no! :D
I've always been a reader. My library is well stocked so no worries there.
the real reason is probably just that VHS sales killed it. movie companies used to make real money on VHS tapes so they probably wanted to strictly control the timeframe to make sure the movies were "newly valuable" (not overexposed, etc.. like that weird 'vault' stuff Disney used to do). i'm not sure what bluray sales are like but it's probably a joke by comparison.
speaking of .. it's actually kind of funny, we didn't have any second run theaters for a very long time and then like 10 years back they spent a couple years building a really nice theater attached to the mall.. hyped it up as if the mall could be your one-stop destination for dining, a movie, and some light shopping. and then the big local chain with the deep pockets bought it immediately and made it a second run theater so it wouldn't compete with their main locations. so wasteful..
Re: Re: Backrooms? Not tonight
By: Dumas Walker to poindexter FORTRAN on Tue Jul 07 2026 15:48:54
...there were a lot of shows in the late 90s that seemed darker than they > should have been. I remember needing to turn the brightness up on the TV.
If you're referring to series programs, I noticed such a thing, but it's a safe bet it wasn't because of 3D conversion.
I take it you're talking about local (to you) filmmakers, 'cause I'm pretty sure Steven Spielberg or Christopher Nolan aren't out to get ya.
...a whole bunch of them are made by people who hate me so I'd rather n uy tickets from their movies.
I take it you're talking about local (to you) filmmakers, 'cause I'm pretty sure Steven Spielberg or Christopher Nolan aren't out to get ya.
I was actually joking about the talking to people part. I am a reader
but go through streaks, like lately, where I am not reading anything.
My personal library includes a lot of Raymond Chandler, as well as some
H G Wells, M R James, Orwell, and Fitzgerald.
YEah, VHS or early DVD sales. It seemed a little late for VHS sales
alone but that could have been part of it, especially once they got to
the point where they were releasing some things to video so quickly (vs. it taking a while like it did beforehand).
Mortar M. wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
I was rather dissapointed that no one actually said, "They sunk our battleship!"
Dumas Walker wrote to Mortar M. <=-
There was what had been a first-run theatre that became a dollar
theatre just down the street from my high school. It became one of the Friday/Saturday haunts during high school and early college. At some point, it went up to $1.50 and, sometime after I left the area (1997),
I think it eventually shut down. :(
Arelor wrote to Matthew Munson <=-
I used to be a moviegoer. Now, the year in which I got to a cinema at least once is a rarity. It has more to do with movie quality than
pricing, though.
Mortar M. wrote to Arelor <=-
I take it you're talking about local (to you) filmmakers, 'cause I'm pretty sure Steven Spielberg or Christopher Nolan aren't out to get ya.
Adept wrote to Dumas Walker <=-
I was actually joking about the talking to people part. I am a reader
but go through streaks, like lately, where I am not reading anything.
My personal library includes a lot of Raymond Chandler, as well as some
H G Wells, M R James, Orwell, and Fitzgerald.
I've tended to like Umberto Eco's "anti-library", where most of the
books I end up having are books that I haven't yet read.
I suppose it's a bit different, now that most of my books are digital,
and I'll keep everything because I'm a digital hoarder, but there's
always so many things I haven't read that seem interesting.
Currently I'm reading, "Caesar Now Be Still" by Frank Schildiner, which
is detective fiction.
And I like detective fiction (not mysteries as a whole, as thrillers
and whatnot I'm meh toward), though I'm not ready to recommend this particular book, as so far the main character seems ridiculous to me.
And I think I'll try a Starr Z. Davies Stormvalor novel after this.
And the common thread is, "I supported a random Kickstarter, and really should occasionally _read_ the books I buy.".
--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)
Adept wrote to Dumas Walker <=-
E.g., the Movie-Pass-like idea (cinfinity.de) would almost certainly extract more money from me than the industry is currently getting,
because instead of going to a movie a couple times a year, I'd feel as though I need to make use of it, and thus go at least monthly.
YEah, VHS or early DVD sales. It seemed a little late for VHS sales alone but that could have been part of it, especially once they got to the point where they were releasing some things to video so quickly (vs.
it taking a while like it did beforehand).
This reminds me that I'm sad about Redbox having gone away.
It was always fun to get a bunch of movies and rip them.
Not because I cared about the movies (generally), but because it was fun to do the collecting. And if it was in Redbox, then it was probably fairly recent / new to me.
I suppose it's a bit different, now that most of my books are digital and I'll keep everything because I'm a digital hoarder, but there's always so many things I haven't read that seem interesting.
I went on a free Kindle binge streak - there are a couple of mailing
lists that compile all of the free offers on Kindle. I've got close to
800 books in my Kindle account, and I've only read a fraction of
those...
Were you in the US when that movie pass company started up? It was an interesting idea, all-you-can eat movies in theaters.
Currently I'm reading, "Caesar Now Be Still" by Frank Schildiner, which is detective fiction.
Agreed. The only movies I'll see in the theater are movies that would
benefit from the big-screen experience. Think 1917, F1, Dunkirk...
I don't see that many movies in theaters, either, but the whole, "I'm _actually_ going out and doing something" has enough value to me that
it's sometimes worth it.
lists that compile all of the free offers on Kindle. I've got close to
800 books in my Kindle account, and I've only read a fraction of
those...
From previous comments, I'm guessing it's politics adjacent (and we need
get no more specific).
I had just about forgotten about Redbox. IIRC, they did't leave this
area until just recently, but I bet they didn't help the dollar theatres
at all, either.
Does it REALLY count as going out and doing something? ;). You're going out to go back into a building, sit in a chair, and watch a screen.
Going to a bar and having a conversation with the bartender seems like more of doing something that going to a movie. That's just an opinion
tho :).
The tiny rural towns around here still had them, last I looked... though that was a couple years ago. There were only a couple of convenience
I have a few things through the Kindle store, but have never (and likely willWith what Amazon recently did and what Sony did with their licencing
never) own a Kindle. So I was glad to figure out how to download / fix them so
that I could use my legally-owned items.
How many of them are cooking and self help books?I have some cooking books. Diabetic cooking to name one genre.
How many of them are cooking and self help books?I have some cooking books. Diabetic cooking to name one genre.
I am thinking I should learn how to cook.
Re: Re: Backrooms? Not tonight
By: Matthew Munson to Nightfox on Sun Jul 05 2026 15:08:30
I remember when people were able to afford to see a movie twice a month.
I used to hit a local dollar theater every weekend, sometimes even during
the week. When they closed in 2019, after some 40 years of operation, it
was one of the saddest days of my life. That was my social outlet. I'd catch a show, maybe two, have dinner afterwards, hit a DQ on the way home...it was great, especially during warm weather.
With what Amazon recently did and what Sony did with their licencing partner, it made me reconsider buying digital books. Its good having
them, but its bad to rely on digital books. I know on a 11 hour flight
or a 3 hour train trip, its good to have some digital books or movies,
but we should not rely on them.
Adept wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
Nice! Were you able to get lots of those off before they restricted the ability to actually download them?
But unless they've since changed policies so that it's possible to download these things without extremely painful workarounds, I won't bother with even the free books.
All the same, I'm glad you have a useful anti-library, regardless of
what _I_ would do.
--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)
Adept wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
Were you in the US when that movie pass company started up? It was an interesting idea, all-you-can eat movies in theaters.
I think it still _is_ an interesting idea; just that, "and you can go
to any and all movies you want, in any movie theater, with no restrictions" was the business model to gain customers, not establish
that there exists a business model where it works.
And cinfinity.de still exists, so I get the feeling that it makes
enough sense for the theaters who use it, and for the company.
I'm not sure if I was in the country or not. I think I may have been
far enough away from a theater where I would have wanted to use it,
that it didn't appeal enough.
Either that, or I was poor enough that spending their monthly
membership fee was just more than I wanted to spend per month on
movies, especially given that I would have had to massively increase my movie watching to make it worth it.
Now, I'd probably happily pay 20 bucks a month for the ability to watch any movie at my local theater that's been in the theater for at least
two weekends already. It would encourage me to watch more movies in German.
Admittedly, I'm sad that movie theaters don't generally use subtitles.
At least I get them if the movie is an original version in English.
--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: Storm BBS (21:2/108)
phigan wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
lists that compile all of the free offers on Kindle. I've got close to
800 books in my Kindle account, and I've only read a fraction of
those...
How many of them are cooking and self help books?
I still read the same email lists advertising free or cheap books on
Amazon, then look them up/buy them in the Kobo store. When you read the
book, there's a "download" button in the reader. :)
importing them into Calibre a few days before Amazon disabled
downloading.
There are ways to download using the Kindle app for Windows, but it's
convoluted and you can't always remove DRM.
Adept wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
Regardless, I hope you occasionally get some use out of your
anti-library.
Agreed. The only movies I'll see in the theater are movies that would
benefit from the big-screen experience. Think 1917, F1, Dunkirk...
From previous comments, I'm guessing it's politics adjacent (and we need get no more specific).
Don't watch that Citizen Vigilante movie. Pretty sure it's propaganda. I tried looking for irony or sarcasm or satire, but I don't think I found any. It could be propaganda you might agree with, but it's still dirty propaganda
that I could use my legally-owned items.With what Amazon recently did and what Sony did with their licencing partner, it made me reconsider buying digital books. Its good having
them, but its bad to rely on digital books. I know on a 11 hour flight
or a 3 hour train trip, its good to have some digital books or movies,
but we should not rely on them.
Digital books are fine, what you have to worry about is cloud distributed books. BY that I mean, books they can delete from your library because
you don't actually control your copy.
Arelor wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-
The fun part is that 3D movies were the thing that was going to save theatres, precisely for that reason.
Arelor wrote to phigan <=-
There are lots of Nazi and Communist movies which are blatant advertisement for some regime and some of them are even ok. I find they are great because after you watch a bunch of them you become so aware
of the sort of propaganda your own regime might be trying to shove down your throat without you being aware.
I personally don't mind watching a movie in which Chinesse Communists celebrate how great they are and how benevolent their revolutionaire of the day is. What pisses me off no end is when they make a movie and
they openly villianize my demographic group for no reason other than because they can, of when the movie comes from a group that regularly
does that even if the movie itself is not blatant.
--
gopher://gopher.richardfalken.com/1/richardfalken
--- SBBSecho 3.37-Linux
* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (21:2/138)
Arelor wrote to Matthew Munson <=-
Digital books are fine, what you have to worry about is cloud
distributed books. BY that I mean, books they can delete from your
library because you don't actually control your copy.
One shocking exception was a movie called "The best years of our
lives", filmed a couple of years after WW II. The storyline revolves
around a couple of soldiers coming back home and running into
challenges getting back into society. One sailor lost his hands in a
naval battle, another couldn't re-adjust to civilian society and , and
another ran into challenges trying to fit in again. They address PTSD
as well. It didn't paint things in a very flattering light but was very
successful.
| Sysop: | altere |
|---|---|
| Location: | Houston, TX |
| Users: | 74 |
| Nodes: | 4 (0 / 4) |
| Uptime: | 07:42:45 |
| Calls: | 2,065 |
| Files: | 9,378 |
| Messages: | 319,205 |