I haven’t seen reviews as good for a “ fun” movie in a long time. But it’s very disappointing box office this weekend was very expected to me. I and many of my friends really want to see this movie. But we won’t set foot in a movie theater. The people I know who will are young and have no interest in a movie musical. They’ll go see a big action/super hero thing but aren’t particularly anxious to see this and aren’t going to spend the money on it. I think this is yet another nail in the movie house coffin.
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I don’t agree. West Side Story is a classic in many ways. I happen to know tons of people who saw the Broadway show, then the first movie, and are looking forward to seeing this one as well…me included. Some of us had the pleasure of being in a production of WSS.
Both the music and the choreography changed the landscape of Broadway shows.
If you hang round with folks who have done musicals…or their friends or whatever, you will find a large circle of WSS followers. Musicians, actors and dancers included. Oh…and the Broadway production sets set a new higher bar as well.
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I agree with your read on movie demographics and their varying degrees of comfort as far as going to a movie theater. Hollywood seems to think they can force people back to theaters by only offering one way to view their films. Personally, it’s a bit frustrating but I’m willing to wait for at home viewing if those are the only 2 choices available.
If they’re concerned with “box office receipts” I’m surprised they aren’t willing to at least consider the model Disney used with their Mulan release…similar to on-demand or pay per view where you pay a fee each time you watch the movie instead of releasing it as part of a streaming service.
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Broadcast on NPR today said that if filmmakers want people in movie theaters…release a Spider-Man movie…
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I also think it is a sign of movie theatre weakness. We were just talking about the fact with so many people buying large screen tvs with surround sound (it looks like 86" is easy to find at Costco now, not to mention projector set ups) - more and more people are willing to wait the 30-60 days before a movie is available for at home viewing.
Personally, we do not have a tv anywhere near 86" wide, nor surround sound or a projector set up but I would rather wait to watch a movie at home, in cleanliness and comfy seats, with no unknown ‘movie talkers’ next to me, eating much tastier movie snacks that cost a small fraction of the price they sell food for at most theatres.
We have even happily paid the $20-30 some releases have charged as it is still way cheaper than going to the movie theatre. But most of the time, we just wait until the movies are available to rent for $6 or less.
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You misunderstood. My friends, including 2 close fiends who were very involved in community theater can’t wait to see WSS……as soon as they can do so at home. It’s the theater that’s the issue.
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Spot on! My very into musical theater friend resents that the movie makers are trying to “force” people into theaters. He regularly acted in community theater before and played Officer Krupke in one. The in theaters only has left a bad taste in his mouth for this movie that he’d otherwise be so excited for.
Well, for what it’s worth, DH and I went to a movie theater last night and saw West Side Story! I enjoyed every single minute of it. Everyone in the theater was masked, the seats are very far apart, and the rows are also very spread out. We felt comfortable. I’d be happy to go again for something spectacular. (We rarely go to movies, even in non-pandemic times.)
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I heard that the preliminary box office receipts for WSS were disappointing. Why go to a theater when in a few weeks the movie will be available on streaming. I’ll wait. I can watch in my jammies, without wearing a mask (how do they enforce that with popcorn eaters anyway?).
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I have never really gotten excited to go to the MOVIE THEATER - excited to see a movie, yes, but the movie itself was the vehicle of excitement not the theater.
I would chose to take my “risks” at a live play over a movie theater any day - pandemic or no pandemic.
Also no giant screen at home. I think our largest screen is 48-50?
I think the movie theater needs to get a little creative. Maybe not switch movies over to streaming so fast.
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Not just “ disappointing “. As the NYT said ,a “feeble result — even by pandemic standards — that added to alarm in Hollywood about the theatrical viability of films that are not visual effects-driven fantasy spectacles or new chapters in ongoing franchises.”
They are hoping for a Greatest Showman- style bounce. But if not, chances are there will be fewer only theater movies…not longer waits for streaming.
I plan to see West Side Story this week as well as Being the Ricardos. There have been so few releases that I really wanted to see so am excited to have 2 on my list for this week. I much prefer the theater experience over watching at home and don’t feel at risk doing so.
Attendance has been scant at all the movies I’ve seen recently except for House of Gucci over Thanksgiving. That one was well attended.
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I am very risk averse for COVID but I do think that movies are fairly safe. The giant seats in most theaters and mask wearing in our community makes me pretty comfortable. We saw a few pretty terrible movies in fairly empty theaters and the experience is so much better than sitting in my house trying not to scroll on CC or Facebook, so much more immersive. We will probably see West Side Story when my theater geek comes home and will definitely see Spiderman.
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I go to the movies as a small break from my day. Staying home to watch a movie will never give me the same sense of getting away from it all. Even with our home theater, I’ll still hear Amazon and UPS at the door, my lawn guys running the mowers, the neighbor’s home construction and the phone ringing.
I happen to live right down the street from a 14 screen AMC theater so I joined the A-List program. For around $20/month I can see 3 movies a week. I leave the house about 10 minutes after the published show time and am still in my seat before the movie begins. Home 5 minutes after the show. I usually go to the mid-afternoon show and am sometimes the only person in the theater. Most often there are just a few other patrons. For my situation, I’m happy with the price and have been able to see a lot of different kinds of films that I probably wouldn’t take a chance on if I had to pay $10 to $20 to watch at home.
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That’s a great price—$20/month for up to 3 movies/week. For that price, I might be tempted to go see a few matinees mid-week as well, even tho it involves a short 10 minute drive.
I have not heard of any comparable offers in my community or state. Our state offers discounted Tuesdays for $7 per seat plus $2 popcorn and $2 hotdogs. I’d prefer your deal. Might tempt us back to theaters.
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We go to the theaters a lot as well. Just not the same to me as watching them at home. And H worked at the theaters from age 14-23. He’d never give it up if possible.
We don’t go to as many movies now, but we also go during off times. Tuesday nights movies are half price and the theaters are empty. We never buy food. I don’t care to eat at all, but H is more into it. If we bring snacks, we get the same box of candy from Walmart for $1 and I bring it in my purse.
The only type of movie I prefer to watch at home is horror/suspense. If it gets too intense I can start looking at my phone or go to the bathroom.
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I’m disappointed about the unimpressive box office receipts, and share the concerns about the younger generation being uninterested, and my generation avoiding movie theaters. But WSS is my all time favorite musical and I’m really tempted to see it in the theater. My idea is to look at nearby theaters where I can reserve seats and see how booked they are. I just checked a great, smaller theater for tomorrow, and very few seats are sold. (2 for the late afternoon show).
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We love watching movies in the theater vs at home and at our local 16 screen theater there are very few others in a movie if we pick matinees or wait a couple weeks for a movie to have been out. This was true pre-Covid too. No masks are required. We love the food and don’t mind paying the price since we want to keep the place in business.
We want to see WSS, but have no time between now and Christmas. If it’s still in the theater after Christmas we’ll probably see it then.
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WSS was on TMC on Friday night. I might go see it in a theater some time soon, but was just as happy to watch the original at home.
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I rarely watch movies at home. I much prefer going to a movie theater. There’s something magical about being in an audience sharing the experience. I haven’t been to the movies since covid hit, mainly because there haven’t been any movies I wanted to see. Well, I wanted to see the Dev Patel David Copperfield but that came out before vaccinations. I hope to see West Side Story in a theater soon.
I think if theaters can hang on (a big if) people will go back to movie theaters after covid eases. If there are movies people want to see. Another big if.
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