Don’t Abandon the Big Screen!

[MsAmerica]

Sean Baker’s Oscars Battle Cry (and Mine): Don’t Abandon the Big Screen
The director of the best picture winner, “Anora,” urged viewers to keep seeing films in theaters. Our critic hopes the industry listens, and that Baker keeps his independence.
By Manohla Dargis

It was gratifying to see Baker win for “Anora,” which is the kind of scrappy, low-budget, independent movie that has been making the Oscars more interesting for, well, decades. Each victory for “Anora” also underscored the industry’s existential problems, in part brought about by large companies, including the remaining legacy studios, that have embraced expensive franchises and sequels to the exclusion of art. In the past 10 years or so, some of the best picture winners — the ones that stir up excitement and headlines, and help justify the continued existence of the Academy Awards — have been low-budget features that, like “Anora,” were bankrolled for $20 million or far less, including “Moonlight” and “Parasite.”

There’s a romantic and comforting underdog narrative that accompanies the success of these movies, though as Baker recently pointed out at the Independent Spirit Awards, the economics of indie filmmaking are unsustainable. During the Oscars, Baker again turned the awards circuit into a bully pulpit on behalf of the movies, urging viewers to see films in theaters. “This is my battle cry,” Baker said as he held his best director award. “Filmmakers, keep making films for the big screen.” At that point, the show cut to a wider shot that encompassed the award presenter Quentin Tarantino, another big-screen advocate. I wish they had cut to Ted Sarandos, the co-chief executive of Netflix, who recently told CBS News that he doesn’t “think it’s sacrilege for someone to watch a great movie on their phone.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/03/movies/sean-baker-oscars-speech.html

But the issue is the quality atmosphere at the cinemas eg people making noise, then if u need the toilet u miss parts of the films etc

But the issue is the quality atmosphere at the cinemas eg people making noise

God yes, this.

I rarely go to the cinema any more, maybe a couple of times a year, but every single time I have been in the last five years there has been someone rustling and chomping their way through the entire movie so loudly you can hear them from ten rows away. If it's not some kid with a giant bag of crisps, it's somebody constantly raking around in a carton of popcorn. It's infuriating, and sadly it's even worse in the smaller cinemas I'd like to try and support than it is in the big chain places.

Yes the last time I went to the cinema it was a nightmare with people making noise and going in and out repeatedly. It's also often really cold. If they want people to wait to go to the cinema they need to make it enjoyable!

we still go, can get a good cheap family ticket for places like Picturehouse

I'd go to the cinema if there were minimum standards of behaviour and someone there to enforce them. Until that happens, I'll wait for the DVD or Netflix.

£16.99 per person to sit in a room with people talking, openly using their phones, overpriced food.., or wait a little while for it to appear on streaming for 12.99 to watch in the comfort of our home 🤔

The last few times I have been to the cinema, it's been empty, sometimes we have virtually had the place to ourselves.

I haven't been to the cinema in years, for all the reasons given.
Plus the added bonus of various film makers telling me what I should and shouldn't because "isms"

It just isn’t convenient for us. We would need childcare just to watch a film. The cost of film, plus 3-4hrs childcare is expensive.

I would rather watch a film from the comfort of my sofa. If it’s child friendly then Ds can watch, we can pause for toilet breaks, pause to make a tea or snacks. I often watch half one evening and half the next as they are getting longer and longer

I can't afford to spend £50 plus snacks for me and the kids to go watch a film. Sorry if that means a rich and famous film director gets a bit less money in his pocket. I think the rich and powerful have got a little bit too comfortable assuming that they can rely on us spending our hard earned money in the way that they want us to.

I would love to go to the cinema but my nearest one is 15 miles away. Difficult to get to when you have mobility problems and no car. Therefore netflix is my friend. Last time I went it was Indiana Jones and the dial of destiny

These filmmakers that keep urging us to the big screen are starting to piss me off. It's expensive and unpleasant to go to a cinema these days and that's not my fault. I also won't be told how to spend my time and money by someone half the world away who has no idea at all about my life.

Yep. Cinema an unpleasant experience.

I don’t go anymore. Too expensive and I like being able to pause for breaks and also having a glass of wine. If I really want to see it I will pay the £15.99 to watch it on streaming with my home comforts around me

Before Covid we went to the cinema twice a month. I loved films. After the Covid glut of releases I have barely been back.

It's cold in our localish cinema's (we are rural) and it's 20 miles in three directions for a big name cinema or the nice independent. It's very expensive now and to be blunt the films that are coming out just aren't exciting me. So I'm not even waiting for anything in particular to hit the streaming services.

I've spotted two summer releases I want to see so I might go to the cinema and watch those as the cinema won't be cold but if I'm busy I won't be devastated as I would have been a few years ago.

I’ve not heard anyone behaving in the way that people describe for years (other than at a kids film where you expect it). When it’s happened in the past I just told them to be quiet or leave and they always did.

As fewer people go it’s less of an issue but the over priced food definitely is still a problem.

I go, on average, once a month. There is something about watching a film in the cinema as it’s made to be watched which you don’t get at home.

There are 2 cinemas where I live. One is small with a poor choice of films and the other is cavernous, cold and has a sticky floor.

When we go away to that there London or wherever we'll often treat ourselves to the pictures with sofas where you can take a glass of wine in.

I like the communal experience of watching a good film. We watched the Woman King in London with a 90% black female audience who were loving it.

Watched gladiator 2 on a big screen with a full audience...it adds to it.

It's a combination of things. The chairs are not comfortable and are often dirty. The floor is sticky. The space typically stinks of nachos and popcorn. There is no quality food and the junk they do sell if way over-priced. There is no fresh air. It's noisy and you often see lights of people's phones in the audience. It's difficult to go to the toilet as you will typically have to bother people to leave and come back. There are often no breaks anymore you can use to go to the toilet and so on and so on. It's also very expensive.

All of this I could put up with if there were movies I am really exited for. But they keep making the same Hollywood slop for the past 10 years. I want to see something new and I have never much cared for super-hero movies.

I haven't been to the cinema since before the pandemic and not sure if I ever want to go back basically for the same reasons everyone else has stated - cost and other people's behaviour.
I don't think cinemas will even exist in 20-30 years. Maybe sooner!

Our cinema is fairly new and quite nice but it is very expensive, it's one of the higher tier Cineworlds that cost £15-£20 for a normal ticket, we have only been once.

Also timings. Our nearest cinema is a small independent. They only open 3-4 evenings a week, and only show one film each evening. It always starts at 8pm.

I do go occasionally, but mainly to events they host with local small films ie on climate issues and they have a speaker also. Then it’s an hour short film, plus an hour talk after. So not just a standard film.

The next big chain cinema is an hour motorway drive away. That’s a long drive to just watch an average film.

I like the picture house chain and going to see independent films. Often places have a film society where you can watch quality films in peace with other people who don’t just chomp and slurp their way through the film - but places like cineworld watching formulaic slurry no thanks.

Not a chance, for 4 of us to go it is around £60.

SIXTY POUNDS.

We use the prime 2 tickets for £10 and somehow manage not to eat for two hours so going to the cinema is a fairly cheap midweek treat. Dc are older so no need for childcare.

I do like going to the cinema as our local one actually has nice seats. But it is very expensive when there’s more than one of you going, plus to see a film with my DH we’d need a babysitter. If we were going to spend £80 on something it wouldn’t be watching a film.