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

I can't stand the smell so avoid for that reason.

If they did on site crèches however I’d be there every week

Like most other posters, I might go if there was something I wanted to see & if I knew nobody was going to talk, rustle crisp packets, eat smelly food, have their phone out or want to get out past me halfway through.

But it doesn’t feel worth the risk for the price.

I love the big screen when the audience behaves, but that seems so rare nowadays... I went to a daytime screening of Mike Leigh's 'Hard Truths' - so the audience were mainly over 50. The film was ruined by someone coughing (not their fault but they could have gone out for a bit) and someone rustling sweet papers ALL THE WAY THROUGH. Then right near the end, a phone went off and a woman answered it!

The Mike Leigh screening I mentioned above was in an independent arts cinema! The film before that I saw in a big Showcase de Lux. Surprisingly, it was almost empty and only cost me £4.99 on a Monday! The independent was £8.25 and had smaller seats.

Our cinema is £1.60 an hour to park, £12.99 a ticket and you need a new mortgage for some popcorn. The toilets are upstairs and back out in the foyer and you need a code from the popcorn shop to use them so you miss about 15 minutes if you need a wee, everyone sits using bright phones, people munch and rustle the whole time and it's bloody freezing. I remember loving monthly cinema trips as a teen.

I love the cinema and go a few times a month. I'm lucky that my city has 4 - a mix of multiplex and art houses, although I do wonder how sustainable that number is in a relatively small town.

I agree about the behaviour issues - have had many a film ruined by chatterers and popcorn rustlers, but I'm always puzzled by the complaints about the cost. When I think about how much I'd spend on an evening out at the pub or a restaurant, £15 for a whole evening's entertainment seems pretty good value. Typically I don't buy the food so additional costs would be a drink in the bar beforehand - the arts cinemas have nice bars and you can take your wine in with you, so it adds to the experience. Admittedly my DC are grown up now so I'm not paying for them or for a babysitter - there were a few years when I just didn't go at all when they were little.

I probably wouldn't have the stamina to sit through some of the more challenging films at home - I'd probably be double screening on my phone and/or wandering off - so seeing films in the cinema has stretched my range, so to speak 🙂

It takes a special film to lure me into a cinema these days. People just don't know how to behave in public - talking, using phones, noisy/smelly food. Why would we want to spend the equivalent of half a week's grocery shopping to feel annoyed and ripped off. The exception to the rule for me is The Regal cinema in Evesham. A small independent that works hard to add something extra. It's not something we do often as it's a bit of a drive, but feels like a proper night out when we do.

Good for you, but a woman did this at my local cinema and they waited outside for her and squirted bleach in her face, so I choose not to challenge the behaviour just in case.

And it’s cold and expensive. For me the cinema is a kids day out or an infrequent adult treat (we probably go as adults once every couple of years, if that).

Says the man who made an ‘Oscar winning ‘ movie about a woman who enjoys being paid by random men for sex. Oh yes, and stripping in between.

No thanks , mate, you can fund your own exploitative 💩

If cinemas had some way to disable mobile phones and kicked out people who talk and eat loud food, they'd be much busier.

The last time I went to the cinema, the film was so bloody long. 2hr 20mins was the film running time and there were the trailers too. It puts me off.

We go lots to the cinema but to the cheaper ones. Often get deals through phone contracts or utility contracts or cheap showing times. We do live in a big city though so lots of choice.

DS lives in a large city and makes use of the offers, usually it's Vue that has offers, we also give him our 2 free tickets that we get from Sky as our nearest Vue isn't that local or easy to get to.

Cinema used to be so much better, more powerful, better acting and visually superior to anything TV could offer. But times have changed and this is just not true any more. TV is by far the more interesting medium these days with great series like Severance, Slow Horses, Shogun, Better Call Saul and even really mainstream “poplar” things like Yellowstone and House of the Dragon doing much more interesting things than Anora or whatever in the cinema.

Why would I fork out to go and sit in an uncomfortable seat with annoying people all around me at the cinema when I can sit at home and watch much better material?

I agree it’s not always very pleasant these days but sci-fi films like Dune etc justify a big screen.

Behaviour of some and staff not being empowered or supported to do anything about it is a real issue. I am lucky that I can go to daytime screenings and I don't tend to watch films that don't always have mass appeal, others do not have the same option and/or taste.

true, personally i like the idea of vip cinema rooms etc if they ever created them

I absolutely love the cinema. When I'm at home I'll pick up the phone, fall asleep or get distracted during a movie. In the cinema I get engrossed. Wicked with DD was so much better imo on the big screen.
Admittedly I see more kids films than adults these days but it's a treat we all love. Kids club is 4 euro for everyone on Sunday morning and it costs 38 for a family to go in normal times. It's worth it as they love it too.
The seats are comfortable and it's spotless.

We still go quite a bit but get a lot of our tickets free with our bank accounts. Even if you pay it's 8.99 each plus £2 parking which isn't bad if you take your own drinks and snacks although I often buy a coffee. It's Vue so the seats are recliners with very wide walkways so not much disturbance if anyone needs to leave and you are fairly far from other people's phones, rustling etc, I don't notice either of these happening much. I do notice more whispering and giggling amongst adults though especially now it seems to be the done thing to take alcohol in. Overall I'd far rather watch at the cinema than at home on a smaller screen with too many distractions.

I would much rather go to the cinema than watch a film on my tv but, like others, the talking, the phone ringing, the noisy eating etc drive me mad. I want to watch a film not eat or talk and I don't want to hear others eat or talk. It's perfectly possible to watch a film without starving to death.

Also people going in and out and everyone in their row has to stand up and block the view of the people behind. You don't need to go out to get food or drink and if you have a weak bladder which means you can't go 2 hours without needing the loo ask for an end of row seat do you don't disturb anyone.

I love the cinema and go often. We have an expensive art house cinema near us and also a cheap multiplex and I go to both. But it’s worth every penny for me - a completely different and better experience than watching in my house. Focus, size, volume, event feeling - everything is better at the cinema!

It’s a form of entertainment I prioritise and it’s cheap compared to spending an evening in a pub or restaurant. I missed it so much in the pandemic and will never take it for granted again!

I’ve just booked tickets to see Bridget Jones on Saturday with DD. £30!!!!!

That’s why I don’t go very often 😬

You don't need to.buy snacks.

Ok so I'll save £5 on the popcorn. That's still 50 for the tickets.