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 never go to the cinema anymore, I love films but it’s too expensive but also the behaviour is awful most of the time, people on phones, people being disruptive. I ended up buying a cheap projector and screen and do the whole cinema vibe at home

Oh, my goodness! I didn't expect more than a small handful of replies! What a surprise.

I choose my movies very carefully - not just the movie, but when to see it. I choose good movies, which have smaller audiences, and choose times which will have smaller audiences, so I don't often have to put up with annoyances from other people.

Funny about the toilet. Do you never do anything that requires you to stay in one place for two hours? Most people don't go to movies alone, though. Surely your seat-mate will tell you what you've missed?

Well, as I just said, I tend to choose movies, and times, that will be less crowded.
Your use of "chomping," though reminded me of something from a long time ago. I was sitting by a young woman there alone - very nice person; we'd exchanged pleasantries while waiting. And she had popcorn. And partway into the movie, a man leaned over and hissed at her "Could we please chew with our mouth CLOSED?"

I must say, I haven't run into people coming in and out much. Maybe Americans have stronger bladders? As to cold, I have sometimes run out and complained about the cold, and the management adjusts it.

Do irate moviegoers ever tell people with phones to shut up?
Do theaters you go to have on-screen admonitions for people to turn off their phones?

That's me, too!

Okay, but I hope you understand that's not how they were meant to be viewed, in pieces.
Of course, expenses, including child care, are real factors.

Are you obliged to go to a different town?

Well, of course, there are some people who have very good reasons for what they buy and do - but obviously the director was here speaking to the multitude, to the average person. Chances are he's a big-city person with a lot of theaters around and reliable transportation.

Really? Do you object just as strongly for advertisements for cars and food, who are doing the same thing?

Same for me. I've been a big-time movie-goer for all my adult life. I was stunned that covid really changed things for me.

Exactly. A lot of people don't get that one of the basic ideas of cinema was the communal experience. And also especially for comedy!

£20 ?!?!?!
Do you have cheaper "matinee" prices, or anything like that?

I was waiting for this comment.
He has a sex worker fetish, follows alt right accounts, his first movie he had a transwoman beat up a woman as a justified action and on Anora did not have an intimacy coach , which the young Oscar winning actress went along with as if doing God's work.
I'm just waiting for what I suspect this man's downlow sexual proclivities to come out.

I also totally understand this.

It's another reason why I prefer the smaller, independent cinemas. They tend not to stink of hot dog/popcorn/donuts etc

The other reason is I actually hate the "lounger/recliner" seats the big chains try to market as a selling point. I hate being in a reclined position as I find it totally uncomfortable, the seats are far too big and don't have any "give" in them, and they never go upright enough for me to find a comfortable position, so I end up spending two hours perched on the edge of the seat with my back a good 2' away from the upright.

Now I think a bit more about it, I've no idea why I ever go to Vue and so on, they are awful, awful places.

People have been beaten up for it.

Most people don't go to movies alone, though. Surely your seat-mate will tell you what you've missed?

Which would then be annoying for the people nearby.

@MsAmerica - well no. But when they keep making films so long, I can’t watch that long. By the time I’m ready to watch a film at home after child finally asleep its 9pm earliest. I can’t be watching films for 2 1/2 hours as I’m tired with child and I’m up early every day. So my option is don’t watch or watch half one evening and half another.

At cinema it’s just worse as it’s about 20mins adverts, then 2 1/2 hr film, so about 3hrs now to sit in a chair not moving. I can’t think of any other time when I just sit still for 3hrs. Films used to be more like 1hr 20-30. Again it’s 8pm start for all films in our local. It’s too late and long for me, and then drive home after.

I actually very rarely watch films at home now either though. I feel like the quality of films has gone down and they just don’t interest me much now. So I’m def not paying €€ for an average evening. I would rather read a book at home and spend money another night on a meal out

I still go quite a lot they just don't make many movies that appeal. Saying that I do like the NT live showings and go to those. Don't think it's too expensive either.

I do go to the movies alone. And if somebody's telling someone what they missed while they were in the toilet, that talking will disturb other people!

It's too expensive, but more than anything, there's no atmosphere any more. No groups of people buzzing around the lobby with excitement. People just walk in, scan ticket & sit.

I did go late last year to see Wicked. It was 30 minutes of ads before the very long move started. I almost walked out. Next chapter I'll wait the six weeks to buy it on streaming.

People who talk during the film are precisely the reason why I don't go to the cinema.

I used to really enjoy the cinema but now it doesn't seem worth the money. Behaviour has really declined and you can't just blame the yoof, it's people of all ages acting like twats.

It's a shame, we weren't a well off family but we often went as kids. My DM said it used to be a cheap outing back in the 90s. Not now.

I recently went to the cinema for the first time in a couple of years. It was the final nail in the coffin for me.

People arrived late, then used their phone torch to find their seat. I was shocked. Then it happened AGAIN with a different group. The noise/phone use throughout just completely ruined it.

I went to an event recently where 2 women were whispering to each other in front of me. Not a cinema, just a room with rows of chairs. Eventually I leaned forward & said ‘I’m sorry, you’re really distracting, can you stop?’ and they stopped, looking astonished that anyone else could hear them.

In that context, though, I was pretty sure they weren’t going to attack me afterwards. I wouldn’t dare in a cinema.

Meh, I go to Showcase cinema quite regularly.
I only pay a fiver and get a big leather armchair, a cinema that usually only has half a dozen people in it, and have never experienced any disruptive behaviour 😏
Love going to the cinema - so not all of them are sticky, noisy rip off places.