Why Disney Is Destroying Movie Theaters

[@matthewhunter1193]

As an MCU fan I personally hate how the success of the franchise has been used to make smaller movies seem less valuable, which in turn has resulted in people to then turn on the franchise as a whole. The high amount of screenings Disney is giving Doctor Strange is absurd, because stuff like this isn't pulled for something like Everything Everywhere. Yes, plenty of people wanted to watch Doctor Strange, and you could argue that something like The Northman would've flopped even in normal times, but it feels now that the concept of a non-crossover movie is nothing more than streaming content. Will we ever break free of the Superhero reign? I can't say for certain. What I can say is, don't complain that all Hollywood makes are superhero movies, and then proceed to only see superhero/franchise films, it gets us nowhere at the end of the day.

[@GringoXalapeno]

It probably will die eventually because the externals black widow and Shang chi did mediocre at the box office the only success post far from home was no way home and dr strange 2

[@JPitt1070]

I don’t think this about Disney taking screenings from theaters. It’s about supply and demand. The Northman could have 100 screenings but that doesn’t mean it’ll sell tickets. People want to see the newest marvel movie when it comes out and theaters want money. Kinda simple and I think everyone is over-complicating it.

[@abbiewesscott9422]

@@GringoXalapeno it’s finally here kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKqrgo2lmbaooJo

[@platonymous]

@@GringoXalapeno Shang shi didn’t do poorly I believe it was one of the better movies at that time.

[@GringoXalapeno]

@@platonymous i suppose but it wasn’t a runaway success either it was just mediocre success making it’s budget back but not much profit I guess it was still recovering from the pandemic

[@MichaelOdendaal]

In South Africa we have literally one cinema playing Everything Everywhere All at Once while Doctor Strange is showing at literally every cinema available with multiple screenings. Filmmakers aren’t upset at Marvel movies, they are upset at how Disney distributes Marvel movies. Smaller films like Everything Everywhere All at Once don’t even get shown at cinemas because every cinema room is only showing Marvel’s latest. It makes more money but at what cost.

[@turma8eac]

Theaters are business. They have to pay bills. They won’t show a film they don’t think people will want to watch

[@cassiamegan23]

To be fair Ster Kinekor suffered a lot during the pandemic, but this issue was prevalent even before... it's unfortunate because film lovers don't get the cinema experience with films they're excited to watch.

[@neoluthuli3254]

Man I really wanted to go watch "The Northman" I'll have to check Ster Kinekor at my local town

[@gavinsfriend3901]

I legit didn’t want to see it (dr strange) but I can’t every showing is literally Doctor Strange it’s so frustrating

[@jonathand.t.5051]

EEAAO isn't even airing at all where I'm at. Its mostly local features, Indian features and Disney flicks

[@bencarlson4300]

It’s really sad to me that Robert Eggers didn’t have final cut of The Northman, STILL made a fantastic film with wide distribution, and then almost no one saw it. Maybe it’ll get some awards attention, but most likely it’ll end up as another cult classic that people randomly discover on Netflix in 5 years.

[@sayless8177]

The Northman goes way to hard for it to be outperformed by doctor strange

[@carloslopez4098]

He did have a final cut. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5zXpaGGhLeYotk

[@nationalcoasternews5798]

Would love to see a director’s cut

[@bencarlson4300]

@@nationalcoasternews5798 Idk, there isn’t much I would change about it, but I’d be curious to see what he would’ve done differently

[@FlyingFocs]

Yeah, and it'll be like "man, this movie is great, why didn't I see it in theaters?" "Probably because you were watching Doctor Strange 2 instead." "Oh Yeah, Doctor Strange 2... Which one was that again?" Or I'm wrong. Who even knows?

[@marydarko3380]

I noticed how bad it had gotten when I went to see The French Dispatch and Last Night in Soho back to back one day and had to go to early screenings in a mainstream theatre as there were only 4 screenings for both films with HUGE time gaps, whilst a Marvel film screened every half an hour. It's sad to witness.

[@MetagrossOverlordX]

One thing i do want to add is that as well as Everything Everywhere did, it still got kinda shafted and could have done even better. I have friends who wanted to see this movie but couldnt because they didnt have a showing in their area, and I remember trying to buy some Friday night tickets on like a Monday or Tuesday and being worried it was closing early because AMC did not list any showing, even weekend showings, that wasnt beyond the next 24-48 hours of me checking (when they really should have just scheduled it properly)

[@gabrielidusogie9189]

What really irked me was that Spider-Man was still showing at the time in certain theatres. Months after its already gawdy holiday release. Just shameful of Disney at this point

[@mandmified17]

That happened to me. Couldn’t see it because it only played for a few days 😭

[@Dma118]

@@mandmified17 same by the time it got on my radar it was already done showing at my amc. It was still playing at my super local theater but I only watch in Dolby cinema and at that point My home theater experience is better. AMC Dolby cinema is elite tho. People would come out for movies more if they knew about it and it was in more locations. That’s the reason I did. My amc is dine in too so it adds another level to the experience when I’m hungry. Food is great

[@theollewelyn3422]

Just saw "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" yesterday in the theater and thought it was a great stand alone movie. They had some commentary about the state of movies and what it takes to actually get a movie made. Perfectly ridiculous and not for everyone but I liked it.

[@TheFilmDrunk]

It’s okay if MORBIUS has that many showtimes tho, it deserves it

[@Yashraj-eb3ke]

dude wut?

[@GareBare90]

@thefilmdrunk Yo! What up fam!

[@platonymous]

No

[@DeathGrip1202]

IT'S MORBIN TIME

[@theboywonderlol]

#morbiussweep

[@albert______]

As a Marvel fan that truly got "into movies" only about 3-4 years ago, I feel so weird every time I watch a new Disney movie now. It just feels so distant from every other film. Like, I really enjoy MCU (hell, I actually loved Doctor Strange 2) but it... doesn't feel like movies - it's almost like a different genre of popculture. I still want both of those genres to exist but I hate that it has to be treated as the same thing, competing for the same timeslots and for the same money, cause that's just an impossible game to win.

[@tiger_lord305]

Marvel movies are more in-line with something like television. It’s not a bad thing, but it’s not “cinema” per se. The showerunner overseer everything; in the MCU case, Kevin Feige. There’s a few exceptions when you can tell a Marvel movie is distinctly the director’s (James Gunn, Shane Black, Taika Waititi, Sam Raimi).

[@Jk-pk1oz]

You mean they feel like theme parks? ;)

[@abbiewesscott9422]

@@Jk-pk1oz it’s finally here kzbin.info/www/bejne/mKqrgo2lmbaooJo

[@paulelroy6650]

exactly. Ive hear people praise and compare the continuity and longevity of the mcu to a tv show. And thats the problem its tv show on the big screen. Feige is the showrunner every other month a new person comes in to direct. Theres writers room planning things out years ahead. That is not how movies work that is tv. They should be forced onto streaming platforms not mid budget and indie films that are actually cinema

[@millabasset1710]

@@tiger_lord305 Taika Waititi ruined Thor though, at least James Gunn makes the Guardians movies stand on their own.

[@Waveydebbieee]

I remember one Saturday when my parents and I wanted to watch Everything Everywhere All at Once at the local cinema but unfortunately, there was no showing bc almost all halls in the cinema were booked for Dr. Strange 2. So we have no choice but to watch Sonic 2 (we did eventually went to watch Dr Strange 2 with the whole family and I also went to watch Everything Every All at Once by myself). But that Saturday I never felt so annoyed that why not have at least a hall dedicated for the movie my parents and I wanted to watch instead? Now I understand why thanks to this video.

[@AScreenwritersJourney]

The anecdote about the Cinerama dome made me angry, and I'm a Disney fan! Recently I've been seeking out more indie and foreign films, and have discovered many new favorites. My local cinema has 14 showings of Dr. Strange 2 today and only 1 showing of Everything Everywhere All At Once. Sad.

[@GringoXalapeno]

Have you watched any Indian movies just curious

[@AScreenwritersJourney]

@@GringoXalapeno I've seen a handful of Bollywood films, but since the pandemic I haven't watched any Indians films. Unfortunately RRR never played at my local theatre, so I'll have to wait for streaming. I have four currently in my streaming cues: Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, Lagaan, Pather Panchali and PK. Do you have a favorite of those four, so I'll know what to watch first?

[@GringoXalapeno]

@@AScreenwritersJourney maybe Watch bahubali and perhaps the classic sholay

[@marocat4749]

RRR is apearently a very good fun wild movie. Oh you did. the this week i review channel has weird and foreign movies covered, you probably like it. Its fun too.

[@KircherTalksEntertainment]

Thank you, Karsten. We need to keep this conversation going because I don't want to see great original movies get shafted because the popular thing keeps crowding up space at the cinemas. Not that I'm above those movies - The Batman is one of my favorites of the year so far - but it's a problem that I hope the public wakes up to.

[@garrettafancytrouser1424]

Martin Scorsese pointed this out and he got dogpiled for it.

[@racool911]

Honestly I wish my theater had this much screenings, getting tickets would've been so much easier

[@rockomundo]

I swear, if the A24 Screening Room thing goes from showing “X” right to showing “Men” while skipping EEAAO completely i’ll scream

[@Heatnigh]

Did you end up seeing it

[@alexandriat8399]

As somebody who works at a local theatre, these movies are a nightmare to run. They stay in the longest and people are always disappointed to hear the movie they wanted to see has like 3 times that day.

[@maria2337]

Absolutely agree with this video and I’m glad to see that other people have noticed this problem. Believe me, I LOVE Marvel movies but I have noticed even more so lately that the other movies I want to watch don’t stay in theaters as long. I missed out on seeing Last Night in Soho and X after those were only out for less than 2 weeks, while one of my local theaters was still playing Spider-Man until, no joke, like a month and a half ago. I had to watch Everything, Everywhere and The Northman in the same weekend because they were about to be pulled, and those are both very recent. Disney is getting so damn greedy. I love all movies equally and want everyone to get their screen time, especially the artsy ones that already have a hard time finding a wider audience.

[@niganeo1251]

idk disney is making movies that make money and thats what the people want. If the northman was successful they would make more of those kind of movies, but that's not what the market is saying clearly. Disney is not a fault imo

[@Tribrachidiumheraldicum]

@@niganeo1251 That's bullshit because here you have a comment that rings true for a lot of people. People are busy, they can't always make it to the theater all the time. If you fill up every time slot with one big advertised movie, that's what most people are going to be able to see. If it's that or nothing most people are just going to get tickets for whatever's showing. There's lots of movies I really want to see but I just don't have time one week, I check next week and it's gone. But oh, Spider-Man is still playing after 4 months. Sure, MCU is popular but they also have a monopoly and it can't be ignored that part of their success is obviously artificially boosted by Disney's shitty practices. Listen to the Tarantino story, theaters not even being allowed to show movies because Disney will come threaten them? What the hell is that?

[@lamugre9386]

​@@niganeo1251 how can there be a free choice for what movie to watch when Disney has a monopoly of the time slots??

[@Jk-pk1oz]

At first I was very much against the idea of cinemas raising ticket prices for blockbusters, but if it gives people the incentive to watch indie and arthouse films in theaters, I'm all for it. Maybe theaters can even use the extra revenue in order to make indies a little cheaper. It's sort of like taxing unhealthy food.

[@matheusvillela9150]

I think this would have the opposite effect. Smaller movies don't attract a mass audience to theaters anymore, people don't have the free time or disposable income, and streaming/piracy is easily accessible. More and more, theaters are being dominated by major blockbusters or the niche "auteuristic" movies for the festival crowds. I don't think people will just decide to bet on a smaller movie that's showing in a small number of theaters just because it's a couple of dollars cheaper than the latest Marvel movies. They'll just spend more money at Marvel, since they only go to the movies a handful of times a year anyway. The costs of keeping a movie theater are the same, whether you're showing an indie or a major blockbuster. Might as well just show the movies that will get asses on seats, and with a larger profit margin.

[@Jk-pk1oz]

@@matheusvillela9150 I suppose that it depends on the reason why people aren’t seeing smaller films. If it’s indeed due to a lack of general interest or time, then yes, a price difference ain’t gonna work. But if people think that smaller movies aren’t worth their ticket price, making them cheaper should theoretically be the right solution, that’s just basic economics. You’re right that the current system probably yields the biggest profit margins for cinema chains, but you also gotta ask yourself: at what cost? I’d argue that there’s more long term social value in consuming indie and arthouse films over the average Marvel film, which is all too often forgotten about, especially in countries like the US. There needs to be a balance of both in the system, skewing one way or the other is a bad thing. Also, streaming and piracy are just as easily available for blockbusters. The big reason why people are more likely to get tricked into seeing big movies in theaters is because of savy marketing, branding and spoiler culture. Those are three aspects that indie and arthouse films can’t really compete with, so maybe they should be provided with a helping hand (i.e. lower prices).

[@matheusvillela9150]

​@@Jk-pk1oz The lack of interest is caused by lack of time, money and general conditioning. Blockbusters are an expection because they're spectacle driven and meant for a four quadrant audience. Spoiler culture plays a part in this too, as you mentioned. Like, if the difference in ticket prices was great, like 2-1, more people would be drawn to them, I suppose. But these movies usually struggle to break even at current ticket prices, cutting the prices in half would hit their revenue hard, and thus make their production harder. At the end of the day, the game is rigged. A handful of corporations dominate most of the media landscape, and that is not going to change without larger systemic change.

[@Jk-pk1oz]

@@matheusvillela9150 Cutting prices doesn’t have to hurt their revenue if more people show up, which depends on the demand curve and its elasticity. Again, it all comes down to if ticket prices are the primary reason keeping people away from smaller films, which we don’t know for sure. And yes, the current game is rigged, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t incentives that could provide some change. Ideally, you’d want the entire population to have a form of cinematic literacy and have the same appreciation for indie and arthouse as they do for the usual spectacle, but that isn’t going to happen soon. However, pointing the audience in the right direction by making quality films more of an attractive deal could potentially work, at least in the short term.

[@matheusvillela9150]

@@Jk-pk1oz People have never consumed as much entertainment as they do today. We're starving for it. Yet, theater attendance is in all-time low. Given how the minimum wages are stagnant and the costs of living has risen significantly in the last decades, it seems fairly obvious money is a key issue. Pointing the finger at the audience won't help. Sure, we can all recommend movies to our friends, or introduce them to different forms of cinema. From an individual level, that could be a good change. But on a mass scale, that's not gonna happen. More unionizing within the industry (and outside too, of course) would be much more effective.

[@dragonfire101g]

Movie theater worker here, can confirm that with showings every 15-30 minutes on opening weekend, not a single Dr. Strange showing sold out unless if a company rented out the theater.

[@piss4429]

since ive been back post-pandemic, most of the films ive seen have had completely empty theatres. i went to see dune and it was packed, but all the non-blockbuster movies were desolate. genuinely makes me really sad.

[@turma8eac]

Thats why theaters have more showings for blockbusters

[@piss4429]

@@turma8eac self-perpetuating cycle, i guess. theaters need more blockbuster showings to stay afloat, other films get neglected and therefore cant pull crowds.

[@Tenshikichi1]

@@turma8eac exactly. I don't get how it is Disney's or any blockbuster film companies' fault. They made their film strategically to gain as much money as they can. It's not their fault that their movie is in so much demand that theater owners have them in most showings. It's just business

[@rudrashishdeb1240]

@@Tenshikichi1 bruh see tarantino's statement

[@domingosjunior6805]

lets me tell a secret:THIS type of movies dint doo soo well in the past either people go to cinema to watch long running franchises,Slashers and animation

[@peblezQ]

As someone who works in a movie theatre, I will also say that buying food and drinks at the concessions counter is pretty much the only way we make money and that money keeps employees paid and theatres open so even if you're gonna see a big movie, try to help out your local theatre and buy some popcorn and a drink (: It's kinda sad to see how empty the non Doctor Strange theatres are right now in all honesty

[@Lucasys]

Everything Everywhere All At Once opened May 13 in the UK but I haven't found a *single* cinema showing it in IMAX until this Sunday, May 22 (9 days after it opened!) because they were all exclusively screening Doctor Strange, many local cinemas outside of cities still aren't showing it. Sure it doesn't quite have the same level of demand, but if you don't give audiences a space to watch it there's no chance to create that demand or word of mouth. This is an international problem, and it's really depressing.

[@Moondustsmellsfunny]

Ive been trying to see ‘The Northman’ for a few days and it was only showing in select obscure theatres far away and has just one showing because every single movie theatre had multiple showing for Dr strange and it’s honestly ridiculous

[@artirony410]

this is what Scorsese was talking about and people rejected the truth

[@CakeHunter333]

This past weekend I visited a local independent theatre and watched an Indian flick. It was probably the most fun I had in a theater in a while, all while getting to learn more about a culture different to mine. Take risks and watch something different!

[@prodbyluis7693]

i hate how hard everything everywhere got squeezed out of my theater, it was showing for like a week, and then it was just gone

[@violetnyoni6975]

I really think that Scorsese was right by saying Marvel movies aren't cinema. They are movies like , just movies. They don't add to the artistic value of cinema nor do they spur on creativity that is in the name of cinema. I think you can clear see that Disney makes for the sake of making money, not for the genuine love of film, you can clearly tell from their live action remakes. After learning that the MCU scripts are pre written before a director is put on really clicked for me to why these movies don't last long in the minds of people. You can tell that chloe zhao barely had an Iinput for eternals to be the way that it is. These movies are literally starting the undoing of the art of cinema and that's really sad.

[@devinmay3038]

It's very close minded to generalize all Marvel or even all comicbook films as the same. Comicbook movies do have cliches and tropes, but what movie doesn't. I see comicbook movie more as a medium rather than a genre. So many different types of stories are told that do connect to people emotionally. I've seen people cry over WandaVision, Logan and Spider-Man. Winter soldier and Black panther deals with political issues like race and inequality. Guardians of the galaxy, Thor and Loki deal with the loss of loved ones. Moon Knight talks about Mental Illness and PTSD. Doctor Strange open the door for more horror in comicbook movies. How can you say all of these are the same. Because there are explosions and fighting in them. That's like saying all romance movies are the same because two people end up making out in the end. If you watch the movies you would see these movies do have character development and arcs throughout the movies. Sure it's through multiple movies but it's still there. Yes Disney Marvel is a business, but that doesn't mean they don't produce art aswell. Maybe not your cup of tea, but for a lot of other people it works. So I disagree, with Scorsese. A lot of people put a lot of hard work into these films to bring audiences to another world and tell stories. Yes they have a lot of money behind them but that doesn't discredit the work put into them. Yes Comicbook movies are Cinema. That doesn't lessen the value off all other films.

[@violetnyoni6975]

@@devinmay3038 While I acknowledge that it is my fault for generalising the medium and that a lot of people put work into them, my argument is that even though they are made to entertain and to bring new experiences to viewers , their main focus is to make money. The movies are just Disney’s big money cows. That’s the main thing about the argument. I can appreciate their storytelling and the ability to create nuanced characters, their fatal flaws is that they are mass produced and written for the sake of making money. I think it became more apparent when the Russo brothers finished off the infinity saga and with Marvels cliché final act structure. Disney does not give the Marvel movies room to breath. I think we can all benefit from just seeing one movie released once a year not in short spaces of time. I think they should let their movies marinate in the viewers mind before popping out a new. I mean for pete’s sake we got the love and thunder trailer before multiverse of madness was released. So while I respect and see why you disagree with Scorsese’s statement, I just think that their is a much more fleshed out argument to be made about the MCU both agreeing or disagreeing with Scorsese.

[@devinmay3038]

@@violetnyoni6975 Yes, Disney the Company is a business designed to make money. That doesn't mean the artists they hire to make the movies are there just for a paycheck. The producer of Marvel, Kevin Fiegie is a comic book fan. He has a vision of how the story should play out. The writers, directors and actors still have to follow that guideline of the story. They can add some creative flavor to the story but it's souly not their project. All studios do this to an extent. They let some directors have full creative control of a project. But if the movie fails to pull in a profit, the studio isn't going to keep letting them make unprofitable movies that flop, no matter how critically well it is received. Because the business will fail then no one will be able to make movies at all. There is a delicate balance to Art and Business in Hollywood. You have to realize the so called "Mindless Action Block Busters" allow studios to keep making "Thoughtful, Nuanced and Character Drivin Stories" that don't make a profit. They keep the theater experience alive so smaller films can get the spotlight too. Do blockbusters overshadow small films, sure. But that doesn't mean no one will ever see them. Whether you like them or not, movies are there to bring emotions out of people. Joy, anger, sadness, fear, excitement, confusion, boredom. It's not the reason why movies exist you should be concerned about. You should just be happy they exist at all. As a fan of film you should appreciate all forms of film. You can love or hate a movie. That's the beauty of it all. Just like you don't have love all food. Appreciate the the food you do love.

[@cacapupu1234]

I think Everything Everywhere All at Once was such a beautiful movie I could just tell from the trailer and seeing it at the theater was just phenomenal experience and imo a nice perfect movie that made laugh and cry and laugh and cry some more. I’m just a little bummed out that you didn’t feel that way and you just say it just checks the right boxes. It probably does and that’s maybe why I loved it so much, and why you feel it’s not perfect. Anyways much love Karsten ♥️

[@pinkestpeaches6302]

My local theatre is independent so they have a bit more freedom when it comes to viewing times where as chains have SO MANY. I was honestly shocked, I could turn up at literally any time and not have to wait.

[@seraby7151]

To be fair, we casual viewers are mostly at fault here. Honestly speaking, these grand "rollercoaster" movies are just better on the big screen. Something like Parasite, an award winning movie, just feels better watching it in the comfort of your home. Alot of non-action/fantasy movies feel like that.

[@averyjenson]

Kinda reminds me of going to see Dune or French Dispatch last fall. Amazing movies, but the theaters i was in were mostly empty. I did see Dune a little later in October, so maybe it was past when everyone went to see it, but like, these were movies i was seeing advertised a lot on TV and they were *not being talked about.* Meanwhile, going to see tripe like Godzilla vs. Kong, or even good movies like No Way Home, these theaters are *full.* And this is coming from a fan who’s been enjoying the new stuff they’ve been introducing to the MCU quite a bit and at least *enjoying* a good majority of the MCU movies that have been coming out the past year. Also, what’s sad about Everything Everywhere All At Once succeeding is that it was also produced by the Russo Brothers, WHO DIRECTED INFINITY WAR AND ENDGAME. Somehow it’s still all tied to marvel in the end, like original films that we like can now only be produced by people who make a fuckton of money from these ginormous blockbusters.

[@padd6007]

As a Big Marvel fan I will say that strange took up too many screens in my local. It just seemed wrong. The film didn't deserve those spaces. And recently I have been wanting deeper experiences that the mcu can't give me.

[@lawstshane]

How did it not deserve those spaces ? If everyone wants to see it it’s called supply and demand

[@gggallin8279]

@@lawstshane because movies are art and not something that should be depending on the SuPpLy AnD dEmAnD of People who just want to shut off their brain

[@matheusvillela9150]

@@lawstshane That's not how supply and demand works. If a movie has 200 million to blow on a huge marketing campaign and buying off thousands of movie screens, obviously more people will prefer to watch that over a movie they've never heard of playing in a couple cheap theaters. It's predatory capitalism.

[@mikemorro140]

@@matheusvillela9150 I mean that's the thing you need good marketting for any film to do well, even if you said the other film is better if you didn't market it then ofcourse no one is going to see it

[@lawstshane]

@@matheusvillela9150 yea but even without the marketing the people who went to go see dr strange where siting to see it for years it’s supply and demand the fans wanted to see it the marketing is more so for the GENRAL audience who don’t keep up but the fans where ginna see it regarless and where waiting

[@fahimseettha5625]

Thank you. A huuuge thank you from the bottom of my heart for voicing it out there.

[@mrmetsman7693]

I shared the "rediscovering theatre love when watching everything everywhere" experience. It's nice

[@RangerNationDubs]

To be honest. While the mcu can be blamed for maybe how we consume movies to s degree. The main problem you run into is a capital one here. Movies were originally cheap entertainment for cheap people. Me and my fsmily used to go to the movies for fun. But because of how expensive it is. 12-20 per ticket and most people got families. A single movie night child led to a 100 dollar night. Most people have to choose there movie wisely. And mcu has been known as a garruentied good time for over 10 years. I've talked to a lot of layman's about there experiences and that seems to be a huge contributing factor it seems must families can handle about 3 movies a year. Might as well make it the lights all of them will get something out of. I think it's easy to blame the mcu, but i don't think the mcu is the core. Its simply a symptom of an already fucked system.

[@matheusvillela9150]

In short: blame capitalism for taking away people's free time and buying power. Disney is just the symptom.

[@RangerNationDubs]

​@@matheusvillela9150 yeah, this is basically an end result. Why would I watch the Northman with the wife. When I could watch a marvel movie with my whole family and the kid's friends. People gotta triage their money and this is kinda the end.

[@paulelroy6650]

why not watch it at home on streaming then if thats the case. These films are just big budget tv shows they are not movies.

[@RangerNationDubs]

@@paulelroy6650 cause Marvel movies arent really just movies. They are a cultural movement. Its like watching a sports event for a lot of people. And no one wants to be spoiled. So everyone wants to watch it with everyone else! Doesn't matter whether you think they're cinema or not.

[@ammarbaagu]

@@paulelroy6650 why not watch any other movies when they came out on streaming services also then and not go to the cinema. as OP said, going to the cinema is expensive especially if you have families. Hence Cinema is not something you go casually, it is something you go to splurge. in that sense, MCU is usually a safe bet. It is usually fun, almost everyone watches it hence can be of importance in social interactions and gatherings, usually PG 13 hence kids can watch it, at worst an average movie and at best can be a cultural milestone hence a guaranteed worth of money and many more reasons. At least this is how i see it and what i observe from my friends and family. Almost everyone would go watch a marvel movie when it aired but wont even go near a cinema when there is no marvel movie

[@amaya.7967]

Now while I agree, I can say, as somebody who worked at a movie theater: it is absolutely needed for the first two weeks. Genuinely, have had people get angry that screenings were sold out or that they were at awkward times. This was all during Black Widow, one of the least liked Marvel movies ( I loved it, but people walked out of the theater ). I mean, my small theater was sold out for WEEKS. None of the other screens were getting attention.

[@sachitechless]

My sister works in a cinema and she was saying that smaller cinemas like the one she works in that are recently starting or aren't in very high traffic areas literally just can't afford to play anything but blockbusters anymore. The pandemic and Disney's rush to return to cinemas or other big franchise films like Top Gun or Jurassic World have literally destroyed people's interest in seeing other things at theatres alongside people's hesitance about leaving the house post-lockdown. If their local cinema isn't showing the movie they want to see, they don't have the effort to go find another cinema to watch at.

[@AshCRich]

Man, I love Marvel and always will, but slowly realising that I’m supporting something that is slowly destroying my biggest passion is heartbreaking. I just feel very hopeless.

[@NathanSpies]

I’d rather have 70 screenings for Sonic 2 or Jurassic World Dominion

[@platonymous]

Jurassic world should not exist. Feels just as soul less as marvel.

[@bonaparte6431]

It’s extra funny to me bc in my opinion, everything everywhere all at once was a better multiverse movie than DS2 and the Northman was a better action movie than DS2!

[@majidwahid7793]

Finally someone says it. Disney has ruined everything, and the MCU is not the greatest thing since sliced bread. We need another American new wave. No green screens please.

[@iheartdelrey]

The Northman was amazing. It's sad it didn't do so well at the box office.

[@megandoherty7004]

This is so prominent. I was absolutely disgusted that both cinemas near me had ONE film back to back throughout the weekend. There is so many things coming out - but you can't watch them because it was all Fkn Dr Strange 2. I'm sorry its not even that good, and if you have one free weekend you don't even have the chance to watch it because there are like 80 screenings of the same film.

[@theilluminatibenefactor]

It's Marvel, they're the biggest superhero movie studios in the entire world now. What do you expect?

[@justemrys]

I was so excited to see Everything Everywhere All at Once in cinemas but for *SOME REASON THERE HAS NOT BEEN A SINGLE SCREENING ANYWHERE NEAR ME* so now I'm going to have to wait for a VOD release :(

[@segaspice4062]

The MCU burnt me out so much, I've been watching other films like The Batman, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, etc

[@charlesj.easleyii7642]

Marvel is the McDonald's of cinema. It's uninspired mass-production

[@starvalentine2956]

When I was working at a movie theater, I remember when Frozen 2 was supposed to come out the Disney company called us to ask if we had a specific stand for the movie up and we had yet to receive it so they told us that if we didn’t have it up in a week, they would pull Frozen 2 from being shown at our location.

[@addictivenews]

I agree with you you're legit preaching, I remember when Scorsese was complaining about marvel movies, at first I thought he was being a hater and a gatekeeper because Marvel films were doing well. But now I understand him, at this point Disney is just pushing these films for money and not the true art.

[@eternal_seokjin7441]

This is the abuse of the monopolistic mindset. Eliminating competition entirely by coercion and power. Don’t get me wrong I love MoM and Doctor Strange is my favorite MCU character. But Disney is such a shitty company in every realm, not only film industry, and it rlly stains their franchises.

[@jessxo4363]

Also the blatant disrespect people have in these screenings as a cinema worker, leaving the place looking like a bomb site and then customers being upset one of the 70 screenings isn’t ready in time

[@LegitCactus]

I wanted to see the Northman and didn’t. The reason was that on the second weekend I went to go watch it with some friends only to find out we couldn’t watch it in the “dolby digital” high res thing or whatever and I knew it was gonna be one of those movies you gotta view with that experience. Instead, all the dolby digital showings everywhere was only doctor strange and was only gonna be doctor strange for the next several weeks which really bummed me out to the point that I was just gonna wait to watch on my home entertainment set. Never thought about how much of a problem this was until this video

[@willyfafok]

Me when the title had words "Disney" and "Destroy movie theathers" : AGREEEDDD

[@lawstshane]

Without Disney the theaters would already be dead

[@willyfafok]

@@lawstshane nah man. Theathers was doing just fine without disney. The problem is that we had covid thats all.

[@lawstshane]

@@willyfafok not really they where doing ok , and then yea vivid made it worse but I’m covid more steaming deceives where made and more mivies released on streaming so that became the main way of seeing movies and before the pandemic Disney was still the only company keeping the theaters alive they could have eaisrelewsed the films on Disney plus but instead they pushed em back and did it in theaters

[@JellyFelly]

Looking at Kevin Feige standing in front of the wall of Marvel movies was such an icky moment. Like, we already know Disney built the MCU around brand recognition. It's not hard to fathom. But I mean, how fucking diabolical. The wealthiest media conglomerate on the planet does not care about how the product looks, only that it does the bare minimum to get people to consume it. They've found a way to pacify adult audiences and teach the next generation that objective of cinema is to go "Hey look at that! It's the trademarked character again, I know them!"

[@DANI_EXXTACY]

imagine having 70 screenings of this garbage film

[@IntiNikelaos]

Now imagine you live in a country like Bolivia where Bolivian movies usually last no more than one week in box office and you have to compete with Disney after the pandemic. The situation is so fucking sad 🙃

[@kyletheguyle5857]

Funnily enough a lot of people are bashing dr strange bc the Raimi-isms are so different from the typical MCU style and they were put off from it. It's a shame bc it's easily one of the best looking Marvel movies by far bc it actually has personality

[@stormtraitor6545]

I agree. I think Sam Raimi’s style keeps the MCU refreshing.

[@russ1422]

I love the MCU, but it would benefit greatly from hiring great directors like Raimi more often. Imagine if we got the Ant-Man directed by Edgar Wright instead of the one directed by Peyton Reed. Sadly, Disney won’t take any risks with Marvel.

[@kuusakat1308]

@@russ1422 Or like John Favreau and Shane Black on the Iron Man trilogy.

[@theilluminatibenefactor]

I agree with you guys. Sam Raimi really put much effort along with his team and the cast into making the first true horror MARVEL movie. That movie is titled, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." It's a fresh take and it isn't just your average Marvel movie where it's purely action.

[@theilluminatibenefactor]

Doctor Strange deserved this recognition, man, hence the 70+ screenings.

[@g.mitchell7110]

I haven't seen a move at the theater since 2019 (Avengers: Endgame), and that was mainly because I didn't want to be spoiled. Prior to that, I had all but given up on seeing movies in the theater, and at this point, I don't plan on going back ever. This is because watching movies at home is a much better experience than in the theater. First, there's the expense. I can buy a UHD or Blu-Ray of most movies for not much more than the cost of a movie night out, and that's going by myself. Add in a second person, and buying the UHD or Blu-Ray is significantly less. Much more important, though, is that watching a movie at home is a superior experience to watching it in the theater. My chair is more comfortable, my TV is plenty big enough, my seat is always in the sweet spot, and I can tune the surround sound volume to make it just right. Most importantly every time I went to the theater in the last decade, there was one or more people doing something to spoil the experience, or at least lessen the experience. At home, that is never an issue because I can ensure before I start that there will be no noise and no interruptions. I don't anticipate that I'll ever set foot in a movie theater again. The home experience hasn't just caught up, it's passed the theater experience.

[@youtubeobserver]

I wanted to see EEAAO and support it and the local Regal didn’t even have a single showing for it. It’s all Doctor Strange, Sonic 2 and Fantastic Beasts

[@emerald_blaze]

Its upsetting when i was forced to watch "everything everywhere all at once" in a fucking stinky side cinema because my central one did not have any showing... Sometimes i simply do not want the newest random disney movie...

[@corbinowens2437]

I'm always missing movies because my Regal will kick any non Disney, Marvel, Sony or WB movie out so damn fast. Sometimes they bring them back weeks after kicking them out. But most times they're there for like 1 week & that's it.

[@AnnoyingOllie]

tbh i was never rlly interested in going to the cinema or even watch TV before I got into Marvel/Star Wars

[@looney1023]

Okay but Ambulance was totally a crossover movie. Did you not hear those SICK references to Bad Boys and The Rock? Total Endgame level 'What is this, a crossover episode?' energy.

[@ambermccready1806]

Wanted to go see Everything Everywhere with friends but the only 2 showings it had were in a small art theater. My friend has loyalty points to AMC and wanted to see a movie in an AMC theater so we passed on it and went to see Sonic 2. Not even sure where to see EEAAO now bc I don’t know what streaming services it will get released on

[@mguo]

i agree with everything you say, but i’d also like to point out that covid is another big reason for theaters not doing so well. if it’s not a movie people are scared of being spoiled for, it’s much easier and _safer_ to just wait and watch it at home.

[@domme_lad818]

I live in New Zealand so the Northman came out 2 days ago for me, at the theater I work at we still have non-stop Dr Strange sessions and only one or two Northman sessions a day in our "luxury theaters" meaning if guests wanna see it, they have to fork out the massive amount of money to go into our luxury screenings and they don't have the option to get the cheaper ticket. We're not even showing Everything, Everywhere, All at Once aswell.

[@lindasmith320]

Disney took over Village Roadshow where my daughters acting course was being held

[@junilog]

Ugh I had this problem recently when I wanted to watch Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent but it was only showed for A SINGLE DAY here. What's worse is that they only played it like twice and they were early morning and late night, and I definitely had no time at all since that single day was in the MIDDLE of the week. While there were like two Marvel movies playing, Spiderman and Morbius IIRC.

[@IndyStudios]

i’ve been an mcu fan since day one when iron man came out in 2008. i can say wholeheartedly that i’ve at least like or loved 80% of marvel movies including doctor strange 2 and no way home. i also have loved star wars since I was a kid and i’ve loved what disney has done with star wars since the force awakens. but in my opinion, disney has to learn from their own movie. in spider-man no way home, aunt may says that with great power, there must also come great responsibility. disney has accumulated great power with these two franchises. they are all mostly solid movies and shows in my opinion and they have deserved the success they have earned because they put talented people behind these projects. but at some point, it’s gonna be too much for people. marvel should release no more than 4 movies in a year imo. i know that still sounds like a lot but i know they are planning to do more than that in a year at some point but i really think that will be the day where they start to see a decline in box office sales. i hope that disney sees that these smaller studios like A24 need more showings to keep movie theatres alive because we as audience members need the balance of popcorn movies and art house movies. too much of either of those movies is a bad thing and it’s up to studios like disney, universal, and warner bros to keep that balance with studios like A24, focus, amblim, and the other smaller studios. i love the mcu, i love star wars, but there has to be a balance

[@gunterdurden]

i remember wanting to watch the northman and my mother wouldn't let me, because the only screenings were at like 12 pm or later.

[@cherryspice1011]

as a former movie theater worker i absolutely agree

[@banterbanter1547]

It's also the only think keeping cinemas alive though

[@lawstshane]

Exactly without it streaming would just be the main way to watch films , cause films tend to perform way better on there if they r not block busters

[@MsAngrybutterfly]

I used to work in 3 different movie theaters as a kid, and I have a Cinemark Movie Pass membership, and I used to go to the movies at least once a month, but at one point it was probably weekly, and EVERY SINGLE MOVIE BEING A SUPERHERO MOVE has made me straight up stop going to the movies, not because I wanted to stop going to the movies, but because there's been nothing I want to see for so long I am totally out of the habit. I probably have over 20 movie credits saved up, and I was looking forward to getting to the movies again after the pandemic, but it's hard to get exited to go when you end up seeing crap like the live action Dumbo, just because it's a Tim Burton movie and it's utter garbage because everything is the same now.

[@RebeDrawsStuff]

This is how I feel here in my Mexican town. There are very very few screenings of "Everything Everywhere All At Once" because Disney decided to invade our local cinemas only to screen "Lightyear". If someone lives in Mexico City, there are more places to find the movie that this hypothetical person is interested in watching but for people (like myself) who live in a small town with only 3 or 4 proper cinemas, it's "Lightyear" or nothing. The other thing I dislike of the whole MCU films is that people need to watch like 10 movies from the saga before watching the most recent one. Yeah, I'm not watching anything. No ma'am.

[@HYSSTERIA]

Disney should just make their own theaters at this point

[@Matias-cx3wg]

Don’t know if this happened everywhere but I remember back in the day when Sucker Punch was premiered, they should have put it on IMAX but Disney wanted Mars Needs Moms to be featured instead and they didn’t allowed the local IMAX theater to show SP.(there’s only one currently in my country), otherwise they wouldn’t allowed them to feature Pirates of the Caribbean later that year.

[@176gumi]

top gun just changed everything

[@Yeezus2K]

No way was I gonna watch that at home for the first watch. The rumble and experience was so good thanks Tom for saving it for Cinema when it was done

[@AnimationFanboy2k4]

Disney fans watching this video be like: But without Disney, animation don't exist!

[@lawstshane]

No but theaters would be infact dead

[@jeancarlodelaluz6415]

I remember when I couldn't watch 1917 or yugioh dark side of dimensions in theaters cause there wasn't any screenings nearby. Closest was like an hour away in car and only had like 2 showings.

[@lanievangline637]

Disney is literally trying to take over entertainment slowly yet surely. The own ESPN, ABC, Lifetime, History, A&E, and FX. They own Hulu, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm. They have a massive ownership of what we watch day to day. They are like locust.

[@matty1452]

Disney only has a 50% stake in Lifetime, History and A&E and they have a 80% stake in ESPN while the remaining stakes are owned by Hearst.

[@victoriafeatherstone9442]

Hi karsten I watched The Northman in theatres this weekend!!!

[@nathanhills336]

It’s ironic that Ethan Hawke interview clip is played at the end, with him saying people can and should absorb how a movie is for them, when literally minutes earlier, you dogged on blockbuster films creating hype “for one week.” The reason people go to see movies like No Way Home is to be entertained, to feel happiness, which is exactly what Ethan was talking about in that last segment. When I saw Andrew Garfield back as Spider-Man, my whole day lit up. I was finally able to see my favorite iteration of Spider-Man return and it made me happy. And after, I absorbed the film and accessed what it is for me. I just wanted to say this to clear things up.

[@moonwhooper]

Cameos shouldn't be a selling point of a movie.

[@lechonkfrompokemon9513]

I loved The Northman so much, best movie of 2022 so far in my opinion. It hurts me to know it doesn't get the recognition it deserves because of all this.

[@plnkblue]

As someone who works in a movie theater, my heart goes out to anyone who had to keep up with cleaning theaters on that kind of schedule.

[@anuraglakshminarayan4559]

Another example is Dec 2021..both Licorice Pizza and Nightmare alley dropped… only to be completely overshadowed by Spider man

[@rl8259]

Almost like people care more about Spider-Man

[@leatorrisi8468]

Wonderful video! You made a great point for the situation in the United States, but (there's a but) in other parts of the world (I'm italian) we don't get as much movies: I'm dying to watch Everything Everywhere All At Once, but in Italy it won't be released until *TBD*. We don't have those many movies, and when we have them, we have them super late so in the mean time we go watch Disney movies instead. It's the only way to be talking about the same stuff as you people

[@wouterschreuder7414]

in the netherlands you have to go to one of the 5 major movie theatres in the country to see something like the northman its sad

[@JeffreyDeCristofaro]

Disney, just... fucking... STOP!!! It's bad enough that you're ruining IPs, but that we can't have enough variety in films due to you hogging multiple theaters and not allowing other filmmakers to have their work shown is just plain criminal apathy and avarice!!! You can't go on like this forever - like every empire in history, you WILL collapse!!!

[@jmannUSMC]

I used to be big into Marvel movies, then I went back to watch some of them and realized they are at best "meh" and mostly bad.

[@wehttam_1]

I like how when theaters were first opening back up Disney was saying that they were going back to theaters and weren’t gonna keep everything on streaming which I thought was a really good thing… then I realized it was just another way to monopolize the market

[@darthyoda8170]

Top Gun:Maverick was legendary,very refreshing

[@Wintermute01001]

Is Disney destroying movie theaters? No. Netflix destroyed movie theaters. Disney, whether you like them or not, saved movie theaters by creating some of the few big franchise films that make people want to see them as soon as possible, even if they have to go outside and pay more.

[@johans3164]

But we gotta blame Disney and Marvel now. We gotta criticize them always and whine about it constantly

[@Indeeee]

Ikr

[@ReyNugraha-tc1tr]

For the first time in my country iirc, currently the domestic movie is the one that dominated the box office (and on its way to breaking box office records) rather than an MCU movie. What's crazy is that the former came out 5 days earlier and it is still perform better than the latter, even now.

[@leagueofme9426]

8:06 I agree but these movies aren’t trying to do that. They’re trying to be fun and entertaining and you can’t really blame them for that if they’re at least well made

[@leagueofme9426]

@@usernameonutube I agree. I just believe that saying all movies should be wildly different and creative is wrong. Like the Fast the Furious franchise. They are dumb action shlock, but they know that and use it to their advantage. I do agree what Disney is doing is wrong. But that’s not the movies fault. It Disney’s

[@marrodc]

I agree with your point that Disney's and Marvel's monopoly on the box office is a big issue that is harming cinema as an art form, but I think that another major problem right now is the price of going to the theater to watch a movie. Like, an HBO Max subscription for a month is cheaper than a movie ticket in most places. So most people know that they can just wait a month to watch whichever movie they want, buy a monthly subscription to a streaming service, and watch the movie they want as well as a shit ton of other content, as many times as they want, and with as many people as they'd like for a month and for a lesser price than a movie ticket. I know that it could also have a terrible effect if still not enough people showed up to watch movies like "The Northman" because then those movies would make even less money and it would only 'confirm' to executives that blockbusters are the only valuable movies, but I still think it could help those 'artsy' movies out because maybe more casual viewers would be more willing to give non-blockbuster movies a chance if it didn't cost as much to watch a movie they aren't certain they're going to like.

[@RareCinephile]

Scorsese’s right. Films are turning into theme park rides.

[@HerreraAlonso]

Be prepared for avengers 5 spiderman vs Gungalorg part 3 Zero universe

[@louisgagnon7005]

I tried to go watch the Northman at my local theatre earlier this month and was shocked to see that the only screening room that showed it had switched to the newly released doctor strange movie. This was one of three rooms screening multiverse of madness… The Northman had been out for 2 weeks…

[@Hgh38]

tbh it didn't do well in box office

[@rodrigomatosopecanha1035]

"You can't blame people for liking what they like" you can ask the question that, if people are so diverse, why do most like the same things when it comes to films? "Why do we like what we like" is not a question that puts blame in anyone but still raises the same discussion. You could argue that it's a natural culmination of globalization through online presence in social media, you could ask what language of film are we taught so that the taste is not very different from one person to the other. Are we taught, are we naturally inclined or are we under an artistic anesthesia that consumes content only? If we're free to like what we like, why do most people like the same things that benefit the same big companies? Will we just accept that as natural and state that free will is behind it? It seems not a lot of people are inclined to use their free will and instead freely accept the will of big companies. They're not to blame, but then who is and why so? So I ask: why do people like what they say they like? This is basic hysteria. I always use the example of my older brother: he doesn't understand ANY film when the characters are not explicitly speaking things, and he's not dumb. I don't say this as a "let's get out of the cave" Plato situation, because I also know people that are aware of the cave and DON'T CARE because they don't know how to not like it and be caught up in it. So how did this process come about, how did it end up like this; why do we like what we like? A lot is said about big techs but we sure need to but disney as the leading villain here. And it really ain't about wanting everything to be artsy, I want entertainment, I want a film I don't know and discover someone knew, I want a film I don't need to have watched 60 hours of other content, I want anything else but definitely not a big company limiting my options, that is using free will, and marvel fans are not concerned with the exercise of my free will (I'm serious, some close friends laugh at our free will on this)

[@themoley91]

Disney is making this happen too by funneling movies like Turning Red and the new Chip and Dale one that aren't even arthouse at all and previously would have been obvious hits in theatres straight onto Disney+. Plus putting all of their Fox Searchlight films straight on Hulu. They're setting up this expectation themselves that "it's not worth going to a theatre for anything but Marvel Blockbuster #324234 so subscribe to our service for the rest!" It sucks. I used to work at a theatre and Disney was the only studio that would make you pay upfront to show movies. Every other studio, you split the revenue afterwards, but Disney required upfront payment for Avengers etc. And this was when Netflix was the only streaming service and no movies other than theirs were going straight to streaming. Now Disney has cinemas over even more of a barrel because it's not like most theatres, other than the handful of arthouses out there, are in a position to say "no, we're going to program a variety of interesting films instead" and refuse Doctor Strange on ten screens, because they need the money to survive. In my town we have a 24-screen multiplex that you used to be able to watch smaller movies at, because they'd be showing the big stuff but could also program other stuff in their smaller rooms, but now by my count they have Doctor Strange alone on half their screens, and it was more than that in the first week. (They also started showing Indian films, because I guess those communities still come out to theatres, which is kinda cool.) I love movie theatres and I just want to go back to pre-pandemic/pre-streaming wars. Almost all of my most memorable movie experiences have been for movies that might not even release to theatres anymore: indie sleeper hits, horror movies, bad B-tier movies, comedies. Even movies like La La Land or The Shape of Water would probably struggle in theatres now. Even if things are going to come out on streaming first, I'd like the opportunity to choose to see them in a theatre even if most people watch at home, but Disney especially is determined to not let that happen so they can make as much money as possible.

[@gtd9536]

If you're tired of MCU, DC, Star Wars, read comics instead and rediscover your lost childhood imagination. Here's a few I recommend: Monstress, Snot Girl, Nowhere Men, East of West, Black Monday Murders, Southern Bastards, Fence, Trees, Elephantmen, God Hates Astronauts, Curse Words, Isola, Saga, Descender, Injection, Wayward, the list goes on.