In my opinion, Hollywood must modernize in how it produces films for modern audiences. We’re living through an era of authenticity and reality being far more appealing than scripted entertainment — mostly. There are obvious exceptions to the rule. It would be an exciting time for storytelling if there was an industry that welcomed it. I am not seeing that when I look at what Hollywood has become. I’m seeing an industry in a defensive crouch, like an aristocracy beating back the peasants who demand more from them.
The industry bows to the mob because the mob isn’t just a gaggle of internet scolds anymore. Many of those scolds have platforms and many of them work at high-minded outlets, all with the power to embarrass those at the top. So rather than suffer the humiliation of public shaming, they instead are too careful. And that, I’m sad to say, has led to bland content people figure they can catch at home in a few weeks when it finally lands.
Deadline announces new technology to seduce audiences back into the theater:
With the curtain soon to go up on CinemaCon, and as theaters look to add more lucrative premium formats in a still shaky market, AMC Entertainment and CJ 4DPLEX have partnered on 65 premium ScreenX and 4DX locations worldwide.
Some 40 4DX theaters and 25 ScreenX theaters will debut across key AMC and Odeon locations across the U.S. and Europe starting this summer.
CJ 4DPLEX is the leading producer of premium film formats and cinema technologies. AMC is the largest theatrical exhibitor. This is their first global partnership and will deliver the ScreenX and 4DX experience to AMC’s U.S. locations for the first time.
Here is a video from one year ago. You have to admit, it’s very cool.
It more or less combines the experience of gaming and brings it into the theater much, much bigger. Why stop there, honestly. Why not make it fully immersive – on the ceiling, on the floor, etc. You could sit inside the experience like an egg. Either way, I’d go out and pay to something like this.
But I still think the problem is systemic — Hollywood has forgotten how to tell good stories because they’ve been in the business of trying to fix their audiences for so long. Once they remember to tell stories for everyone the movies will get better. Here’s hoping.
