My husband and I have been attending the live Met operas in HD at the multiplex. After a couple of very crowded sessions with people crammed into 1 mini-theater they now open 2 of them on Saturday afternoons, and there are Xeroxed program notes and a general sense of welcome. Most of those attending are older folks. It is a great communal experience, and we do applaud along with the live crowd.
Of course, applauding a movie is a holdover from applauding live performers.... Judy From: videolib-boun...@lists.berkeley.edu [mailto:videolib-boun...@lists.berkeley.edu] On Behalf Of Susan Albrecht Sent: Monday, April 11, 2011 10:20 AM To: videolib@lists.berkeley.edu Subject: Re: [Videolib] NY Times article on movies as a shared experience Susan adds: Makes me think about my January visit to Keystone Art Cinema in Indy, to see The King's Speech with my daughter. I cannot tell you the last time I was part of an audience which burst into spontaneous applause at the end of a film. Not that TKS wouldn't have still been wonderful, viewed alone, but there was definitely something magical and, like you said, Jessica, electric, in watching it with others. Jessica: >>> I could not agree with this article more, but I think a bit too much >>> emphasis is placed in the article on the first run movie experience.. Most >>> of us will be the last generation to remember the joy of seeing old movies >>> & art movies at a rep theater, library, college or film society. I am very >>> old school. I rarely watch a film on DVD and I spent my off time going to >>> weird little gatherings of old and mostly obscure films shown mostly in >>> hotel banquet rooms. I argue often with friends who brag about watching >>> some film they found on an illegal ( or heck legal) download. I get >>> physically ill watching commercials advertising the latest cell phones >>> showing movies on 1 inch screen. I am not a purist on format though I still >>> love 16mm & 35mm prints. I am less worried about losing the social >>> elements of film going like waiting in line or making a night of it, than I >>> am the experience of seeing a film with a group of other people, most of >>> whom you don't know. I can remember going to see THE THIRD MAN, I KNOW >>> WHERE I AM GOING, IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER and others here in New York. I >>> had actually seen all of them several times before, but it was and is >>> special to see them with others, especially people who have NOT seen them. >>> There is genuine electricity in the room. We have gotten "access" to probably tens of thousands of films via legal or illegal means while losing the entire experience of film going. Getting a DVD to watch on your lap top or even your home theater system of a previously rare or hard to see film is not remotely the same as seeing it in a theater and it is in fact NOT better than not seeing it all in my view. It is very, very sad.<<< Dennis Doros <milefi...@gmail.com<mailto:milefi...@gmail.com>> wrote: >>> This is definitely how I feel when we talk about the digital future. That >>> in return for easy access, we've given up the wonder of (and complete >>> attention to) the experience. I just asked my son about seeing silent >>> comedies at the Castro last year. He does realize how special that was. <<<
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
