On this week’s episode, Sonny Bunch (The Bulwark), Alyssa Rosenberg (The Washington Post), and Peter Suderman (Reason) discuss the $2.2 billion in improvements to movie theaters, which are looking to add more premium screens and more … ziplines and pickleball courts? What could go wrong! Then they review Wolfs, which hits AppleTV+ on Friday and had a limited run in theaters last weekend. We mostly avoided spoiler talk in this episode since the movie isn’t widely accessible yet, and Sonny ranted for a bit about why it’s not widely accessible yet. Make sure to swing by Friday for our bonus episode on Brad Pitt and George Clooney, the stars of Wolfs. And if you enjoyed this episode, make sure to share it with a friend!
The thing is, movie theaters used to be really good at being attractions in and of themselves. All those absurd, over-the-top Chinese and Egyptian theaters, where the architecture itself was part of the attraction. When movie theaters felt like you were really going somewhere, the experience was literally built in. The Redford here in Detroit survives from that era and it’s just a joy to go there (that it’s a revival house also helps). Making theaters just like another living room, and now another living room where pizza delivery is slightly quicker, is just going down the road to further obsolescence. If you want to add a bar to a theater, make it a full-blown tiki bar and Polynesian kitsch the hell out of the entire building. I’d be there every week.
While I agree that most just feel like another living room...the only thing special, is the floors are sticly. There is an "experience" type theatre in my town with task chairs and high top tables. Its been like this for 15 years. It looks like a cheesy jungle ride at an amusement park. What the heck? What is comfy about work chair. I spend all day dreaming about getting work done efficiently (in my task chair) so that I can enjoy my down time even more! I want a full blown wide reclining chair with butt warmers and a fan (accommodations for 4-season weather changes) and cocktail service. But speaking of cocktail service, what's with the terrible drinks made with cheap alcohol and cost more than the movie ticket? That just makes me want to stay home and make my own amazing tiki drink and sip it while still in my pjs.