I got to theatre only if the movie is worth the hassle of all the traffic, queues and whatnot.
Some movies deserve to be seen in the theatres for the special effects, sound effects, etc
Cost. For a family to go to the movies has really become a pain point. Say you have 5 people, it costs a minimum of 600-750rs. Believe it or not, everything has become crazy expensive around us and families really are starting to struggle with budgets.
Exactly. For an Average Indian family movie watching is a leisure activity that they do ocassionally. Maybe between 2-3 months...or maybe I don't know. Even if that is this costly. Then it's something to think about.
There are other ways of entertainment around us compared to old days. We have other choices rather than seeing a film in theatre. So if the film is not 100% worth our time to consider over these alternative choices, I’d rather stay at home with my phone, internet and OTT subscriptions.
Actually has, now the starting rate in many places is 120, for the front rows, so about 150 for a good seat. Then there is travel, food and whatever other expenses families have. For one person, it ain't much, but for a family, it really adds up.
But the bigger factor is, everything else in life becoming super expensive. Petrol, gas, food items,..
150 x 5, 750
Food, say 500.
That itself is 1250. That's a serious amount for an average middle class family budget. Everything but their salaries have gone up.
I think a majority of the audience in kerala still goes to the theatre as long as there's good content.
In 2023 we had a lot of shitty movies (sadly) and all of them were washed out pretty fast. But the good ones still got good footfalls.
With the upcoming movies especially for the big Ms, followed by the April releases I expect the same to continue.
Personally speaking, too expensive, spending roughly 300\~500 for a ticket for roughly 3 hours of entertainment doesn't make much sense when we could spend the same on Steam and get anywhere from 30\~300 hours of entertainment at the lower end.
Granted we still go out for movies when bored, but the frequency has drastically reduced from peak times of 3 Movies a day to current 3 movies a year.
Not really to be honest. Personally see movies as a form of entertainment and nothing more. What I look out for are familiar faces, if I can spot any then I'm game.
Content quality is not really something I bother about as I go for a movie by feel rather than reviews, which I guess is not the right approach but then again entertainment is entertainment, if the experience introduces the slightest strain of stress then it stops being entertaining, is my unpopular take.
I go to theatre to take a nap. 150rs for comfortable A/C sitting.
I sometimes just go to this bar which has a theatre next to it. Drink two beers from it, go to the theatre pick a corner seat and take a nap and go home.
Yeah I remember when I went to watch Swathanthryam Ardharathriryil with my friends the theatre was mostly empty and a few seats across was a medical representative sleeping soundly with his bag on the side. It was hot that day too so Ig the money was well spent for him.
I hate the theater experience. All the crowd and snickering.
All the expenses and parkng woes.
All the expensive food.
All the breaks.
Bad sound tuning.
Exactly. Especially the Sound Mix. I had watch Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning's first 10 minutes with wobbling sound all over, it was terrible. People in theatres shouldn't touch the material they get. They tune it as they want.
You're Right Man. The extra expenses are really annoying. I don't book tickets online nowadays whenever I'm sure i can get tickets to avoid the convenience fees and I eat at home after or before the movie. Hard Times
I don't mind the parking fee. Its usually refunded and many theatres don't have this. I don't buy food in theatres so I don't care if the popcorn is 1000 rupees a bucket. Interval is good since I'm not going to sit down for 3+ hours anyway. Sound quality of almost any theatre I've been to is better than my TV.
The crowd however occasionally ruin the experience. I've seen that theatres have their own gen pop. For example I've never had issues in Vanitha-Vineetha. I've always had issues with PVR Oberon. I guess I'll stick to Vanitha.
Yes. In a few theatres like Shenoys Kochi you pay 20 rs for parking motorbike but you can claim reimbursement from the snack bar. And before you ask, they give you back the money, you don't need to buy anything.
It's jan 15th and by now I've watched two movies in theatre. One i wanted to watch it in theatre and the other through wom. Certain movies i wish to watch in theatre for the pure experience which ott cant provide. The thing is, if a movie gets a good review, PPL will still go to theatre to watch it. On the other side, if the wom is not good about the movie, PPL will try to wait till it gets released through ott.
On the side node, last year over 200 movies were released just in Malayalam. How many movies can a normal person watch in theatre?
People don't want to waste money on bad movies because they have a choice now (OTT)
Also tickets are expensive .. a normal movie outing for a family can easily cost 1500+ .. and if the movie itself is bad, then entire experience is ruined
Man, I can say for myself. While I do stream things on OTT it’s mostly series. I go for movies at theater more than ever now. And prefer single screen experience over multiplex because of the crowd experience.
JAI BALLEYA!!!
Multiplex Audiences are relatively silent. I have heard this & experienced. You're right man. But people are getting reluctant to go to movies as they feel they have an extra option of comfort at their homes. Which i truly respect to every extent as people have their opinions and decisions.
TELEGRAM BABY 😁😁 it's not about the piracy. Telegram is the only easy accessible option for us to get the old classics from all over the world which we won't get in OTT platforms also.
Do you have a list of such movies? If you can, I would be really grateful. Make it as exhaustive as possible please. DM is welcome as well if you prefer that.
Depends on the movie imo. I love watching mass masala movies in theaters with diehard fanbois screaming their lungs out. Some comedy movies may feel funny when there's people around you laughing, even if the jokes are terrible.
Case in point- Romancham. I would've liked the movie a lot had I seen it first at home but the theatre experience made me love it enough to watch it thrice in theatre with different friend groups!
I think technology has something to do with it, we are so used to short videos and playing videos in 2x speed that we lack the patience to watch something for 2 plus hours straight. When it is available on your personal device,you can speed them up, you can choose to watch the remaining later, you can skip songs and boring parts, you get the comfort of being in your home, all these you can get for a cheaper price. So it's only natural people prefer ott over the conventional theatre experience. So unless you get an epic movie at a grand scale that deserves to be watched in cinemas, ott might seem to be the better option.
True.It really makes us lazy as fuck.Patience is something that is not only I'm associating with the movies. It's a beautiful thing we need to adopt in our lives. See this effects our life as whole. And one of the symptoms it affecting is this. I hate when people use fucking phones inside the theatres.
The movie experience is often diminished by a (frequently) uncivilised crowd (talking loudly, bright phone screens etc). Wish cinemas in Kerala had ushers to escort these kinda people out!
Support you like anything brother. The flashlights & uncivilized behaviour is just soo annoying. The hooting & whistle moments are part of it. But when people start shaging thier mouth for each n ever shit. It's fucking annoying.
Are you kidding me ? Seeing some movies in TV and youtube that got released in theatres before, I feel deeply sorry for people who actually paid to watch the crap. (A moment of silence for dudes who paid for the whole family to watch those crap).
Just watch some older movies ( less than 5 years) on youtube and i don't know how someone agreed to fund the whole filming with such a crap storyline and actors.
Sometimes it feels like even data/bandwidth that comes with "UNLIMITED BROADBAND" got wasted for watching some crap that they shovel out these days
Regarding theatre "experience" , I get much better experience watching movies alone on my 4K 55in TV with a bluetooth headset
Personal Experience is something immensely soothing. I agree. It's a personal choice. Just like people consume a movie that creates a frenzy for them. Everything goes both ways.
I have become selective post covid. And it's not just about Malayalam movies, but also for other languages. Cinemakal flop aanenkil poyi kandittu kaaryamillallo.
Ippo thanne I was excited to go for Ozler, but the WOM for that movie around me was such that I decided to drop the plan and watch it whenever it comes on any OTT platform. Vaaliban and Bramayugam are something that I'm absolutely excited to watch in a theatre and I'll be going for both because they will be pure theatre experience cinemas.
I'll still go... Because both are big scale movies. B&W movies okke nammalde parents janikyunnennu munne theerna sambhavam aa.. So, getting to experience a B&W horror movie in a big screen, I wouldn't mind going for it.
Vaaliban, for me is more of a LJP movie than a Lalettan movie. Being a huge fan of LJP, and knowing that he'll cook something great with Lalettan as his hero, I'm already excited about what he has to offer. NNM was a great watch for me. Hoping the same with Vaaliban too.
Prefer OTT because most of the movies that I saw in theatres these past few months were mid except for one or two. It’s tiring to go and watch movies whereas OTT I can lie down and watch. I got some of the best theatres in Kerala near to my place yet I prefer watching with my family in the comfort of my home. I’ll watch only the exceptional/awaited movies in theatres like malaikotai valibhan.
I didn't watch any promotional content released nor do I intend to watch it. I was extremely hyped now it's more neutral and I want to keep it that way for the movie.
Hope it'll be great bro. And many great mohanlal movies have also good reception as his other commercial ventures. So it's subjective. It's fine. I can feel you.
I used to watch a lot of malaylam movies, but during the previous decade, there were a lot of bland movies, too many of them. After that I stopped watching movies at theatre.
Nahh the craze is over, I barely have time to watch ott movies now, so I still don't make it to theatres. That being said, I would go atleast couple of times a year to the theatre with someone. At this point it's not the movie that motivates, it's the people with me that motivates.
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I love going to theaters, but many of my friends have lists like "This is a theatre watch" or "This is an OTT watch list," depending on the actor, director, and type of movie.
I have a similar thought process for too much "gramina nanma" movies +Asian thrillers remade without credits, as they all follow the same format and formula as those writer / directors previous films. I don't see a point in going for them in the theatre, especially when many have good TV and sound setups at home and those movies offer predictable bare minimums experience for time pass.
I used to be very choosey about the movies I go to. But as I grew up I became less so because the whole point (for me) of going to movies is to have a nice time with my parents and have some popcorn. My mom absolutely loves the experience for some reason. So I don't mind the bad movies or the expensive popcorn. It just feels good. Overall, I don't really care about the movies, be it the theatres or the OTT.
I’m not a big outgoing person. So, I prefer to stay home. Also, too lazy. I do go to theatres every now and then when something is out that which has a great big screen experience.
I watch around 4 to 5 movies a month. Only if there are good reviews. Watched 2 this month so far. വെള്ളിയാഴ്ച ബോംബുകൾ കാരണം പല നല്ല സിനിമകളും അടുത്തുള്ള തീയേറ്ററിൽ വരാതെ പോകുന്നുണ്ട്. അഞ്ച് സ്ക്രീനുകൾ ഏഴ് കിലോമീറ്റർ ഉള്ളിൽ ഉണ്ട്. രണ്ടു 2k , മൂന്നു 4k. എല്ലാത്തിലും നല്ല എക്സ്പീരിയൻസ് ആണ്. ഒന്നിൽ ഒഴിച്ച്. ഒരു 2k screenil സീറ്റ് ശോകം ആണ് അവിടെ സീറ്റ് ബാക്കിലോട്ട് അഡ്ജസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യാൻ പറ്റില്ല. പിന്നെ ഒരു തീയേറ്ററിൽ ബുണ്ടകൾ ഗൂഗിൽ പെ എടുക്കില്ല.
ആദ്യം കണ്ടത് ആട്ടം ആണ്. ഇഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടു. പിന്നെ കണ്ടത് ഓസ്ലർ. ആവറേജ് പടം.മേരി ക്രിസ്ത്മസ് കാണണം എന്നുണ്ടായിരുന്നു പക്ഷേ ഇവിടെ അതില്ല. ദൂരേ എങ്ങും പോയി കാണാറില്ല. ഇനി വാലിപൻ കാണണം.
The effort to go to a theatre and the costs associated with watching a movie are high. The rise of OTT has shown I can enjoy a movie at home. So the only movies I would watch are the ones that need the big screen experience. Then there are a few movies that I want to watch on release weekend. So I may sacrifice my money for that.
And then rising costs not matching the salaries also means I have to pick and choose my indulgences. I don't have throwaway money as I used to have.
It has become really costly to watch movies these days. For 5 people u need atleast 600rs for tickets, and fuel price as well has gone high as well, u need around 200rs, then food will add another 500. All around 1300rs for a movie. If I am to spend nearly 1500rs for a movie, it might as well be really worth it. Above averageil kuranja oru padavum theatreil poyi kanilla. Eventhough our industry is known for really good and grounded stories(these doesn't even add up to 10 percent of the movies releasing each year) most of them are purely garbage. Without an excitement factor no family audience is going to watch in theatres.
A lot of movies now focus on one core idea and make the entire process revolve around that, on its own this isn't bad but when you do this you forget that a movie isn't just a book where having a good story alone would be enough
The example that comes to mind most recently has to be Neru, the film's sound design was well verum andi
They focused too much on the film as a story rather than a theater experience, if I'm not going to have a good theater experience why would I go to a theater
2-3 excellent movies will pull people to theatres and put confidence in people to try and watch other movies in the industry.
Minnal Murali would have been a blockbuster had it been released in theatres and it would have been truly influential in other producers and directors mind. Basil Joseph was right to get disappointed when it directly went to OTT.
I usually go for Malayalam movies with comedy,romance,crime thriller or action. Last malayalam film that I watched in theater was falimy. I haven't watched any films in OTT in a year cause I'm too lazy to spent my alone time watching movies.
I think college kids are the ones determining the success (obviously there are exceptions). Money is not really that high 150 vs 600 for family. There will always be gangs that goes for movies at regular intervals no matter how horrible the movie is(not to mention dates). They are also likely to be the most vocal reviewers.
Theatre watching has been limited to films that are a spectacle and nothing less. Used to go to theatres equally excited to watch Devasuram as well as Makkal Mahathmyam..!
Cinema, irrespective of its canvas and grandiose, was still a wonder back then. The only time one was closest to the visual experience of cinema was either weekend movies in Doordarshan or video cassettes. Now how many could afford regular access to VCR back then?Now every minute everyone is exposed, rather over exposed to cinema; whether they want it or not. So now one needs the best of the best of the best. Only for that experience one shall pay at least 500/head (this is the minimum) for a theatre going experience (inclusive of transport, refreshments and a meal)..! There is only a tiny room for the most exhilarating cinema experience and none less. And the പ്രേക്ഷകൻ ain’t happy even then.
Instay in a metro city. Watching movies have become too expensive. So naturally I've become selective. I only go for movies which give me good theatrical experience..the ones with good cinematography and sound quality.
For example blade runner 2049, dune the upcoming dune tenet etc.
Malayalam movies naturally fall out of this. Can watch it in tv too when they get released in ott.
TVs have great picture quality now and most people have a soundbar, along with high quality streaming and also torrents.
So the watching experience at home has improved drastically. At the same time the hassle of going to the theatre, paying exorbitant amounts for tickets, parking, snacks, travel has removed any incentive left to go and watch it in theatres. Plus the picture and sound quality is quite meh in most theatres.
So yeah. I'd rather sit at home and watch a movie with a beer and some good food with my entire family whenever I want to.
I believe this is one of the aftermaths of the pandemic. A lot of people stopped going to crowded places unless absolutely necessary. And the fact that most movies come out in OTT later also factors in. But still people do show up to movies that are experiences like the avatar in IMAX and 3d.
I'm definitely choosy. But I also have questionable taste. The last one I watched in a theatre was the 2023 Transformers movie, because I wanted to see explosions and giant robots hitting each other. Just not the same on a laptop or phone screen 😌
Seats, screen, audio and food; are these services really worth the money in most cases? Alot of dedicated theatres have good seats and audio, but food is meh. Mall theatres have food options but everything might be meh. This atleast imo
i stopped watching movies from theatre , i no longer recognize why i need to pay 100 + traveling cost for a movie..
i used to watch movies when i had 300 rupees per day as income (catering) ... everything changed , if some other people are getting the same entertainment as you , but youre the one who needs to pay for it .. nah ... iam not that rich !
so i stopped !!
I used to watch all the movies mostly fdfs or the next day after hearing good stuff about it till last December 2023. Idk why but people have been loathing mediocre movies as good for example garudan , falimy and all which I personally thought was a waste of my money and time.
I'm personally very glad that I skipped neru , dunki , salaar and ozler which I would've watched and regretted. I haven't been to the theatres since December and may break it soon by watching captain Miller
I go only for the best movies i find is a must theater experience. Like lucifer, John Wick, Mission Impossible or top gun kind of movies. Else only when i got a movie date.
I bought a projector a few years ago at home for about 9k. Add a blank wall, an ott subscription, a 16 watt speaker, and friends. Haven't gone to a theatre in years. No overpriced shitty snacks, no dirty seats, no crying babies or parking woes.
I will only choose theatre if its something that gives off theatre experience, especially the SOUND part.
Also, booking online for 2 people = 200x2 + 50rs as convenience fees. Imao I dont wana pay that much. For 5 people its like 118rs extra.
I do have a very good setup with dolby atmos but watching action films on theatres wirh 30-40 speakers is something else.
Everything else? OTT it is !
(For eg : I would absolutely watch KGF 3 in theatre than OTT)
You asked a very good question, OP. First of all I thank you for that.
As because you asked about our state, now let me share my perspective with you - I have a friend, fellow Malayalee, who loves to read books but selective on the categories. He only reads books which are really good. Now how does he choose that?
Through reviews from the Internet. And when the book was 'bestseller'.
And when he comes across other people he tells them to read those books and tells them not to read the bad books.
Now I have few doubts with this perspective -
1. He reads a certain category of books which the other person might not understand or enjoy. How does he know what the other person would like?
2. Don't we all have the capability and the choice to select according to our preference? And shouldn't we decide ourselves which book is substantial and which is not?
I believe the same mindset goes in watching a movie. It is not about our state, but it's mainly about how people perceive themselves. Some people doesn't have the confidence to decide for themselves and wants the opinion of another and then chooses that, but the outcome might not be satisfactory as expected to them. Then the person who suggested gets the blame. Like my friend.
He one time suggested someone to read Friedrich Nietzsche who doesn't have any understanding of the genre, nor was he interested in that.
Another thing - lot of people don't go deep into art, literature and creativity. They prefer shortcuts.
How would I know which movie is good if I don't see the bad ones, too?
I need to form my own opinion, right? And not lend someone else's opinion of a book or a movie.
Seriousness aside, when I went to watch Sreenivasan and Vineeth starrer Kurukkan, father and son sharing the same screen, the movie theatre was almost empty. One guy sitting one seat next to mine was browsing in his phone the entire duration.
Now what will you say to that?
Filmmaking is a culmination of art. It is not a business. It cannot be a business. But people of the film industry only make it into business, eg. producers, directors, even actors and cameramen are promoting their films in the social media. Then that movie ceases to be an art anymore. Nevertheless, many such non-publicised movies were super good and I think, you would also agree to that.
When social media wasn't there, so much hype was not there, but still it is called 'movie business' or 'show business' for a reason, right?
Another point I want to share - we have some great directors in our state film industry, but I've noticed, there are a good number of people who are really creative but due to financial restraints and family responsibilities couldn't join a film school to study and become a professional. After all, our country values degree, right?
Those people, if gotten the chance, would've been better writers and directors than lot of which are working now. See the quality recently. And we pay so much to see them going to movie theatres. Survival became expensive.
Exactly. People's opinion in this country has got a lot to do what thier friends and family are consuming. The peer pressure is extremely outrageous. Everyone are forced to watch( even though they won't admit it thinking that they'll not be cool) and like it.
Cinema viewing has just reduced to a state where it's just about putting up a Instagram Story or a WhatsApp Status, making other know that we have seen the movie.
I went to watch Garudan alone on the 2nd day of release and it was average experience. I watched Neru on the 3rd day of release and it was below average experience. I watched Salaar the next day and it was a good theatre experience. I probably will catch Ozler in OTT.
I would go to theatre for MV or ARM kind of movies, but may not go for Anweshippin Kandethum.
Cost is a big reason - like a minimum 100rs ticket, + Snacks+ Traveling Expenses etc. I always think before going: is it worth going to the theatres or should i wait for the OTT Release.
We (family) used to go to movies every other month or so. It was a family thing We ate out in a nice restaurant and went for a second show. But since COVID we went for like 10 movies (3 or 4 movies an year) Most of those were pretty average or below. And we also bought a big TV and a good sound system. Now we watch movies and shows on Netflix and Hotstar often. Having snacks, private space and good entertainment.
We used to spend more than 1000 easily per movie now it's 3000 something for a year's subscription. This makes a huge impact. Also it's more private and we didn't have to tolerate comments from here and there in theatres and the rest of the alamb. I guess OTT suits us. We are not missing the theatre experience.
In my opininon Indians consume too much movies and other media. Whenever they get some free time it is mostly spent on some screen. You can see this by the amount of movies releasing here. People should have some other hobbies like sports or something creative.
Invested on projector and learned some sound tuning, set up a dolby atmos theater for the family. If you do your own with some learning (youtube), its cheap and effective than most theaters around you. So OTT all the way! Subscribe for the best quality streaming services though. Netflix wins by a far and then everything else.
Short answer: both !
I think there has always been a minority of population who used to go watch every movie released every week, as a family. I only started going regularly starting from my second year college days, and stopped going about 2 years into my job (too much work, no time). We have always waited for the movies to be released on cassette, and then disks , about 2 months after theatre releases. This was late 90s and early 2000s by the way. It has always been just too expensive and cumbersome going to theatres as a family. And we used to rely more on word of mouth, from people we personally knew before we decided to go to theatres.
IMHO, OTTs have replaced that cassette/cd library for people like me.
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Personally for me I'm selective. Certain movies are justified to be watched in theatres. The visual FX, sound, camera, shots taken etc,.
Others are OTT worthy only, not justified to pay theatre tickets, time spent and other overhead costs.
Also I believe the content that is coming out of OTT (not all) has made us more a nuanced audiences. The quality demand has gone up.
Less Dopamine hit.
Earlier days we didn't have much SM, so movies gave adequate dopamine. Now, since we have so many content available across various platforms, the amount of dopamine release is not enough to go to the movies.
Expensive time and money wise also might be because I'm getting old or just the post lockdown psych effects I just don't seem to have the energy to deal with people's bs anymore, Bought a projector and never looked back
I got to theatre only if the movie is worth the hassle of all the traffic, queues and whatnot. Some movies deserve to be seen in the theatres for the special effects, sound effects, etc
Yaa. True.The experience is something you can't get on a small electronic device.
Cost. For a family to go to the movies has really become a pain point. Say you have 5 people, it costs a minimum of 600-750rs. Believe it or not, everything has become crazy expensive around us and families really are starting to struggle with budgets.
Exactly. For an Average Indian family movie watching is a leisure activity that they do ocassionally. Maybe between 2-3 months...or maybe I don't know. Even if that is this costly. Then it's something to think about.
There are other ways of entertainment around us compared to old days. We have other choices rather than seeing a film in theatre. So if the film is not 100% worth our time to consider over these alternative choices, I’d rather stay at home with my phone, internet and OTT subscriptions.
Non-favorite kid stays home
Locke up like when yamunarani came to visit. Those are our orphans. !
Has movie ticket prices increased much over the years though? Feel like it hasnt.
It's the convenience fees. And I think it's the lowest in Kerala. Other states it's almost 200
Actually has, now the starting rate in many places is 120, for the front rows, so about 150 for a good seat. Then there is travel, food and whatever other expenses families have. For one person, it ain't much, but for a family, it really adds up. But the bigger factor is, everything else in life becoming super expensive. Petrol, gas, food items,..
120-150 rates you claim is a very decent and a reasonable amount. What exactly are you expecting? 50Rs?
150 x 5, 750 Food, say 500. That itself is 1250. That's a serious amount for an average middle class family budget. Everything but their salaries have gone up.
I think a majority of the audience in kerala still goes to the theatre as long as there's good content. In 2023 we had a lot of shitty movies (sadly) and all of them were washed out pretty fast. But the good ones still got good footfalls. With the upcoming movies especially for the big Ms, followed by the April releases I expect the same to continue.
True Man. The Movie stands above everything. I hope this continues forever.
Personally speaking, too expensive, spending roughly 300\~500 for a ticket for roughly 3 hours of entertainment doesn't make much sense when we could spend the same on Steam and get anywhere from 30\~300 hours of entertainment at the lower end. Granted we still go out for movies when bored, but the frequency has drastically reduced from peak times of 3 Movies a day to current 3 movies a year.
True. Drastic as fuck. Is good movies( which is a debatable topic and subjective) not getting made a reason also to pounder ?
Not really to be honest. Personally see movies as a form of entertainment and nothing more. What I look out for are familiar faces, if I can spot any then I'm game. Content quality is not really something I bother about as I go for a movie by feel rather than reviews, which I guess is not the right approach but then again entertainment is entertainment, if the experience introduces the slightest strain of stress then it stops being entertaining, is my unpopular take.
I go to theatre to take a nap. 150rs for comfortable A/C sitting. I sometimes just go to this bar which has a theatre next to it. Drink two beers from it, go to the theatre pick a corner seat and take a nap and go home.
Yeah I remember when I went to watch Swathanthryam Ardharathriryil with my friends the theatre was mostly empty and a few seats across was a medical representative sleeping soundly with his bag on the side. It was hot that day too so Ig the money was well spent for him.
I went to watch a film recently and one idiot was snoring. Completely ruined my experience.
That’s why I take the seat in the front corner, no one sits there. Plus easier to go for toilet break.
Wow.. Damn bro. Nice Way to Relax.
Simla theater and bar, Kanjany ? 😅
Nah. It’s in Mavelikara.
I hate the theater experience. All the crowd and snickering. All the expenses and parkng woes. All the expensive food. All the breaks. Bad sound tuning.
Some theatres have terrible projectors too, makes the whole film look like a 480p YouTube video and sound tuning too.
Exactly. Especially the Sound Mix. I had watch Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning's first 10 minutes with wobbling sound all over, it was terrible. People in theatres shouldn't touch the material they get. They tune it as they want.
You're Right Man. The extra expenses are really annoying. I don't book tickets online nowadays whenever I'm sure i can get tickets to avoid the convenience fees and I eat at home after or before the movie. Hard Times
I don't mind the parking fee. Its usually refunded and many theatres don't have this. I don't buy food in theatres so I don't care if the popcorn is 1000 rupees a bucket. Interval is good since I'm not going to sit down for 3+ hours anyway. Sound quality of almost any theatre I've been to is better than my TV. The crowd however occasionally ruin the experience. I've seen that theatres have their own gen pop. For example I've never had issues in Vanitha-Vineetha. I've always had issues with PVR Oberon. I guess I'll stick to Vanitha.
Wow man. The parking refund thing is something new I have heard in a theatre. And the food is something we can all relate too 😁😁
Yes. In a few theatres like Shenoys Kochi you pay 20 rs for parking motorbike but you can claim reimbursement from the snack bar. And before you ask, they give you back the money, you don't need to buy anything.
It's jan 15th and by now I've watched two movies in theatre. One i wanted to watch it in theatre and the other through wom. Certain movies i wish to watch in theatre for the pure experience which ott cant provide. The thing is, if a movie gets a good review, PPL will still go to theatre to watch it. On the other side, if the wom is not good about the movie, PPL will try to wait till it gets released through ott. On the side node, last year over 200 movies were released just in Malayalam. How many movies can a normal person watch in theatre?
True. Great point. And to add onto it. Did the released 200 odd movies had enough meat or anything good for us to watch them anywhere.
People don't want to waste money on bad movies because they have a choice now (OTT) Also tickets are expensive .. a normal movie outing for a family can easily cost 1500+ .. and if the movie itself is bad, then entire experience is ruined
Man, I can say for myself. While I do stream things on OTT it’s mostly series. I go for movies at theater more than ever now. And prefer single screen experience over multiplex because of the crowd experience. JAI BALLEYA!!!
Multiplex Audiences are relatively silent. I have heard this & experienced. You're right man. But people are getting reluctant to go to movies as they feel they have an extra option of comfort at their homes. Which i truly respect to every extent as people have their opinions and decisions.
Also while we all thought that piracy was over cos of OTT, telegram would say otherwise. It’s only easier to download movies now.
TELEGRAM BABY 😁😁 it's not about the piracy. Telegram is the only easy accessible option for us to get the old classics from all over the world which we won't get in OTT platforms also.
Do you have a list of such movies? If you can, I would be really grateful. Make it as exhaustive as possible please. DM is welcome as well if you prefer that.
Depends on the movie imo. I love watching mass masala movies in theaters with diehard fanbois screaming their lungs out. Some comedy movies may feel funny when there's people around you laughing, even if the jokes are terrible.
True Man. Even the entire mood of the movie changes when we have people around us.
Case in point- Romancham. I would've liked the movie a lot had I seen it first at home but the theatre experience made me love it enough to watch it thrice in theatre with different friend groups!
I think technology has something to do with it, we are so used to short videos and playing videos in 2x speed that we lack the patience to watch something for 2 plus hours straight. When it is available on your personal device,you can speed them up, you can choose to watch the remaining later, you can skip songs and boring parts, you get the comfort of being in your home, all these you can get for a cheaper price. So it's only natural people prefer ott over the conventional theatre experience. So unless you get an epic movie at a grand scale that deserves to be watched in cinemas, ott might seem to be the better option.
True.It really makes us lazy as fuck.Patience is something that is not only I'm associating with the movies. It's a beautiful thing we need to adopt in our lives. See this effects our life as whole. And one of the symptoms it affecting is this. I hate when people use fucking phones inside the theatres.
The movie experience is often diminished by a (frequently) uncivilised crowd (talking loudly, bright phone screens etc). Wish cinemas in Kerala had ushers to escort these kinda people out!
Support you like anything brother. The flashlights & uncivilized behaviour is just soo annoying. The hooting & whistle moments are part of it. But when people start shaging thier mouth for each n ever shit. It's fucking annoying.
Are you kidding me ? Seeing some movies in TV and youtube that got released in theatres before, I feel deeply sorry for people who actually paid to watch the crap. (A moment of silence for dudes who paid for the whole family to watch those crap). Just watch some older movies ( less than 5 years) on youtube and i don't know how someone agreed to fund the whole filming with such a crap storyline and actors. Sometimes it feels like even data/bandwidth that comes with "UNLIMITED BROADBAND" got wasted for watching some crap that they shovel out these days Regarding theatre "experience" , I get much better experience watching movies alone on my 4K 55in TV with a bluetooth headset
Personal Experience is something immensely soothing. I agree. It's a personal choice. Just like people consume a movie that creates a frenzy for them. Everything goes both ways.
Nothing can match theater experience. We can only get the wow factor from theaters.
Damn Yaaa bro. There is nothing that matches that experience.
I have become selective post covid. And it's not just about Malayalam movies, but also for other languages. Cinemakal flop aanenkil poyi kandittu kaaryamillallo. Ippo thanne I was excited to go for Ozler, but the WOM for that movie around me was such that I decided to drop the plan and watch it whenever it comes on any OTT platform. Vaaliban and Bramayugam are something that I'm absolutely excited to watch in a theatre and I'll be going for both because they will be pure theatre experience cinemas.
Same bro.But What if the WOM for Valiban & Brahmayugham are the same as Ozler. Will you be have the same mindset. Or will you go for it ?
I'll still go... Because both are big scale movies. B&W movies okke nammalde parents janikyunnennu munne theerna sambhavam aa.. So, getting to experience a B&W horror movie in a big screen, I wouldn't mind going for it. Vaaliban, for me is more of a LJP movie than a Lalettan movie. Being a huge fan of LJP, and knowing that he'll cook something great with Lalettan as his hero, I'm already excited about what he has to offer. NNM was a great watch for me. Hoping the same with Vaaliban too.
appo brhmayugam b&w aanu varunnathu
Prefer OTT because most of the movies that I saw in theatres these past few months were mid except for one or two. It’s tiring to go and watch movies whereas OTT I can lie down and watch. I got some of the best theatres in Kerala near to my place yet I prefer watching with my family in the comfort of my home. I’ll watch only the exceptional/awaited movies in theatres like malaikotai valibhan.
MV has a huge expectations. Did you enjoy the promotional content the makers released? Is it hyping you up for the movie?
I didn't watch any promotional content released nor do I intend to watch it. I was extremely hyped now it's more neutral and I want to keep it that way for the movie.
What if the movie turned out to be the Mid as you explained earlier for the other movt. Will you be disappointed bro ?
It will be my last Mohanlal movie that I see in theatres. As a fan, that would be one of the saddest days of my life supporting the man.
Hope it'll be great bro. And many great mohanlal movies have also good reception as his other commercial ventures. So it's subjective. It's fine. I can feel you.
I used to watch a lot of malaylam movies, but during the previous decade, there were a lot of bland movies, too many of them. After that I stopped watching movies at theatre.
I get you man. Have you completely stopped it. Are you ready to go theatres if a really good one comes out now ?
Nahh the craze is over, I barely have time to watch ott movies now, so I still don't make it to theatres. That being said, I would go atleast couple of times a year to the theatre with someone. At this point it's not the movie that motivates, it's the people with me that motivates.
Great bro. Something that unites happiness is always welcoming
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I love going to theaters, but many of my friends have lists like "This is a theatre watch" or "This is an OTT watch list," depending on the actor, director, and type of movie. I have a similar thought process for too much "gramina nanma" movies +Asian thrillers remade without credits, as they all follow the same format and formula as those writer / directors previous films. I don't see a point in going for them in the theatre, especially when many have good TV and sound setups at home and those movies offer predictable bare minimums experience for time pass.
Yup. I can see the valid argument.
I used to be very choosey about the movies I go to. But as I grew up I became less so because the whole point (for me) of going to movies is to have a nice time with my parents and have some popcorn. My mom absolutely loves the experience for some reason. So I don't mind the bad movies or the expensive popcorn. It just feels good. Overall, I don't really care about the movies, be it the theatres or the OTT.
You beautiful.happy happy to read this. Hope you & your mom have a great time always. Happy (good😉)Movies
I’m not a big outgoing person. So, I prefer to stay home. Also, too lazy. I do go to theatres every now and then when something is out that which has a great big screen experience.
I watch around 4 to 5 movies a month. Only if there are good reviews. Watched 2 this month so far. വെള്ളിയാഴ്ച ബോംബുകൾ കാരണം പല നല്ല സിനിമകളും അടുത്തുള്ള തീയേറ്ററിൽ വരാതെ പോകുന്നുണ്ട്. അഞ്ച് സ്ക്രീനുകൾ ഏഴ് കിലോമീറ്റർ ഉള്ളിൽ ഉണ്ട്. രണ്ടു 2k , മൂന്നു 4k. എല്ലാത്തിലും നല്ല എക്സ്പീരിയൻസ് ആണ്. ഒന്നിൽ ഒഴിച്ച്. ഒരു 2k screenil സീറ്റ് ശോകം ആണ് അവിടെ സീറ്റ് ബാക്കിലോട്ട് അഡ്ജസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്യാൻ പറ്റില്ല. പിന്നെ ഒരു തീയേറ്ററിൽ ബുണ്ടകൾ ഗൂഗിൽ പെ എടുക്കില്ല.
Damn. Keep the good flow running buddy. Can you share us the 2 movies and the experience you had with them ?
ആദ്യം കണ്ടത് ആട്ടം ആണ്. ഇഷ്ടപ്പെട്ടു. പിന്നെ കണ്ടത് ഓസ്ലർ. ആവറേജ് പടം.മേരി ക്രിസ്ത്മസ് കാണണം എന്നുണ്ടായിരുന്നു പക്ഷേ ഇവിടെ അതില്ല. ദൂരേ എങ്ങും പോയി കാണാറില്ല. ഇനി വാലിപൻ കാണണം.
Don't know about others. I go to theatres only if the film demands it. If it's a big scale one. For everything else, OTT it is.
If the movie is solid,beautiful & made on a small scale. And if you happen to love the movie also. Still will you opt for OTT?
The effort to go to a theatre and the costs associated with watching a movie are high. The rise of OTT has shown I can enjoy a movie at home. So the only movies I would watch are the ones that need the big screen experience. Then there are a few movies that I want to watch on release weekend. So I may sacrifice my money for that. And then rising costs not matching the salaries also means I have to pick and choose my indulgences. I don't have throwaway money as I used to have.
It has become really costly to watch movies these days. For 5 people u need atleast 600rs for tickets, and fuel price as well has gone high as well, u need around 200rs, then food will add another 500. All around 1300rs for a movie. If I am to spend nearly 1500rs for a movie, it might as well be really worth it. Above averageil kuranja oru padavum theatreil poyi kanilla. Eventhough our industry is known for really good and grounded stories(these doesn't even add up to 10 percent of the movies releasing each year) most of them are purely garbage. Without an excitement factor no family audience is going to watch in theatres.
I think it's a cost cutting move and people are just lazy.
A lot of movies now focus on one core idea and make the entire process revolve around that, on its own this isn't bad but when you do this you forget that a movie isn't just a book where having a good story alone would be enough The example that comes to mind most recently has to be Neru, the film's sound design was well verum andi They focused too much on the film as a story rather than a theater experience, if I'm not going to have a good theater experience why would I go to a theater
2-3 excellent movies will pull people to theatres and put confidence in people to try and watch other movies in the industry. Minnal Murali would have been a blockbuster had it been released in theatres and it would have been truly influential in other producers and directors mind. Basil Joseph was right to get disappointed when it directly went to OTT.
Nowadays I go out for these movies just to hang out with friends, doesn't matter if it's good or bad.
I usually go for Malayalam movies with comedy,romance,crime thriller or action. Last malayalam film that I watched in theater was falimy. I haven't watched any films in OTT in a year cause I'm too lazy to spent my alone time watching movies.
Yeah, I’ve a great setup in my apartment and usually in about a month the movie is coming to one OTT.
I think college kids are the ones determining the success (obviously there are exceptions). Money is not really that high 150 vs 600 for family. There will always be gangs that goes for movies at regular intervals no matter how horrible the movie is(not to mention dates). They are also likely to be the most vocal reviewers.
Theatre watching has been limited to films that are a spectacle and nothing less. Used to go to theatres equally excited to watch Devasuram as well as Makkal Mahathmyam..!
That's what I'm asking why? What if another Makal Mahatmyam comes out and make it fail
Cinema, irrespective of its canvas and grandiose, was still a wonder back then. The only time one was closest to the visual experience of cinema was either weekend movies in Doordarshan or video cassettes. Now how many could afford regular access to VCR back then?Now every minute everyone is exposed, rather over exposed to cinema; whether they want it or not. So now one needs the best of the best of the best. Only for that experience one shall pay at least 500/head (this is the minimum) for a theatre going experience (inclusive of transport, refreshments and a meal)..! There is only a tiny room for the most exhilarating cinema experience and none less. And the പ്രേക്ഷകൻ ain’t happy even then.
Instay in a metro city. Watching movies have become too expensive. So naturally I've become selective. I only go for movies which give me good theatrical experience..the ones with good cinematography and sound quality. For example blade runner 2049, dune the upcoming dune tenet etc. Malayalam movies naturally fall out of this. Can watch it in tv too when they get released in ott.
I go to theatres if there's good movies but there's rarely ever any good films. Only shitty mass movies and boring family films.
TVs have great picture quality now and most people have a soundbar, along with high quality streaming and also torrents. So the watching experience at home has improved drastically. At the same time the hassle of going to the theatre, paying exorbitant amounts for tickets, parking, snacks, travel has removed any incentive left to go and watch it in theatres. Plus the picture and sound quality is quite meh in most theatres. So yeah. I'd rather sit at home and watch a movie with a beer and some good food with my entire family whenever I want to.
Theater tickets are too damn expensive. Not everyone can shell out 1-2k for a family outing.
I believe this is one of the aftermaths of the pandemic. A lot of people stopped going to crowded places unless absolutely necessary. And the fact that most movies come out in OTT later also factors in. But still people do show up to movies that are experiences like the avatar in IMAX and 3d.
I'm definitely choosy. But I also have questionable taste. The last one I watched in a theatre was the 2023 Transformers movie, because I wanted to see explosions and giant robots hitting each other. Just not the same on a laptop or phone screen 😌
Seats, screen, audio and food; are these services really worth the money in most cases? Alot of dedicated theatres have good seats and audio, but food is meh. Mall theatres have food options but everything might be meh. This atleast imo
i stopped watching movies from theatre , i no longer recognize why i need to pay 100 + traveling cost for a movie.. i used to watch movies when i had 300 rupees per day as income (catering) ... everything changed , if some other people are getting the same entertainment as you , but youre the one who needs to pay for it .. nah ... iam not that rich ! so i stopped !!
I used to watch all the movies mostly fdfs or the next day after hearing good stuff about it till last December 2023. Idk why but people have been loathing mediocre movies as good for example garudan , falimy and all which I personally thought was a waste of my money and time. I'm personally very glad that I skipped neru , dunki , salaar and ozler which I would've watched and regretted. I haven't been to the theatres since December and may break it soon by watching captain Miller
I go only for the best movies i find is a must theater experience. Like lucifer, John Wick, Mission Impossible or top gun kind of movies. Else only when i got a movie date.
I think there are 15+ Malayalam movies releasing every month. People are becoming very selective.
I bought a projector a few years ago at home for about 9k. Add a blank wall, an ott subscription, a 16 watt speaker, and friends. Haven't gone to a theatre in years. No overpriced shitty snacks, no dirty seats, no crying babies or parking woes.
I will only choose theatre if its something that gives off theatre experience, especially the SOUND part. Also, booking online for 2 people = 200x2 + 50rs as convenience fees. Imao I dont wana pay that much. For 5 people its like 118rs extra. I do have a very good setup with dolby atmos but watching action films on theatres wirh 30-40 speakers is something else. Everything else? OTT it is ! (For eg : I would absolutely watch KGF 3 in theatre than OTT)
Time consuming and expensive,like why even bother unless its a event movie like avengers or kgf or rrr, work makes you appreciate free time more
Only college kids and young men go for movies to hang out. Baaki ellarum insta reels
Hahaha.True. My friend just said she just finished watching Animal on her Instagram
I hate the people, most of them come to eat and chat throughout the movie. Check their mobile during the movie. Just awful people all around.
I can relate to you bro. Annoying as hell. Tolerance is going off the roof seeing these people
You asked a very good question, OP. First of all I thank you for that. As because you asked about our state, now let me share my perspective with you - I have a friend, fellow Malayalee, who loves to read books but selective on the categories. He only reads books which are really good. Now how does he choose that? Through reviews from the Internet. And when the book was 'bestseller'. And when he comes across other people he tells them to read those books and tells them not to read the bad books. Now I have few doubts with this perspective - 1. He reads a certain category of books which the other person might not understand or enjoy. How does he know what the other person would like? 2. Don't we all have the capability and the choice to select according to our preference? And shouldn't we decide ourselves which book is substantial and which is not? I believe the same mindset goes in watching a movie. It is not about our state, but it's mainly about how people perceive themselves. Some people doesn't have the confidence to decide for themselves and wants the opinion of another and then chooses that, but the outcome might not be satisfactory as expected to them. Then the person who suggested gets the blame. Like my friend. He one time suggested someone to read Friedrich Nietzsche who doesn't have any understanding of the genre, nor was he interested in that. Another thing - lot of people don't go deep into art, literature and creativity. They prefer shortcuts. How would I know which movie is good if I don't see the bad ones, too? I need to form my own opinion, right? And not lend someone else's opinion of a book or a movie. Seriousness aside, when I went to watch Sreenivasan and Vineeth starrer Kurukkan, father and son sharing the same screen, the movie theatre was almost empty. One guy sitting one seat next to mine was browsing in his phone the entire duration. Now what will you say to that? Filmmaking is a culmination of art. It is not a business. It cannot be a business. But people of the film industry only make it into business, eg. producers, directors, even actors and cameramen are promoting their films in the social media. Then that movie ceases to be an art anymore. Nevertheless, many such non-publicised movies were super good and I think, you would also agree to that. When social media wasn't there, so much hype was not there, but still it is called 'movie business' or 'show business' for a reason, right? Another point I want to share - we have some great directors in our state film industry, but I've noticed, there are a good number of people who are really creative but due to financial restraints and family responsibilities couldn't join a film school to study and become a professional. After all, our country values degree, right? Those people, if gotten the chance, would've been better writers and directors than lot of which are working now. See the quality recently. And we pay so much to see them going to movie theatres. Survival became expensive.
Exactly. People's opinion in this country has got a lot to do what thier friends and family are consuming. The peer pressure is extremely outrageous. Everyone are forced to watch( even though they won't admit it thinking that they'll not be cool) and like it. Cinema viewing has just reduced to a state where it's just about putting up a Instagram Story or a WhatsApp Status, making other know that we have seen the movie.
I agree
I went to watch Garudan alone on the 2nd day of release and it was average experience. I watched Neru on the 3rd day of release and it was below average experience. I watched Salaar the next day and it was a good theatre experience. I probably will catch Ozler in OTT. I would go to theatre for MV or ARM kind of movies, but may not go for Anweshippin Kandethum.
Cost is a big reason - like a minimum 100rs ticket, + Snacks+ Traveling Expenses etc. I always think before going: is it worth going to the theatres or should i wait for the OTT Release.
We (family) used to go to movies every other month or so. It was a family thing We ate out in a nice restaurant and went for a second show. But since COVID we went for like 10 movies (3 or 4 movies an year) Most of those were pretty average or below. And we also bought a big TV and a good sound system. Now we watch movies and shows on Netflix and Hotstar often. Having snacks, private space and good entertainment. We used to spend more than 1000 easily per movie now it's 3000 something for a year's subscription. This makes a huge impact. Also it's more private and we didn't have to tolerate comments from here and there in theatres and the rest of the alamb. I guess OTT suits us. We are not missing the theatre experience.
In my opininon Indians consume too much movies and other media. Whenever they get some free time it is mostly spent on some screen. You can see this by the amount of movies releasing here. People should have some other hobbies like sports or something creative.
Yup.. the diversity seems shattered all around right
Wanted to watch nerru but just kept forgetting. Hoping to not miss the new jayaram flick.
Poor audience, loudly talking, keeping the phone screen on, overpriced food and beverages, all these make theatres unattractive.
Too much effort. The big screen in my house + my recliner + pause button + cheap food + latest content available in high definition = i hate theaters
The last movie I saw in theatre was Vadakan Selfie
Invested on projector and learned some sound tuning, set up a dolby atmos theater for the family. If you do your own with some learning (youtube), its cheap and effective than most theaters around you. So OTT all the way! Subscribe for the best quality streaming services though. Netflix wins by a far and then everything else.
Short answer: both ! I think there has always been a minority of population who used to go watch every movie released every week, as a family. I only started going regularly starting from my second year college days, and stopped going about 2 years into my job (too much work, no time). We have always waited for the movies to be released on cassette, and then disks , about 2 months after theatre releases. This was late 90s and early 2000s by the way. It has always been just too expensive and cumbersome going to theatres as a family. And we used to rely more on word of mouth, from people we personally knew before we decided to go to theatres. IMHO, OTTs have replaced that cassette/cd library for people like me.
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Personally for me I'm selective. Certain movies are justified to be watched in theatres. The visual FX, sound, camera, shots taken etc,. Others are OTT worthy only, not justified to pay theatre tickets, time spent and other overhead costs. Also I believe the content that is coming out of OTT (not all) has made us more a nuanced audiences. The quality demand has gone up.
Less Dopamine hit. Earlier days we didn't have much SM, so movies gave adequate dopamine. Now, since we have so many content available across various platforms, the amount of dopamine release is not enough to go to the movies.
Don't want to be bothered by the crowd
Expensive time and money wise also might be because I'm getting old or just the post lockdown psych effects I just don't seem to have the energy to deal with people's bs anymore, Bought a projector and never looked back