The social and cultural role that movies fulfill has totally changed over the past 80 years. In the 1940's movies were the center of the media experience and people went to the movies to see newsreels, to watch cartoons and then to see a feature. It was a well rounded community experience and most people went almost every week. Then television appeared and people started watching TV for news and the movie reels (and cartoons) disappeared from the theaters. In the 1960's movies expanded into social realism and showed product that couldn't be show on TV like ultra violence and ultra sexy content. By 1980's cable TV and the video tape market started providing that content and movies became more like expensive roller coasters to keep the viewers interested. Today that is the niche market that movies fulfill - the Action packed adventurous roller coaster ride, because that is about all they can provide that makes it seem worth the cost of entrance. Things change.
I predict that movies will become even more marginalized in the future because of internet content, but they will still be a viable art form in their own way; much like theater has become.
copyright(c)2015
William Schaeffer
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