Great googly moogly, it’s time for a brand-new series! My, how the time flies . . . dragging us along, one moment moving inexorably to another . . . drawing us ever-nearer to the moment of our own death. What’s got me so cheery? Why, it’s our new series “Now Streaming to a Room Near You” and this week’s entry “Swan Song”! We’re doing a series entirely on movies that have recently been released only on streaming services or simultaneously in theaters AND streaming services. Now we have even less reason to leave the house! …. Yay? So we thought we’d start with something light-hearted and frothy: a movie about facing our own mortality, the morality and ethics of certain medical treatments, the nature of identity and humanity, and the conflict of agency vs. protecting your loved ones from tragedy. You know, a popcorn movie! We’ve got quite a cast here, and quite a conversation so give a listen!
Poll question: how do you change your habits when watching a first run movie at home from when you watch a first run movie in the theater? Lights off or on? Bathroom breaks or no? Are you looking forward to going back to theaters or are you good?
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I never heard of this film! It sounds amazing! The moral and ethic dilemmas sound similar to those in “Moon” but without the heavier sci fi trappings.
My optimal way to watch a new film at home is to prepare some water and maybe something to eat, turn off the lights, shut off the phone and iPad and watch it from start to end with no interruptions. That way I get the “cinema” experience (in theory – we all know how annoying some people can be in the cinema!) This almost never happens. Delivery people seem to wait until I finally get a chance to sit for two hours and watch something to ring the bell and my partner can’t keep quiet and pay attention for any length of time, especially if I am watching something in English. I REALLY like to give my whole attention to movies. I prefer the big screen but they usually closed these days and cost a fortune so I try to replicate that experience.
Thanks, Vince! I remember seeing “Moon,” but not a whole lot about it. There are a lot of moral dilemmas in this, all of which are worth exploring. I hope you get a chance to see it some time. The one problem with streaming services is that it immediately limits your audience. A film, no matter how well made will only get seen by the select few. That’s going to change some things in the future.
As for the experience, it seems you are not alone in wanting it to feel as much the same as the theater as possible. Thanks for the answer!