Despite some glaringly spurious arguments and constant resorts to broad generalizations directed at younger moviegoers, Peter Bogdanovich, director of The Last Picture Show, raises a few key issues here. Of his more convincing points, I agree with him on the decline in quality of the theaters as they have shifted away from the elegantly constructed single-screen auditoriums to the sterile multiplexes that litter metropolitan areas. Here in Chicago, only the Music Box remains as a reminder of ages past in which the entire ambiance of the theater itself becomes part of the film, making those gems of contemporary filmmaking radiate all the more brightly, and skewing our reception slightly of the somewhat bitter-tasting fare.

Here, compare:

Vs.

It seems that everyone is talking about the decline in ticket sales and how that will affect the future of filmmaking and distribution. Already Soderbergh with his experimental Bubble has toyed with the notion of bridging the gap between theatrical premiere and DVD release. But should we be so quick to cast aside the movie-going experience? Netflix has introduced a generation of film watchers to the idea of never leaving one’s apartment, but is that convenience already resulting in a decline in appreciation as the quantity of the consumption outweighs the quality?

There remains a notable difference between viewing a film on television and in a theater (for anyone who has ever seen Playtime in its original 70mm print, you’ll know what I mean), but restricting films to theaters is far too limiting on availability. I comprehend what Bogdanavich means when he talks of that mythic status that they would attain, but it does us no good if we’re not there to witness it.

My main concern regarding theatrical experience is that we’re living in a culture that has been weaned on television. We’ve grown accustomed to watching things in complete isolation, to the point where it seems many of us forget that once we’ve transplanted that experience into a public setting that our boorish actions, while arguably acceptable in the privacy of our own homes, aversely affect those around us in a theater setting. Those acquainted with me personally will know that I have a terrible track record in theaters. No matter what film I go to see, those around me will talk loudly; and not in an insightful way that enhances the experience and makes it all the more enriching. No, they say whatever brutish, undereducated asinine thing comes to mind at any given moment.

All this is a little off topic, but in a roundabout way what I’m saying here is that if we begin to treat the cinema with a little more reverence, then we will begin to understand its true capabilities. Not that filmmaking must be restricted to only that which presents itself as artistically inclined, but must we endure features that insult our intelligence while systematically decreasing what little wit is left in those around us? At the very least, since the passive nature by which the televison requires consumption has rendered most people’s ability to negotiate the filmic image useless to the point of visual illiteracy, many will have to relearn how to look at cinema rather than just talking over it as if it were merely background noise.

If that doesn’t work, perhaps we might want to consider altering the polite “Silence is Golden” suggestion at the beginning of films to the far more to the point “Shut the Fuck Up.” Either way, two things become lucidly clear to us 1.) the general public is long overdue for a cinematic re-education and 2.) for a man who really only directed one good film, Bogdanavich should lighten the fuck up.