With the advent of blu-ray, HD television and mind-blowing surround sound, the place of the cinema has been usurped in recent years by the home theatre system. Even in France, a country with one of the great cinematic audiences, the number of regular movie-goers has dwindled.
It doesn't help matters, of course, that often commercial movie theatres leave much to be desired. Uncomfortable, outdated seats, stale popcorn and swarms of crawling Punaise de Lit are hardly prospects to whet the appetite.
However, even in cinema buildings which have been recently renovated and which offer movie goers a range of high quality snacks and seating options, people are still refusing to go to the movies. It is for this reason that 3D productions were instituted a few years ago.
In order to draw audiences back to the cinema complex, people in the business believed it important to offer them something they did not have at home. Interestingly enough, 3D technology has been around for a long time – it is only recently, however, that it has been hauled out in order to coax reluctant movie-goers back to the screen.
Recent advancements in home theatre technology have made it possible, however, to watch 3D films at home. Does the introduction of the 3D capable TV herald the death of cinema? Or will the people in charge come up with a new way to bring audiences back into the cinematic fold.