Where Are Sat/sun Night Movies?

[pc9630]

I was having a few beers at my BILs place and we were lamenting the loss of Sat/Sun 8:30 movies.

Growing up I looked forward to these and I am sure the times are optimal for a lot of families.

Now we seem to be inundated with TV series and 5 versions of CSI on a regular basis. Sat footy is ok but more often than not I miss the first part of it due to commitments and cbb getting into the game.

Given the ability to broadcast multiple programs on the respective SD and HD channels why do we get subjected to simulcast programs when there are so many good films about which people would love to watch.

Anyone else feel hard done by?

[Dork(original)]

Time Shifting is the way to go.Last night this morning actually.I came across Poltergiest in HD.Sunday movies just don't rate anymore,back in the day we also looked forward to first run Sunday movie.

Paul.

[reubot]

ABC2 has Saturday night movies, with the bonus of being uninterrupted too.

Other than that I can't really stand FTA movies because of the ad breaks.

Edited June 15, 2008 by reubot

[nordesmic]

I was having a few beers at my BILs place and we were lamenting the loss of Sat/Sun 8:30 movies.

Growing up I looked forward to these and I am sure the times are optimal for a lot of families.

Now we seem to be inundated with TV series and 5 versions of CSI on a regular basis. Sat footy is ok but more often than not I miss the first part of it due to commitments and cbb getting into the game.

Given the ability to broadcast multiple programs on the respective SD and HD channels why do we get subjected to simulcast programs when there are so many good films about which people would love to watch.

Anyone else feel hard done by?

I am also sick of crappy crime shows/other lame series dominating TV. Back in the day there used to be movies on TV during the week, which now seems unthinkable.

Basically as I understand there are two main reasons why movies are not shown that much anymore.

1. DVDs. Now that everyone has DVD players, and new releases can be bought for cheap, people have seen most of the big films that the networks would want to show.

2. TV show cost vs Movie cost. It costs a lot of money to show newer films compared to a show like CSI. I remember reading a stat that said the cost was something like $150,000 for a new film vs $60,000 for an episode of CSI/similar. Plus CSI would actually rate better than almost all films partly due to the reason above.

I hope that with the simulcasting ability there will be more movies shown on TV. Ten HD are definitely showing more late at night.

[pgdownload]

Basically with the Internet, PayTv and DVD Rentals (and sales) movies ceased to draw the ratings they used to. With movies getting longer and ad 'requirements' expanding as well you also found movies going routinely past 11 and often on to midnight.

As mentioned grab a PVR recorder. I've got 30 great movies (I've yet to watch) that I've picked up over the last year or so. I can skip the ads and if Sunday's when I want to watch them then Sunday it is

Regards

Peter Gillespie

Edited June 15, 2008 by pgdownload

[DansDans]

I remember back in 1995 when this all started – Showtime (and then soon after The Movie Network – before it was called Movie One) started on Galaxy (Movie Network on Optus cable) and all of a sudden all of the Fox, Paramount, Universal and Columbia Tristar movies were yanked off FTA. I remember how this killed TEN’s Sunday night movies as they were showing nothing but repeats and terrible made for TV and B-grade movies. Seven was OK as their output was with Disney and Roadshow and The Movie Network hadn’t started yet, while Nine had Warner Brothers and Roadshow movies (again due to MN not starting, but Nine lost their Paramount output to Showtime).

There was a time at the end of 95 when Nine brought out their big guns – 4 premiere movies in a row that hadn’t been contracted to pay-tv, including the “biggest” movie event of the year ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ – an amazing 9 months after video release (when it used to be 12 months minimum. Now Movie One shows some movies only 6 months after their DVD release). I remember that vividly as there was a big write up in the paper about the start of the movie being uncut. ‘Falling Down’ was another title that premiered in this bag of films from Nine.

There was a great article in The Green Guide called “The Great Movie Heist” which went into detail about how the networks underestimated the impact of pay-tv on their movie output and how in hindsight they would have hoarded certain movies to help during that period. A year later, in 1996, the movies returned to FTA but they already had a one year run on pay before that, two year run on video and were distant memories for a lot of people.

I think it was in 2002 that TEN began that Sunday night campaign “If you wanna see the Sunday Movie, you are two years too late” – and instead replaced the movies with Law and Order episodes, and IIRC started winning the ratings on Sunday nights.

Heck I remember watching old tapes of movies my dad recorded in the 80’s and seeing the promo reel at the start advertising movies on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights.

One last question – what ever happened to the Saturday night sex-comedy flicks that Nine used to show?

[50mxe20]

One last question – what ever happened to the Saturday night sex-comedy flicks that Nine used to show?

What ever happened to Ellery Queen? Sigh.

[chrig]

There was a great article in The Green Guide called “The Great Movie Heist” which went into detail about how the networks underestimated the impact of pay-tv on their movie output and how in hindsight they would have hoarded certain movies to help during that period. A year later, in 1996, the movies returned to FTA but they already had a one year run on pay before that, two year run on video and were distant memories for a lot of people.

One last question – what ever happened to the Saturday night sex-comedy flicks that Nine used to show?

I have a copy of this article somewhere, it went to also say in 1994 there was advertising of Big Films for the new year, and then with the changed output deals these were never shown.

I would actually think there would be a case to show films on Sunday eve in HD, but I spose the proportion of HD users is so small it does not justify the expense (or loss of revenue for the stations)

[Darthdury]

Time Shifting is the way to go.Last night this morning actually.I came across Poltergiest in HD.Sunday movies just don't rate anymore,back in the day we also looked forward to first run Sunday movie.

Paul.

Wasn't there 3 movies on Saturday night in HD, The Family Man, Freddie vs Jason and Poltergeist? 2 out of 3 of these was worth the watch.

[pc9630]

I would actually think there would be a case to show films on Sunday eve in HD, but I spose the proportion of HD users is so small it does not justify the expense (or loss of revenue for the stations)

Given the smaller audience, what would it matter eitherway?

I was thinking the same thing I have seen a few late night Hd movies which I would rather watch in normal time. I note that some movies are being shown this weekend Legend of Zoro (simul in HD though) and Tomb Raider 2 in SD and simulcast.

Which is great but why not make it a regular thing and perhaps only HD. I can only take so much Nascar and HD loops.

[DansDans]

Wasn't there 3 movies on Saturday night in HD, The Family Man, Freddie vs Jason and Poltergeist? 2 out of 3 of these was worth the watch.

Dang - I would love to see Freddy vs Jason in HD! I love Friday the 13th movies!!

Chrisg - do you have an electronic copy of that article? If not, could you scan it and PDF it as I would love to read it again.

[Yapab]

I have to agree 100%, I used to look forward to the 8.30pm time slot of movies on various channels... a movie is a great way to relax at home and watch something interesting. All these damn drama CSI and whatever shows are too much, i hate them and have yet to see even 1 espisode of most of the crap that is shown daily.

Recently I've noticed a lot of movies being shown at like 11.30pm or even later... I wonder who these are shown for? unemployed people who can sit up to 2am and watch movies? I often stay up to 12 or even a bit later and see these movies starting. Sometimes their not bad movies and I'd love to watch, but work in the morning prevents this.

Honestly, bring them back to 8.30 or 9.30 so that the majority of the population can watch them..... as well as the others who have free mornings / days.

Yapa

[Dork(original)]

Dang - I would love to see Freddy vs Jason in HD! I love Friday the 13th movies!!

Chrisg - do you have an electronic copy of that article? If not, could you scan it and PDF it as I would love to read it again.

I saw Friday13th3 at the movies in 3D .Way back when blood and gore coming at ya ah those were the days

Paul

[rennmaxbeta]

Had the same conversation with a friend on Sunday night Nothing on FTA to watch anymore on Saturday/Sunday evenings. Yeah, there's DVDs, but, you know, it's just less effort to flick a channel to a movie, or flip between two 8.30 movies.

Those days are over.