OSCARS: Should streaming movies be eligible for the coveted awards?
When you think of some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters it’s famous director Steven Spielberg calling the shots, but now his comments about what type of movies should be eligible for The Oscars are in the spotlight.
“I love television … but there’s nothing like going to a big, dark theater and having the experience wash over you,” he told an audience at this weekend’s Cinema Audio Society Awards. “I’m a firm believer that movie theaters need to be around forever.”
The comments come as ‘Roma’ inches closer as a Best Picture front-runner this Sunday.The film is the first produced by Netflix ever to enter the category.
Though it is available on Netflix, the film did have a limited release in theaters, according to Doug Pullen, program director for the Plaza Classic Film Festival.
“I think ‘Roma’ is going to win. Best Picture, and probably Best Foreign Language Picture,” said Pullen. “It’s that much stronger than a lot of the other films out there.”
University of Texas at El Paso student Raúl Castañeda does not share the same enthusiasm for the film.
“Yeah, I started watching, but I got bored,” he said.
Netflix has not released official box-office numbers, so it’s unknown exactly how many people saw the film in theaters.
This is not the first time prolific filmmaker Spielberg has spoken out against awarding streaming-service movies as cinema. Last March, he told ITV News that he thinks such films should be recognized with Emmys, not Oscars.
“It just depends because going to the movie theater is like a date, said UTEP student Estela Morales.”But going on Netflix is much easier.”
The convenience is a benefit. For the price of a movie ticket and snacks you could buy a $8.99 monthly Netflix subscription.
“I like going to the movies just because I like how it’s really loud and everything is huge,” said UTEP student Gabriel Prieto. “It kind of gets me more into the movie.”
