On Saturday, veteran filmmaker Steven Spielberg continued his fight against the mounting presence of streaming-based original movies like Netflix’s Roma. Variety reports that he made his most recent comments when he was presented with the Filmmaker Award at the Cinema Audio Society’s annual gathering in Los Angeles.
“I hope all of us really continue to believe that the greatest contributions we can make as filmmakers is to give audiences the motion picture theatrical experience,” Spielberg told the crowd. “I’m a firm believer that movie theaters need to be around forever”:
“I love television. I love the opportunity. Some of the greatest writing being done today is for television, some of the best directing for television, some of the best performances [are] on television today. The sound is better in homes more than it ever has been in history but there’s nothing like going to a big dark theater with people you’ve never met before and having the experience wash over you. That’s something we all truly believe in.”
Last March, the Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark director opined that movies filmed for, or originally distributed by, streaming outlets like Netflix and Amazon Prime shouldn’t be allowed to compete for the Oscars and other cinema-focused competitions. “Once you commit to a television format, you’re a TV movie,” he said at the time. “You certainly, if it’s a good show, deserve an Emmy, but not an Oscar.”
(Via Variety)
