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I don't know why, but gradually there has been a notion on the internet: every city should have one or two 'art house cinemas'. Of course, they wouldn't solely screen art films, but rather, like Taoyuan Cinema, they would provide a relatively plentiful number of showings for new, quality films with depth that appeal to a niche audience, while also offering opportunities to revisit classics.
Such cinemas needn't be nurous—one or two per city would suffice. Let a hundred flowers bloom, with ga-cinemas ensuring the screening of new blockbusters, and art house cinemas catering to the more niche and classic films, giving audiences who wish to see such films a quiet place to watch.
Simply put, establish a national chain of art house cinemas!
It should be a chain, not just standalone cinemas, and it should be present in every city across the country!
As soon as this opinion was voiced, it imdiately gained widespread support.
Ordinary moviegoers naturally didn't need to say they supported it. The so-called art house cinema chain would not only screen old films and revisit classics, but also, due to the profit-driven nature of many large chains, the showtis for niche films are frighteningly scarce, often leading to would-be viewers only finding out that the movie they wanted to see has already been pulled from theaters by the ti they manage to find the ti or decide to buy tickets.
The so-called art house cinemas don't just play art films; they are thus nad to distinguish them from purely profit-oriented ga-cinemas. Since they greatly diminish the emphasis on profits, they naturally provide adequate screening ti and schedules for niche films.
Not all niche or less favored films can achieve a turnaround miracle like the Great Saint did; most of them, due to the short showtis and limited screenings in cinemas, ultimately fade away without a trace.
Take, for example, The Master that was released this ti, featuring two best actor and two best actress award winners, and which had won international awards. Its total national box office was only over sixty million, while another nostalgia film released in the sa period, which had a re 3.4 rating, earned 180 million at the box office.
At first glance, it seems like bad films have a bigger market than good ones, but a closer analysis of the number of showtis and screening duration reveals that across the country, the latter had more than six tis the showings of the forr.
The total number of showings was six tis greater, yet the box office revenue was less than threefold.
It's not that niche films don't have a market; it's that ga-cinemas don't give viewers the opportunity to choose, thereby shrinking the market for niche films.
And art house cinemas are cheap! In a ga-cinema, a single movie can cost seventy to a hundred or more, and even with group purchases, it would be thirty to fifty, while at Taoyuan Cinema, the most expensive ticket is just over thirty.
The difference is clear at a glance, especially for students who only have a few hundred yuan to live on each month. Saving tens of yuan—nearly a hundred for two people—is no small sum. Saving a hundred yuan could allow a young student couple to enjoy a decent al together.
The support doesn't co solely from ordinary audiences; the industry voices calling for it are also surprisingly strong.
So of the internal support cos from various academies and celebrities and experts in the film circle, especially the latter.
There have been calls for art house cinema chains that screen niche movies and offer affordable ticket prices to revisit classics in China for more than a day or two. Not everyone is blinded by the bubble of the dostic movie market; there are many who are astute. To expect ga-cinemas to burst this bubble is out of the question—they are the creators and benefactors of the bubble themselves. One can only hope that 'conscientious rchants' or the governnt will take the lead, setting up a few art house cinemas to ensure that niche films have room to survive.
The ergence of Yangchuan City Peach Blossom Cinema this ti was just right.
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The other part of the rallying force was mainly from the cinema chains.
At first glance, it was quite surprising. They say in any industry, as soon as you achieve a little success, there will definitely be soone who cos out with cold remarks or gossip, and that mockery is actually considered polite. There are quite a few who would go as far as to backstab you.
Those in the sa trade are often the most knowledgeable about the industry, and their attacks are usually directed with deadly accuracy.
However, this ti, almost all the cinema chains in the industry expressed their admiration for Taoyuan Cinema's art and nostalgia route, along with its people-friendly pricing. They also stated that, for various real-world reasons, major cinema chains couldn't set up similar art movie venues in the short term, but the film industry should be a place where a hundred flowers bloom. As practitioners, they were willing to give their utmost support to this undertaking.
Especially the major cinema chains with operations in Yangchuan City were the loudest, even directly naming Taoyuan Cinema and Taoyuan Group.
Among them, Baoke Cinema Chain was the most proactive. Mr. Qian Xiaojun, the regional manager of Baoke, even personally wrote and published an article introducing Taoyuan Cinema and its background, the entire Taoyuan Group. Starting from the various achievents of Taoyuan Group, he vigorously endorsed the Group, suggesting that it couldn't be better for Taoyuan Group to spearhead the dostic art cinema movent. It was a clear indication that they wanted to push Taoyuan Group to the forefront.
The most unexpected developnt was the governnt mouthpiece starting to make a move, stating that what the citizens like should be promoted, and expressing hope for discussions among various cities and industry units to establish one or two art cinemas in every city.
"One cinema in each city? A nationwide chain of cinemas?" Suming chuckled and patted Hou Longtao on the shoulder, "Monkey, get ready. Maybe in less than two or three years, you'll beco the head of Huadong Peach Blossom Chain Cinemas."
Hou Longtao had recently stopped using hair oil. With his mood improved, no need for chemicals to give his head a shiny gloss, his hair was jet black and lustrous, looking as if he had a cap made of otter hide on his head.
"Suming, I'm really impressed with you!" Hou Longtao gave a thumbs-up, truly convinced, "No wonder you can make money. Your vision is just too accurate!"
"But there's no rush right now," Suming said with a smile. "First, let's solidify our base in Yangchuan City, then thinking about other things isn't too late."
"Su, I'm a bit worried," Hou Longtao frowned, "This venture, for the big cinema chains, is like a fishbone—tasteless but not a pity to discard. The big chains won't co and snatch it. But now that the official dia has spoken up, could it be that the officials will take the lead and set up their own layout?"
"Definitely possible!" Suming nodded, "Monkey, you're thinking more deeply than before. It's a project that can earn political credits and it's beneficial without cost. Certainly, many local governnt departnts would interfere. Heh, if the market doesn't co to steal business, they definitely will."
"So what do we do?" Hou Longtao asked.
"We don't do much of anything," Suming shrugged. "We can't do much anyway. If they want to go ahead, then let them. The market, after all, is an invisible hand that sotis can't be controlled by a visible one."
Regarding the governnt's involvent, Hou Longtao didn't want to delve too deeply and changed the subject, "Su, should we get in touch with Baoke? They've clearly shown an intention to woo us, reaching out with an olive branch."
Suming thought for a mont and then smiled, "No rush, no rush. There are many who are trying to woo us right now. We're not in a hurry to make a stance. Besides, since it's an olive branch, they should personally deliver it to us. Right now, that olive branch is still far away from us. If we rush to reach out for it, we'll seem too eager, as if we're in dire need of help."
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