Tom Hanks rants about Movie night in the streaming era
We’ve all experienced it before. The struggle of choosing a movie that everyone in a group of friends or family can agree on can be quite frustrating, often resulting in compromises. Actor Tom Hanks recently shared relatable insights on this topic during a podcast interview with The New Yorker.
When asked about his thoughts on today’s movie industry, Hanks reflected on the abundance of entertainment options available, ranging from numerous streaming services to algorithm-driven YouTube rabbit holes. He even admitted spending hours on YouTube watching old commercials.
Hanks then vividly described the dilemma of endless options on streaming services, including the tedious login process that sometimes accompanies them. His humorous hypothetical scenario felt like a situation he might have personally encountered.
Tom Hanks rants continues
“Let’s be honest, how many times have you, either by yourself or with your family, said, ‘Hey, let’s watch something tonight?’ You grab the remote and then spend forever trying to agree on what to watch on Apple, Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. ‘Oh no, not that. Nope, not that either. Not that one.'” Hanks shared during the podcast.
“After forty-five minutes, you finally settle on something through a bitter compromise. It’s not what you really wanted to watch, but you go along with it because three stubborn family members voted for it, and you’re on the losing side,” Hanks added.
Then the technological headaches come into play.
“You dim the lights, enter your damn password, and the system asks for your billing address,” Hanks continued. “Someone has to dig through their phone to find the billing address. Why did they have to reboot it? Who rebooted it? So another fifteen minutes are wasted in this process. Finally, you’re ready to start watching the movie you all ‘agreed’ on. And you think, ‘Finally, let’s watch the movie.’ But seventeen minutes into it, you realize you have zero interest in this movie. You don’t like it. You decide to leave the room and not bother watching the rest of it. Sound familiar?”
Hanks being old school
How can you avoid this entire situation? Hanks, who naturally favors the traditional movie-theater experience, suggests going to the cinema as a worthwhile compromise that saves you from those 45 minutes of endless debate.
“In the theater, you’re fully invested. All your senses, money, time, and intent are focused on being present in that cinema. That option will never go away. And if you’re lucky, you’ll be completely captivated by the experience,” Hanks explained.
Hanks, currently starring in Netflix’s “A Man Called Otto,” has a history of expressing his opinions about the industry’s shift towards streaming. While promoting his movie “Greyhound,” which premiered on Apple TV Plus, Hanks expressed his deep disappointment that audiences couldn’t watch it in theaters. He also voiced his frustration with the “cruel whipmasters at Apple” for instructing him to do press interviews against a blank wall in his home to avoid revealing any personal items in the background.
Hanks’ immense star power has proven to be a major attraction for moviegoers. According to a study by the National Research Group, Hanks, who has dominated the movie industry for decades, was one of the top actors audiences expressed interest in seeing on the big screen.
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