So I can't stop thinking about movie run times today, so I updated my post with some new info if you omitted sequels from the data (aka a big thing I suspected was leading to longer films).
It turns out, yes! If you are in your late 30s to early 40s, non-sequels are only 2 minutes longer than when you were a kid (based on my data set). 😱
@matt
Interesting blog entry, although I have no idea what you mean by "prestige TV". Blockbuster rentals?
You mentioned rentals but you seem to have overlooked the rise of cable TV in the 1980s--think HBO and Starz. The shorter films in the 1980s likely were to accommodate additional advertising before the film starts.
There's also a new marketing paradigm in play these days, with the longer films--the objective, I'm sure, is to keep theaters filled by the entirety of the film--so if you wait until the film gets run on TV, you'll get a version that is "edited for content and for time", which is usually the case these days.
@ClaraListensprechen4 I have questions about your questions 😝
I have no idea what Blockbuster has to do with prestige TV, but I was talking about Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and the like.
Looking at the data more, the 80s had way more horror movies in the mix than any other decade, which brought the average down a lot. Ads are an interesting idea, too.
As for movies on broadcast and cable…this must be lower than ever with streaming, no? This seems completely opposite to me.
@matt
Oh--streaming services aren't as widespread as you seem to have the impression of, so no--given that broadcast TV is also on cable, BTW, so it's not "lower than ever". Broadcast TV will still run movies, especially local public TV stations that typically have "movie clubs". Movies shown by those entities hasn't changed.
@ClaraListensprechen4 I have more questions 😉
No idea what the 80s have to do with prestige TV, they’re separate thoughts in the post, but anyway I didn’t create the term either, it’s pretty commonly used to describe what I mentioned. I could have put a link to clarify, though.
Also I’m curious if you have data on streaming not being that widespread? As of last year Nielsen reported streaming was more watched than cable, and cable and broadcast were declining. https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/19/business/streaming-cable-viewership/index.html
@ClaraListensprechen4 PS In super happy to see data showing why my view of the world should shift. Just saying what I’ve seen aligns with streaming being a prime place people watch movies these days, and traditional broadcast/cable are on the decline.
@matt
re: PS: hoping that the comparison is apples-to-apples, as in, comparing full length movie viewing to full length movie viewing rather than including the "edited for content and time" editions. I still suspect that theater businesses still want people to see the whole thing only if they go out to see it.
