Why would I want to schedule my entire day around a showtime, arrive early just to stand in line, pay a small fortune, skipping the popcorn and coke (overpriced and gone by the time the ads finish…), sit through 20 minutes of commercials (followed by trailers), for a movie that isn’t even that entertaining, with a sound system that is not particularly good (just loud) on a screen that is big but somehow less detailed than my TV at home?
At home I can pick from a huge variety of movies, start them on my schedule, eat/drink whatever I want. Pause to pee or even stop and watch the rest later. Adjust the volume to my satisfaction. Swap to a different movie if it is bad or doom scroll through the slow parts. If I want the movie theater experience I can just sit real close, turn the volume all the way up, and ban myself from using the toilet.
That said, what I do appreciate about theaters is getting to do something different, and breaking routines. That and the nostalgia factor. I want to like going to movies, but doing so is just a pain and takes more effort and planing than it should.
I really like the movie experience myself. One, it’s nice to go out (I need every excuse I can on wfh days). It’s a nice little event or date night. I also think paying to go out and being with other people forces one to pay attention, talk less, and scroll on phone less. You get more of the artist’s vision and will probably catch more details. Also, my sound system can’t be that good because I live in a condo with neighbors who would complain if I upped my sound system too much. I also love watching movies with other people sometimes. The experience with a good Marvel movie when other people cheer, or with a comedy or horror and hearing other people laugh or jump is pretty great.
To me, the main problem is the money. Movie theaters are just so crazy expensive nowadays. Every theater needs to be a luxury experience to make it worth it. Theaters should be enforcing quiet and no cell phones, because it’s crazy to spend that much doe a night out and have someone’s little phone light or talking ruining it.
You’re speaking my mind. My home projector and sound system are the budget versions, and still offer better quality experience than the theater. They already paid for themselves in savings for tickets and the popcorn.
I still go to movies sometimes, but it’s got to be an experience: either a theater packed with like minded fans, or with a group of friends with whom I then go for a few pints over a game of pool.
I will say I like the occasional movie at the theater near me.
Yes, it sucks that my schedule is bound by their showtimes, but hey, at least it means I’m unplugged and actually “present” for the movie.
The theater has online ticket sales where you pick your seat, you come in sit down in that fairly nice power recliner, wait staff come to take your order and bring decent food, and you can get more at will. The bathrooms are all individual private rooms, and the whole experience has a lot of cinaphile touch, including generally thoughtful “preshow” content. Like for a Disney movie there was lots of history of Disney and classic shorts. For a movie based on a 90s anime they rolled 90s era anime trailers for all sorts of content.
I do see at least some theaters have upped their game and offer a rather premium experience compared to “wait in line, wait in line again for crappy concessions, then walk on sticky floor to hopefully find a well placed seat and then fold it down and just live with it because how Else were you going to see this movie?”
I wouldn’t mind renting an entire small room with a good TV and sound system to watch things, especially with friends, and doubly especially if it had some game consoles and a wait staff.
Something a bit like a Japanese karaoke bar, where you rent a room for a while and can order drinks and food on a tablet. You get to hang out in a nice space with people you’ve invited, instead one big room full of shudder the general public.
Why would I want to schedule my entire day around a showtime, arrive early just to stand in line, pay a small fortune, skipping the popcorn and coke (overpriced and gone by the time the ads finish…), sit through 20 minutes of commercials (followed by trailers), for a movie that isn’t even that entertaining, with a sound system that is not particularly good (just loud) on a screen that is big but somehow less detailed than my TV at home?
At home I can pick from a huge variety of movies, start them on my schedule, eat/drink whatever I want. Pause to pee or even stop and watch the rest later. Adjust the volume to my satisfaction. Swap to a different movie if it is bad or doom scroll through the slow parts. If I want the movie theater experience I can just sit real close, turn the volume all the way up, and ban myself from using the toilet.
That said, what I do appreciate about theaters is getting to do something different, and breaking routines. That and the nostalgia factor. I want to like going to movies, but doing so is just a pain and takes more effort and planing than it should.
I really like the movie experience myself. One, it’s nice to go out (I need every excuse I can on wfh days). It’s a nice little event or date night. I also think paying to go out and being with other people forces one to pay attention, talk less, and scroll on phone less. You get more of the artist’s vision and will probably catch more details. Also, my sound system can’t be that good because I live in a condo with neighbors who would complain if I upped my sound system too much. I also love watching movies with other people sometimes. The experience with a good Marvel movie when other people cheer, or with a comedy or horror and hearing other people laugh or jump is pretty great.
To me, the main problem is the money. Movie theaters are just so crazy expensive nowadays. Every theater needs to be a luxury experience to make it worth it. Theaters should be enforcing quiet and no cell phones, because it’s crazy to spend that much doe a night out and have someone’s little phone light or talking ruining it.
You’re speaking my mind. My home projector and sound system are the budget versions, and still offer better quality experience than the theater. They already paid for themselves in savings for tickets and the popcorn.
I still go to movies sometimes, but it’s got to be an experience: either a theater packed with like minded fans, or with a group of friends with whom I then go for a few pints over a game of pool.
I will say I like the occasional movie at the theater near me.
Yes, it sucks that my schedule is bound by their showtimes, but hey, at least it means I’m unplugged and actually “present” for the movie.
The theater has online ticket sales where you pick your seat, you come in sit down in that fairly nice power recliner, wait staff come to take your order and bring decent food, and you can get more at will. The bathrooms are all individual private rooms, and the whole experience has a lot of cinaphile touch, including generally thoughtful “preshow” content. Like for a Disney movie there was lots of history of Disney and classic shorts. For a movie based on a 90s anime they rolled 90s era anime trailers for all sorts of content.
I do see at least some theaters have upped their game and offer a rather premium experience compared to “wait in line, wait in line again for crappy concessions, then walk on sticky floor to hopefully find a well placed seat and then fold it down and just live with it because how Else were you going to see this movie?”
I wouldn’t mind renting an entire small room with a good TV and sound system to watch things, especially with friends, and doubly especially if it had some game consoles and a wait staff.
Something a bit like a Japanese karaoke bar, where you rent a room for a while and can order drinks and food on a tablet. You get to hang out in a nice space with people you’ve invited, instead one big room full of shudder the general public.
God damn I was going to go to the movies later but now I won’t.