In the last few decades, the movie industry has changed dramatically as the entertainment landscape continues to develop with the introduction of new technologies and new cultural practices. With options to watch movies from home through a plethora of streaming services, many now choose to wait for the latest movies to drop on their service of choice rather than visit the movie theater.
This has led to a decline in movie theater attendance, with many movie theaters shutting down or repurposing their extra space by renting out rooms for private movie screenings, video game parties, church services, and other events.
While watching movies in your living room may be appealing, there are elements of the movie theater experience that cannot be replicated at home. Read on to discover five reasons why we should keep movie theaters alive.
Community
Movie theaters have played host to many shared experiences since their creation. Friends have met up at the movie theater for fun, relatively inexpensive social gatherings. Couples have gone to the movies for their first dates and can recall exactly which movie they saw. Moviegoers have flocked to the theater to see the highly anticipated film installment of their favorite movie series. It’s a place where you can laugh at characters’ perfect comedic timing, cry at protagonists’ emotional setbacks, gasp at blindsiding plot twists, and cheer at the long-awaited climax alongside friends and strangers alike.
Stories have always had a way of bringing people together in a metaphorical sense, but movie theaters have the unique opportunity to bring people together physically. Putting on your favorite Marvel T-shirt for the midnight release of “Avengers: Endgame” and feeling the crowd resonate with your excitement and all the emotional pushes and pulls in unison provides a unique, silent connection that you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.
Scale
Watching movies at home, you have to work with whatever TV screen and sound system you have. Even extravagant home setups struggle to measure up to the massive scale you find at a movie theater. With nuanced aesthetics such as crisp videography, gorgeous animation, impressive special effects, brilliant sound design, and breathtaking movie scores, limiting movies to a small screen often does not give them their due justice.
The huge scale of movie theaters immerses you in the action, transporting you into another world. Movie theaters provide a sense of grandeur, transforming fiction into larger-than-life experiences. For approximately two hours, you get to live a different story and discover a different world. While you are able to watch your favorite movies at home, you get to experience them at the movie theater.
Comfort
Once upon a time, cinema seats were notoriously uncomfortable with poor back support, sparse cushioning, pokey springs, and close quarters. Fortunately, however, cinema chains like Emagine Entertainment, Inc. and AMC Theatres seek to offer more comfortable amenities.
Now, there are movie theaters that have upgraded their seating to provide chairs with ample cushioning, reclining capabilities, and even heating options. These chairs are also larger than the cinema seats of the past, giving you personal space to enjoy the movie without the distraction of close proximity. Rather than choosing between the comfort of home and the excitement of a movie theater, moviegoers can now choose both by finding a theater near them that offers this luxurious seating.
Snacks
There’s this commercial that plays before every movie at the movie theater – you know the one. The one with the clinking ice and the fizzing soda that makes Coca-Cola look like the nectar of gods. The one with the satisfying pop of buttery, mouthwatering popcorn. These popular snacks taste better at the theater and are deeply woven into the moviegoing tradition.
Coca-Cola, Sprite, popcorn, pretzels, Milk Duds, Swedish Fish, and other traditional movie snacks are just a few of the food and beverage options. Select cinema chains like Emagine also offer full-on entrees like pizza and chicken tenders as well as an array of alcoholic beverages for your movie-viewing pleasure.
Nostalgia
The U.S. has a strong cinematic history, acting as a leader in the movie industry with Hollywood starting small in the mid-1800s and booming big in the early 20th century. Visiting a traditional movie theater or drive-in theater is a great American pastime, and for many people, a rite of passage. Many can recall the first movie they saw at the theater. Many work their first job at the theater. Many have fond memories surrounding visits to the theater and who they were with.
Moviegoing is a cultural hallmark that provides a space for people to take a break from routine, explore new ideas, and celebrate art. It’s a nostalgic, sensory experience: you can feel the cool air blow through the dark theater, smell the buttery popcorn, taste the refreshing soda, hear the blasting brass of the movie score, and see the beauty of the cinematography.
The movie theater experience is one worth preserving, so visit your local theater to keep the tradition alive.