berkberkman
varishangout.com
When was the last time you have ever watched a film in a theater? The last time for me was with some family members last year to see Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (It sucked and was a waste of time). The push for streaming services (or just having those "totally legal" offline copies elsewhere) is already becoming standard thanks to stuff like Netflix, Hulu, Roku, and several others. The movie theater experience (at least in the US) simply sucks for me.
The experience of going to a typical movie theater showing doesn't have much advantages compared to just watching elsewhere. For starters, you're able to bring your own food at home. There's an overwhelming amount of time spent on advertising and trailers before the film begins (or occasionally a short film). Meanwhile, a few ads may briefly appear on some streaming service that can easily be skipped (or with some effort on the high seas, avoided altogether). There could be an advantage for visual and sound quality; the HDR and surrounding audio can work much better than a basic TV with some speakers. The theater showings also have a significantly weaker library compared to just watching at home. Aside from the current movies released, there's not much re-releases of older films. Regardless of the reasoning behind limited distribution, there's often an immense archive of movies online or on some kind of physical media shelf. The only advantage that theater showings have is that the hardware used for audio and video is better than a soundbar and a cheap TV, or if you're lucky enough, have a showing that has fancy tech like IMAX, Dolby, or DTS. (I don't think romantic comedy movies would be using this.)
The environment of a theater might be a reason for watching there instead of just waiting to view it at home, except that there's enough annoyances to walk out or avoid it entirely. If you're seeing a film intended for "general audiences" (like a Disney, Nickelodeon, or anything rated G/PG), there's a good chance that there's some annoying distraction from a little kid, a baby, or an adult (or a retard). Maybe it's some crying baby, or some stubborn boomer using a smartphone. There could be a chance in which a crowded theater experience is more entertaining than watching alone, but the same could be said for just watching at home with friends and/or family.
I am curious about other people's past experiences watching at a movie theater, especially outside of the US. There's obviously some differences, even though my complaints may apply everywhere. (Anti-piracy measures may be stricter or not, too.) Is simply watching on a TV or computer monitor just enough for you? What would get you to watch in a theater? Feel free to talk about your old movie theater memories here.
The experience of going to a typical movie theater showing doesn't have much advantages compared to just watching elsewhere. For starters, you're able to bring your own food at home. There's an overwhelming amount of time spent on advertising and trailers before the film begins (or occasionally a short film). Meanwhile, a few ads may briefly appear on some streaming service that can easily be skipped (or with some effort on the high seas, avoided altogether). There could be an advantage for visual and sound quality; the HDR and surrounding audio can work much better than a basic TV with some speakers. The theater showings also have a significantly weaker library compared to just watching at home. Aside from the current movies released, there's not much re-releases of older films. Regardless of the reasoning behind limited distribution, there's often an immense archive of movies online or on some kind of physical media shelf. The only advantage that theater showings have is that the hardware used for audio and video is better than a soundbar and a cheap TV, or if you're lucky enough, have a showing that has fancy tech like IMAX, Dolby, or DTS. (I don't think romantic comedy movies would be using this.)
The environment of a theater might be a reason for watching there instead of just waiting to view it at home, except that there's enough annoyances to walk out or avoid it entirely. If you're seeing a film intended for "general audiences" (like a Disney, Nickelodeon, or anything rated G/PG), there's a good chance that there's some annoying distraction from a little kid, a baby, or an adult (or a retard). Maybe it's some crying baby, or some stubborn boomer using a smartphone. There could be a chance in which a crowded theater experience is more entertaining than watching alone, but the same could be said for just watching at home with friends and/or family.
I am curious about other people's past experiences watching at a movie theater, especially outside of the US. There's obviously some differences, even though my complaints may apply everywhere. (Anti-piracy measures may be stricter or not, too.) Is simply watching on a TV or computer monitor just enough for you? What would get you to watch in a theater? Feel free to talk about your old movie theater memories here.
