I think my
favorite place in the world is a movie theater. Not a specific one, mind you, but essentially any movie
theater will do. There’s something
deeply relaxing and magical about going into a movie theater. I love the way the marquees show all of
the possibilities as you stand in line, hearing what the people in front of you
are excited to see in their particular theater. The smell of the concessions, all fattening and terrible for
you, and yet there’s nothing more appetizing than a bucket of popcorn and
whatever candy you are feeling (some people stick with a specific Red Vine or
Junior Mint, but I like to mix it up depending on the mood, though for years
that meant Sour Patch Kids). And
then there’s the actual theater: the entire concept is terribly romantic. Sitting with a group of strangers in
the dark, experiencing the same joys and thrills and tears: there’s nothing
quite like it. And no amount of
home theater set-ups or iPads will ever take away from this experience.
But I do find
that I am going to the theater considerably less than I used to do so. This is partially because I have been
dating quite a bit and for obvious reasons getting to know someone is not something
that is conducive to a movie theater (you need conversation, or at least
texting, to make that happen, and neither of those are particularly appropriate
in a darkened auditorium). There’s
also the time commitment-it’s ridiculous that we have to worry about the time
of carving a few hours out of our day, but going to the movies isn’t quite as
convenient as watching a film at home-you have to adhere to a strict time
schedule (TiVo has totally ruined appointment entertainment for us all), and
thanks to the dozens of trailers (which I generally like) you add almost a half
hour onto the front a movie. And
of course, there is the cost, which continues to inch ever higher, and we all
try to make that dollar stretch as far as is humanly possible (does anyone feel
overwhelmed at times with the many, many, MANY messages of what you’re supposed
to do with your money? I do, but
that’s a different article for a different time).
So the question
becomes-what is worth catching in the theaters, and as a cinephile, what do I
owe to myself and to the makers of movies to ensure this viewing method
continues to thrive? I’m firmly
against pirating movies (if I cannot shell out the $10 to see a movie in
theaters, I shouldn’t be seeing it online while it still is running…though it’s
beyond frustrating during Oscar season when my theaters won’t air certain
movies that are about to be nominated for an Oscar that you can only catch at
the Anjelica). I do, however, have
a Netflix list a mile long (random caveat, but while we’re on the subject-the
next person who makes a mocking comment about “why does Netflix still have DVD’s”
is getting a punch in the face from yours truly as the streaming options are
not as strong as their DVD library and I like watching films made before 1985),
and regularly find myself watching movies on Turner Classic and even HBO.
There are
certain movies that clearly scream “see on a big screen!” and I most definitely
do that: Gravity, Life of Pi, Avatar, and
The Hobbit are giant, big-screen
adventures that have to be seen that way.
However, even then I find myself sometimes relegating myself to
DVD. I remember watching Man of Steel this past winter, long
after it had been released in theaters, and thinking that the gargantuan
effects would have been amazing on-screen, but I didn’t lose too much by
watching it at home, at least in terms of viewing quality (I think you always
lose something by not having the all-encompassing effect of a giant movie on
the big-screen…every movie gains in that regard).
However, what
about smaller films? I am a very
Type A-budget conscious person, and so I usually will plan out a month in
advance which movies I can afford to watch in the next month, and I found
myself fervently adding a list of movies to my Netflix list that will be coming
to my Landmark Theater in the coming months. Some movies I will catch (Ernest and Celestine, traffic-willing, will be amongst them
tonight), but far more I will simply stumble across as they plop from the Saved
section of my queue onto the top of the list. The Railway Man,
Watermark, On My Way, and Only Lovers
Left Alive all seem quite interesting, but I just don’t find myself seeing
them in theaters, even if I do want to see them. And I’m not 100% comfortable with this strategy-movies and
the theaters that play films like these need my help more than your average
superhero blockbuster, but I am not supporting them in the same way I’m
supporting my local AMC these days.
When you are only letting yourself watch 3-4 movies a month in the
theater (a lot for most people, but for me this is cutting back considerably),
what gets top priority?
So I guess what
I’m getting at, and am hoping to get from the comments sections is how do you
prioritize which movies get seen in theaters? Do you find yourself only catching the must-see blockbusters
or do you make time for the smaller films? Do you catch the run-of-the-mill mainstream films (I am
still flummoxed when I see the gross of something like Draft Day and think that people made a conscious effort to see that
movie)? Share in the comments, and
what movie are you planning on seeing next in theaters?
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