Movies Are Meant To Be Seen On A Big Screen
Nothing beats going to the movies. To me, every film is meant to be seen in a theater, not only big-budget superhero movies.
A couple of years ago, I hung out with some friends at a Barnes & Noble. As it got late, we randomly decided to go to the movies. At 11:30 p.m., the only film playing was Shane Black’s The Nice Guys, a movie that was struggling financially but one I had looked forward to.
At 1:30 a.m., I walked out the happiest I had been in a while. It was one of the funniest and most original movies I had seen in years.
Sure, actually watching the movie was a little expensive. Most tickets before 3 p.m. cost around $11 while tickets after that usually go up to $13. It seems more effective to just pay less than two dollars a day either renting it physically at a Redbox kiosk or digitally through an On Demand service.
At the risk of sounding like an old man unwilling to change, I love the old-fashioned method of physically traveling somewhere to watch a movie. As a huge film nerd, I attend the movies at least once every two weeks and I try to watch different kinds of films.
I am not trying to dissuade anyone from watching movies at home. It just isn’t the same on a TV screen. The surround sound can’t be replicated and IMAX is a marvel that needs to be experienced.
Even smaller indie films by the likes of Wes Anderson, Sean Baker, the Duplass Brothers, “weirder” films like Best Picture winner The Shape of Water or unconventional blockbusters like Blade Runner 2049 should be experienced in a crowded auditorium with strangers. They were made with a large screen in mind, not for an iPhone screen or laptop monitor.
I feel every film seen on a screen has an impact. I myself have watched several movies that have inspired me. The seamless editing in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and the quick-witted script in Hail, Caesar! have influenced the way I want to make movies.
It isn’t just me, though, because big blockbusters can have lasting impact on most people. Seeing the excitement young women had watching Wonder Woman or young black kids feeling empowered as they saw the feature-length film, Black Panther, is a testament to the power movies have.
It is because of cinema that these memories can be made. The highest highs of my life have been lived through the silver screen, such as taking my younger brother to his first midnight premiere: Captain America: Civil War, and even my lowest lows, such as seeing my first Quentin Tarantino film in theaters, The Hateful Eight, after an awful break up.
Every movie I’ve seen in a theater, good or bad, has been a unique and entertaining experience that can’t be replicated simply by clicking a play button on Netflix.
It was in the theater where I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker. It was in the theater where I knew what my favorite film of the decade was (Mad Max: Fury Road, for those wondering).
It was in the theater where I realized no other medium could hold a candle to how impactful a film can be.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is this: movie theaters are important. No one is simply paying to watch a movie. They are paying to share a unique experience with others. One where everyone can laugh, cry or collectively cheer a story presented in a grand way.
I think once that is factored into it all, $13 is not a bad price at all.
