Let’s Go to the Movies….and Stay Home

AN UNCONVENTIONAL CONVENTION — EDITION 197

LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES….AND STAY HOME

Today, let’s talk about movie theatres. Remember them?

Movie theatres were once vibrant places filled with people of all ages who loved going to the cinema. They were popular attractions in every city and small town. We met friends there, went out on dates, laughed, cried, and reminisced later about the movies we saw. For many of us, movie theatres were places where we experienced some of the most enjoyable and memorable moments of our lives.

But movie theatres are now in serious trouble. Many are closing down. National chains are struggling. There are no lines or sellouts anymore, except perhaps for Marvel movies, and I hate Marvel movies.

This change in our common habits and entertainment options may be irreversible. I doubt that we’ll go back to a time when Friday nights meant going out to the movies. Even movie theatres are becoming unrecognizable now. The movies themselves sometimes seem secondary to a bombardment of preview advertising and the awkwardness of food and beverage service interrupting the middle of the film.

I’ve probably been to the movies 2,500 times in my lifetime. But I went to see just one movie this past year (2022) — the fewest by far ever. I’ve not even seen the so-called “best” movies yet. I do miss the movie theatre “experience.” When I see a comedy, I like sitting with other people and hearing laughter, which becomes infectious. When I see a drama, I like the shared feeling of common emotions that captivates an audience. I even like the anticipation of waiting for the previews and not having to worry that the phone will ring, or someone will knock on the front door.

There are a few notable exceptions to this downward trend. Interestingly, movie theatres are now becoming gathering places for something more than just seeing a film. Here in Las Vegas, we’re seeing more “ethnic” films being shown regularly, which would have been unthinkable years ago because the audiences weren’t sufficient to support foreign-language movies. There are Indian movies, Chinese movies, Filipino movies, and many movies in Spanish. Those communities are sizable enough here to support movies that most native-born Americans won’t pay to see.

There’s also a new wave of religious-themed movies appearing in theatres that appeal mostly to Christians. These are family-friendly films that won’t win any Oscars but do seem to enjoy popular support. Even here in Las Vegas, most theatres are running a “faith-based” movie on the marquis at one time or another. So, perhaps these two niche markets could sustain movie theatres a bit longer.

This is all a long-winded way to introduce today’s question, which is — DO MOVIE THEATRES HAVE A FUTURE?

In your answer, feel free to comment on anything written above. However, do try to predict: (1) Your own future movie theatre habits — i.e., will you go back? (2) Speculate on the future of movie theatres and discuss how this impacts the larger entertainment sector. (3) For those who are really ambitious, address the political aspect of movies and moviegoing, and how a divided audience, politically speaking, may be harming the box office.

These are wide-open topics that I hope will be interesting and will bring out some fun and informative comments.

Thanks to everyone who participates in this latest edition of A.U.C., which is the ONE-HUNDRED AND NINETY-SEVENTH segment of a series I began here on FB two years ago intended to foster civil and creative discussion and debate.

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