There has been some good discussion going on here lately about the pros and cons of watching a movie at an actual movie theater, or at home on a decent TV and sound system.
Some people on here have talked about how they much prefer to wait for films to come out on DVD so they can watch them at home. They also raise some very good points about why they enjoy this more:
1) No people talking
2) No babies crying (unless you have one at home)
3) Much cheaper snacks
4) No parking issues
5) Less expensive than buying tickets
6) No sticky floor (depending on your personal Hygiene)
7) No line-ups
8) No one kicking the back of your seat
There are more… but I think I covered the major reasons.
For me personally though… no matter how good home theater systems get, nothing will ever replace the experience of going to the movies for me.
To me, going to a movie should be an event. I like getting ready to go out. I like buying tickets (although I’m not thrilled with the price of them these days). I like being with a crowd, laughing with a crowd, seeing a crowd all jump at the same time or scream at the same time. I like hearing the buzz before a film. I like all the talk about the movie I hear people having after the credits roll. I like the over priced sub-par popcorn.
For me, something is lost on the EXPERIENCE of watching a film for the first time when you do it sitting in the same living room that you sit in all day, on the same TV (no matter how awesome it is) that you watch the evening news on, without a crowd of people or the general atmosphere of a theater.
I’ll always enjoy “going out” to a movie. I want my movie to feel like an event, an occasion. Watching them at home just isn’t the same for me.
Still… I can TOTALLY see where people like Richard and Logboy are coming from when they say they prefer watching them at home. It’s all subjective I guess.
Which do you prefer? And Why?
I have a great home theatre but as good as DVDs are, the image still pales in comparison to film. If you were to blow up the image of a DVD to a 30ft screen you would see just how crappy the movie looks. I see imperfections quite easily on my 51′ hdtv.
If you want to see a movie in its best possible form a theater will always be the best place, just get there early before the crowds come.
Meli says, “Then there are movie goers such as myself who aren’t afraid to tell the disruptive jack ass to quiet himself.” Now I can actually see you doing this girl! Serves them right eh Meli? LOL
I am going to watch Episode III at a midnight screening tonight at the VUE cinema in Islington, I will share my experience as to how fellow SW audiences behaved. We will probably go wild in the beginning then quiet, and lots of oohhhs and ahhhhs when the lightsaber duels start. YAY!
Well done Meli, although personally I think that’s way down the list of annoyances. Interestingly the press screener for Star Wars was the best behaved audience I’ve ever seen.
Pudie – you don’t need thousands of dollars. There’s some really excellent equipment to be had if you look to last years models, which are often actually only a few months out of date but heavily reduced. I feel a post.
Though I dream of having a home theater someday, I adore going to the movies. Of course with the lack of honestly good movies I’m particular about which movie I see in the megaplex. More than half of the movies deserve a solid “wait for video” rating.
As far as a noisy audience goes – I have had only a few experiences that were unpleasant. Theaters in my area have started cracking down on disruptive movie goers. Then there are movie goers such as myself who aren’t afraid to tell the disruptive jack ass to quiet himself. (albeit not quiet so nicely ;) )
As a parent I stopped bringing my baby the minute she wouldn’t sleep through a movie. Then it was only kid movies. Today she’s gained a fairly ecletic taste in movies for a nine year old, so we often make movie trips together. Does she kick the back of seats, talk or walk around? No. Why? Because I taught her good movie behavoir.
You are so correct. One of the things I hate about the Academy Awards is that the many of the voters someimes watch the movies on DVD (sometimes an inferior quality DVD) rather than in a theater with people.
I think this can severely alter one’s perception of a film. It’s too bad it is so corrupt.
I’ve always wondered at the annoyances people list about the theatre experience. Aside from the parking issue I RARELY (if ever) have to deal with babies (unless it’s Mother’s Night and then it’s my fault), cell phone ringing, loud obnoxious conversations, people kicking back of the seat etc. Sticky floors? you’re wearing shoes for heaven’s sake. I guess I just live in a nice area with well-mannered people (generally speaking). :)
I also, in all fairness, can’t use higher ticket prices/snacks as a comparison or list it is an annoyance because, umm, HELLO you’re watching a movie at a megaplex with huge screen and the usual amenities, not vegging out on the couch with the plasma screen tv.
I can, however,understand the “some movies aren’t worth watching in theatre” reason, although that doesn’t influence me to any particular degree unless I think the movie is going to suck. Otherwise I’d only be going out to see big splashy SFX Star Wars, type fare (which meets my “wow, that’s only gonna suck marginally less than the others, pass” criteria).
Some movies are worth watching in the theater, but most aren’t. For example: Episode III? Yes. (I’m going to a digital projection theater to watch it.) The Wedding Crashers? Um, no.
Well, lately I have been watching films on my own, but I dare not go watch a romantic comedy on my own with canoodling audiences surrounding me left, right and center. It’s not inspiring for me at all! LOL
There’s a lesson to learn by going to a movie theater with a completely retarded talking, chewing, stinking crowd. I mean, if you’re going to see Shrek2 expect nothing more than that. But… if you’re going to a smaller (less equipped) cinema to see The Dreamers, well… you can feel the love. You can hear your neighbours heart beat, you can feel someone’s breath, hear a cry, see people hugging and just eating the movie from the screen before it gets to you. If you’ve seen The Dreamers you know what I’m talking about :) It’s a film about special audience for a special audience.
If you’re not comfortable with a certain movie theater and its audience than maybe think about seeing other movies, not theaters. You can actually experience some inspiring films by turning away from the dumb crowd.
There’s something more. If you go alone to a movie theater you feel even more alone. I mean… you can be really lonely with other people around, interacting with each other :) Home Theater is a good solution if that bothers you, it’s only you and the characters, and you gotta love the characters :P
It happened many times to me. Sitting alone in the middle of a hugging audience on Notting Hill can be a bad experience, but inspiring.
Very good point there JohnW. :-)
It does depend so much on the type of film I will be watching. Some films doesnt need to be seen in big screens, and for such ones I usually wait till the DVD comes out and get it then, but for films with tons of special & visual effects (ha! I knew my Star Wars comment will be useful!) what better way to watch these films than in a really huge cinema screen, alongside eager audiences who follow some cinema etiquettes. After RotS we have “Batman Begins” and “War of the Worlds” coming up, I’ll queue up for these bad boys! :-)Pudie said, “If a movie is good enough I dont even really notice other annoyances unless its painfully obvious”. I feel like this too, and audiences at the UGC west India Quay hasnt been too bad really.
I’m really mixed here, while it’s really nice to watch movies in your own home, it doesn’t have that same nostalgic feeling that going to a theatre has.
As long as it’s a matinee I’m fine with theatres, matinees have barely people let alone kids, last movie I went to see was Unleashed, there was a single critic and an old couple. When I went to see Kicking & Screaming there was an old guy a soccer mom and two kids that were seated on the complete other side of the theater and I could only here them when they laughed, and it was a comedy so I didn’t care.
The only films I see during night showings are the blockbusters because it’s generally better that way, if the movie is especially good I’ll see it the next morning.
Case in point: I’ll be seeing Revenge of the Sith, Batman Begins, and King Kong in night showings.
While I can see why people cant stand the theatres, but I prefer them over home.
This has got me thinking. Could there be a market for “home cinema rooms” available to hire for a few hours? A bit like the karaoke rooms you can hire in order to murder your favourite song.
Give it a higher spec than most people would have at home, and bung in 10+ super-comfy seats, so you can bring mates. Offer a licensed bar and food. People could bring their own DVDs or rent one from the choice available.
You said it John: there are some very good reasons to watch a film on DVD at home, but there’s also nothing like seeing a film at the cinema.
For me, it comes down to the type of film. Sometimes I’ll watch a trailer, even for a film that I think I’ll really like, and say: “I’ll wait for that on DVD”. For instance, Finding Neverland (which I’ve still not gotten around to seeing).
And then there are others that I just have to see in the cinema. Revenge Of The Sith being one (yeah, Thursday baby), or something like Team America, where I’d want to hear the crowd laughing.
Richard: Very impressed that you have a Home Cinema Room. Sigh… maybe one day.
I suppose if I had thousands of dollars and the room to make a home theatre that would satisfy me then I could agree that it’s better at home. But I don’t. And even if I did nothing would beat watching blockbusters like Star Wars or LotR on a screen that will beat any home theatre , and with better sound. If a movie is good enough I dont even really notice other annoyances unless its painfully obvious.
Great minds think alike again there eh John & Rich? :-)
I have yet to come up with my own entertainment center, so for now I have to say that nothing beats the experience or the high you get when watching any movie by in the cinema.
I remember the first time we had a betamax machine and we were watching it on an ordinary tv screen, I had a lot of kick in that, but technology has changed so much since. I share John’s sentiments on the movie experience thrill, especially on a Star Wars movie. :-)
Sorry, I just had to bring that out!
Damn! You did the post before I got a chance to write it!
Yeah I think there’s a subtle difference, I don’t enjoy the experience more at home if the other people there really do respect your viewing and the sound and picture are of a decent quality. The press screening of Star Wars was an excellent example.
However, they aren’t always and home is better for me. The other thing is I do not sit on my bum watching the TV all the time I’m much too busy here! Actually My Home Cinema room isn’t even hooked up to a TV aerial, it only accepts signals from the games gear and the DVD.
So for me visiting the Home Cinema room is an experience, and it is so carefully set up (When I moved it took two days to re-assemble and re-calibrate) that it provides an awesome experience.
The atmosphere is totally different from the cinema though. The Home Cinema, for me, is about the experience of the movie. Nothing but, 100%. The picture and audio as it was intended to be seen (as close as humanly possible anyway).
The cinema experience is different, it’s more than just the movie, and in fact on the movie level alone it’s something less than the full movie experience. It’s about being flooded with sound and picture, about flooding the senses with the movie, not the more subtle aspects. It’s also about being in a room full of people and sharing the reactions and emotions. It’s a whole package, but stressing that for me, it’s a lesser experience on the actual movie front.
Do people understand what I mean by that? (Written between meetings!)