Why do we go to movie theaters?

[WaynePflughaupt]

I treated my wife to dinner and a movie last night for her birthday, Captain America being the movie.

Yet again we were underwhelmed by the experience. Our soft drinks barely had any ice in them so, so within the first hour we were sucking on lukewarm drinks. The picture was grainy. And the sound was sub-par: The front speakers sounded like they had heavy blankets in front of them – very little highs or sibilants. Only on occasion did we hear anything from the surrounds; for the most part everything was coming only from the front speakers. And you’d think an action flick like that would have some subwoofer action. We did hear some subs in one of the pre-show trailers, but nothing during the main attraction.

Remarkably, this is the better of the two multi-cinemas in our area. The other we quit going to a few years ago. Every time we went, there were issues with the sound system in the particular theater we were in, such as the left front speaker being out, honky-sounding midrange that made the voices sound dreadful, low high-freq levels (the “heavy blanket” effect mentioned). On one occasion it sounded like the high freq horns in all the front channels were blown - absolutely no highs. But plenty of highs in the surround speakers. Holy cow. Does anyone ever come in to check the calibration of these systems or perform any maintenance??

Well, I’ve had enough. My birthday is next month, and I told my wife for our night out we’re going to the movies at our house. A couple of bags of Orville Redenbacher movie-butter pop corn is nearly as good as what the theater has to offer (especially once you add some melted butter to it), for a fraction of the price. And we can get all the ice we want in our drinks, which should cost considerably less that the $8 and change we paid last night for the lukewarm Cokes. Plus we’ll get a real hi-def picture and outstanding sound quality. The only downside is that when I go to the bathroom I’ll have to flush my own toilet. But I can live with that.

Enough’s enough. I’m done with movie theaters.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[avnetguy]

I gave up on movie theaters years ago, right when I got my big screen TV. Picture and sound quality are much better at my home, no annoying people talking or seat bumping, can pause whenever I want and I rent blurays for $0.99.

I'm surprised so many still go to theaters but I guess it's just a social thing for some.

Steve

 

[its phillip]

It's definitely a social thing for my friends and I...unfortunately I'm the only one of us who is into a/v stuff at all and my "theater" isn't really suited for groups since it's in my bedroom and is just a basic tv/speaker setup...no projector or anything :/

Also, if you really want to watch a new movie, then your only option is the theater unless you want to wait months for the release.

 

[jinjuku]

The only time I go to the movie theater is when I decide to play a day of hookey and going to do the all day 'movie ticket'.

I find out the three movies I want to see and hope the stop / start times line up. Grab the bag I saved (they give you free refills on the XL pop-corn). Pay my matinee price. Best $6.50 I have ever spent

You pretty much get run of the place from 11 to 5.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I treated my wife to dinner and a movie last night for her birthday, Captain America being the movie.

Yet again we were underwhelmed by the experience. Our soft drinks barely had any ice in them so, so within the first hour we were sucking on lukewarm drinks. The picture was grainy. And the sound was sub-par: The front speakers sounded like they had heavy blankets in front of them – very little highs or sibilants. Only on occasion did we hear anything from the surrounds; for the most part everything was coming only from the front speakers. And you’d think an action flick like that would have some subwoofer action. We did hear some subs in one of the pre-show trailers, but nothing during the main attraction.

Remarkably, this is the better of the two multi-cinemas in our area. The other we quit going to a few years ago. Every time we went, there were issues with the sound system in the particular theater we were in, such as the left front speaker being out, honky-sounding midrange that made the voices sound dreadful, low high-freq levels (the “heavy blanket” effect mentioned). On one occasion it sounded like the high freq horns in all the front channels were blown - absolutely no highs. But plenty of highs in the surround speakers. Holy cow. Does anyone ever come in to check the calibration of these systems or perform any maintenance??

Well, I’ve had enough. My birthday is next month, and I told my wife for our night out we’re going to the movies at our house. A couple of bags of Orville Redenbacher movie-butter pop corn is nearly as good as what the theater has to offer (especially once you add some melted butter to it), for a fraction of the price. And we can get all the ice we want in our drinks, which should cost considerably less that the $8 and change we paid last night for the lukewarm Cokes. Plus we’ll get a real hi-def picture and outstanding sound quality. The only downside is that when I go to the bathroom I’ll have to flush my own toilet. But I can live with that.

Enough’s enough. I’m done with movie theaters.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

Well, I go because the screen is much larger than mine I don't have control of the volume the seats are comfortable for me. and I do go at the cheapest times, first showing, no dinner dates, not anymore.

 

[Pyrrho]

Well, I go because the screen is much larger than mine I don't have control of the volume the seats are comfortable for me. and I do go at the cheapest times, first showing, no dinner dates, not anymore.

The last time I went to see a film at a theater was to see it in 3D, and to see it larger than I would at home. I also wanted to support the filmmaker, as he is a genius and deserves more recognition than he gets. Here is a review of it:

http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/04/29/movies/werner-herzogs-cave-of-forgotten-dreams-review.html

It was the best movie theater experience I have had in many years; it was not playing at the bad local theaters. Werner Herzog is always interesting.

However, I do avoid most of the local theaters, as they do a poor job of presenting films, and it is cheaper to wait until the BD comes out. But there is nothing like a huge screen for a beautifully filmed movie. I am very glad I saw Lawrence of Arabia projected in 70mm when they did the restoration, which was on a screen much larger than I will ever own. I also enjoyed seeing Dr. Strangelove at a theater, as I saw details that I had never seen before. Both of those were shown at theaters that did a much better than average job of presenting films.

So, if the theater does a good job, I like going to see films, but with most theaters, I enjoy the experience at home far more, and save money as well (though if I added up the cost of my home theater, and divided by the number of movies watched on it, and added in the electricity, maybe it would not be as much cheaper as it seems). But with my current home theater, I never prefer the sound when I go out.

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

The last time I went to see a film at a theater was to see it in 3D...

Yeah, 3D – that’s a good point. A good 3D movie is probably the only thing that will get me back into a theater. I haven’t seen one yet.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[JimAckley]

The only time I go to the movie theater is when I decide to play a day of hookey and going to do the all day 'movie ticket'.

I find out the three movies I want to see and hope the stop / start times line up. Grab the bag I saved (they give you free refills on the XL pop-corn). Pay my matinee price. Best $6.50 I have ever spent

You pretty much get run of the place from 11 to 5.

I might've done this once or twice this past summer

I'm right there with you, Wayne. I only go when my girlfriend is dying to see something that just came out, but otherwise my HT (which has recently turned into a 2-ch in an effort to raise funds for a whole new setup) is more-than-capable of beating out the sound and experience in the movie theater.
- The mids and highs are very clean and clear
- The bass from my 4 10s in my bedroom-sized HT is more than sufficient
- I don't have to settle for it being 65 degrees
- I don't have to listen to some jerk behind me talk through half of the movie
- I don't have to pay double the cost of a DVD to watch something ONCE
- Popcorn is cheaper
- And best of all, I don't have to sneak a flask into my HT

 

[bikdav]

I Know The Frustration

As far as the sound in the theaters is concerned, it boils down to one problem _ LACK OF MAINTENANCE! I've been in theaters where the sound system sounded like it was on its last legs. Yet, I've been in others where the sound system was nothing less than spectacular.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

I save it for the big event movies. I have not been in at least 6 months maybe longer. I am holding out for the Hobbit.

 

[Alex2507]

I make my g/f pay ... that really cuts down on my out of pocket.

Once or twice a year I do the IMAX thing and am always happy with the audio. The video quality is film dependent but what gets me is that they run commercials before the feature. That just pisses me off.

 

[BMXTRIX]

We have a IMAX down the street from my house, so I make a point of going there when a decent flick is playing. The theater is well maintained and usually is pretty good even in the smaller auditoriums. Last time I went, the sound was all messed up, and I complained. They were just showing trailers at that point, but within a few minutes they had reset the sound and it was all good for the rest of the time I was there.

Still, for the IMAX viewing, and 3D in IMAX, it's always been a good trip for me. With two young kids still in the house, it's also nice to get away for a bit every now and then.

 

[skizzerflake]

There are good reasons to go to a theater as long as you have good ones to go to. In our town, we have a bunch of cineplexes at malls, but the best places are our art house and indy theaters. They have interesting non-mainstream films (foreign and independent), good projection and sound and a clientele that makes being there a worthwhile night out. The big screen is better than any home TV or "theater" and seeing a movie with a real audience is a completely different experience from any home viewing, not to mention the rather pathetic experience of watching a movie on a phone or tablet. A few places play mainstream movies with superior projection and sound; that's the experience to have if you're going to go to a big FX movie. I actually kinda feel sorry for people who only see movies in small devices.

 

[mtrycrafts]

... I actually kinda feel sorry for people who only see movies in small devices.

Don't be. It makes the theater less crowed, yet that theater experience, especially if you need a pee break, less crowd is better

 

[Adam]

I think that the last time that I went to a theater was 2003. I don't miss it one bit.

Then again, I'm cheap, have social anxiety, and don't like leaving Niki alone...so home theater works for me.

 

[tattoo_Dan]

I treated my wife to dinner and a movie last night for her birthday, Captain America being the movie.

Yet again we were underwhelmed by the experience. Our soft drinks barely had any ice in them so, so within the first hour we were sucking on lukewarm drinks. The picture was grainy. And the sound was sub-par: The front speakers sounded like they had heavy blankets in front of them – very little highs or sibilants. Only on occasion did we hear anything from the surrounds; for the most part everything was coming only from the front speakers. And you’d think an action flick like that would have some subwoofer action. We did hear some subs in one of the pre-show trailers, but nothing during the main attraction.

Remarkably, this is the better of the two multi-cinemas in our area. The other we quit going to a few years ago. Every time we went, there were issues with the sound system in the particular theater we were in, such as the left front speaker being out, honky-sounding midrange that made the voices sound dreadful, low high-freq levels (the “heavy blanket” effect mentioned). On one occasion it sounded like the high freq horns in all the front channels were blown - absolutely no highs. But plenty of highs in the surround speakers. Holy cow. Does anyone ever come in to check the calibration of these systems or perform any maintenance??

Well, I’ve had enough. My birthday is next month, and I told my wife for our night out we’re going to the movies at our house. A couple of bags of Orville Redenbacher movie-butter pop corn is nearly as good as what the theater has to offer (especially once you add some melted butter to it), for a fraction of the price. And we can get all the ice we want in our drinks, which should cost considerably less that the $8 and change we paid last night for the lukewarm Cokes. Plus we’ll get a real hi-def picture and outstanding sound quality. The only downside is that when I go to the bathroom I’ll have to flush my own toilet. But I can live with that.

Enough’s enough. I’m done with movie theaters.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

I hate going to theaters,I don't like dealing with the rude people,the messy floor,the cramped seating,the lines,

I haven't been to a movie theater to see a movie in probably 15 years.

 

[sterling shoote]

I've never wondered why folks go to movies, yet I do wonder why folks go to movies on Christmas day, after they've opened their presents. Seems like they'ed want to just go to church and then enjoy home life on that day.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I hate going to theaters,I don't like dealing with the rude people,the messy floor,the cramped seating,the lines,

I haven't been to a movie theater to see a movie in probably 15 years.

+1 , except not quite 15 years for me , but everytime I do it's a reminder for me why I decided not to go the last time...
I'd thou in ticket prices went thru the roof... No more $6.5 showings unless you grab some deal online....

 

[XxDunno]

it's definitely just a social thing,
and yeah I agree, you can only really enjoy a movie at your house, with no uninterested people chattering, especially no babies beside you crying (why the hell do they even let kids 7 below to watch Captain America?.. it's not that they'll understand nor appreciate Chris Evans' chest LOL)

 

[3db]

I try and make it out on "welfare night" when teh tickets are around $6.50. I go becasue teh screen size is much larger than mine....and size does count. The audio side isn't as clear as my home system but the popcorn is definately better.