Nothing tops the big-screen experience
Real joy of watching movies is still in theatres, not chilling at home in front of your television
Sure, it’s easy to Netflix and chill these days. Or Prime and recline. Or Hulu and ... well, whatever. But if you really want to savour a film, there’s still no substitute for a movie theatre.
Turns out that there are few better ways to rediscover the joy of heading to the theatre than a year of free movie tickets, courtesy of Moviepass (or Sinemia, available in Canada). Among the greatest attractions: no distractions from Facebook, online chats, household chores and what not.
I was a regular moviegoer until ticket prices skyrocketed several years ago. Streaming at home became far more affordable and convenient. Who has time to go to the movies when you’re already behind on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and everything else? But the real cinema theatre has such an appeal.
I confess I have it easier than many. Having no kids means no worries about babysitters and bedtime. I can squeeze in a 10 p.m. showing with friends. Once the lights dim, it’s just the movie and me.
When watching Netflix, you need discipline to put your phone or laptop away. I’ve sometimes had to consult Wikipedia for a plot point I missed because I was responding to a text or reading about the next movie to watch. Even folding laundry takes your eyes off the screen.
And while it’s convenient to be able to stream movies in bits and pieces, as time permits, that detracts from their rhythm and pacing. Some movies, such as the Netflix drama Roma, are meant to feel slow and deliberate, but you lose that feeling if you multitask on Facebook. The Netflix thriller Bird Box just doesn’t feel right without the proper buildup of suspense.
Costumes and landscapes come to life on the theatre’s big screen.
Rock climber Alex Honnold’s nerve-racking, rope-free ascent of the Yosemite rock formation El Capitan in Free Solo wouldn’t have been the same on a phone or small screen. This documentary was even worth watching a second time, in the mega-size Imax format.
Then there was Cold War, a Polish drama about romance in the Eastern Bloc. It was filmed in black and white in the boxy, 4-by-3 frame used by TV screens of that era. That gives the movie a nostalgic feel even though it just came out. With streaming, video sometimes gets squeezed or stretched to match the dimensions of the TV or phone.
Sound quality at many theatres far exceeds what I could get at home. That became clear watching — and hearing — Bohemian Rhapsody, about the rock band Queen, and A Star Is Born, the Lady Gaga-led drama on a singer’s rise to fame.
True, theatres can still be a hassle. You have to be there at showtime — and then big theatre chains show nearly 30 minutes of trailers. (I typically read an ebook at low brightness or catch up on podcasts.)
Spending time at the multiplex has changed how I watch movies and shows at home. I try harder to pay attention. My phone’s screentime controls, which block message notifications and the like, help me focus. But it still takes willpower.
For that reason, I choose theatres when I can, even when streaming is available right away. Some movies never make it to theatres outside big cities. I don’t have that problem in New York, where several theatres show more than just the latest mega-blockbuster sequels.
So instead of asking, “Who has time to go the movies?” I ask myself, “Who has time for streaming?” And Netflix just raised its prices yet again. Hmmm.