Things I Miss: The Movie Theater

If you’ve read this blog lately, you know that I love movies. What might surprise you is that I have only been averaging the viewing of barely over one movie per year in the theater. The reason? I’ll get to that. It wasn’t always like this. I once loved seeing first-run movies in the theater, enjoying the shared experience of the movies. From the original Star Wars films to the Indiana Jones adventures, the Muppet Movie, and hundreds of others, the movies used to be an escape. Escape from reality and all the frustrations and annoyances of life. Unfortunately, those annoyances have made their way into the theater. Not that I can claim to have experienced it, but movies used to be one of the few affordable pastimes during the Great Depression. Now, ticket prices are insane. Finally, whether my tastes have changed, the quality of films has decreased, or a combination of the two, there are very few films I even want to see in the theater. (The images shown are the posters of the last movies I’ve seen in the theater environment).



I’m long past fitting in the 18 to 24 year-old demographic. Loooong past. But, the reports I’ve read say that the average consumer sees at least one movie a month in the theaters. I don’t seem to fit into that demographic either. I was curious to look back and determine how many movies I used to see in an average year. So, I researched 1990, the year I graduated from high school, entered college, and turned nineteen. (Why am I hearing Paul Hardcastle in my head?) I tried not to cheat at this. I used to work at a movie theater, so I specifically avoided choosing one of those years. In 1990, I saw 25 films in theaters. I think we can rule out the notion that films were better then. Out of the 25, I can only recommend 4, and that’s a stretch.



So, what has changed? In 1990, the average ticket price was $4.22. I’m sure that the half year I was in Los Angeles saw higher prices than that, but it still wouldn’t compare to the $10-$15 dollars being paid now, and that range is just in Seattle, depending on choice of theater, IMAX, or 3-D options. I was a student then, and I’m a student now, yet now I’m not seeing close to the number of movies I was seeing then. Now, that’s not even getting into snack and drink prices, the biggest scam in the movie business, but I wisened up on that score even longer ago than my decline in theater visits. With so many other entertainment options on the table, such as Netflix, their streaming options, Internet, and good, old-fashioned books, paying $50 or more on a date, not including dinner, or half that all by my lonesome, doesn’t seem appealing. Add in the fact that most movies being released are absolute drivel and the decision becomes even easier.



Movies used to be an incredible shared experience. Patrons would gasp, weep, laugh and cheer together. These days, no one seems to do anything as one. We’ve all experienced theater annoyances, including crying babies and ringing cell phones. But, the advent of home video and TiVo technology has somehow deceived theatergoers into believing that the theater is an extension of their living room, and they can say and do as they please. My frustration started innocently enough. Back in 1986, I sat in a typical movie theater audience watching the latest Eddie Murphy vehicle, The Golden Child. Out of nowhere, about two seconds before Murphy himself said it in the film, someone in front of me said, “All I want is a chip,” completely deflating the upcoming joke. Man, was I pissed. Several other instances occurred: two guys not shutting up throughout A.I., a gaggle of old ladies chatting loudly in the midst of O Brother, Where Art Thou, and various other similar situations, and that’s not even addressing the horrors I saw as a theater usher. The tipping point occurred during a viewing of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. A couple sat behind me, along with their son who was far too young to understand the plot. Their solution? They explained what was going on all the way through the movie, despite several admonitions from neighbors. (And believe me, I checked afterwards, stealthily, to see if he was blind or impaired in some way, which might have excused the transgression).




I just can’t take it. I’d rather wait the short few months for a Netflix appearance (which now may be getting even better thanks to some smart studio deals) than to have to pay exorbitantly to be annoyed, frustrated and let’s face it, the opposite of entertained. I think I’ve made the right decision. The last few movies I’ve seen, while not necessarily in my top ten list of all time, have been good ones. I wish I could one day enjoy the theater experience again. The recent gimmicks of the studios to get more people in theaters, however, have had the opposite effect on me. It happens every time an entertainment medium starts to run out of ideas. It happened with comic books in the 90’s, when holograms, foil-embossing, and variant covers nearly ruined the industry. It is also happening now with DVD’s, where silly ‘collectables,’ hastily thrown together special features, and packaging have trumped better quality transfers and entertaining commentaries. I don’t ever want to see a 3-D film. I couldn’t care less about D-Box seating. IMAX has a small amount of allure, but not enough to turn the tide.



For a short period, I worked at the Laemmle Royal Theatre in Los Angeles. Yes, you can tell it’s an art theater as they spell theatre with an ‘re.’ During this time, I was able to see a massive amount of movies, some great, some not so great. Could I have achieved theater overload? Could my experiences as an employee have tainted my later enjoyment of the theater experience? Possibly. But, when I remember seeing The Usual Suspects, The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, The Last Seduction, and Killing Zoe I think it was worth it. I just have to completely repress Natural Born Killers and Showgirls. Ugh.



I go to movies for one reason and one reason only, to experience a well-told visual story. It seems that one element is the last on the priority list for Hollywood films recently. If I needed any kind of validation of my complete disconnect with Hollywood, it is exemplified by the “ratings low points” of the Oscars in the last fifteen years. Two of the lowest rated Academy Awards ceremonies, as well as being the ones named by public as being ‘the worst,’ are two of my favorite years for films. In 1997, I would have been happy with either The English Patient, which ended up winning, or Fargo, as Best Picture. But, Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet, Secrets & Lies, and Trainspotting also earned high marks for me, and increased my respect for the Academy. In 2008, I honestly would have been happy with any of the five Best Picture nominated films earning the Oscar. No Country for Old Men, Atonement, Juno, Michael Clayton and There Will Be Blood were all films that involved well-told visual stories. They were all well-acted, and visually compelling. Yet, the public hated that year of films. I realize I’m not Hollywood’s notion of an ideal theatergoer, but if more films like these were made, I might go more than once a year.