I’m the type of person who toxically avoids unnecessary expenses. I can’t get myself to spend the extra sixty cents for almond milk in my coffee even though I like it better that way, and I’ll take my roommate’s scissors to my bangs before I open my wallet to a salon. However, there is one thing I am never too cheap to do, and that’s going to the movies.
In an age wherein under thirty seconds, you can pull out a smartphone and watch anything you want, it is no surprise that institutions that charge around $18 to do the same are dying out. Movie theaters are expensive, often far away, and not the most COVID safe, but they are important.
Movies were made to be consumed on a big screen, in a dark, free-from-distractions room. So much thought goes into every aspect of filmmaking, and no matter how you consume a film, you are destined to miss some artistic elements or narrative intentions. However, movies are built to be watched in a theater because theaters are built to maximize engagement. In a comfortable setting free from distractions, with the sound perfectly echoing and the colors accurately projected, effortless entertainment and contact with the story grows.
The joy in cinema comes from allowing yourself to be present in the art of the film. It comes from letting go of everything in your life and spending two or so hours in a different world. Going to the movies means continuously committing a sum of money and a block of time to detach from reality and consume art and entertainment. This valuable experience is too often passed up for alternatives that can’t replicate the authenticity and immersion.
There is nothing wrong with watching a movie on a laptop in the middle of the day; I do it all the time. But every so often, taking a trip to a local movie theater and watching a film the proper way will give an entertainment experience worth the time and money.
Featured Image Via NPR
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