Are Movie Theaters Dying or Evolving?
Not to sound old…
But back in my days, movie theaters were the rage.
I hate it when people do that.
When they begin a phrase with “back in my days.”
I just had to show that the popularity of movie theaters feels like it was from so long ago.
It wasn’t.
It was only from 18 years ago.
Back then, Blockbuster and movie theaters were king.
Media was different.
We didn’t have Netflix or any of these streaming channels.
We had cassettes.
Then DVDs.
Then some wierdos got Tivo.
There was a magical vibe to going out with your loved ones to the theaters.
A few of you guys bought popcorn, a few of you guys bought candy, and the rest of you guys snuck food in.
Everyone would strategically meet up early to watch the trailers.
Then you guys watched the movie.
After the film, there was a post-theater experience.
Talk about the movie in a parking lot, go get some food, plan the next movie experience, etc.
There was a magic in movies.
Where did the magic go?
Are Movie Theaters Dying?
Back in the day, movie theaters didn’t have competition.
Nowadays, there are tons of competition like Netflix and other streaming platforms.
To make matters worse, there was a long turnaround time before the movie would get release in a theater to it being released on a streaming platform.
Nowadays, the turnaround time is getting smaller and smaller.
I saw Monkey Man in theaters recently.
A few weeks later, it was on Peacock!!
I thought:
‘If Monkey Man was going to come out on Peacock so soon, then why the heck did I watch it in theaters??’
When I watched the movie again in the comfort of my home, I noticed what streaming platforms could do that movie theaters couldn’t:
- I could pause, fast forward, and rewind when I wanted.
- I could take bathroom breaks.
- And I didn’t have to pay a ton of money for snacks.
It was clear to see why movie theaters were fading.
How could it not??
Streaming platforms were so much more convenient than going to the theaters.
Despite the convenience, how come movie theaters won’t go away??
Movie Theaters Are Not Dying, They Are Evolving
There are 3 things that movie theaters have now that they didn’t have before:
- Reclining chairs.
- Food being delivered to you.
- Arcades and attractions in the movie theater lobbies.
As I was streaming for a while, I began to feel lonely.
I wanted an excuse to dress up and socialize!
One of my friends hit me up and asked if I wanted to watch Oppenheimer with them.
I said yes so fast.
When I went to the theaters, I met up with my crew.
We went early and chilled in the lobby for a while.
The lobby had more attractions now than in 2005.
There was an arcade and those virtual reality seats.
You could sit in one of those seats, and you’d get a 3D immersive experience of an upcoming film.
That was fun…
Once we went into the theater, I saw that the seats reclined.
This was new!
Before, seats were in the same position the entire time.
You could also click a button and have food delivered to you.
This option wasn’t here before either….
A lot of theaters nowadays serve gourmet food.
The changes in theaters came so slow that we haven’t been noticing the evolution that has been happening right before our eyes.
The theater experience is a lot different than it once was.
I don’t see movie theaters going anywhere.
I could see the popularity dwindling, but one day, I see the popularity reigniting again.
The Magic of Movie Theaters
There is a magical feeling to going to the movies when you haven’t in a while.
It’s like when you are asked to go to the office after months of working from home.
Sure, working from home is a good thing.
But when you work from home too long, it may hurt your social skills.
You forget to interact with people.
One day, you get a message saying that you have to go to your company for a day.
Initially, you feel annoyed.
But since it’s only for a day, you suck it up.
The next day, you get ready.
Drive to the office.
Mingle with others in person.
Since this is one of the rare days you have to go to the office, it feels like a breath of fresh air.
It beats being in your PJs all day.
That’s what going to the movies feels like.
It’s a breath of fresh air!
They call it the movie theater experience for a reason.
Parking, seeing other families enthusiastically buying their tickets, smelling the theater smell, meeting up with your crew, finding your seat, waiting till the lights dim, assessing which trailers look cool and which don’t, watching the movie and making side comments, etc.
Streaming platforms won’t replace the feeling that movie theaters give its consumer.
The popular thing to say is that movie theaters will be a distant memory from now.
I don’t think that’s the case.
Something tells me that theaters will continue to slowly evolve before our very eyes.
Theaters Aren’t the Problem, the Content Is!
There are different occasions I go to the movie theater nowadays.
I go for dates, when I’m chilling with my mom, and for big movies.
The recent Top Gun movie showed people that the public will go to the theaters if the content is good enough.
The only problem is that the content sucks nowadays!
Hollywood needs to step up.
Create more thrillers, new movies (not endless remakes), and cult classics.
Create some immersive experience movies.
Experiment with 3D features.
We don’t have a theater problem; we have a content problem.
Once the public sees better content, we will see people flocking to the theaters again.
For more insights into storytelling, check out the Art & Science of Storytelling book
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