An outing to the cinema is a good night out for all. Watching an epic flick from a comfy seat, equipped with a bucket of cola and a trough of popcorn: what's not to love?
Well, perhaps the mobile phones that pierce the darkness with shrill ringtone versions of top 40 hits. Or those irritating kids that talk through the whole thing. Or that guy who rustles his Twisties bag so often that it must be intentional. Come to think of it, a trip to the flicks is traumatic for everyone. In this age of huge plasma tellies, Blu-ray and at-home Dolby, why do we still go?
In this week's Whaddyareckon? we ask whether people still hanker for the communal movie experience, or if they prefer to get their movie kicks in the privacy of their own abode.
Do you still fork over the cash for cinema tickets, or is your living room the only theatre you'll ever need? Tell us in the new Whaddyareckon? forum.
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canberra_photographer
30/05/2008 05:59 PM
There's no competition. The special acoustic properties of cinemas coupled with a ground rumbling array of speakers and subs are in a different league to the often dinky $400 5.1 set-ups consumers have. The screen is just a tad bigger in the cinema. And even if we can watch the movies at home, it takes 4-8 months for it to be released on disc. Why wait to pay $50 for the movie (more than the movie tickets) only to watch it on a TV. The cinema isn't just for watching the film like you would at home, it's an experience in itself.
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trevor67
31/05/2008 11:08 AM
I much prefer my home cinema - Pioneer LX508A and surround sound - better picture, better sound and no annoying crowd
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Flick
31/05/2008 08:19 PM
C_photo - you've got to be kiddin', a decent HD projector, quality 5.1+ or above sound and bittorrent / usenet and you've got the latest and greatest on a budget - spend a bitmore and you can rival / better the pro's - knowledge is the key to a better experience and an investment to the home!
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Matthew Hodgson
01/06/2008 07:16 PM
I've got a great cinema setup at home. When ever I think about going to the movies I have to take into consideration whether the 'experience' of the big screen is going to be better. In most circumstances, my sound setup at home is far better than many cinemas around town. It means, in the end, I only go to the cinema when I'm going to watch big block-busters with digital sound.
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ac
02/06/2008 12:24 PM
I agree with Matt. Most movies don't need to be seen in the cinema. ESPECIALLY CHICK FLIX. summer blockbusters like Iron Man, Transformers and Indiana Jones though are a different story. Nothing compares to seeing Optimus Prime transforming at the Bondi Junction Greater Union cinema
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Preest
02/06/2008 04:07 PM
Cinemas are overrated in my opinion. My home theatre with an 80 inch screen and 2200 watts (discrete) of 7.1 surround sound is better than any mainstream movie theatre. What i've noticed at the theatre is that the films are often grainy and they never crank up the sound. Remember that a movie is a visual and aural experience, so if you have a nice big screen and mediocre sound coming from the speakers, it ruins the experience. Just my 2 cents worth on the subject.
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askec01
02/06/2008 04:36 PM
It's a no-brainer. I have a 200 inch screen with a high def in ceiling projector accompanied by a 6.1 channel surround sound. I have the best seat in the house all the time every time, the movie starts when I am ready and I get a break whenever I want one, the toilets are always clean and I am allowed to take hot snacks back to my seat. Home theatre.....priceless.
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Gotaclue
02/06/2008 08:22 PM
Anyone ever been on a date? See how much harder it is to ask a girl you've just met to watch a movie at your place than it is to go see a movie on neutral (and public) ground. Just one of the many reasons the cinema will never die - because the enjoying the movie itself is playing second fiddle to its social role.
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donaldi
03/06/2008 04:50 AM
How about looking at it from another angle? For many years I love going to the cinema despite my hearing (nerve deafness) problems. Nowadays the films are often rather grainy prints, projection problems, people chatting and slurping, and paying rather high adnission fees. Now with home cinema and a 50" LCD TV playing DVD's with subtitles and listening via headphones (sound being re-directed to others) this is so much better; bliss indeed! In a few years home cinema will soon pay for itself in setting it up.
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pitufon
03/06/2008 12:50 PM
the cinema experience is so much different to that at home - try watching a good comedy where you have 200 people just cracking up as opposed to whatever groups you can fit in your lounge - or the fright that you get from "the others" when you hear the skreetching noise out of the closet - as much as i have a great setup at home - the whole experience cant be compared
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fhuckYOURshhweatyBalls
03/06/2008 02:01 PM
I think its great that you can make your own videos at home, but cmon, nothing beats a night out socially watching a movie eating the butter saturated popcorn, laught with the reast, they both are good, but the cinema is completely different!
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AusRom
15/06/2008 11:23 AM
I stopped going to the Cinema some time ago because there was always some moron in the crowd that would ruin the experience in some respect. The home cinema I have now allows my partner and I, 4 of our close friends to enjoy movies in style and comfort. It also doubles as a large console/PC gaming room. I have no need for a cinema any more.
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jgrant83
24/07/2008 05:02 PM
I have an HD projector at home but anyone who says their digital tv or projector can compete with 35mm film projection should stop making out with their tv and wake up to a real cinema experience
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Ben
25/07/2008 03:25 PM
The community experience of going to the theatre beats watching a movie at home everytime. When you go to the cinema's you have a diferent mindset, you drove there, found parking, and everything else with the explicit purpose of watching a particular film. That in itself means you focu on the movie more and enjoy it more. Whereas at home you often pause a film and get up and do something else quickly, at the cinema you wait until the last moment to go to the toilet because you don't want to leave. Watching comedies is always better in a cinema, because you laugh out loud for real with 100 other people. That shared experience is something I love. Also I love turning off my phone, and disconnecting from the world for the 2 hours i'm in there. I also think tits a bit of a myth that there's always annoying peolple in the movie. Doesn't happen to me often. Either you cinema needs better security, or you're focusing on other stuff. Like a previous poster said too. I don't care if you spent 20 grand on a home theatre, it doesn't beat a 35mm print. That's my ramble of the day done.
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