Do Your Prefer to Watch Movies at Home or in Theaters?

A recent poll was put out by the Associated Press that found that 73% of Americans preferred to watch movies at home on DVD or pay-per-view instead of going out to the movie theaters. Just out of curiosity, where do you stand? If you had to pick between seeing the same movie in your living room or seeing it in a theater, what way do you think you'll most likely lean?

I really like going to the theatre, with the cushy chairs, big screen, and surround sound. It may just be because I'm at home most of the time - I love to get out and see a movie. It's a treat for me. The only drawback is that it can be so darned expensive when you go in the evening. Renting videos is a lot cheaper, especially when there's more than one of you.

I agree with some of Mary's opinion, Surrounded sound, big screen. I used to see a movie in the theatre rather than TV or DVD. But now, I'd like to see a movie at home.
The first reason is that only a few theater have big and comfortable chairs. Because I'm tall, many people behind of my seat in the theater complain to me; My height blocks their sight!
The second reason. Movie ticket is expensive for me. I had to pay $19.00 for my friend and me. I have a projector at home so I can see a movie with big screen and surrounded sound with 5.1channel speaker. I go to theater when I have a date, hehe.

This might sound kinda strange, but I really don't have the patience to watch movies most of the time when I'm at home. I have other things that I have to do and there's always something I need to work on that's on my mind. I know movies are kinda expensive these days, but I have to get out of the house to enjoy a movie. I'll rarely go see a movie for the movie alone. I'll see it if it's part of another occasion like seeing friends.

We had a roommate that had an enormous TV and great theater sound system. It was fun to have people over for movies, but aside from when we had company, I'd rarely ever watch a movie on it alone.

Now on a tangential thought, Howard Hughes (as in the subject of The Aviator) was considered weird for many reasons, but one of the things that was pointed out about him was that he watched movies alone. Movies had always been considered part of a social experience rather than just as a viewing experience because nobody could afford to watch by themselves.

Movies aren't always a social experience anymore since the emergence of VCRs and that must have some long term effect on the way movies are made.

I love the movie theater experience, but I get really distracted by those young ones and teens who talk loud and kick chairs during the blockbusters.
Well, supremely irritated may be more like it.

I'd gladly hand over my money for a movie that attracts older audiences. Or, I tough it out for the kid's movies, expecting there to be a great deal of activity.
In that case, I am there for the kids enjoyment, really.


In the mean time, our home theater is hard to beat.

This is the strangest date activity I have seen. You want to be social so you go with someone to sit in a theater for hours where you can't talk or tend to your company. When I feel like being social, I go out with someone to talk, interact, hear their vision of the world, maybe even get physical (playing sports etc...).

I really enjoy home as the movie intensity has gotten overwhelming lately. Sometimes I have to stop the recording and walk away for a minute: too much pain, too much suspense, too much of something. Also I love being able to replay a part that didn't make any sense or the volume was inaudible/ unhearable (is that a word). I can ask my guest their opinion I only go for the big screen on space-based movies but soon I will have my own screen and projector so I won't need the theater for anything. It will be IMAX or nothing. They are way overpriced, $3/sodas, $5/popcorn, and you crave it. I rarely eat anything when I am at home. Maybe a popcorn every once in a while.

Plus I can drink and smoke at home. There is nothing cushier than laying down on my couch or my bed, if I watch in my bedroom. Surround sound has been the single biggest to home theater in years. Try u571 with the mines going off all around on surround sound or one of the classics: Top gun with the jets running down the carrier decks. It has gotten so cheap, I have in my bedroom as well for regular television and movies.

The children have become so unruly at the theaters, and the adults are sometimes just as bad. I have to go the matinee just to stay away from the crowds and noise.

First, the movies got expensive. And then, they started making the movies longer, because of course, we expected more for the money we were paying. And so everything became an epic, whether or not it was a story worth being dragged out for almost 3 hours. And then you add on your 10 movie previews, and you've lost an entire evening, or afternoon, and there's not even time to grab dinner sometimes, if you have the dough for both. But I can think of a lot of activities as a couple that would be more enjoyable than a movie for that price.

I can't sit for 3 hours, even if I haven't gotten myself a large drink or water bottle in the theater, and I don't want to miss part of the movie because I have to pee! I can always pause it at home. And watch outtakes and deleted scenes, and in French, and...

Of course, I don't see that many movies altogether, maybe because of what Sheldon said, I find so many other things to do instead of sitting down and watching a movie. But if I do want to watch a movie with slow parts, I like to do something else at the same time.... even if it is just quality time with my cats. I enjoy my TiVo though! Maybe I'd watch more movies if more were about science and politics and well, South Park!

That said, if I do go to the movies, it's always the Cameras, because I do want to support them. I am a huge fan of Cinequest, in fact, the last few years I've seen about 2 movies a day for the 2 weeks of the festival, and outside of Cinequest, I've been to 2 movies in the last 12 months. You never know what you're going to get with a Cinequest movie, but you get an polite audience and sometimes something more engrossing than the average blockbuster.

i used to love movies but i have been enforcing a movie embargo for the last 6+ months. why? because the majority of movies i saw last year SUCKED!!! i can't even watch previews anymore. they make me sick. everything looks like something that was already done and/or just really inane. i have never liked renting movies -- i would only do so if friends wanted to. there are far too many better things on tv (TiVo!!!) or just other better ways to spend my time. i love tv but i rarely even have time to spend watching that. watching a movie is the last thing i want to spend my time on.

postscript: the only good movies i saw were indies, but i'm just so turned off by movies right now.

This post has been edited by pamrealtor on Jul 13 2005, 11:10 AM

Oh Pam, you definitely haven't seen the most recent Batman movie yet...That's worth a couple hours in the theatre....

nope, i think my standards are WAY higher now. i used to see anything out of curiosity if a friend wanted to go but i don't need to waste my time anymore. i even have several unused free and discount movie tickets that i've had for months since i just don't want to waste my time.

But what kind of stuff do you watch on TV????

mostly musical performances, so a lot of MTV2, Fuse, and talk show performances (leno, letterman, charlie rose, tavis smiley, etc. -- i check the daily listings for about 10 shows a day to see if there's anyone i want to see who will be on.) i also have to watch Jeopardy everyday since ken jennings was on. i like some pbs and educational shows that are business-oriented, like suze orman... specials on people like MLK, Gandhi... pbs specials on global warming, rainforests and gorillas... thomas friedman specials... mostly i like talk shows if there will be an interesting guest or topic. my interests can be many and varied. with TiVo, you can make Wish Lists so you can program it to automatically record, for example, all shows with Moby or Foo Fighters in the title or description. i also love America's Next Top Model and i used to like The Apprentice. there is a new pbs special based on a book that i own but haven't had time to read, Guns, Germs & Steel. there's also a cool special i read about that i need to record called The Education of Shelby Knox. i've also gotten into Desperate Housewives.

my TiVo is always maxed out even tho we upgraded it from the standard 30 hours to 120 hours. that's mostly because there are a few programs i want to keep for perpetuity, and since i don't have a lot of time to watch tv, shows can stay on for a long time before i get a chance to watch and delete them.

O.k., now I'm totally going off the topic of movies in home or theatre, but I have to say: "The Education of Shelby Knox" is a truly extraordinary documentary, Pam!!! You have to see it if you get a chance. I watched it a couple weeks ago, and it was totally amazing. I would recommend it to everybody. It was running on PBS. I hope they're going to show it again and again.

I'm a big PBS fan, too. I think I watch movies to get a little escape in, though - I find watching them relaxing, for some reason. And it's probably because I spend so much time at home that I really appreciate the opportunity to get out (either by myself or with a friend) and watch a film at the theatre. Also, for me, because I can't walk around very much or stand up for very long, it's a good way to get out of the house but not exhaust myself. I do prefer to go in the afternoon, though, if I don't have a discount card - it's getting way too expensive.