Poll: Most Prefer to Watch Movies @ Home

[brushswinger]

I can drink as many XXXX (4x) at home as well. without getting chucked out. Missus kicks me to bed sometimes half way thru second movie.

[guns1inger]

*cough* cat's piss *cough*

Sorry - I'm Victorian.

[Nilfennasion]

Underworld:Evolution - the first one should have been called Underworld:Underwelming.

Amen to that. Have you heard the audio commentary for the original Underworld? The writers keep kidding themselves that its dismal performance at the box office was because people didn't "get" it. Making claims that are not supported by your work is one thing, but insulting the intelligence of your audience takes the cake. I remember posting an IMDB comment to the effect of "we got it just fine. Once we got it, we did not want it anymore".

The only film this year that I am looking forward to after my moderate surprise at Revenge Of The Sith not failing as badly at its storytelling goals would be Land Of The Dead. After that, who cares? At least George Romero is still interested in making something that respects the intelligence of its audience. The last film I saw theatrically, Mr. And Mrs. Smith, would have been bad even if I didn't have to put up with idiots talking over the top of it on what sounded like mobiles. Whomever invented shaky-cam should be shot. And as for Bond 21, well, it's no longer relevant, Eon. Get over it.

[shelbyGT]

I like Underworld a lot....

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

I like Underworld a lot....

Ditto

[Nilfennasion]

You won't if you listen to the audio commentary. It's one thing to market to retards, but to almost call your market retarded...

[VideoTechMan]

I prefer to watch movies at home also, on my own equipment and my own space and no one else to invade it. I never went to see SW Ep III at the theater because I hate theater crowds....so I missed the big opening...big deal. I can wait until the DVD is released then I will go buy it and watch it in the comfort of my own home and surround sound system with absolutely no distractions and noise.

And I dont have to worry about paying a ransom note for popcorn and drinks either.

VTM

[AlecWest]

I like Underworld a lot....

Ditto

Megaditto.

[waheed]

I hate Underworld :P

[DereX888]

I have seen many mentions of STICKY FLOORS in this post. I dont visit theatres very often, but have never noticed this problem. What are you guys up to that makes all the cinema floors in America sticky?

I too prefer to watch a dvd at home, with all the associated benefits of silence, good sound on theatre system, no ads, pause when needed, re-wind when needed, no kids, no ruffians etc etc. However! Only last night I was watching a movie at home, when suddenly, there was a loud banging on my window, followed by a girl screaming. It turned out that the house next door was being robbed, and the householders returned and caught them in the act. They were all fighting on the front lawn. I was engrossed in the movie, so I sent my wife out to sort it all out. Luckily, the police did not arrive until my movie was finished.

talking bout as*holes...
Hopefully when YOU get robbed one day your neighbours will too send that little girl to 'sort it out' instead of helping you...

and yes, as someone else pointed it out earlier - the floors are sticky because of spilt drinks. What else were you thinking about?
Unless youre underage and you haven't go late nite to theaters yet, you might have missed on sticky floors, otherwise i don't believe it.

[RottenFoxBreath]

another minus for not going to the cinema,is the phantom cougher,the one that sits somewhere behind you that seems to hit you with the cyclonic vortex of air from his lungs..man they piss me right off.

[nelson133]

While I like some movies on the big screen, I watch movies TO WATCH THE DAMNED MOVIE, not to endure idiots. The last movie I went to see was LOTR 3. I went to a matinee at the end of the theater run with about 15 people in the whole place. There were 2 cell phone morons who felt that their important conversations should be heard by every one in the theater, and 2 elderly couples who didn't understand any of the movie and neede to discuss their lack of understanding throughout the entire picture. I'm in a big hurry to go back. Nyah Levi

[normcar]

I went to see SW III on 6/28/05. There were about 6 people in the theater. It was unusually pleasant except for the $5 popcorn (worth about .30) and the $4 soda (worth about .30). The popcorn had been sitting in the bag for who knows how many hours. The screen was only slightly larger than my big screen TV, but they get to have 30 screens in the space of about 3 normally sized theaters.

[shelbyGT]

Am I the only one that sneaks snacks into the theatre? Just buy them from a grocery store before you walk in!

[normcar]

How do you stuff a bag of popcorn, and a drink in your pants? Does the ticket ripper-in-halfer just think you are happy to see him or her?

[Rynoc]

Issue is really simple for me:

I used to go to the Cinema when:

* I could get in and out with a meal for less than $20
* I did not have to wait 2 hours to get into a film and get a decent seat
* People were actually removed from the movie when they were rude
* Quality films were relased with real plots and storylines

Last movie I went to see in the theaters with my wife and 2 kids cost me $28 in tickets and $22 in food. Even my option for leaving the kids at home with a baby sitter gets expensive for 2 hours worth of family entertainment. Not to mention the time involved to get there, get seats, etc..

My movie going was on a decline before I spent 2 years in the UK. There my cinema going increased even when I got the title on DVD beforehand, because I could enjoy a movie expereince again. The audiences were not rude, movie seats were assigned (no waiting or jockying for a seat), and the food was reasonable. Came back to the US in 2003, and my movie going basically stopped after 2 visits.

In 2004 I purchased a projector and set up a home theater room. It cost me about 2 years worth of movie going budget to set up but was well worth it. I enjoy a majority of my shows at home now and the Cinema is less enjoyable than getting some friends together for dinner and a movie. With PPV starting to carry more and more movies still in the theaters, there is even less reason for me to venture out of my home. I am an exception to the masses though, most people I talk to just stop seeing movies altogether.

I doubt the decline in the film industry is even touched by Piracy, if it were, Hollywood would just lower the cost and offer US consumer a deal like they gave China on DVDs (where they are still turning a profit at the $3 mark). It is a smokescreen the industry has used to explain off declining profits and has become a beast they actually believe in.

Movie going was made into a commercial enterprise that focused on film making, not the consumer. Even as the consumer is responding to this, the focus is still on creating content and restricting film to pull people back into the theater. Instead of finding ways to make moviegoing more enjoyable, theaters are increasing costs and decreasing overhead. Think that will result in more movie goers?

Not sure it is worth saving anymore, days I miss are $1 drive ins with $0.50 hotdogs That was movie going.

[shelbyGT]

How do you stuff a bag of popcorn, and a drink in your pants? Does the ticket ripper-in-halfer just think you are happy to see him or her?

I didn't mean popcorn, no. More along the lines of candy. And yes, if you have baggy pants or cargo pants, sneaking in a can of soda isn't hard to do at all.

[BJ_M]

women carry purses also



you can put a lot of popcorn in a purse and carry your drinks in water bottles or baby bottles (tell them its breast milk) ..

[DereX888]

In HK and most of the Euro countries (perhaps everywhere in the world except for North America) seats and rows have numbers. You can buy tickets week in advance, for a specific seats/row, and you don't have to come to theater an hour earlier just to get a center seats in the sound' sweet spot (like in US and Canada). I loved it.
Ofcourse it doesn't prevent you from talking ********, but audience in general is well behaving there. I didn't see any underage kids being allowed for mature-rated films either. Only once have I heard someone's cell going off during the projection, and that guy apologized aloud and got out to answer his call.
When I get back to Canada I basically quit going to theaters. I just can't stand inflated prices, hunting for good seats, people ripping those damn aluminum foil bags, ******** talking and their cellphones buzzing during every freaking movie I went to.
This year Ive seen only 2 movies in theaters (Star Wars and Land of the Dead). Last year I've seen maybe 4 movies in theaters entire year. In general I avoid "theater experience" and no 'blockbuster' will ever suck me in there again, unless I have a pre-screening passes from work. But even those are lately being shown on the smallest possible screens in the entire multiplexes, which makes me pass on most of them too.
To me there is no point to watch DLP projections of 35mm movies on a small screen in a tiny theaters. Nothing beats watching dvds on my giant tv screen in my basement (I've made it to be large 'entertainment room', with 2 pairs of lazy chairs in the middle 'sweet spot' ), and even though resolution of dvd is not as projection in theaters, the experience of dvd's lower resolution on a large home screen just few feet in front of me is IMO way better than the perception of digital projection on a small theatrical screen. All my friends usually compliment on my setup of audio and video as "being better than the theater" :P

I gave up theaters for all the kids who can't afford their own home and home theaters yet