Remember the days of Saturday matinees, the rustling anticipation as the house lights dimmed, and the collective gasp as the silver screen flickered to life? The glow of a giant screen, the surround sound that rumbles your core, the collective gasp from a surprised audience – there’s a magic to the movie theater experience that simply can’t be replicated at home. Movie theaters weren’t just places to watch a movie; they were portals to fantastical worlds, escape hatches from the everyday.  

Streaming services are convenient and allow you to stay at home, for your movie viewing needs but it lacks aspects that make theaters what they are. Sure, some naysayers predicted the demise of movie theaters. But those flickering dreams are alive and well, and in this article, we’ll explore why movie theaters remain a cherished tradition. We’ll delve into the unique experience they offer, explore the trends driving their resurgence, and discuss what the future holds for this beloved form of entertainment. So grab your popcorn, cue up your favorite flick and let’s discuss Flickering Dreams: Why the Movie Theater Experience Never Goes Out of Style!

1. Theater Date Night: Empty Seats, Full Memories
2. Nostalgia Trip: Drive-Ins & Balcony Seats (70s Movie Memories)
3. Big Screen Magic: Immersion & Shared Excitement
4. Magic of movie theaters
5. Big Screen vs. Streaming: Can Theaters Survive?

Theater Date Night: Empty Seats, Full Memories

Recently, my boyfriend and I decided to take in a movie at the local movie theater. I was wanting something a little different for our standard Date Night event. We opted to see a movie we both had some interest in and had been out for just about three weeks. We arrived at the theater about 9:30pm and the first thing Karl asked was if I felt that theaters are going out of style and if Covid was the nail in the coffin, so to speak. I answered that Covid definitely had an effect as many people had gotten used to seeing new movies in the comfort of their homes. At the same time, the experience isn’t the same as seeing it in theaters. I fully dont think they will go away because of that.

We purchased our tickets, drink, and popcorn and proceeded to the auditorium our show was playing in . We got there about ten minutes before it started and the auditorium was completely empty, so we picked the perfect seats and setteling in for the start of movie. Just about the time the previews were getting ready to start, we noticed we were the only ones in the theater. Again, the movie had been out for three weeks, so I didn’t think it would be crowded but I expected more than just us. This brought the question Karl had asked previously back to my mind. Are movie theaters a thing of the past?

This flooded me with the memories of my first times at the movies. A tug of nostalgia pulling at my heartstrings as the memories of my first drive-in show and first movie house show. There is just something about going to the movie theater with it’s immersive experience.

Nostalgia Trip: Drive-Ins & Balcony Seats (70s Movie Memories)

As the lights start to come up and the image moves from black to grey and then slowly into focus there is a line of cars waiting to reach the Drive-in Movie booth just ahead. Excited chatter can be heard from the neighboring cars excitedly mixed with various radio stations playing what is most popular on this Saturday night. 

A married couple pulls up to the booth and says “two adults and two children under 5.” The man in the booth takes the money and returns the tickets to the driver and responds, “Enjoy the show.” The man behind the wheel of the car hands the tickets to his wife and slowly presses the accelerator and the car eases forward into the drive-in. It’s May 1977 and the married couple are taking their young kids to see a new science fiction movie called Star Wars. 

This memory is burned into my brain in almost a white hot image. I do not remember much beyond this point except that my father had gone to get popcorn and a couple drinks from the concession stand, for him and my mother. I remember having an action figure of Chewbacca with me and my sister in a bassinet and sleeping on and off. 

The first scene of the movie is also the only thing I seem to remember, now that it was 47 years ago. I remember Darth Vader’s entrance and how much it terrified me, at the time. That solidified my love of science fiction movies, from that day forward.

The next, actual movie theater movie I can remember was seeing Fox and the Hound in the Balcony Theater in Radford, Virginia. It was the only theater in the area that still had a balcony in it. This theater had been around since my mother was a kid. It had character and charm that so many theaters today do not have. 

I remember the crushed red velvet chairs that felt so soft to the touch. I would run my little fingers over the seat, the whole time, until the movie started. The scent of fresh popped and buttered popcorn filled the air as thick as dense early morning fog. there were half columns on the wall that had gold trim on them and each seat had a small gold plate that gave a seat number. I thought we were rich, to be able to go to this theater. It was entrancing.

Big Screen Magic: Immersion & Shared Excitement

Why do so many people feel that a movie theater is magic? For me, it’s more like a transportation device and, well, a social experience. Just sitting in a theater chair, my excitement picks up in anticipation. As the lights dim, the silver screen comes alive, and the music comes up, I am transported into the movie. The huge screen fills my vision and the large sounds just create this whole body experience. But, with today’s technology, why do movie theaters still provide excitement or exist?

The short answer is that movies are designed for movie theaters to give a fully immersive experience. The movie directors set up shots and compose music around the idea of a large scale screen. With things like DTS sound and more, theaters are the only place you can produce that kind of quality. That is, unless you have money and space to spare in your house. We also have large format screens like IMAX that add a whole new dimension to sight and sound quality.

There is also the social experience of going to movies. You and a group of friends can all experience the movie, together, in a community experience that will only add to the magic. Trying to do the same at home leaves you with limitations a movie theater doesnt have to worry about, like limited seating or room to invite everyone.

Magic of movie theaters

The movies that fill my mind with memories are the ones I have seen in a movie theater. I am not sure if it’s the large silver screen, surround sound systems, or just the event in and of itself, but those stick with me. 

June 8th, 1984

This date holds a pretty significant place in movie theater history. This is the date that Ghostbusters and Gremlins were released to movie theaters. Yes, I see the issue that a Halloween and Christmas type movie were not released when they should be. What is so important about these movies is how they came into being, that is a topic for another blog. Safe to say, had things gone any differently, those two pieces of movie history may have never made it to the silver screen.

My sister and I spent our summers with my Grandma Lizzie, well most days we spent there. Our cousin Bobby liked to brag and he mentioned that he was going to see this new movie called Ghostbusters. My sister and I were already familiar with this movie and wanted to see it. We both had mentioned it to our mother but nothing else came of it. Bobby just kept on about how he was going Saturday night to see it. Finally, in a fit of frustration, I decided that my sister and could beat him to it by going that night, opening night, 

I decided we needed to call mom and tell her we wanted to go. My sister, knowing full well my mother would probably say no, did not want to make the call. Finally, I mustered up the nerve to call her at work. It was about 3pm, so I figured it would be easier and she would be getting ready to leave. Maybe I would have better chances.

Grandma let me call mom and I dialed the number to mom’s work and in my best sweet child voice, I said; “May I speak to Dorothy Simpkins, please.” The lady who answered the phone responded, sweetly, that she would page her. What happened next should embarrass me to this day.

It took quite a bit of begging and the promising of chores to be done but she conceded and took us to the theater that night. The excitement of purchasing tickets to see the movie back in the newly renovated Balcony Theater of Radford was almost too much for a kid to bear. Being able to see the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man on a giant silver screen and the movie heros taking down the bad guy are some of the strongest theater memories I still carry with me.

Ever since that day, that movie has been in my Top 5 Movie list, of all times. Had I not been able to see it in a theater, I am unsure if it would have had the same impact. 

Big Screen vs. Streaming: Can Theaters Survive?

Since 1995, movie ticket sales have decreased by an estimated 18%. In 1984, total box office gross was approximately $8.4 million (approx 26 millions in today’s dollars). For 2023, box office sales were around $9 billion and while that may seem like a lot in comparison to 1984 numbers, we have to remember that with Covid movie theaters shuttered in most locations and drastically cut back the amount of people that would let in, after restrictions were put in place. This leaves us wondering what the future of movie theaters will be like. 

Movie theaters offer a unique blend of expereinces that you cannot get anywhere else, From the giant silver screen or IMAX screens to the full surround sound experience of Dolby Atmos, it is hard to replicate that in yoru house. And nowhere else can you share in the social experience of being able to witness a new movie with your closest friends and family. Streaming services may cause many to change how they watch movies, but the experience will never be the same. So make sure you get out there and support your local theaters.

What about you, do you enjoy going to the cinema to watch movies or are you more inclined to watch them in your comfy pyjamas on the couch wiht your favorite snack items and people? What were some of the movies you remember going to see in movie theaters? Why were they memorable to you? Let me know in the comments below. Who knows, you favorite movies may be featured in an upcoming review article. Thank you for being a part of GayintheCLE. Without your support, none of this could be possible.