OK, in a recent thread I alluded to declining movie attendance and the reasons for it. Certainly the rise of the dedicated home theater, especially one populated with Axioms, is a major factor. But, excluding the fact that you can get equal or superior sound and/or picture quality at home, what is your main reason for not going to the cinema as much?

Doc, i voted other, but i think an "ALL OF THE ABOVE" selection might have been more appropriate for myself!

For "other" I'd like to add poor technical quality. I've been to more than 5 movies in the past few years where the surround sound has cut off along with the sub, rendering it basically in mono. I distinctly remember this during the third Matrix movie, which wasn't great, but I wanted to enjoy the rumbling.

I got up and complained to the theater manager. He kinda looked bewildered.

Good point, Sean. In the same vein, i think you could have added an option, "Watch a movie in the theatre? With my Axiom setup at home? Yeah right!?!"

For other, I would add I would have to add, although I love going to the movies my kids are just getting to the age where I can take them to certain shows (2and 4), as they get older we will be able to go more often.

I hit "other" because I'm a 24/7 caregiver for my 93 year old Mother who has dementia. I don't go anywhere and haven't for 5 1/2 years.

However, if that situation didn't exist, #2, #3, #4, #5, and #6 would all apply in my case.

(Sorry. The above appears as a sympathy plea. I don't mean it that way, nor do I deserve any. If it weren't for her, I'd be sleeping on heating grates in downtown Cleveland.)

I just realized something... Hopefully I will soon forget it. Several of us, me included, voted for the expense of tickets and food. Hmmm... Sure, it isn't cheap, but if I factor in the cost of construction, equipment (Audio/Video/etc), movie rentals/purchases, cost of snacks, etc. I could see a LOT of movies in teh movie theater before I would even come close to breaking even with what my home theater costs me... And I don't have this massive, fancy theater either.

Ok. Now, I'm going to hit myself in the head REALLY hard and hope that I forget what I just said, and get back to enjoying movies more at home than at the theater.....



THWACK.....

Um... Who am I? and why am I here???

What about the REAL REASON, the one the MPAA is tearing their hair out about? Doesn't everybody and their grandma just download movies now?

It's almost all about high ticket prices for me (or more precisely, my wife, who refuses to pay that much to see a film). I'll shell out occasionally, and regret it when I do, often enough.

For example, I could have spent that $11 and 2.5 hours from Ep3 a lot more enjoyably. For $7, I might not have complained much.

Incidentally, I was highly impressed with the theatre, especially the sound, when I saw Cars recently. In Klamath Falls, Oregon. Anyone heard of the theatre there? Didn't think so....

Oh yeah, tickets were only $7. + gas to drive 350 miles... each way...

I think it's a question of "value", Nick. Plus, we're The Ownership Society. I don't perceive movies in the theatre as a "good value" on a number of fronts.

JP has hit the nail on the head relative to home theatres. That's the real comparison here. Not that I want to give the MPAA any ideas, but the quality of DVD's and the promptness of their release have really made me cool to going to a theatre. Now, I need to get something measurably "better" than a home theatre experience in order to sacrifice the time and money. In my case, consuming the content sooner is never enough. We sometimes go to IMAX feature films because they are very clearly a more powerful and immersive experience than sitting in the living room.

My "others" include
- Seating comfort
- Availability of beer
- Schedule flexibility
- Brew-your-own social environment. If my fellow viewers want to offer insightful comments or inquiries from the group, we CAN do that at home without fear of disturbing anyone. OR we can all just sit and watch.
- Whole-family activity diversity. I can be home with the kids, and they can be either watching the movie or sleeping or playing a computer game or whatever, and I don't have to worry about childcare.

I agree completely Tom. I just remember having that conversation with my wife years ago when I built my first home theater. "You want to do what?" and "We could GO see a lot of movies for that much money!" were phrases I heard a lot.

She has changed over the years. In fact, she is the one that encouraged me to set "something" up in our current house (which prompted my Axiom purchase). It was less than ideal, so SHE suggested that I build a dedicated room (in the drywall stages right now). Maybe she is a movie junkie after all.

I think that one of the best parts of watching a movie at home is the ability to pause it! If is has a complicated plot line, my wife will sometimes ask me questions during the show. At a movie theater, I end up trying to watch and listen to the movie and answer her question at the same time. She doesn't ask them a lot, but as luck seems to have it, the questions come right before an action sequence, or key line to the movie is spoken, and I miss it.

Plus, no more "I guess I'll take the kids to the bathroom" and missing part of the show. Pause, wait, play...

I do think that it is important to try to reduce interuptions to stay "immersed" in the movie, but you are right. That is nice to be able to do. As is the ability to put my feet up in the comfotable seeting, watch the show when I want to without having to get there early to get the "best seats" (I know you all do too). Besides, how else could I do a 12+ hour "Lord of the Rings (Ex. Edition) marathon with friends if I couldn't do it at home.

As for the other question about downloading movies, I can't wait to get a nice HTPC (maybe next year) and start messing around more with downloadable movies. Legal, of course.

Great point Nick. My wife and I would agree completely that the pause feature is a great benefit. Total control of the experience at home, pause, volume, temperature, company, and snacks

Add in the non-ability to sit still and not smoke for 2.5 hours from advertisements to end credits.

And paying $148.00 plus taxes to see either "Drew Barrymore/Adam Sandler wacky Love Movie #15" or "Peter Jackson wipes his plentiful posterior with your favorite literature" just doesn't sound all that fun.

Bren R.

Peter Jackson lost a lot of weight after LoTR, you know.

Timeshifting (the ability to watch feature movies at 2 AM) is a big home theater advantage for me. By the time I have free time, all the theaters are closed and locked.

Interestingly enough, when I was in Seattle (much smaller than Toronto) the theaters seemed to run 24/7 -- or was that just because we showed up the night X-Men 3 opened ?

Are there always people dressed like mutants lining up for popcorn and beer in the Seattle movie theaters ?

Yes, your avatar looks stretched and more pixelated. Hey man, you never gave me any advice on my reat traps graph results. NO biggy I think I've got it sounding as good as it will ever get...

I would say that the expense is the biggest factor in going to a movie. My wife will drag me out once in a while. The last movie we saw (Davinci Code) cost us a total of $75.00. Factor in the baby sitter, movie tickets, small meal etc. and it adds up pretty quick. We are more selective now on what films we see. I would prefer to stay home, however the wife likes to get out of the house. I have explained to her if we stop going to the movies I'll have enough money to buy the sub and surrounds to complete the home theatre!

i dont go anymore for a few reasons
1- you cant replay all those good explosions
2-if i fall asleep they wont let me back in the next day to finish
3-there is nowhere to put a large pizza box
and 4-you cant pause the movie when you gotta take a leak
thats a few i can think of off the top of my head

Poor quality of the movies (acting, writing, concepts, selection).

This weeks top movies:

1. Click (another typical Sandler flick)
2. Cars (thank goodness for Pixar!)
3. Nacho Libre (????)
4. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (part III in a horribly done trilogy).
5. Waist Deep (haven't even seen a trailer for this one)
6. The Lake House (another sappy romantic love story)
7. The Break-Up (another sappy romantic comedy)
8. Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (Garfield part II)
9. X-Men: The Last Stand (X-men part III)
10. The Da Vinci Code (I'll read the book)

Quote:

---

1. Click (another typical Sandler flick)

---

Once again, a webcomic to the rescue... this time Tom Brazelton's Theatre Hopper

Bren R.