Going to the movies is something I always got excited about when I was a little boy. I still do actually… And who doesn’t? Up until today, in this world of wonders and amazement, in this world of technology and inventions, you take a little kid to the movie and the experience will be unforgettable. You take a little kid to a 3D cinema, and you mark them forever, with an effect that lasts more than the rain they could touch, or the superhero they could swear they saw.
When watching a movie at the cinema, 200 or so strangers sit together and watch the same movie and feel a myriad of emotions, each projecting in their inner self what they can see on the giant screen. One would argue that the experience is similar to watching a play or a concert, but is this really true? The difference is huge. Imagine a play or a concert going online, like what happened amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Once the pandemic started to recede, people were back to the theaters to watch live performances. One of the reasons is that the relationship between the performer and the audience is much more complex in theater and concerts since the actors or musicians are literally performing in front of you and you are literally their fourth wall. Can the same be said about movie theaters? Did they regain their momentum after the Covid-19? Was Covid their only enemy? Is the industry declining or aging?
The cinema has gone a long way since its birth, but is it still a young industry? Is it accommodating itself to fit an ever-changing world and easily bored generations?
Do you want some figures? There you go:
In 2020, the average annual cinema spending in the UK was 4.37 pounds a year, plummeting from 18.72 pounds in the previous year. Some people may say that this decrease is naturally caused by the shutdown of cinemas during that year because of the pandemic, and that gone the pandemic, the movie industry would flourish again. Well, they didn’t guess right. In 2021, and after the cinemas reopened, the average annual cinema spending increased to reach 8.16 pounds per year, still 44% less than in 2019. Cinema advertising in the UK also experienced a major decrease from 299.1 million British pounds in 2019 to 55.1 million British pounds, followed by an increase to reach 102.8 million British pounds in 2021. Since less people are going to the cinemas, businesses are obviously going to advertise less there! If those people are not in the movie theater watching movies, where are they? What other means of entertainment have they found? Who hasn’t heard about streaming platforms? If you can’t go out to watch a movie, the movie would come to you, to the comfort of your couch and to the warmth of your bedroom.
Once upon a time, not so far back in history, more precisely in 1997, and in Silicon Valley, Netflix was born. It is the first streaming service and on-demand video company that invaded the technology and entertainment industry and invaded our lives as well.
Netflix was created when DVD piracy started as the company was the first online DVD shop selling movies and series before becoming the first and most famous online streaming platform. Growing gradually year after year reaching more than 200 million users worldwide in 2021. Today, it is still the first streaming platform and the most popular one beating other platforms such as Prime Video and Disney Plus, other streaming platforms that started to proliferate. These platforms are all making it easier to watch your favorite movie in your bed with your friends, partner, or alone. Plus, would you still pay to go to the movies if the movie is already available on a streaming platform that you’re already paying for?
Personally, my answer is positive. Yes, I do. The cinema is a unique experience rather than just a way to watch a movie: the popcorn, the nachos, the ads, the giant screen and the dirty seats, the smell of the place, the feel of a hand touching yours, the intimacy you share with dozens of people that you don’t know, the sound and light effects, the luminous images in the dark, the pounding hearts during horror movies, the glances to people around you perhaps you find there the love of your life, the shared experiences, the feeling that you are not alone. Also, to generations Z and alpha the 7D effects that make you feel like you are the hero for 2 or so hours: the seat vibration, the leg tickling, the face and neck air blasts, the water spray, and above all the fun of it all, the feelings that it makes you experience. Just imagine with me watching the Titanic movie on a streaming service and tell me: who wants to feel the warmth of their bed when they can feel the coldness of the ocean and the heat of love?
Needless to say, the cinema is not suffering alone. TV Series are facing a similar fate with the outburst of series on streaming platforms. One idea pains me the most: my children won’t experience this part of my childhood where I used to run to the bathroom like a fugitive during a TV ad and my sister would shout “Hurry up, the series started” for me to come back and not miss anything. We couldn’t even re-watch the episode if we missed it on TV. The TV channel could replay it after midnight, but that was it. Spoilers weren’t even a thing since everyone was on the same page. We used to know that a series is a hit only when everyone talks about it in school and when streets become empty during the time the series is on.
So now what?
Can we deny that the world has changed, that the needs of people have changed and that streaming platforms have become an inherent part of people’s lives? Certainly not. But should this entail the decline of a beautiful era of our lives: the era of people gathering to go to the movies? Hopefully not. So, let’s all try all together to help London movie theaters or the movie theaters wherever you live to blossom again and regain their momentum. Let’s start by going once every two or so weeks to the movies, like in the old good days and to reconnect with people in front of a screen and not behind one. When you do so, come back to my blog and leave a good word about the movie you watched, or the people you were with, or the experience you lived. Let’s all give it a try!
Recommendations to watch in the cinema now:
Bones And All
Matilda
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
After reading this, I will definitely have to go to the cinema again. Thanks for this Jad!
What a great read! I whole-heartedly agree with you and I still remember fondly going to see Bruce Lee movies at the theatre with my closest friends. Netflix is great, but watching a movie in your living room will never replace the movie theatre experience.
Thank you Jad for this article that awakens in us a great desire to go to the theatre.
Amazing article,
So many memories flashed back while reading it, especially the dirty seats and smell of the lounge…lol.
Totally agree that nothing will replace the cinema experience. We all have Netflix accounts but sincerely speaking, I barely log in to it now.
Well said Jad
Hats up
Your reflection is really interesting, crossing sociological and economic aspects. Unfortunately, I think that the assessment you draw up is one of the many manifestations of the rise of individualism. We want everything, right away, forgetting that true happiness often comes after a waiting period. The joy is often tenfold finally, when it is shared.
Well said, nothing can replace going to the movies.
Netflix and other platforms are maybe just another way through which humans grow further apart, stuck in their own little bubbles. Moviegoing is definitely a great experience, but with new covid-sourced fears and how expensive it has become comparing to home streaming services, who knows if it will become a thing again? Great article!
Thanks to you, I’ll go to the cinema to see a movie after a couple of years with pandemic. Thanks!!
Interesting! The other day I was just thinking about how I haven’t been to the cinema in while. Realised I that I just rely on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney! Nothing does beat the whole cinema experience when watching a good movie though!
It is a good piece!
Super interesting . Nothing can replace going to the cinema and watching movies.
Taking my family to the movies this Sunday! Undoubtedly one of my favorite outings. Your vivid description brought the experience to life for me. Thank you for the movie recommendations!
What you mentioned is very true. We really stopped attending cinemas in the same frequency as previous years assuming we can mimic it at home; yet, this is so unreasonable and not doable. Thank you for bringing it up.
What an interesting blog!! I agree with you that a watching a movie in the theater still has its glam and charm!! You describe it perfectly with the popcorn and strangers!! I loved your piece.
I agree with you…going to the movie theatre is not only about watching a movie, it is a unique experience of connecting with people and sometimes sharing instant impressions and reactions with total strangers who, somehow sometimes, become an intimate group…Thank you for reviving a nostalgic memory!
Loved reading this as it reminded me of how much I used to go to the cinema when I was a kid! Thank you for reminding me of great childhood memories 🙂
A beautiful read. How I miss those good old days. 2019 was the last time I hit the movies. Bones and all see like a good one to rebound with the cinemas. Thanks for the rec.
Lovely piece, Jad!!!
Movie magic! It cannot be found anywhere else! It was an intrinsic part of my childhood. I still remember sitting in wide-eyed wonder during my first movie. I savored each and every movie I watched for weeks afterwards reliving it in my head, over and over.
Raising my girls, we bonded over movies, as they dressed up as beloved characters, reenacting their favorite scenes.
Movies will always draw us as they truly offer us a ‘magical’ place to escape – even if only for a few hours!
I think you can easily become a professional writer. I could relate to the bit when your sister kept calling you, so you dont miss the movie.
Great read!
Lovely piece, Jad!!!
Movie magic! It cannot be found anywhere else! It was an intrinsic part of my childhood. I still remember sitting in wide-eyed wonder during my first movie. I savored each and every movie I watched for weeks afterwards reliving it in my head, over and over.
Raising my girls, we bonded over movies, as they dressed up as beloved characters, reenacting their favorite scenes.
Movies will always draw us as they truly offer us a ‘magical’ place to escape – even if only for a few hours!
Nicely said. I personally prefer the movies for films that have special effects, but streaming services are just so convenient. I have to admit that sometimes I skip out on the movies – for lack of time – and wait for them to become available on streaming services, but you’re right, there’s something awesome about gathering together in front of the big screen. Going out to the cinema and then for dinner – great night out!
Thank you for bringing it up… you have a good point.
Going to movieeees this weekend.
A beautiful read. it gave me a feel of those good old days you are talking about. 2019 was the last time I hit the movies. Thanks for the recs. Bones and all seems like a good movie to start with.
Way to go. This is so convincing and well said. Also it is true. I love the titanic reference . Going to the moovies was. Is , and will be a great experience. I am going NOW !
This is such a beautiful and moving piece! It reminded me of that beautiful experience i used to have watching movies in the cinema, and it makes me want this weekend for the first time after Covid to go to the movies. I live in Amherst Massachusetts moved here recently there is a nice cinema in this small town- I haven’t been and this weekend for first time I am going to buy popcorn and go to the movies there! Beautiful piece. Thank you for reminding us of what we love.
So interesting, loved everything about it! Thank you.
Such a beautiful write up, I’ve already planned a movie for the weekend. This was a perfect push, thank you!
A touching and thoughtful piece! Going to movie theatres with family, friends, and loved ones will always bring cherished memories! It’s always when dialogues are provoked and paradoxical emotions of thrill and fascination mixed with anticipation and tension occur that make movie theatre outing a unique human experience. Movie theatres helps in maintaining human interconnectedness in a world swamped with technology.
beautifully written!
You reminded me of how much I missed watching a movies in cinemas when I moved to KSA 20 years ago. but now with the new reforms and the opening of cinemas; I am enjoying again the big screens, the sound effects, the human interaction, popcorn ……
beautifully written!
You reminded me of how much I missed watching movies in cinemas when I moved to KSA 20 years ago. but now with the new reforms and the opening of cinemas; I am enjoying again the big screens, the sound effects, the human interaction, popcorn ……
What an amazing work. The relation between actress and audience. It is like watching a movie, play, video… It all in one.
I have missed cinema experience and I will plan to go on this weekend because of this blog ☺️
Amazing piece! Thank you!
How true! Nothing can replace going to the movies. It’s a whole different experience!
Wow!! A beautiful read Jad. it gave me a feel of those good old days you are talking about. 2015 was the last time I hit the movies. I should go to enjoy the cinema again with my kids since they didn’t get the chance to watch a movie at the cinema due to COVID-19.
wow!! very interesting blog! it made me want to go to the movies.
Amazing!
I never realised how much I loved going to the cinema but I will definitely plan a trip now.
Thanks for this Jad! Beautifully written!
Definitely going to movies soon! Great memories with you, Célina and your mom!
Great read!
Thank you for this !
You perfectly explained the whole experience and emotions when going to the movies.
Enjoyed reading it so much.
Amazing piece, enjoyed reading it! Will definitely be booking cinema tickets for the weekend!
Wow! Very interesting Jad! Thank you for making us want to go to the movies again. Will definitely book movie tickets for this weekend!
You make a good point! I haven’t been to the movies in a long time due to COVID-19 and since then, life just got in the way! But you reminded me of that joy of getting to go to the movies with friends/family, all sitting together, enjoying a movie with a good sound system, snacks, amazing company and more importantly living the full experience that movie producers, directors and actors want us to!
Well written, haven’t been to watch a movie in so long, I will definitely be going soon!!
A truly beautiful read. As an actor myself, this piece really made me reflect about the different platforms available nowadays to consume the work that is produced in my field. While I am grateful for the different media forms, I’ve noticed that I haven’t been to the movie theatres in longer than I’d like to admit. However, there is something so magical about stepping inside the cinema and watching the work we put our blood sweat and tears into with full devotion. No pausing, no replaying if you weren’t focused. I forgot how in the moment I feel inside a cinema. Thank you for this.
Very interesting indeed. What a thoughtful and stylish piece. You reminded me of my childhood and the glamorous movie times. You have the style of a real artist. Love.
As an artist myself, your words resonate with me. Nothing, nothing at all can beat the emotions felt when watching a movie or a play in the theater. You live with the actor, and you become the actor. Streaming plateforms are overrated, they give you a fake and distorted simulation of the experience but nothing close. If only people can read your beautiful words and feel what you made us feel. If only!
That’s nostalgic! In this busy schedule people usually choose to stay home and watch but cinema is a different experience! Well that’s an Amazing article, really appreciate it.
The cinema experience is everything even that sometimes people don’t go, I personally think the magic is there waiting for us to go.
Both experiences explained so well!! But the cinemas will always give you service-scape like no other!
It’s been a while since I went to the cinema and reading this reminded me when I used to take my son and his cousins to watch animated movies- the last one being The Lion King (2019). Their excitement and engagement were always so rewarding and almost as entertaining as the movie itself. Well-expressed Jad.
Amazingly written, gonna book tickets for this weekend!!
This piece made me go back in time to the teenage and university years, I can recall names and scenes in movies I have watched in the cinema, more than the movies I have watched recently. The cinema experience is uncomparable with any recent platforms’ experience. Excellent piece and I am sure I will be booking a cinema ticket soon.
V interesting Jad . You talked about something v real but no one mention it . V nice way to see the things.
I really love cinema and i will definitely visit it again and again to watch movies specially with my kids
Oh what a sweet read ! Reminding me of the good old days.. looking forward to Friday’s movies night right after school .. the lights ..the smell of popcorn.. the anticipation for the movie .. the discussions afterwards..
Thank u !
Thank you! You just made me want to go to the movie theater again!! We forgot it existed!!
Like Uncle, like Nephew. I always enjoy cinema, and I make sure watching a movie every month till today. I enjoy the experience. When I had my first travel after airports closure during COVID, to Dubai, I watched 3 cinema movies for 3 consecutive days. Thank you Jad for reminding us of such experience in a beautiful way 🙏.
Totally true and very well said .
Cinela is my romantic moment and my escape from everything
Amasing article i loved it .
Very well said and an excellent articke .Cinela is my escape from everything .
Well written Jad. Going to a cinema is totally different experience, better presentation, focused environment, socialization and much more. I vote to keep on going to the cinema.
Made me miss going to the movies! 🤩
This actually made me a little emotional! What an amazing and well written blog. “The feel of a hand touching yours, the intimacy of sharing an experience with strangers”. Just WOW. The cinema was basically my entire childhood, and I went all the time before the pandemic. I’ve only been back two times since, but this makes me really want to prioritize getting back to doing the things I love. Thank you so much for writing this, and thank you for sharing! You’re amazingggg.
Good topic, and well written, you pushed me to go to the movies this weekend
Interesting read. You”re right: The cinema is a unique experience.
Well expressed Jad! You gave me good old memories.. I need to make some effort to go to Cinema soon .. I WILL !!
Reading your article made me smile so many times as it took me back to my childhood years ❤️
And Jad , I can’t agree more with what you’ve just described 🙂
nothing beats watching a movie in cinema . It’s a unique experience from the moment you buy the popcorn till the moment you reach home still talking about the movie with your friend or partner .
Really this is a very nice topic that brought to me lovely memories. For me going to the cinema with my best friend, enjoying a nice movie and eating popcorn was the best outing that we used to do each and every Saturday, but when Covid hit the world we stopped and we didn’t resume even after everything returned normal. And then, after reading this Blog, I felt that It’s a must to go back to the old routines.
I will… its a promise!
Well said Jad…
I think both experiences
Are satisfying…but not equivalent
It has been a long time I haven’t seen or went to a movie. You encouraged me to try this experience which looks totally new to me and worth to discover again.
I cannot but say that you reminded me of something I have forgotten since long time due to many factors : revolution, massive explosion, pandamic, economic crisis.. but i really miss going to Cinema!! The big screen, the sound effect, the fear, the laugh, the joy, the love … At Cinema, you live the moment !!!
I miss going to the movie
I miss the surround sound and the music
I miss the smell of popcorn ….
Interesting read.
Bring back a lot of memories….
You brought up a lot of sweet memories. Every time we used to go watch a ni e movie, the whole family used to go out smiling.
Thank you for reviving those feelings. Going to the movies was an activity we all used to wait for.
I’ll hit the theatre this weekend, Jad! Thank you for this beautiful read.
You brought up our true feelings and the great experience we have watching movies in cinemas which is a totally different experience that we really miss especially after Covid. After reading this I believe it will be the first outing on my list.
Going to watch a movie at the cinema is always a pleasure
After reading this article I will definitely have to go to the cinema on more regular basis .
And thank you for the valuable information!
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And thank you for the valuable information!
Honestly I truly miss the feeling of gathering with friends and going to the movie and then after watching especially the controversial movie we spend some time analyzing and comparing points of views.
Hmmmm… I was very content with Netflix in my pjs. But your words reminded me how I used to wait impatiently for our weekly cinema night. Definitely much more impressive than watching movies on TV. I’m going to reactivate our cinema group today!! Thank you for reminding me of what I was missing 😊
I feel your passion and can definitely relate. One of my cherished childhood memories is watching Disney’s Fantasia on the big screen. I was transported to a whole new world of sight and sound—breathtaking visuals and beautiful classical music that stimulate the imagination. If I had watched it in the comfort of my home, it wouldn’t have had such a great effect on me. The movie theater experience surpasses any streaming platform.
I enjoyed reading every word you wrote!it is exactly the same feeling I had when I used go to watch the movies and I miss this feeling,
Thank you for reminding me of it through ur authentic description
A beautiful read. it gave me a feel of those good old days you are talking about. 2015 was the last time I hit the movies.I really missed going to the cinema. I should take my kids to enjoy it as well. Thank you Jad.
I feel your passion and can definitely relate. One of my cherished childhood memories is watching Disney’s Fantasia on the big screen. I was transported to a whole new world of sight and sound—breathtaking visuals and beautiful classical music that stimulate the imagination. If I had watched it in the comfort of my home, it wouldn’t have had such a great effect on me. The movie theater experience surpasses any streaming platform.
Very true. Going to the cinema is always an enjoyable experience for me and my kids. It gives us close time together and many things to discuss afterwards.
Thank you for this wonderful blog! I couldn’t but agree with you! Recently, I went with my friend to the cinema. Until then, I wasn’t aware that I miss this atmosphere you just described. All sharing laughs, making jokes…
Good job!
I like to watch movies on Netflix, on DVD, and on TV. But, the best way to watch a movie is in a theater.
Thank you Jad for this beautiful read !
Well said . I am the kind of person who used to go weekly to the cinema and was compulsory detached from that during the pandemic. Honestly one good movie encouraged me to get back to my habit . It was Tickets to Parafise . Once we break the ice , normality comes back and hopefully this happens to the cinema field as well .
Great article. As a kid and teenager, I used to go regularly to the cinema. In my twenties and thirties, there was a kind of break. Last years it increased again. The last movie I watched was Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. It was beautiful.
This article made me feel nostalgic. Looks like need to visit cinema soon to relive moments.
I totally agree with whats written in this blog. Nothing beats the cinema experience from the moment you decide to go with your friends, to the ending of the movie. I think this whole process creates long standing memories; the encounters during the event, how people inside the cinema reacted to the different film events, the laughs & cries, people murms & chats, and of course enjoying popcorn.
This has inspired me to go back to the cinema, thanks for sharing!
At first, I thought that Netflix is changing the future of movie theaters but now after reading this amazing article, I admit that nothing beats going to the cinema.
Great job Jad!!
Very true and relatable! I miss going to the movies, it’s a feeling that Netflix can’t replace. Thank you!!
A captivating and touching analysis of a very relevant topic. Although online streaming platforms provide more options, they do not replace the charm and immersive experience of cinemas, that you so nicely describe. We resumed (but not as regularly as before Covid) our Friday movie day, a favorite and cool outing with a healing effect after a hectic working week. That said, to maintain their appeal, movie theaters shall show good movies catering to all tastes.
Nice article. Cinema experience is always the best. It is Unique and Memorable!
As one cinephile to another, I can easily say that the atmosphere of a comfortable movie theater is unmatched, so how about the 3D experience !!!!
My husband and I used to have a UGC subscription in Paris, and it was not unusual to spend long hours in front of the big screen especially to avoid the horrible waits in traffic! What better plan than to sneak into one of these big theaters for a few hours and let yourself be transported by different scenarios instead of stressing about driving on a crowded Paris ring road!
Our Lebanese experience is a bit different and much less productive, we had to notice. The comfort and the size of the theaters being different, but also the choice of films not always up to date. So, Netflix came to our rescue to fill our thirst for filmic adventures, especially during this difficult time of confinement of COVID19. The local economic crisis coming, we deserted the theaters and became very selectivev on our choices. It goes without saying that the 3D experience will bring us back to those red seats and that magic screen for AVATAR 2 that we so eagerly await.
So for the 3D experience, I’ll definitely go back to the theater, but for the rest, because of the sanatary and economic conditions I’ll continue my filmic adventures by streaming!
I miss going to the cinema!
Very interesting article Jad! On Sunday, I was in Marseille and I wanted to go watch the movie that won the Palme d’or in Cannes, last May. I couldn’t find it in the city centre, it’s playing since September here. I was about saying, it’s okay I will watch it later when they release it on an online platform. Reading your article made me take a 1h bus to the suburbs of the city where it’s still running in a beautiful cinema there. The experience to go watch a movie in the Theatre is unique. Thank you for bringing this subject up!
Great read. Thank you for putting your finger on feelings we experience but never have the time to stop and think of. Indeed going to the movie beats experiencing it alone , even being alone in the movie theatre is 100 times better than being accompanied at home , that mix of privately experiencing something within a public collective adds a dimension to our understanding of the world yet sometimes i wonder if the world as we know it will still exist now that home has been tainted by becoming the school, the office, the movie theatre and the restaurant ( ordering in )
This couldn’t have been more insightful. Streaming and the Netflix culture is only making our social isolation worse. Hundreds of experiences are squeezed in one physical location like our bedroom or living room. Our interaction with media online is too robotic. Kudos for pointing out all the good things that going to the movies does for us. This has always been and will remain the best way to spend time with friends or meet a new person we are interested in.
I believe each has its charm. One should never replace the other😊
Nicely written, bravo Jad
Very interesting article! It makes you think twice about your preferences.. I do love watching series and movies on Netflix, however nothing beat the experience of going to the movie theatre..
Thank you Jad!