Those of you who know me reasonably well will know I’m a big fan of cinema. I have been since my grandma took me to see The Wizard of Oz back in the late 1960s. You may also be aware that I have some strong feelings about how cinema has changed over the years.
There are good and bad aspects of those changes. I grind my teeth at the fact that a movie has a very short life on the big screen these days. When I saw The Wizard of Oz, it had first been released about 30 years earlier and was still doing the rounds. My second film (Jason and the Argonauts) was six years old at the time. These days, if you get a six-week run before the movie disappears from your local cinema, you’re lucky.
On the other hand, technology has improved and now we can see a film in a variety of different formats. That can be handy if, like me, you find three important people in your life want to see The Last Jedi with you and they can’t come and see it at the same time. Whilst it’s not unheard of for me to watch a film more than once, seeing it three times in less than two weeks was stretching things even for me. Fortunately, these advances meant I was able to give myself some variety. I saw it in standard 3D with my daughter, 4DX with my son (his back still hasn’t forgiven me), and IMAX 3D with my partner. If my mum had wanted to go, I’d have had the opportunity to watch it in standard 2D. But she didn’t.
I’d love to elaborate on what those differences mean to the film-goer, but that would be a whole other post (and may well be).
I should also add that the cinema visit is a lot more comfortable than it used to be. The old, narrow, barely upholstered flip-up seats have mainly been replaced by comfortable chairs with halfway decent leg-room. True, I do still have to shift position periodically while I’m watching the film, but that’s probably as much to do with my aging frame than any deficiency in the seating.
Also, at a recent showing, I had the benefit of seats that reclined. The downside there is the possibility of getting so comfortable you nod off.
So it’s good that cinemas are still thriving and are offering customers great and varied experiences. Especially when the advent of home videos and DVDs once seemed to sound the death knell for cinema.
It’s a lot cheaper to buy a DVD. Very often you can get one for £5 or less and you can have the whole family round and watch it as many times as you want. Compare that to spending £10 or more per head, and then being stung for that much again if you want a drink and popcorn. Back when we had smaller TV sets, it still looked attractive. With our TV screens much bigger now, it would have been even more understandable if the appeal of going out to watch a film diminished.
Instead, cinemas have raised their game. It’s a treat and, arguably, a bit of a luxury, but it’s one I’m more than happy to pay for because I get to enjoy movies in the way they’re supposed to be enjoyed.
In spite of this progress, there are other aspects I complain about, particularly the lack of double-bills. I suppose it makes sense that they don’t have them any more. They used to exist because old movies would go round and round again. There was also a tendency to make shorter films in the past. From the cinema’s perspective as well, they can hardly charge double for you to see two films – so the margins are less.
Even so, I have many happy memories of watching double bills. The best example that comes to mind is Dr. No and Goldfinger (in 1974, twelve and ten years respectively after they were first released).
We don’t get these options now, and I miss them. For a long time I’ve felt it was a shame that there are films I missed the first time around that I’ll never get the chance to see on the big screen, and nor will I get to see two movies back to back.
And yet maybe all is not lost…
If you like your movies and any of this resonates with you, stay tuned. There’s good news on the way.
I also saw The Wizard of Oz in the cinema as a child. My fist film was Dumbo when it was already more than 20 years old. I don’t go to the cinema any more. The talking, eating, drinking and rustling have put me off. My best experience was at the BFI where none of that is allowed and I saw Swing Time (by then almost 70 years old) as it was intended to be seen.
Hi April
Along with other conversations we’ve had, it sounds as if we had some very similar childhood experiences when it came to film and TV. I never went to see Dumbo, but I did see 101 Dalmatians, and I bet that was about 10 years old when I saw it. I know where you’re coming from with the talking, eating, etc. A bigger distraction these days seems to be the use of mobile phones as well, but I do think cinemas are clamping down and, whilst I wouldn’t say every visit is a peaceful one, in the main I don’t have any problems.
I had to look Swing Time up, because I wasn’t familiar with it, but I suspect I have seen it. My grandma used to watch old movies (including lots of Fred and Ginger) when I called to see her. Very often they were on BBC2 on a Saturday afternoon. Glad you enjoyed the experience. As you say, it’s how these films were intended to be seen.
Hope all is well with you, and you’ve recovered from the trauma of meeting all those bloggers at the Bash the other week.
All is well, thanks, and I enjoyed the Bash. Perversely, I was annoyed to discover that there were people there I’d wanted to talk to, but hadn’t recognised. I’m not the only one who doesn’t look much like her photograph anymore.
Thanks for the reminder that I need to update my profile picture! Still, you’ll know for the next Bash, and hunt everyone down!
My first was Journey to the Moon and east of Eden as a double bill at the Astoria Purley followed on week later by Peter Pan… oh happy days. And as for the cliff hanger post, what’s all that about. Bloody novelists… If there’s good news spill…
They were happy days too, Geoff. But they might get happier…
These days I go to the pictures on Tuesdays or Wednesdays during the day. With 2 for 1 tickets and films that are not trendy, my friend and usually have a near empty showing for £2.50 each. Perfectly quiet with no distractions and our pick of the seats – bliss.
That sounds perfect, Jill, as long as the untrendy films are ones you want to see.
Always? By untrendy I generally mean films not involving dinosaurs, comic book characters, endless car chases, gratuitous violence and abuse of any kind. The last film I went to see a couple of weeks ago was ‘Edie’ with Sheila Hancock – 6 of us in total. At one stage it looked like we might have the place to ourselves, but then someone else had the audacity to join us. Coming up on the viewing list (though might have blown some due to being on holiday) The Happy Prince, The Bookshop and Mamma Mia 2 (this latter will be more popular but not necessarily on a Tues or Wednesday morning at 11am)
I heard good things about Edie. Hope it lived up to expectations. Sadly, I like comic book characters, endless car chases and gratuitous violence…
It did, we both enjoyed it. As for the comic book characters etc, I suspect 60 year old women are not their target market ?
I don’t know. This 55 year old bloke still loves them!
I was never keen even as a teenager maybe that’s the thing – it’s just me ?
The first film I saw was Snow White… and was probably just the excuse my mother needed to go and see it again herself 🙂 Cinema was always a treat, from the cramped Deco darkness of the News Theatre where I saw Darby O’Gill, still doing the rounds six years after its release and shown with a natural history feature on seahorses, to the spleandour and crystal of the Majestic, where every single family member took me to see the Sound of Music…
You’ve actually hit on a good point there, Sue. I would have loved to take my kids to see The Wizard of Oz or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the cinema. I loved watching them on the big screen as a child, and watching them with my kids on a TV screen just wasn’t the same experience I wanted to share with them.
I must confess that, personally, I didn’t see The Sound of Music at the cinema, and don’t feel a great loss as a result of that. Though it’s worth noting that it is a film that does still get airings at cinemas occasionally, albeit usually the sing-a-long version!
Some films just have to be seen on the big screen… and, being small and female, I did end up loving the Sound of Music at the time (and could proabably still call up all the lyrics).
Darby O’Gill, though… that one made its mark 😉
The Bash was a lot of fun and has left no lasting trauma. I’m very grateful that black and white films were shown on television when I was growing up. I don’t think they show them much any more.
You’re right about the black and white films. I suspect there’s a fear that it’ll switch off the younger audiences. What the TV executives seem to be overlooking is the fact that young audiences aren’t as engaged with TV any more.
Sorry about answering twice. I think I tried about five times before it told me that I’d succeeded.
A surprisingly high percentage of my DVD collection is made up of black and white films. It’s only when you see them on a very big screen, though, that you realise how inventive directors, camera(wo)men and the rest of the technicians could be within those limitiations.
The wonders of WordPress! All five came through, April, but I was selective about which ones I approved. It minimised the repetition! As for the inventiveness, I can well believe it. There are (and were) some very talented people in the movie business.