GUEST EDITORIAL: How Movie Theaters Have Changed For the Better

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How Movie Theaters Have Changed For the Better

by Kevin Gardner

Movie theaters used to be the place to go. Before internet streaming and DVDs, if you wanted to see a recent film, movie theaters were the only choice. Since the arrival of the internet and such distributors as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, attendance in an actual theater has dwindled. Here are some ways theaters are working to get movie lovers back into the velvet seats.

Price

Although most people love the experience of seeing a movie in a theater, going to "the movies" has become expensive, especially for families.

To try and lure people back, franchises started offering memberships, complete with contests, games and discounts. 

In an attempt to cut expenses, many theaters started converting to a solar power system and solar batteries. The pioneer theater chain to install solar was California-based Cinema West. When other chains learned that Cinema West was saving on electricity costs, many followed suit.

Cinemas that offer memberships can pretty much count on their members to attend on opening nights and other events. This guarantee combined with lower electricity costs allows theaters to lower their ticket and popcorn prices. 

Community

Just like attending a concert or going to the theater, movies were meant to be watched with other people. Even if the audience can be annoying when they constantly come and go or make loud chewing sounds, it really is more fun to share the experience.

Watching at home and being able to pause when necessary has its advantages too, but it's pretty great when everyone in the audience screams at once during a horror movie. It's also fun when theaters show a cult classic and everyone says certain lines in unison.

Customization

Maybe some people just take any seat in the theater. 

For others, the experience is almost ruined if they can't watch from the aisle seat in the third row. Others love a reclining seat, while some would fall asleep immediately in one. 

Many theaters are now allowing movie-goers to choose a seat when they order tickets online. This move can help alleviate some of the panic associated with arriving on the late side and potentially having to sit inches from the screen.

Complete Night Out

The phrase used for a night out used to be "dinner and a movie." Now luxury theaters are offering wait service to deliver dinner and drinks before and during the movie. This is convenient for those on a date for two reasons.

In the past, a couple either had to eat dinner with one eye on the clock to make it to their movie on time. Conversely, they had to starve all the way through the movie and end up eating dinner much later than they wanted to.

The only drawback to this service is the disturbance that might happen from waitstaff coming and going and dinner-related conversations.

Enhanced Experience

Even if a film is really exciting, you never quite feel you're actually in the movie. Until now, anyway. There is something new called an MX4D theater. Astonishingly, in these theaters, the chairs move, water is sprayed, snow can fall from the ceiling and wind can blow.

For those who really want the full experience, haptic vets are available. Once on, they can provide full-body sensations that the seat cannot. For example, if the action on the screen is of someone on a motorcycle, the vest will vibrate and move. However, in the case of someone on screen being shot, the sensations in the vest might not be quite as fun.

Consider returning to the theater and giving your computer a break. You may realize there were things you missed about it and you can try some of the new innovations that theaters have rolled out.

While not every innovation will be right for everyone, there is sure to be something to please everyone whether it's knowing the cinema is solar-powered, to being able to sit in a snowstorm at the movies.