I've been to the cinema a few times lately and I thought I'd put down a few thoughts, maybe there is something in here that you recognise too?
The first thing is the screen. How much has the screen technology changed over the last fifty years I wonder. The projection machinery has probably got smaller and less prone to bursting into flame but really the picture quality hasn't drastically improved between what it is now and what I remember as a kid. It's even more stark for me since I had a bit of an epiphany as I stood infront of a flatscreen HDTV in the John Lewis store recently. Honestly, I was watching a film that was shot at various locations (by a river, by some snowy mountains, by a forest etc.) and it was like being there - or seeing a photograph. I hadn't realised or appreciated before just how clear a HDTV is compared to normal TV. Our own home TV is a cheap-ish 21 inch, with no special features really. It sort of blew me away.
The second thing is the size of the popcorn and drinks. They're giant food, no mortal human can consume that much popcorn and Coke. Surely? Actually, it is possible to eat down to the bottom of the popcorn box but it is so full with unpopped corn that, frankly, the hit rate of getting a good popped corn is very low it makes it not worth the effort. I do like the holes in the armrests to put your drink in, I wish we had those at home - that would be good.
The third thing is the adverts. Man, do they ever end? It used to be the case that you could enjoy watching an advert about a local florist or local tandoori restaurant and laugh at how badly produced they were. Now, most adverts are either about a cellphone company, an alcoholic drink or a car. They're all so bloody clever nowadays. They're over-produced so that you can't work out what they're advertising until the very last shot, when you say "Oh, I get it now". I bet the advertisers are grinning smugly about how clever they are. Gits.
The fourth is the floor. I think I know where the Coke ends up. My feet just stick solidly to the floor under my seat. I hate having to peel my shoe up off the floor to occasionally move my feet. It makes me feel urrghh. Like soiled.
The fifth thing is the price of stuff. The tickets are highly priced (unless you go on a cheapie Tuesday with all the other scruffnecks) as it is but when you add the cost of foodstuffs too, no wonder people buy DVDs - it's much cheaper.
My final thing is the selection of movies, would you believe that Garfield 2 is missing my local cinema. I enjoyed the first Garfield movie and was looking forward to taking my kids to see the second. Now I found out that I can't take them to our local to see it. How crap is that? I bet Snakes On A Plane (good grief) ends up being shown instead. It'll probably end up being a smash movie, Snakes On A Plane - who the hell thought that one up?
2 comments:
I think senior citizens get away maybe fifty cents cheaper than everyone else, so my theory is that I won't go back to the cinema until I'm 55 so that I can afford both a movie ticket and food. But I like going to the theatre too much to wait that long. So I'll just continue to take out loans for food and admission. :)
The ads are definitely getting way too ridiculous. I love the previews, but the ads are too loud and take up too much time. I almsot forget what movie I've gone in there for.
And a small drink looks like a large. I don't even know what the large looks like. I could probably swim in it.
Caatje: Yeah, it's a shame there are no usherettes with ice cream any more.
Tara: Yeah, did you hear they issue a red bathing suit with every large Coke? Ha Ha!
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