...much.

In one word: money. Simple as that. It costs too much. I used to go at least once a week to the flicks, often more, but I simply can't afford it anymore.

Oh, there are some films that still require theater viewing, what I call "big-screen movies". But the combination of that with the likelihood of the film actually being good enough to pay the $11.50-$15.00 that is charged these days in L.A. is getting less and less frequent. This year so far I've seen less than five films on the big screen, whereas in the same time frame 20 years ago I would have seen at least 15 or 20. Most big-screen films these days are dreck, and so not worth the money, while many really good films lose nothing when seen on the small screen - personal dramas, more intimate films, character comedies and the like.

I've always loved the experience of sitting in a theater surrounded by others, immersing oneself in the visceral thrill, and taking part in the modern version of the Greek theater-temples. But alas, the price forbids it. If movies were easily affordable again, I'd happily be there every week. As it is, I go on the rare occasions it's worth it, and otherwise thank the gods for Netflix.

I just had my first baby and I don't see going to the movies anytime in the near future. Tickets are $12 each, so $24 for my husband and I. And we'll want popcorn and a drink, so that's another $15. But the kicker from now on is the sitter. At $15 an hour (the going rate around here), we're looking at $45 to $60. So a night at the movies is going to cost us almost a hundred dollars.

For something that will show up on basic cable in two years? I don't think so.

And sorry, but NO movie is worth shelling out $100 on. When we do go out, I imagine it will be to a place where we can have a decent meal cooked for us and a long conversation... not to sit in a dark room staring at a screen. We can do that at home.

...or whatever you children are calling yourselves today...

Maybe you haven't been able to figure it out yet, but The Lion in Winter is not a scenery-chewing historical epic, but the first in a long line of "home with the family for the holidays is hell" movies (cf. Home For The Holidays, the first movie I ever walked out on, just as The Doobie Brothers was the first concert I ever walked out on).

... if less often, and the latter is for 2 reasons: lack of time ( I travel a lot for work) and lots of great TV series to watch instead, some of them being consistently more challenging and imaginative than movies.

However the experience of big screen w/ room full of people is unmissable for a lot of films.

It also helps that in France (and some neighboring countries like Belgium) a couple of big distributors are selling "unlimited" cards for which you pay roughly USD 25 a month and get to see as many films as you want in their numerous top-quality theaters.

Oops... I figure the health system isn't the only advantage we have over you guys ;o)

Great post Mr O'Hehir, your review of Goya's Ghost has made my day!

It seems that going to a movie at the cineplex now means sitting through 20 minutes of ads (not trailers, but plain old commercials) and then, on top of that, being lectured at by some voice-of-god about how piracy is wrong and how cheap knockoff DVDs can't reproduce the Real Experience Of The Movies™. Guess what! I'm already here watching a movie! Don't lecture to me when you've already convinced me anyway!

The studios are shooting themselves in the foot by forcing cinemas to show this pointless propaganda and by allowing the cinemas to clutter up the experience with ads. It gets to the point where I think, well, I could sit at home with my nice screen and sound system or I could go out and spend a small fortune to be told in patronizing tones how horrible we all are for pirating movies. If I wanted to be patronizingly lectured at and be forced to watch ads, I'd watch Fox News.

You know it is. They don't show much in the way of previews anymore in lieu of endless adverts, some of them pulled right off TV as-is. So we all show up 30 minutes late. And with fewer movies being made and those movies becoming testaments to ego with run lengths over 2hr 15m you just know that commercial breaks are around the corner. In fact with digital technology we'll get scrolling ad and windows IN the movie just like the most annoying and offensive aspects of TV with huge bugs that explode on the screen animated and blocking the picture.

Gee I hope so. I hope it all turns to shit soon. Then we can watch them piss and moan that no one watches movies anymore which of course must be because of downloading leading to yet more lawsuits and suckage and on and on and on.

I lived in New York in the 80s, and there was a small, grown up theatre near the Plaza called the Paris (?)--no food, no kids, no arcade games, no crashingly loud,obnoxious and endless previews. Just the movie in a small venue, large comfy chairs.Was I dreaming???

The theatres are dirty, smelly, sticky floored and filled with idiots who talk during the film. Most movies are crap and not worth the price. Most of the good movies don't need a big screen and booming surround sound. In our city all of the theatres have moved to the burbs; we live in the city. It takes a lot to induce me out to the mall, then circling around for parking, waiting in line for tix and bad food and then getting crappy seats with the jerks kicking your seat or the big guy that sits right in front of you when there's 100 other spots open. If we want to make a night of it, all of the good restaurants are in the city so we have to go to one place for dinner and then drive out to the movie.

The last movie we saw in the theatre was "Once" and only because it was playing in the local art house theatre. Even there though, it smelled bad and the seats were old and uncomfortable. Luckily we were surrounded by well behaved adults and everyone was nice and quiet...or maybe that was because the movie was so lovely(people applauded at the end). We will go see Harry Potter this weekend, but at a later showing after (hopefully) all of the kids have gone home to bed by then. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie, but not the movie experience.

It is much more convenient to watch movies at home on our medium sized tv and surround sound. Compared to the theatre, our couch is much more comfortable, the food is a lot better, our living room doesn't stink of popcorn grease and dirty feet, we can stop for bathroom breaks and if the cat interrupts the movie we can just toss her in the basement.