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Emily Skinner
ENC 1101
Professor McGriff
February 10, 2019

Movie Theater vs Movies at Home

Film is a beautiful art form that can reach many people through many different platforms. As a

movie lover myself, I have plenty of first-hand movie watching experience, and can tell you that

every film viewing platform is different, especially the difference between seeing a new movie in

theaters compared to watching a movie at home. Seeing a movie in theaters versus at home can

change your experience due to the differences in cost, control, and memorability.

One important difference in movie theaters and home viewing is the cost. The cost of a

movie theater ticket can range anywhere from $5 to $20, and that’s on the cheaper side. Some

people are unwilling to spend that kind of money when they can wait a couple of months and

watch it for free or less than $5. That’s a $20 cost difference in some cases! The ticket price is

not where the spending at the movie theatre ends. Once you’ve purchased your seat you now

must spend the rest of your paycheck on snacks. I’ve personally seen a single bag of m&m’s cost

$10. For most that is an unrealistic option. At home you can make a whole meal for under $10.

You can buy a whole box of popcorn for $5at Walmart, and eat it with your movie at home.
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After food at a movie theater you even have arcade games and memberships enticing you to

spend more money! At home you find a movie to watch, put your wallet aside, and relax.

Control is also a big difference in movie theatres and home movies. At home you can

watch a movie quietly by yourself, and control almost every aspect of your experience. You have

the control to turn all your electronic devices off, have the lights on or off, and seclude yourself.

At the theater you share your movie with a hundred other people, some on their phones, some

chewing loudly, and everyone more annoying than the last person. At the movie theater control

is transferred to everyone else. Volume is also an important element you control in your home as

well. Many hard of hearing people need subtitles, and that is not an option in theaters. However,

sound is always better in a movie theater. The sound surrounds you. At home sound usually

comes from a single speaker.

The biggest difference I find between watching a movie in the movie theater and

watching a movie at home is the memorability of the moment. As a collector of movie tickets I

love the token you get when going to see a movie in theaters. I remember the movies I see in

theaters fondly every time I see the ticket no matter how many years have passed. At home there

is not a comparable souvenir. At most you get another Walmart receipt. There is also something

special about getting up and getting ready for a movie in theaters. You plan for it, get your

friends together, and make a whole adventure out of it. Watching a movie at home is just like any

other day. There’s less memorable, exciting events going on. Going to a movie theater changes

the attention to the movie as well, making it more memorable. All the focus is on the movie.

There are very limited distractions. At home you have noisy neighbors, homework, and a number

of other things all stealing your attention from the movie.

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At the end of the day there are equal pros and cons to both movie viewing options. Both

options bring people joy and beautiful stories. At home you can snuggle up in bed with your

bowl of ice cream, and at the theater you can fully submerge yourself in the experience.

Personally I love both equally. It untimely depends on the budget and mood of the individual

movie watcher.