Last week, I decided to do a bit of an experiment based on the current way that Hollywood films are being released. As of late last year, studios began to put films back into cinemas, and from what I personally seen so far, audience attendance in the cinema has began growing again. A sign that things are going back to normal as the public has started getting the COVID vaccines that are currently available. Of course, some companies have went as far as allowed certain films to be at both cinemas and certain streaming platforms.
I will admit that this will be a short topic to tackle (as well as a short column) as I will explain my experience of trying out the experience of seeing a new movie at home versus seeing a new movie at the cinema. The subject I used was the recently released Godzilla Vs. Kong movie as it was playing at one of my local cinemas (EVO Entertainment in Schertz) and on HBO Max (which I'm subscribed to).
On the day of its release, I decided to stream the film in my living room. Despite the fact that I had the ability to pause the movie when I wanted to get myself a snack or use the bathroom, I didn't really feel all that involved with the movie. Sometimes I would feel distracted by other things, and lose interest in the film at points.
Several days later, I went to see the film with some friends of mine at EVO, and honestly, I felt movie interested in the movie. I don't know if it was the surround sound (and how the loudness of certain action scenes shook the seats to where I could literally feel the action) or getting to see the film on a big screen, but I enjoyed it a bit more than staying at home and streaming it. Sure, people will argue on how its expensive to see it at a cinema, but it all depends on how you plan out seeing the film. If you go to an earlier show, the tickets tend to be less expensive. If you decide to get something to eat, you make sure you decide ahead of time on what you want (especially if your going to a cinema you occasionally attend). And the major decision maker is if the film interest you or not. For example, I've seen films that I highly regret seeing because someone told me I should see it or (and I admit to falling for this years ago) being a sucker for the whole BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR advertisements. What could be worst is staying at home to watch a Premiere Access movie on Disney+, and paying an additional $30 to watch their latest animated film (Yes, they are still doing this. It's funny that my ticket and food together when I saw Godzilla Vs. Kong was $15 less than the total you would pay with subscription to watch their Raya film).
Personally, I prefer going to a cinema to see a new film than streaming it at home. To me, there is something about that experience of seeing the latest Hollywood blockbuster on the big screen, and with the recent box office numbers for Godzilla Vs. Kong being the biggest since the pandemic, it shows that there are those who agree with me on that.