Ask Lemmy

Should you try going to the cinema? It's not a big deal, but I'd say yes at some time in your life. If not, you will always be askign this question.

Alone or with friends? Whichever you prefer.

It's expensive. And, a lot of times people are inconsiderate. There are bad smells. Sticky floors. Screaming children. Can't pause and go to the refrigerator or bathroom.

A lot of people like it. Maybe you will, too. Try it. But, I prefer to stay home and wait to watch movies in the comfort of my own home.

Watching a film in the cinema, the way some movie makers have intended (especially Christopher Nolan films), is an experience you don’t want to miss out on.

If you’re more comfortable with friends, go for it so you can make some good memories and hang out together.

Just be aware theatres are generally louder with bright massive screens. I love going, but now I’m older and I get bad headaches from all the volume and darkness - wasn’t an issue when I was your age.

Go for it and have a great time!

If you want to do it, do it. Alone or with your friends is up to you. Watch whichever movie appeals to you. People have a lot of complaints about the movies but I don't find them too expensive for something I do a few times per year, and I don't find the experience to be worse than home either.

If anything, since you're young and you haven't experienced it yet, try it! It'll broaden your experiences somewhat and that's not a bad thing at all.

Group of friends is always nice, and there's something atmospheric about watching a film in theaters. I watched Oppenheimer and Across the Spiderverse with my pals recently, and sitting in the reclining seats, putting your feet up, and seeing the film on such a massive screen in a dark theater is a great experience.

It feels more immersive, and the theater speakers make orchestral soundtracks and dialogue sound all the more impactful. Of course, this is all subjective, and I tend to be pretty eccentric, so there's a good chance it may not live up to the hype.

To put it simply, I'd say its a more enjoyable experience than watching at home, and watching it with friends makes for some good memories. My pals and I still talk about movies we went to see in theaters years and years back.

First, go alone. But make sure you go at the tailend of the movie's cycle before it goes out of theaters. That's usually when crowds lessen and it'll be easier on you to manage. Lots of people really find themselves annoyed because they attend a movie, just when it's freshly released and they run into all of these problems.

Catch OPPENHEIMER in Dolby Digital, if you can. A nice seat about halfway up the theatre, center row. ENJOY!

Yeah, I'd say go at least once to an IMAX theater and at least once to a drive in movie. I almost always watch movies in my home theater but I still go out to the movies sometimes and it's an experience worth having just for reference. Alone or with friends are both fine for cinema, but IMO, drive in movies are better with company (especially for family outings or date nights).

You should, it is nice! I suggest you go to a movie with friends so you can discuss the movie afterwards and get to enjoy it together.

Yes, yes, and yes. Seeing a movie in a theater offers a distinct experience in two main ways:

The first concerns the experience of losing some self-awareness as you "get into" a movie and devote your focus to what's happening on the screen. This experience different when it happens in unfamiliar surroundings than when it happens on your living room couch. Losing yourself to a film's narrative in a public place feels different than doing so at home.

Second, the experience of watching a movie together with strangers is different from watching it alone. You'll hear people who you don't know laugh when you laugh, and sometimes when you don't. You'll also hear people who you don't know cough, slurp sodas and crunch popcorn, and sometimes even comment or heckle. A full theater adds a communal aspect, as the mood of the audience as-a-whole affects the experience for each individual audience member.

I'm so old I remember when going to the movie theater was literally the only way to see the movie. I've been in all circumstances: alone, on a date, with a group; in empty theaters and in packed ones. Going to see a movie by yourself and ending up the only person in the theater can also be a good experience, and is still very different from watching alone at home.

After you've tried going to the cinema a few times, you might look for a (now rare) opportunity to see a movie at a drive-in. It's a weird juxtaposition of the theater experience with the private home experience that also becomes something more all its own.

Yes but keep in mind is not about the movie. You wanna go to the cinema to feeling part of something. I am not very agree to going alone, but no one have friends in this challenging times, if you have them for sure you wanna go with some company because sharing your feels is about the cinema experience.

It's an experience you might want to have at least once, just to know what it's like. If you're excited about the movie, I'd say go for it! Like another commenter said, you'll be asking yourself the same question until you do it.

I wouldn't say it's a must have experience in life, but it's relatively accessible and will give you another dimension of context during conversation.

10-15 years ago I’d say yeah sure as the difference between watching it @ home on your TV and the theatre was night and day. Nowadays, since the tech had nearly caught up I find myself preferring just watching it at home. So unless there’s a premiere that doesn’t drop on streaming services the same day, don’t bother. It’s expensive for no good reason.

Yes! Go with friends! Order popcorn to share! One of you should download the RunPee app so you know when to go to the bathroom without missing anything.

Sometimes.

The smaller independent theaters are a nice old timey experience. Most venues have a better sound system than anything most of us can afford - so that’s a good improvement. There’s something romantic about the whole thing, I don’t know. You see a movie the way the filmmakers intended, and being part of an audience, all gasping or laughing together can be powerful.

Big theater chains like AMC are no worthwhile for me. They’re always riddled with unruly teenagers. Like half the time, they’ll be snickering during serious scenes or whatever.

I mean, give it a try. You might like it. You might hate it. It’ll cost you like ~$18 to find out. Not that much.

I'd say that the "with friend part" depends on your own personality: if you like watching movies on TV "with friends" then you probably will like to go to the movies with friends.

If you don't really feel the need to have people around when watching a movie (or to chat about it afterwards with somebody that watched it along with you), you should still go to the cinema for one of those more grandiose films (the recent Avatar is a good example) - you can't easilly reproduce the massive screen and proper sound system in a large room experience at home.

One of my best movie experiences was watching the Star Wars: Rogue One movie in the cinema because I was lucky and there were only 7 people in the whole room (so I had none of the possible problems in the cinema experience, such as having a tall person right in front of you obstructing your view to the screen or there being people in the room constantly chatting) and that movie really had the abundance of grandiose scenes that massivelly gain from being on the big screen and having proper sound capable of the kind of thundering bass that physically rumbles your seat.

If you go, bring ear protection for loud noises!

Sure it's an interesting experience, very different from watching a movie at home. Go with 1 or 2 friends would be my recommendation. Too many will be distracting.

I mean yeah, for novelty's sake, but you'll find it's a worse experience than watching in home.

Not worth at all