Do you remember the first movie that you saw in a theater? The excitement, the anticipation of something new, and the smell of popcorn drenched in butter-flavored oil?
Cue the stomach growl.
It’s a distinct memory for many, and one that transcends age or time. When I first took my son to the movies, he was so excited to see “Smallfoot”that he got up and danced in the aisles. No one minded; rather, they appreciated his excitement for his first time in front of the big screen.
Or think about date night at the movies. You get ready, drive to the theater, and for two blissful hours immerse yourselves together in an imaginary world, where the pressures of modern life take a back seat.
This is the magic of movies.
But like everything else in our world, the role of movie theaters in American culture has slowly shifted, first with the emergence of mega theaters, then with online ticket purchasing, and most recently with the emergence of online streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+.
This last change is the largest – and accelerated with the onset of COVID-19 – raises the question: Do we even need to visit theaters? Or is it more appealing to stream new films, turning our living rooms into theaters that are open at our convenience?
Streaming and the movies
Despite the threat that streaming services present to movie theaters, the revenue from the public’s changing preferences can also help local theaters as they navigate a changing industry.
For example, AMC offers AMC Theaters On Demand, where you can rent or purchase new movies and classics from AMC’s sizable catalog. There’s a movie for every mood and occasion; “Jumanji” for the family, “The Long Weekend” for a cozy date night, or the entire “Saw” collection for horror fans.
For the indie-film enthusiasts, Kimball’s Peak Three Theatre features current independent and foreign films, and is also offering virtual screenings where you can rent classics such as “The Graduate,” “Macbeth,” “Lala Land” and “Reservoir Dogs.”
But even as many films now go straight to streaming, the theater remains one of the last places where we can still gather and experience something together. When you can pause the action to switch the laundry or answer the door, some of that magic is lost. The same goes for date night, when it may be easier to put on pajamas and plop down on the couch, but that can never be the same as choosing a special outfit for an evening at the theater.
Movie theaters today
In order to keep enticing members of the public out of their homes, movie theaters have begun offering perks and special deals that our bomber-jacket, boombox-toting selves could have never imagined. These days, you can rent out entire theaters for a birthday party, work meeting or just a casual gathering of friends. “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” anyone?
Melissa Croft, manager of RoadHouse Cinemas-Colorado Springs, says, “Since the reopening of the theater in January 2021, we’ve been timid with marketing but we are very excited to see what this next phase has to offer. Our dine-in theater offers several promotions, such as $6 all-day tickets on Tuesdays, and Wise Wednesdays where senior tickets (55+) for all shows before 4 p.m. are only $4.”
RoadHouse Cinemas-Colorado Springs also has staggered showtimes, allowing more time for food prep and safety precautions, which makes it possible to continue offering dine-in specials like the popular hummus platter and street corn nachos. And there’s Happy Hour, which runs Monday through Friday from 3-6 p.m., giving 21+ cinema-goers half off all beer, wine, RoadHouse Margaritas, and menu items listed under Munchies.
The desire for the cinematic magic of a movie theater will never go away, but it will need to be reimagined and revamped for this pivotal moment in time. As George Lucas has postulated, “Football games are on TV, and it doesn’t affect stadium attendance at all. It’s the same with movies. People who really love movies and like to go out on a Saturday night will go to the movie theater.”
