Magic of Moviegoing

Steven Richer
3 min readApr 9, 2016

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Credit: Pat O Malley

Movie Popcorn may have a 900% mark-up, and you are chancing to take home a few bedbugs every time you sit in one of those worn-out movie cushions — but face it — there is nothing like seeing a well told story delivered in an old motion picture house.

The grand flickering pictures, the rich digital sound, and the community culture that amasses around the silver screen — movie going is truly magical.

Movie going is a different experience than any other medium consumption offered today. We find something special sharing a flick in the dark with some chewy candy and friends, family, or that girl or boy. It’s fulfilling, meaningful and rewarding. Films entertain, educate, emotionally lift us up, and at times can change our perspectives. The grand flickering pictures, the rich digital sound, and the community culture that amasses around the silver screen — movie going is truly magical.

It is a rare time in this modern world we collectively put down all distractions and give something our full effort and attention. To feel the movie magic we must be willing to invest ourselves into the experience. We schedule a perfect show time with all our fellow moviegoer friends and sometimes leave our comfortable homes to deal with the heavy traffic. Once we enter a theatre we obey to the rules: we turn off mobile devices, pay meticulous attention, and make sure to use the WC before the trailers end.

It is a rare time in this modern world we collectively put down all distractions and give something our full effort and attention.

This movie house culture of discipline, is precisely what makes it so special. At home we have too many freedoms/distractions — we surf around countless Youtube videos, hiccup through hundreds of satellite channels, and we give up on that Netflix or DVR as soon as a new distraction emerges.

From gathering around ancient board games to storytelling around fires — for thousands of years social events and entertainment were all about shared human experiences. In these modern times our world culture has moved away from group settings to more individualistic, uncommitted, snackable online ones. These new social media experiences may keep us entertained and “connected”, but at times can leave us unfulfilled with “empty viral video calories”.

There is hope, the future of innovating entertainment and our shared experiences has just begun, and what we have created in social media will no doubt play a vital role in the next steps.

Movie-house culture is where to start. It uniquely demands a fulfilling, enjoyable, and meaningful experience like no other today, in other words — Moviegoing is Magical. So go get your popcorn ready with extra butter this time, and catch that “NOW SHOWING” with a pal before it’s too late.

Hey Everyone!! I wrote this blog a while back, and it helped me inspire the idea www.FilmHouseEffect.org — go check it out AND SEE SOME OF THESE WORDS in video form.

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