Why do we love the cinema? And why we should be back in them
2020 was a tough year all round for everyone. Businesses shut, we couldn’t see loved ones, even simple things like going out to the shops became a challenge. But for me one of the biggest things that Covid-19 took away from us was the cinema.
The excitement and anticipation of going to see a film you’ve been waiting for, reading about, trying to avoid spoilers for is something that can’t be found anywhere else. There’s something about a trip to the cinema that feels special, whether you are going to see a new film you’re not sure you’ll like but are curious about, or maybe it is a family day out and the two hours of watching superheroes fly across a gigantic screen is a bonding moment. Perhaps you aren’t usually a fan of films, but you go with your friends because you don’t want to be left out.
It is undeniable that there is something intoxicating about the smell of fresh popcorn and the buzz when a trailer comes on that causes everyone to turn to the person next to them and say, ‘That looks good, I really want to see that’. Everything from the sound system to the adverts is used to transport you into a new world that you know will disappear when the credits roll. But the shared experience and collective enthusiasm that the cinema provides is something we were all starved of during the numerous lockdowns and restriction changes.
But even as a lover of the cinema and everything that goes along with it, I can admit that it does have a certain marmite quality to it. Not everyone loves watching trailers or having to leave their house to pay for a film they could just wait and see. Perhaps the shared experience that I relish is something people would preferably avoid.
Dr Roy Hanney, Professor of Media Production at Southampton Solent University said: “It’s a social experience, plus the size of the screen, the quality of the sound all contributes to a different kind of atmosphere. You don’t really get that at home.”
He went on to say: “Most people will watch a film at some point but not everyone loves the cinema, so why not stay at home, it is easy and it’s cheaper.”
But the home viewing experience is not an ally to the cinema industry. Streaming services took a huge leap during the lockdowns, all while cinemas were suffering and losing money. Many studios chose to move in the direction of a streaming service, mainly because it allowed them to get their films out to audiences rather than stalling and potentially losing money.
As we move into a post-lockdown, less restrictive Covid-19 era however, cinemas have once again opened and are now working in tandem with platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Which for me is a good thing because as much as I enjoy the cinema, sometimes you want to stay home and rewatch something you’ve seen hundreds of times, or watch something by yourself that is no longer available in cinemas. Streaming services have their downsides and indeed their benefits, but deep down a film is made to be shown in the cinema where you can immerse yourself in every scene.
Joe Brennan, who has a YouTube channel dedicated to film and TV said this, giving his opinion on streaming platforms: “They’re fantastic for ease and comfort and accessibility. And it’s the perfect way to consume some media.”
He added: “However, there are certain films for which watching them on Netflix is robbing them of their impact and power. Not just blockbusters, but films like Nomadland, which went free to Disney+ at the same time it was in cinemas, deserved to be seen on a big screen to truly understand what director Chloe Zhao was doing.”
With 2021 now drawing to a close, we are seeing cinemas getting back to a shade of what they used to be. December will see what could be the biggest event in cinematic history, Spider-Man: No Way Home. The upcoming Marvel and Sony blockbuster is estimated to break records with its opening weekend earnings and people are rightly swarming to get their tickets. This is exactly what the cinema is all about, a spectacle that you can’t wait to witness.
Although with the options we now have, for me and many people the cinema is still a special environment, a place where you go to properly enjoy a film.
Harry Skates described the cinema as ‘a collective experience that adds to the excitement’.
Adding: “I enjoy the atmosphere and anticipation of waiting to see a film with people that are there for the same reason as me. A tablet or phone doesn’t have the same impact as watching it on the big screen.”
