by L.M. Redding

Created on: October 09, 2008

Is it better to watch movies in the theater or DVDs at home. I vote for the movie theater. Movie watching is a social experience and we are social animals. The first moving pictures were shown in the theater. It took a couple more decades for TV to come along. Now, I love watching DVDs as much as the next person and there are certain movies that will make me say, "I'll wait for the DVD." But when a great movie comes out you want to be there for opening weekend with front row seats.

If people want to sit in their homes and watch the tube then they can watch what's on TV or cable. Going to the movies is an event. Tell children they're going to the movies and watch their reaction. Their faces light up and they get happy. They won't show the same excitement if all they're going to do is sit in the house and watch a DVD. More than likely, they'll tell you they've seen that DVD already at their friends house last month.

When you go to the movies, you get the whole movie going experience: purchasing a ticket, getting popcorn, soda and candy and finding a good seat. When you sit in the theater staring up at the screen with one hundred other people it's a communal experience. The lights dim, a hush falls over the audience and everyone is there for that cathartic experience that only a movie can give. It can't be compared to sitting at home hitting the pause button on the DVD player to take a phone call from your best friend. Or hoping the kids are asleep and don't walk in and catch you rewinding the dirty scenes.

Not only that, in the movie theater you get the reaction of the rest of the audience. You're not the only one who thinks the love scene is cheesy, the fight sequence is too obvious or the fight sequence is fantastic. When the audience stares up at that giant silver screen they're quickly absorbed into the story. And movie theaters are getting better at making the movie theater experience more enjoyable. Now that many movie theaters have stadium-style seats along with digital surround sound people can lean back and get comfortable.

Of course, the number one reason to get to the theaters is seeing the movie fresh. You don't have to wait a couple of months while hoping your friends that saw it opening weekend won't reveal the ending. Since everyone has raved about certain scenes, you've already have been told about half the movie and most of the suspense is gone. Where's the fun in that? Watching the DVD three months later will never compare to the experience of watching it on the big screen.

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