Going to the cinema is a privilege.I have always thought that, but these days it seems even more important. With the rise over the last few years of streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon and Disney +, it has become somewhat inevitable that cinema viewings have dropped. Young people in particular would seemingly rather watch films at home than at the cinema.
And who can blame them?
This year, for example, the biggest (cost-wise, at least) Christmas film is Red One, financed by Amazon Studios. It did get a cinema release but bombed, partly due to The Rock not being a guaranteed star attraction any more, partly because it was not very good, but also because, quite rightly it turned out, most people assumed it would be on streaming in time for Christmas. So why bother paying for a one time cinema experience when you can watch it on repeat only a few weeks later?
And Red One is not alone. Beverly Hills Cop 4, The Instigators, Wolfs, The Union and Knives Out are just some of the expensive, star driven films that premiered on streaming platforms in the last year, completely bypassing cinemas. Why?
Well, cost. A film that costs 200m and has 100m marketing spend will need to earn 500m at least at the cinema, just to cover costs. This is a big ask of all but the most guaranteed blockbuster. So 150m on BHC4 is actually considered worth it if it keeps subscribers where they currently are. But it's not the same. I watched and enjoyed BHC4. But the scene where the truck crashes into the home as part of the films climax would have been a completely different experience in the cinema.
Because cinema IS an experience. Nothing beats sitting in a crowded theatre and hearing the collective intake of breath when we realised what was in the box in Se7en, or, only very recently, the shrieks followed by laughter when Hugh Grant did his thing in The Heretic.
But there have been many more examples. Normally, once the lights came up, people would get up from their seats, put on their coats and so on and quietly leave (The Avengers movies and the idea of the post credits sting hadn't become a thing yet).
So sitting in silence while the entire credits of Schindlers List rolled, the whole theatre just taking in what they had seen was incredible. The howls of laughter as a packed house fell apart watching Dumb and Dumber from the first time. The collective sense of disbelief at the end of . Only truly experienced in a full cinema.
For me, The Return of the Jedi, Superman 2 and, most importantly, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom will forever be indelibly linked with my early cinema experiences. Long queues, packed theatres and excited crowds all made for an amazing collective experience.
And that is what cinema is, a collective experience, and one that should continue.
I hope it does.