M.G. Siegler with a great piece on the future of cinema, and the movie going experience in general. What really resonated with me, and is something that has been on my mind for a while, is the experience of going to movie theaters.
There’s something very romantic to me about the movie theater. I’m not sure where it comes from, since it’s never been anything like that in my life. I love the idea of the night out at the movie theater. But the fact is that night out revolves around two hours in the dark without talking. The theaters have essentially worked their butts off over the past few decades to figure out how to get you to buy really expensive shit to go along with that experience.
What Siegler hits on that I really want more of is the sort of boutique movie theater…
Probably the best experience I’ve had watching a film in recent years is over here in London. There’s a theater called Electric Cinema in Notting Hill which is fantastic in every way. Massive recliner seats, couches, and even beds and blankets! And lots of good food and drinks.
There are a couple of similar theaters in North Orlando, and I love the experience. Compare it with the dirty, uncomfortably 80s experience of movie theaters today, and you see why I think this is the real future of movie theaters. It’s a dream of mine to open up a sort of boutique theater with a nice bar and an interesting menu…