Unlimited

So yet another summer slump has been reported. Although this time it's a little closer to my heart.

As described in the article on BBC News, the number of people visiting US cinemas during the summer has been the lowest since 1997. Many are saying they would rather watch a movie at home on DVD or TV than going to the cinema.

It is indeed a sad day when this is the concensus although I can understand why.

Cinemas vary in quality. You'll get some great ones in the West End but the further out of London you go, the worse they usually are. Screens aren't as big, seats are broken/ripped, sound and picture quality varies, some of the films you want to see aren't shown, prices can be hefty.

Then comes the actual movie. There will be people who fidget, constantly talk, mobile phones going off, people getting up and going to the toilets at key points and children crying.

Compare this to renting a movie. You get the movie for three days which you can watch when most convenient. You don't have to worry about people talking in the middle, fidgeting, going to the toilet or anything else. It's most likely a family member or friend so you can give them a good whack to sort their act out. Whilst you won't get a huge screen, you will get great quality from a DVD as well as most likely having a good surround system.

On top of this, there is not really a long delay once a movie has premiered. The major movies come out about six months after the cinema release and packed with tons of extras.

In fact it sounds as if there is no redeeming point for going to watch movies in a cinema. Yet there is so much to gain from it which far outweigh the annoyances.

Firstly, the sheer scale of the screen creates more of a spectacle. Whilst some movies work equally well on the small screen, it's always something else seeing it on a large screen. On top of this the sound can be turned upto 11 without the worry of plaster falling of your walls or your neighbours.

Secondly, and more importantly, you aren't going to be able to feel the buzz and hype around movies. One of my best experiences came after catching the midnight premiere of Star Wars Episode II. Whilst the movie may not have been the best, it was an electric atmosphere throughout. People dressed up as characters from the movie, Anthony Daniels (C3PO) coming out to talk before the start (I think Rick McCallum was there also). During the movie we had the audience going crazy at various sequences.

I grant you that this is not the case for every single movie, but there is always some level of buzz generated from everyone waiting for the movie to begin and then when it start, the reactions to scenes. You can get this at home but nowhere near the same scale as in a cinema.

It's been a masterstroke to have invested in a cinema pass. Now I'll go watch any and all movies on the big screen, not only because I can but because despite the minor annoyances (which are sometimes non-existant), you can certaintly have a lot more fun.