Well, the common reasons not to go see a movie in the theater are nothing new. When I was living in CA, it cost $10.75 per ticket. Granted, that's for the late shows (anything after 6pm), but I'm a night owl, and when I was living in CA, I was sleeping days, so I had to go to the last showing. Out here it's only $7.25 for the late shows, so that's not as bad, but it's still almost twice what it costs to rent a movie, almost four times if you consider that my girlfriend and I going to the show is $14.50 and renting a movie is only $3.75. (Renting a movie in CA was about $5-6, BTW.) Then my girlfriend likes to get soda and popcorn, so we still spend about $20 to go see a movie.

But that's nothing new, and hardly worth complaining about.

No, my latest disillusionment about the movie theater is the DVD home video market. EVERY movie that's coming out now is Uncut, Unrated, Extended, Directors Cut, The Version You Couldn't See In Theaters, Contains 20 Minutes Not Shown In Theaters. When I was a kid, a movie came out in the theater, then months later you could only rent it (they were about $150 each to buy, per a deal Blockbuster had with most major studios), and finally it came out to "own", and it was the same version each time. If a movie was really, really good, a couple years later, the directors cut would come out. This happened with Dances With Wolves, Terminator 2... these were landmark films, classics from their time. But many movies from the late 80s and early 90s only had the one version, the same version you saw in theaters. Old movies got remastered, but that was it.

Now what they're doing is making these movies, and then cutting them down for the theaters, only to make more money when it hits DVD. Because it's not the same movie you saw in theaters, or at least that's what they say. Because it's the version you "couldn't see" in the theaters... or so they say. It's "Unrated"... but that's only because they didn't submit it to the MPAA for rating - if they did, it's most likely that it would have the same rating as the theatrical cut. It used to be that Unrated means the filmmakers anticipate the NC-17 rating, and since NC-17 scares stores away from stocking the film, equating NC-17 with "pornographic", they just call it Unrated, and for some reason Unrated doesn't carry the same stigma as NC-17. But now it's nothing more than a marketing ploy. I am almost willing to bet that no movie that came out in the last 3 years with the Unrated label would make NC-17. The level of obscenity a movie must have to reach NC-17 is extremely high, and I can guarantee you American Pie: Unrated would not fetch anything more than an R rating.

I'm something of a movie lover, so I'm torn here. I love seeing films as they're intended to be seen. I insist on widescreen, every time I buy a movie. The rental places here only do fullscreen, but that's fine... if I buy it, it's widescreen. With the exception of Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket"; apparently Kubrick didn't mess with wide-angle cameras, so full-frame IS how he intended the movie to be. That's fine. And really, full-frame movies don't bother me, but I am picky. And with THX-certified theaters, nothing beats seeing a good movie in the theaters. But if you're not seeing the full version, that bothers me. It grates on my nerves. To think that this movie was cut up, that I'm not getting the full thing, so they can make more money on DVD.

I have nothing against them wanting to make more money... that's fine... but if I'm paying four times the rental rate to see it on the big screen, I want to see the whole damn thing, not just a "theatrical cut".

Some movies are OK... some you pretty much just know they're not going to mess with it, what you see in the theaters is what you get on DVD. I'm pretty sure all the Harry Potter movies are good in this regard, and the Marvel movies. (I haven't seen an Unrated/Extended X-Men yet.) The more serious movies seem about 50/50... and comedies... Nothing is sacred. That new one, Life With Dick and Jane... Don't see it. You KNOW you're not getting the whole thing. Wait for DVD when the complete movie is released.

I go to the movies mainly for the experience; I don't know, but when I go to the movies, I get a different feeling when watching it with a whole group of people like that rather than at home.

I know what you mean, though, and agree with your point too. Then again, what isn't about money nowadays?

I havent been to the movies in years, mainly for the reason that its too expensive by the time you buy your tickets and pay for your snacks you've spent about $30.00

I can still remember $2.00 tuesday's when we were teenagers

It's much eaiser and convienant/cheaper to go to the movie store and rent the DVD and stay home.

I don't, I only prefer the bigger screen and the louder and clearer sound. I never understood going to the movies as a social thing really. My girlfriend and I consider a dinner and movie to be an ideal date, but a bunch of friends? You go into a theater and you have to be quiet for 2 hours. You can't pause it, have to plan your bathroom breaks around the movie... I think it's an inconvenience (and not just the price) as well as a fun experience... it's a mixed bag.

But now it's not about that. I now wait for DVD to see the whole movie all at once.

Good suggestion. It's generally cheaper to buy the DVD than for a couple to go out to the movie once. Some of the "extras" on the DVDs are really worth seeing, such as with the Team America DVD. Those behind-the-scenes segments showing how the marionettes were made, the sets, the Easter Eggs (found items), and so on, were terrific.

Try watching a comedy or stand-up movie at home by yourself versus watching it in a crowded theater with people not afraid to laugh out loud. The difference is night and day.

Theatre around here is 50 cents on Tuesday, and $1 any other day before 6 pm. After 6 its $2 every day. Although it shows movies that came out about 2 months ago, but not bad at all, if you dont mind waiting 2 months before you see it.

I can agree with that... Some DVDs have more and better extras than others, but with some, the extras just make the complete package. My favorite movie, Donnie Darko... I knew I liked it a lot until I saw it with the director/star commentary, where they point out every little thing (this isn't in the directors cut*, just the original)... then I knew it was my favorite movie. Top film overall.

*This movie's directors cut isn't the "real version", the director decided to remake it, sort of, changing a few things. I'm tempted to sell or give away the "Directors Cut" because it's not very good at all, almost insulting to the original... but I also may keep it because on the other hand, it's another version of my favorite movie.

Yeah, isn't it great to be able to understand what they're saying in the movie? It's like the difference between watching any movie with screaming kids running around, and watching it after the kids have been put to bed. Nothing's more annoying than people talking all through a movie... if you wanna talk, go down to the cafe, order you some coffee or tea, and yak it up there, away from the people trying to enjoy a movie they just paid $20-30 to see.

Those are few and far between... Cool that you have access to one. In CA we had a theater chain which went under, and before they did, they converted one of their downtown theaters into one of those. It was cool for the 2-3 months it lasted. Theaters like that only survive if people support it... and people in my area there didn't, in favor of the big one. But then the theater itself was dirty, and they didn't pay people to clean it, so it just got nastier and nastier. Like watching a toilet in the mens room or something.