I took the kids to see two movies this weekend, The Battle For Terra and Wolverine and I must say, The Battle For Terra was way more interesting than Wolverine.   I won’t give away anything in the post so you’ll just have to see either movie for yourselves but I did make some observations that I wanted to write about:

1. I’ve noticed a subtle change to the “no cell phones during the movie” notices presented in commercial format right before the film start.  The new commercial states “no cell phones AND TEXTS during the movie” but what I don’t understand is why they don’t simply read, “Leave YOUR CELL PHONE HOME when you come to the movies!”   or “Turn off  your cell phones during the movie!”

The answer of course is that if MILLIONS of people turned off their cell phone or left it at home then it’ll probably cost the cell phone companies millions of dollars in revenue because people aren’t texting or calling during the movie.    Of course, the movie theater is the big loser here because every time I go to the cinema I vow that I won’t ever go there again yet some movie comes out that my kids beg me to take them to so I endure.

But that’s probably about to change because I’ve been asking around and many of my friends and family have mostly given up on the cinema and simply borrow or download new movies to their computers and watch them at home on their LCD TVs.   Evidently there is a “network” of new release movies that people can tap into, you simply need to know how to do it.

Here’s my dilemma however, I WANT to pay for great movies and entertainment but I DON’T want to pay for the “movie theater” experience any more.  With bird and swine flu, high prices of popcorn, people texting during the movie, long lines, sold out venues,  and unruly movie customers I really don’t want to go to the theater anymore but I do want to watch new releases when they come out so what I am to do?

The only avenue here is to go the illegal “pirate” route to get the entertainment I want in the format that I want it in.  This is no different than when record labels dragged their feet releasing music in mp3 format and now Apple is selling unDRM’d mp3s.  Why did it take so long?

I’d like new release movies piped to my private LCD TV in my home where I can enjoy my own home made popcorn.   Any unruly kids can be sent to bed and the phone can be left off the hook.    Personally, I think the movie theater is dead.  The American population continues to age and fewer people (as we all get older) won’t tolerate the degenerative experience at theaters.