Emin Binu
Grade 10, DPS Sharjah
Movies are the most popular form of art that clearly most of us enjoy.
But of the many ways and places to enjoy movies, we often debate about the two most obvious ways to enjoy them: at the cinemas or at home.
So which comes out on top?
It is a debatable, contentious subject because it is hugely based on preference. But in my opinion, movies are much more enjoyable and entertaining in a multiplex.
Why?
Here’s my take on it: When we come back from a cinema hall after a film we did not quite enjoy, we often ask ourselves the question, ‘Why didn’t I just wait for it till it was available on a streaming network instead of wasting my cash?’.
But think about it. Maybe it wasn’t going to the theatre that affected your experience of the movie but the choice of the film itself.
When I consider the pros and cons of watching a movie at the theatre versus watching a movie at home, both options have come with cons such as getting a noisy bunch sitting next to you at the theatre or being forced to watch some disastrous comedy flick by your parents that you can barely sit through at home.
But these drawbacks heavily depend on the type of people you find yourself surrounded with so looking at the pros of each would be a better idea.
The point of going to the movie at a theatre is to soak in the atmosphere and that includes enjoying the state-of-the-art surround sound system that transports you to another world — one that is unfolding on the big screen in front of you.
A movie with a great box-office pedigree (i.e big budget, well shot, well known franchise) may lure more moviegoers to the big screen vis-a-vis the option of watching it at home.
Having said that, watching a movie at home does have its comforts. You can lounge about on the sofa in any manner you wish, at any time you want, making your way through endless packets of crisps or whatver else you wish to fetch from the kitchen. For free.
Overall though, the experience of watching a movie in a theatre is arguably one of a kind.
The loud cheering when the hero enters the scene or the audible gasps in an anti-climactic scene or even the laughs that applaud funny moments, the collective sense of participation is worth it.
