also, you'd pretty much have to pay me to go see a film in the theater. i can't think of something id enjoy less than sitting in an uncomfortable chair for 2 hours to endure other people talking, pulling out their phones, shitty kids making noise, sticky floors, etc... no thanks. it's 2024, and i don't have to go to a shitty theater and shell out $50 and sit around several dozen assholes just to watch a movie. I can sit comfortably at home in silence, with food and weed and pee breaks. FOR FREE.
The theaters certainly are not for everyone, but I haven't experienced your description of a theater in over 5 years. Everywhere I've been not has leather recliners and have been generally cleaner. It's not cheap, but concessions aren't a requirement and no home theater offers the same viewing between screen and sound like a theater. I think my local place is $15 for the ultra wide, heated leather, Atmos audio screenings. Not something to do all of the time, but the occasional late night watch of an adult rated film is a nice treat sometimes.
I'm with the other guy. The movie going experience was awful for a long time until I just stopped going. If they've made changes, they've made them too late for many people, especially when they are charging $20+ in my area. Additionally, regardless of what changes they've made to the seats, that doesn't change how shitty other people are. The noise, lights, running around, spilling food/drinks everywhere, etc creates an environment more akin to a wrestling match than a movie.
I haven't experienced any of that in a very long time. The movie going experience has shifted significantly over the past decade. Again, it's not for everyone and some don't find the entertainment worth the cost, which is fine. I'm just trying to point out that the stereotypical they're experience isn't what it used to be. Some people go and spend hundreds at casinos for fun, I'll occasionally drop a couple of tenners to watch a good movie it the format it was designed to be viewed in. That's maybe once or twice a year.
Alamo Drafthouse is the one exception because they 1) serve a full menu of food and booze right to your seat 2) don’t allow children 3) and will kick you out if you pull out your phone or make a sound louder than a whisper. But even then, I’m much more comfortable at home, and I haven’t been there in years. During Covid, I set myself up with all of the home theater I would ever need.
I have an Atmos home theater system at home that’s perfectly fine. And I don’t need a screen bigger than my field of vision.
Most theatre's offer booze and decent food now, I still greatly enjoy going to the movies. I watch a lot of content at home through my media server but it's a treat to see things on the big screen