This year, there’s been a lot of discussion about the future of movie theaters and whether a group of four will pay $60 for tickets when they can watch Dune at home. First and foremost, do not see Dune at home; instead, see it on the largest screen possible. Also, while remaining at home is more convenient, it’s not the best way to see a movie.
On Tuesday, director Quentin Tarantino appeared on Stephen Colbert’s Late Show, where he was challenged to “make the case” for going to the movies. “I believe the biggest reason is that watching television is entertaining. It’s excellent. For the majority of my life, I’ve held memories of things I’ve watched on television. But viewing a movie — and I’ve seen a lot of movies that have become some of my favorites, and the only way I’ve ever seen them is on television — it’s also a throwaway experience,” he responded.
“When a movie comes out that you’re interested in enough to see, and it makes you leave your house and buy a ticket, and you can do anything in the world you want that night, but you decide to go see a film, one film in particular,” Tarantino continued, “that’s when you have “an experience” with a bunch of strangers, and once the movie starts, once the lights are down, you become a collective… There’s you alone, but then there’s all of And you begin to appreciate the film in that light.” The experience isn’t always good (there’s a lot of bad movies!), but when it is, “those are the things that stay in your mind and that you remember for the rest of your life.”
