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There are two kinds of people in the world: people who like going to the cinema, and people who don’t like going to the cinema. If you are the latter, you’re stupid.

Joking aside, I do struggle to understand why anyone would not like seeing a film on the big screen. I have found that quite often, extraverted people aren’t too crazy about going to the cinema, whereas those with the introverted nature are more keen on the idea. If you unpack that notion, it might at first seem far-fetched because the cinema possesses some of the main characteristics that an introvert may commonly find uncomfortable; big loud noises and sitting in very close proximity with people you don’t (and do) know. But therein the beauty lies, as the introvert can enter their own private world, even though it’s a very public scenario. They can be encompassed by the big loud sounds, the colossal visuals, and – the best part – not have to talk to the people they do and do not know who are in very close proximity. Woohoo! On the other end of the scale, those with extravert tendencies may feel a little repressed, sitting quietly and entering the silent yet noisy, other-worldly realm of cinema, being unable to talk over the loud volume and move around.

Having said all that, the intricacies of extraversion and introversion aren’t something that can be so simply defined, but maybe I’ll cover that in another post.

Although some people have home theatre systems that would blow MTV’s Cribs out of the water, no matter how many inches your huge plasma screen is, or how top-of-the-range your surround sound is, it can’t compete with a trip to the cinema – the act of going to the cinema. It’s one of the rare things we have left today that qualify for a full outing. Gather with friends or go solo, remortgage your house just to afford a large popcorn, and buy your ticket. Let’s get onto some of the main reasons why a movie is best seen on the big screen.

Entering the cinema screening – everyone can relate when I say it’s a daunting situation. You make your way into the darkened, eerie colosseum. If you’re extra early, it’s absolutely silent. There’s a few hushed whispers and all eyes on you as you attempt to find your seat. It’s like going up to the stage for your very own Oscar, just less cool. Trying to open your packet of goodies extra quiet, rustling through your very expensive popcorn with stealth as you settle down in the uncomfortable seat.

The upcoming movie trailers are probably one of my favourite things. But there’s clearly a large demographic that disagrees, because how many times do you hear the phrase: “I’ll go to the toilet now, it’s only the trailers” – no! There’s something exhilarating in the experience of watching trailers. You can sit on your high horse and make quick decisions on whether you think the movies will be good or bad, get surprised by cast line-ups, and get anxious because there’s far too many cool movies upcoming on the horizon, you can’t possibly see them all.

There’s no escape from the big screen – even better if it’s a horror movie. For me, the scariest thing in the horror genre is the use of sound. Sometimes I even mute the scary parts, but you can’t do that in the cinema. There’s no turning down the volume on the mammoth-like sound system, and it’s all around you. I remember going to see the Lion King (1994) when I was really young, and the surround sound echoed the buffalo stampede all around us. What better way to experience audio-visuals orchestrated together in the true cinematic way.

The rest of the audience in the theatre may not initially seem like a positive to the experience. Especially if you’ve got a loud popcorn grazer right beside you, an overly intimate couple in your peripheral, or someone with Alfalfa’s hairdo in front of you. But when you think about it, there’s something really special in sharing the experience with total strangers. Whether it’s hearing the unified, sad sniffles at the end of Titanic (1997), gasping with your unacquainted seating neighbour in Gone Girl (2014), or judging the person in front of you for laughing in Hot Pursuit (2015).

Lastly, even though you do have to remortgage your property to buy the popcorn, it’s worth it. You’ll never get popcorn like it is at the cinema. Salted or sweet?

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