So last night I went and saw Cloverfield, staying the temptation to download and watch it at home. With such a great marketing campaign, this was one of those movies I felt I had to watch in the theatres. JJ Abrams did an amazing job of secrecy while pushing our interests to the point of paranoia.

It was around 20 degrees last night. For me to leave the comforts of my house to go out, drive 20 min, and watch a movie in 20 degree weather is saying a lot. I got there, and bought a ticket for me and Joe, $20. Yes, tickets went up again by another $1. Whatever...

I get to the ticket gate only to find out the showtime I chose (last show of the night) was sold out. Odd, on a Monday at 10:15 a movie is sold out. 10 min later, the nice girl tells me they just had to open the showtime in the computers since no one had purchased tickets so they were going to close the show off. Another 5 min I get my tickets and find Joe. We buy 2 Slurpees and some nachos, $12.

The theatre sits about 600 people. Once the movie starts, there's about 30 people in it. That's .05% capacity! Here's a movie with no musical score, just the ambient background noise, so there are lots of moments of absolute silence. In the theatre for 600 people and only 30 people in it, I get 6 Russian teenagers that sit next to us. What do they do throughout the movie? Talk to each other about the movie in Russian. Yes, the chances of my movie experience being ruin could only be .05% and of course it happens.

Cloverfield was a great movie. I have to believe that until theatres make the experience less expensive and more enjoyable the MIAA will lose. They will continue to win over teenagers, but will lose the middle to low class parents and adults. As people move into a more digital world at home (HDTV, Home Theatre Sound, etc), the more they will move away from going to the movies. Last night was another nail in the coffin for me attending the movies. I will stay home and watch movies from the comforts of my 42" plasma, 7.1 surround sound, and beers.

Goodbye MIAA!

~Philly