I went to the movies, and wrote about it.

Last night, I went to the cinema for the first time in over 6 months.  Four of us went to see “Logan Lucky” and it was great. I think. I have to be honest, I fell asleep about halfway through, but I will definitely put that down to the comfy reclining chairs at the Warrawong HOYTS, and the fact that we went to the 9:40pm screening, which is already well past my bedtime.

I have to confess, I’m not a cinephile in the slightest. For me to sit down long enough to watch a full movie is a rare occasion, and therefore it is even more uncommon for me to go and spend money in doing so. In my case, going to the movies purely happens out of a social obligation, and a chance to spend time with friends.

So last night I took the chance to observe our experience with consideration of Hagerstrand’s three categories of limitations, a time-space model.

Firstly, capability, which Hagerstrand identifies as “the limitations of human movement due to biological or physical factors” (Corbett, 2001). In this instance, the only restriction on capability was transport to the venue in Warrawong. We were fortunate enough to have a willing driver with their own car, and the drive took approximately 15 minutes from our house. This also meant it was important to leave plenty of time to catch the promos and stock up on snacks.

Movie Essentials [Source]

Secondly, our use of coupling in this experience was important. This “refers to the need to be in one particular place for a given length of time, often in interaction with other people” (Corbett, 2001). We had to consider a time that would suit all four people and enable us to meet up before hand with ample time remaining for travel. My only criticism here was (as mentioned before) that the movie was much later than I would have liked, however due to our busy work and Uni schedules it was rather difficult to avoid.

And finally, the constraint of authority, an “area that is controlled by certain people or institutions that set limits on its access to particular individuals or groups” (Corbett, 2001). In this instance, the rating of this film is “M”, which was obviously acceptable for a group of 20+ year olds to attend. We didn’t even have to ask mum first.

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Within the movie theatre, I considered how the nature of the industry has changed with the increasing popularity of Netflix and other streaming sites. Apart from us, there were only about 5 other people in the cinema, and I noticed that people had their phones out at different times throughout the movie. According to Screen Australia, “50 per cent of internet-connected Australians from all walks of life are watching professionally produced film and television video content via the internet”. This figure was from 2015, and I do not doubt that it has risen since then. Statistics aside, I know from my own experience that I would be much more likely to stay at home, and curl up with my laptop in bed.

From this experience, I have concluded that there are three primary factors that can be attributed to my (and likely other young people’s) lack of attendance at the cinema. Cost is a big one. I was generous enough to offer to pay for my boyfriend’s ticket, but was also quite alarmed to find that the total, along with some snacks, was $53.45. Time meant that I was limited to watching the movie at a certain time, which was probably not best suited to me. While we had the option for an earlier screening, the logistics of us all being free to attend was impossible. And finally convenience. While I definitely don’t consider myself lazy, it is definitely much easier (and more appealing) for me to put on a movie while I’m having dinner, sitting on the couch in my uggies and PJ pants.

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Featured Image:

Odyssey. 2017. 5 Classic Movie Quotes That Will Teach You To Love Life. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/five-movie-lines-to-help-you-love-and-live-life. [Accessed 26 August 2017].