With the rise of online media, many industries have been put out of business. The film industry has had one of the biggest losses with the decline of rental movies. Companies such as Blockbuster have been completely eradicated in favour of online platforms. One of the businesses that many people assumed would complete die out are movie theatres.
We live in the age of speed, everyone wants what they want now and at the most convenient was possible. This is one of the many reasons why Netflix has become extremely popular with millennials. Students in particular seem to prefer to save the money and time, and just watch a movie at home.
According to Expandedramblings.com, as of February 2017 Netflix has 93.8 million subscribers and is no doubt rising. This lead many people to believe that young viewers could no longer bother to go to the movie theatre.
However, Western Film is proving many people wrong. The movie theatre business is still alive and kicking. Before the 7 O’clock showing of the Oscar winning movie “LA La Land” many students packed in line to buy tickets for the small theatre.
When asked why they still choose to go to a theatre, Western student Trina Irvine said she liked going to the Western movie theatre because “you still get the experience of being in a theatre and leaving the reality of studying for a bit”. Western student Laura Power enjoyed the qualities that Netflix can’t offer, adding that “[she] like[s] surround sound, movie popcorn, who doesn’t like that”? There are just some things that you can get at a theatre that you can’t get at home.
The experience of going to a movie theatre is one that many students still cherish. Perhaps it’s just a matter of time before Netflix finds a way to offer the full experience in the comfort of your own home. But until then theatres still have that slight edge that makes all the difference.