I miss the movies so much! My biggest regret will always be letting Cats be the last movie I saw before we went into quarantine...at least it was memorable LOL

Chris is so right about movies at home vs theaters. I get distracted so easily when watching new films at home, where in a theater my focus is on the screen. I hope theaters survive post-2020.

I hadn’t considered the whole “annoying people will stay home” argument, that’s a huge win.

I’m barely a “film lover”, but I think the experience of going to the movies especially with friends is priceless. Theaters definitely make movies so much better and even tho I don’t go that many times a year it’s still one of my favorite things to do.

I feel that as soon as we return to normalcy, movie theatres will become the staple once again.

Christopher Nolan is somewhere punching the air.

"I fucking love going to the movies!" Same man, same.

I will ever forget the experience that I had when watching Avengers Endgame with a whole audience, no spoilers and it was awesome. I hope we get back to that

Avengers Endgame opening night in the IMAX theater surrounded by the fans.. it felt like going to a sports event. I’ll never forget that experience.. Can’t get that experience at home!!!!

When Chris described the experience of going to the theatre and remembering each step, compared to just watching a new movie at home, with not much buildup and preparation. It was a real nail on the head.

I’ll never forget watching Joker for the first time in the theater. The interview scene was probably the most viscerally affected I’ve ever been by a movie.

I miss the whole "dinner and a movie" night w the lady.

Watching movies in a Theatre is like watching the film live. If you blink you miss something. You can't pause. That makes you focused on the experience. You can't go to the bathroom, get a snack, or do your laundry at the same time. Yes, sometimes there are people in the theatre that can ruin the experience. But most of the time you can enjoy a non stop, 100% focused experience. That's what makes it so memorable.

My theory is that the theatre is more memorable for a number of reasons. You're somewhere you can't get to every day. It lodges in your head a "hey this is a new experience" . There's the smell of pop corn. The fact that you're sitting somewhere different. The room is dark. You have to focus on the movie for an entire two hours, sometimes more. You can't pause it. Then, if you go with friends (And a lot of people do) you're talking about the movie afterwards so You're basically quizzed on what you just experienced. Sight, smell, recall, all of these things factor into how memorable something is. If you go to your couch to stream movies, missing most of those enforcers.

Watching movies at a theater is like going to a nice restaurant with the ambiance, interaction and sense of occasion. Watching streaming is like take-out - the food may be very good, but it’s absolutely not the same experience

This absolutely encapsulates how I've responded when asked why I miss going to movie theaters: it's not just about watching a movie, it's sitting in the the darkness of a room, the purpose of which, is to devote one's full attention to a story, allowing oneself to be enveloped in an experience. To this day, I couldn't imagine seeing Bladerunner 2049 at home for first viewing versus actually having gone to see it in theaters and feeling transported to another world. At home, it's unlikely you see/hear an announcement requesting you to turn your phone off before the movie... even if it gets ignored by some people. But it's there because, in a way, the theatre is to be considered sacred in its designation as a place for the sole purpose of seeing a narrative manifest in film while being free of distractions from the world beyond.

I really hope movie theaters don’t die, there’s just something special about watching newly released films in theaters as opposed to streaming from home.

Quentin must be SO happy Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was made last year.

When we talk about or even think experiences/memories we strengthen the neural pathways to those memories. When you watch episodic television and are forced to wonder and imagine what will happen for a week, it strengthens the pathways to those memories, whereas when you binge, there's no time to ponder, you get the 'answer' immediately and move on to the next thing.

A Quiet Place in theaters, such an amazing experience.

Seeing Tenet in cinemas this year was an unforgettable experience. That movie was meant to be seen in a theater. Experiences like that should never go away.

Completely agree Chris. In my experience, streaming a movie at home immediately makes it feel more "disposable" and therefore much more forgettable.

Spider-Man (2002) was my first movie theater experience. My dad took me and till this day I remember the lunch we had before, the fact my dad let me get butter on our popcorn, where we sat, etc. That experience and how fun that was to see one of my favorite heroes on the big screen, I just can’t imagine it any other way.

You enjoy it and it's memorable for the same reason a concert, or a trip to the local amusement park is. It's because you are experiencing something that you don't experience every day, AND you're experiencing it with other people who you don't know. You get to see how everyone else reacts to each scene, or ride. If you had a special room in your house that was just for streaming movies, and that's the only time you went in there, AND you invited friends over when you stream those movies you would find that it would be a much more memorable experience. LOL, obviously that's not something most people can do, but you get the idea.

I swear Chris Stuckmann is inside my head cause he perfectly articulated everything I feel on this topic.. especially the memorability of streaming movies vs watching one in theaters. Keep up the great work 🙌🏻

I feel like the annoying people in a cinema usually just pick a film at random for a day out so they'll always be around

I have so many vivid memories of the movies I’ve seen in theaters. Some that instantly come to mind are inglorious bastards, the last Harry Potter, mad max, hereditary, parasite, little women... Hearing you say you remember where you were sitting really struck me because I can visualize the area I sat for all of those movies. I can’t say I have the same experience with streaming. Even when my boyfriend and I really try to have a “movie night” where we put it on our tv (rather than iPad in bed) and make popcorn, put our phones away, etc, we are still just in our apartment, so it’s harder to separate it as a unique experience in the end. Our dog is still gonna jump on our laps, I can ask to pause why I run to the bathroom or to get a drink, it’s just not the same. The only honestly memorable movie experience I’ve had since the start of the pandemic was when we watched color out of space, and I think that’s just because it was such a wacky movie to begin with. Maybe I also just haven’t been watching as many movies in general. I hope we can find a way to recreate or reinvent some of those feelings from our homes. I do miss the theaters so much. Idk when I’ll feel comfortable going back, hopefully once vaccines are more widely accessible we can start feeling that out. I just miss it so much. There’s a big sense of community when you’re in a room full of strangers and you all gasp/laugh/cry at the same time.

I like how that Silent HIll shirt is done in the font style of the Death Metal band Suffocation

Movie theaters have always been special to filmmakers. When your local theaters open up, we need to support them!

I'm legit worried about movie theaters at this point.

"Don't Breathe (2016)" was a dope experience for me; I watched it with three of my friends and a whole packed theatre the day it released. I remember every time a character held their breath to avoid being caught by the blind man, everyone in the audience held theirs, too. Theatres are a better experience. I hope we can get back on track with them.

I remember the first movie I stood in line for, for over an hour, was Independence Day. A group of us went to see it on opening day and as we were getting in our cars to leave the theater a storm was rolling in and it was one of those dramatic Midwestern storms with the crazy shelf clouds and looked like the scene from the movie where you see the alien spaceships for the first time as they emerge from behind smoke and flames and clouds. I will always remember that.

I just don’t want the theater experience to ever die, not just because I’ve worked at several theaters for almost a decade now, but because it’s a beautiful thing when 50+ strangers gather in front of a big screen and projector to experience something together.

“Strange year” is an understatement I’d also like to say that what you said is so important, people tend to not appreciate something until it’s gone, and that statement couldn’t be more true with the current state of movie theatres now. When you go out just to see a movie, it is much more memorable regardless of the quality of the film

"Streaming film less memorable" Yes, chris... I feel it too. Missing the theatre so much. Experiencing of the excitement to go date and see a movie premier. New normal suck.

The living up to and getting excited for a movie is something I haven’t thought about for a while. Growing up as a kid in the Netherlands in the ‘80’s in a family where we didn’t have the means to go to the movies more than once or twice a year, I mostly saw movies on tv and some years later on VHS. You’d have trailers in Spring for movies ‘coming this summer!’ that looked awesome. That meant summer in the US and those movies would only come to Europe 6 to 12 months later. It would take another year for these movies to be available on VHS rental and at least another year before they where broadcast on tv. Talk about an anticipation period!

"Streaming movies has been less memorable; it doesn't feel as much like an experience. And I'm certainly not retaining as much about the film or the experience as I do when I see it in the theater"..................SPOT ON!!

The experience of a theater is something I won’t ever want to give up

Seeing The Invisible Man almost a year ago with some friends and going for drinks after was amazing. I want that back so badly

For a short period, movie theatres opened up again in my home town in Germany. Went to see Tenet. I'm really glad I did.

Actually, seeing Tenet in the theatre in summer was one of my greatest cinematic experiences. It was like heaven.

Can we also talk about how everyone forgot about A Quiet Place Two.

A long time ago, I saw Shark Tale in the theater and there was literally a young couple having standup sex in the back row. I love the theater, but I prefer doing it in the privacy of my own living home.

Having a good sound system at home helps with experience. Sometimes it's the sound itself that submerges you into the film

This is gonna be tough for sure. Movie theaters are very amazing and special to a lot of people, I am hopeful tho

I miss going to the theatre every week :( it gives u a good feeling even if you didn’t like the movie

Exactly how I feel. Imagine this happened during the release of infinity war or endgame it wouldn’t be a great experience compared to theaters. It’s all about the experience and I completely agree with Chris.

For me streaming has been a blessing: I discovered movies I'd have not seen otherwise in a million years like Cloud Atlas, La Historia Oficial, , Furie, Her, Da 5 Bloods, The Night Comes for Us, Uncut Gems, Marriage Story, The Irishman, Circle, The Platform, The Invitation, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 22 July, The Meyerowitz Stories, Kundo, Beasts of No Nation, Burning, Okja, A Bittersweet Life, Train to Busan, Wolf Children, Your Name, A Silent Voice, Summer Days with Coo, 1000 Rupee Note, Life Doesn't Come Again, Yucatán, Gun City, Retribution, Eye for an Eye, Black Snow, The Baztán Trilogy, among many other great films. I agree that usually the theater experience is more memorable, but when a movie is just too good, it does stay with you no matter what, and what's more, you are glad you stumbled upon it despite never hearing about it or having budget or time restrictions to look for them elsewhere. Hard to find movies like Tron or Blade Runner or the Monty Python flicks (up until 6 or 7 years it was difficult to find good free streaming for them) or foregin language movies that are hard to find with subtitles on the net, all of them are conveniently easier to access with streaming nowadays. Even great oldies like To Kill a Mockingbird, Bridge on the River Kwai, Spartacus or Lawrence of Arabia are easier to find with streaming, instead of needing to find great blu ray streaming or going to specialized cinemas once in a blue moon they woud show them.

I agree what you mean about “experience”. Watching a movie at home doesnt make it special anymore, because you watch everything at home. So the memory about the movie becomes blurry between random show, commercials and some reality tv. But movie experience, once a week, makes it more memorable.

I'm really hoping movie theaters aren't gonna close just because of streaming. Going to the theater is so much better than watching a movie at home and it always will be.

Thank you for posting this!!! I couldn’t put into words about my feelings about how empty or disinterested I’ve felt for movies lately or how something was missing when it comes to watching movies at home and you summed it up so perfectly!! It’s totally all about the experience and I miss it so much!! Also totally agree with not only going for the experience, but also supporting the hard working the production team, actors, directors, and so on have put into making the films. Good or bad.

I like watching movies alone in my home with headphones, for better immersion. I am not an cinema guy, but i really like your point of view, Chris. It is not only about that movie, but about to see your friends and talk with them about it. About that atmosphere. Just wow. I am missing so much ...

As a theatre lover I am very scared about what the future holds and very sad.

Warner takes money from my channel for using 10 seconds of a movie trailer for reviews. I hardly think they'll leave money to the theaters :c

Just started receiving screeners to review for my channel. Now I don't know that it's simply the fact that I haven't seen a movie this year to completely blow my socks off or it is because I haven't been watching these films in a theatre, but Chris is absolutely right. Film's this year haven't had any staying power. I look back at the movies I watched on streaming and gave a real positive review for... I can barely remember them.

“The quality of the experience” great quote

Nothing will ever top the feeling you get walking out of a movie theater at night after a movie 🍿

Think about this: Without the pandemic we would have had movies from all these directors in the same year: Christopher Nolan , Charlie Kaufman, David Fincher, Wes Anderson, Denis Villeneuve, Edgar Wright,

The atmosphere is a MAJOR factor in the experience. ...I miss the sound of my shoes sticking to the floor already.

i totally agree. right before Tenet came out they showed Inception at the local AMC and i gotta say, watching it in theaters is worlds different than watching it at home

Most people I know don’t even have the patience to sit still for 90+ minutes to watch a movie UNLESS it’s in a theater and they have to.

Movies are going to become sport events. Like you can watch Football at home but people still go to stadiums to watch it live.

As I much as I miss going to the theater...I can’t really remember the last time I’ve consistently gone where I didn’t want to bash someone’s head in. People talking, on their phones, making noises with candy wrappers, getting up a million times to take a dump- the golden age of the cinema died a long time ago. I still will always love indie theaters-besides the one old lady that can barely walk and phone rings the whole time-other than that, the audiences are generally decent and not a bunch of hooligans

1 BILLION percent agree. Watching movies at home is a drag, there are so many distractions and it doesn't feel as important or special as a movie in theatres. Seeing a film on the big screen brings me so much joy and excitement and it's a true experience to see a movie in a theatre. Also like you Chris mentioned, there's no hype for movies coming out anymore, there's no urgency to see it at the cinema before it's gone. Movies just pop up and are on HULU without even knowing they were coming out. I honestly miss the theatre experience more than anything right now..

Imagine watching Blade Runner 2049 for the first time in your bedroom😐

First the death of rentals, I really hope this isn't next

Man Chris you are nailing it perfectly :-) Thanks so much for this video, and I truly miss the movie theater!!!! :-(

The biggest reason Warner is shifting their movie slate for 2021 to HBO Max is the simple reason of gaining subscribers and building up the channel. When HBO Max first launched they were toting it as the next Netflix but I don't think the subscriber base growth has been as good as what they expected. Having monthly movies that will be both in theaters and on HBO Max will guarantee them a substantial growth in subscribers by the end of 2021. I actually think it's really brave of Warner to move all the theatrical releases to the small screen and stick with that decision especially since they have received a ton of backlash from Movie goers, Directors, Actors and other studios.

I'm hoping this actually forces studios to start producing better content worthy of going to the theater to see. For too long, they've gotten by on passible movies and our "habit" of going to the theater regularly. Now, they'll have to improve or die. They have to improve the movies though, not the "theater experience" I'll take more memorable movies over reclining seats any day and I'll still go to the theater to see movies I can see at home... IF they're worth seeing in the theater. This was an inevitable change, but Covid definitely sped things up.

i think you’re overoptimistic to believe the studios - which are corporations after all - will give up any cut of the theatre income.

I totally agree. It's been so hard to come up with my Top 10 for 2020, because I can barely remember half the movies I saw this year. Going to the theater cements the experience in your mind.

I miss the movie theatre experience and audience feedback too.

I'm grateful that Endgame was released in 2019 and I could experience it in a packed, sold out IMAX cinema. You just won't get that at home.

Watching Dune for the first time on a television would be criminal.

Thank you for being one of the first movie reviewers on youtube to come out and say that the theatre experience has intrinsic value that watching at home can't reproduce.

I agree about all the changes around us. I've been a movie fan all my life. As a child I went 3 times a week, when the film changed. In many instances I didn't know what was playing (1950's). as I grew older I was more selective, went through a time in the 60's mostly foreign films. I have always loved Horror and Sci-Fi. the saddest change was the multi cine-plexis and the lost of old movie palaces. the sound is better, the audience's horrible. I have a large screen TV with 7 channel sound, it's great. But nothing like seeing "Jaws" or "The Shining" opening week, the audience was electric, no smartphones a blessing. Keep up your reviews, look forward to seeing your film someday. The times have indeed changed. Happy New Year Chris, be safe, be well.

I miss that moment when the lights go out and the silence that follows in anticipation for the movie you were waiting to see

I work at a movie theater, and it’s frustrating being in and out of a job. I’ve been laid off twice now

Wow congrats on all the subs...and yeah this year was fuxking crazy

100% agree with you on everything you touched on this video. When you mentioned watching a movie at home isn't the same experience as watching a movie at the theater, it's a lot like watching a concert live stream at home versus actually going to the venue, hearing the music live and in stereo, and having the chance to connect with other people who share the same passion for the genre/artist.

It is a similar loss to when we lost Blockbuster. We gained convenience, but it isn't special anymore. So few things feel truly special anymore.

The argument Chris is making has been made for a while by enthusiasts of vinyl. That there is a ceremony to it that focusses the intent and makes something more memorable.

The experience is the point of the theaters. I can’t even imagine watching infinity war and end game at home for the 1st time. It would not have been the same. Everyone remembers Thor’s entrance on the Wakanda battlefield but it wouldn’t have been the same without the shared audience reaction🤷🏾‍♂️

I agree, I literally forget so many movies I watch via stream or at home. I suppose they could be forgettable movies, but I remember so many random movies I’ve seen in theaters. Something about that experience is much more engaging, regardless of the quality of the flick. I still remember Fant4stic scene-for-scene, and only saw it in theaters once 5 years ago, but I’ve already forgotten Holidate which I saw a week ago.

This is why I love Chris: He Made me feel optimistic about a really scary situation Didn’t actually think that was possible

As a professional projectionist who has been out of work since March, I really hope theaters have a comeback. I love my job and miss it daily.

Dig the Silent Hill shirt with the Suffocation font. Such a sick band.

Every time he swears it’s just so jarring! Every single time.

i got "Stuckmannized" more than a year ago...and still is glued up to this day to this guy....keep up the good job Chris!

Going to the movies with good friends will never go out of style

Thank you Chris for all your videos. you make it intellectual, but also light. People can learn a lot here, not just about movie industry, but about proper logos and deduction

Who else misses the "dinner and movie date" as your romantic night out of the house? Hell, it was one of the best things of high school dating

I'll never forget being directly in the middle of the theater, Opening night, first showing of Endgame and the reaction we had to the portals scene. It still brings a tear to my eye and It breaks my heart to think that others may not get to experience something like that again if we lose the theaters.

I miss a lot of things these days. Remember when things were fun? Do you guys remember what fun felt like? Its been ages...

Great subject to talk about, Chris. I remember when the wife and I used to go see a movie at least once a month. We loved the experience; we also discussed the movie on our way back home. Would've loved to see WW84 in IMAX but she unfortunately has to self-isolate for work during that time frame, so HBOmax will have to do.

Thanks for using your platform to discuss accessibility. Pre-pandemic, I had to stay home a lot anyway because my neighborhood is inaccessible and going out was an event. Even though I love movies, I never really got to go to the theater and this is awesome for me as it means I, and other disabled people get to be a part of the conversation around these movies more. (Sidenote: I'm still; still rooting for theaters too). I wish accessibility didn't have to be a happy byproduct of a horrible pandemic, but I'm choosing to look on the bright side and hoping this will lead to an influx of disabled film critics

"Does everybody want to take a nap?" YES, holy shit. I took a week off of work to basically hibernate and I'm still exhausted.

I guarantee that if everyone watched avengers infinity war and endgame for the first time at home, it wouldnt have been no where near as good as it was at the theatres

One of my best memories was watching “Endgame “ opening day in a packed theater and feeling the energy and excitement among people I didn’t know. The movie theater experience is important.

You are so on point. I've never seen a movie in my home that made me think about it for days/weeks after. When I saw Titanic, Interstellar, Matrix, Avatar, Arrival, What Dreams May Come, Contact etc in theaters, I remember thinking about those movies all day and night for weeks. The experience is more immersive.