Class Discussion: Movie Theaters

  In class we spent the first few days in the 2nd 6 weeks talking about why people still enjoy and go to the movies when so much is available to them in the comfort of their own homes. I didn't realize how little money the theater actually made out of ticket sales; most of their revenue is from food sales. I also learned the 3 main reasons why people still enjoy movies: the social experience, the expensive technology, and the need to be first. I was taught not only the financial side of movie theaters, but the history of them as well. It started with Edison’s phonograph which was the scratching of a needle in aluminum to Berliner’s gramophone (similar to the record player). That led to film cameras that involved the evolution of a few types of film- sturdy or flexible. Then there were mics which were referred to as “talkies” and lastly in 1927 people were amazed by the way people could experience the combination of film and sound. Theaters started to pop up all over the U.S. and by 1945 people were having marathons for 25¢ a piece leading to 90 million tickets being sold a week. Although that is not still the case, the majority of people enjoy going to the movies on a Friday night in 2016. I was amazed by both the history and financial aspects of movie theaters and this allowed to me to greater respect theaters. I believe more people need to have the background knowledge I now maintain to understand the value of movie theaters still thriving in today's age.