Well, it’s finally happened.

It’s become a strain for me to review movies. Yikes!

I should clarify. I still love writing about movies, especially reviewing them. The problem is I’ve been enjoying watching movies less and less.

The culprit?

The loss of the movie theater.

When the pandemic struck a year ago and things got crazy in March 2020, businesses including restaurants, sports events, and movie theaters, to name a few, were forced to close their doors.

I refused to be sidetracked by this “inconvenience” and I did not miss a beat, as I immediately switched gears and began reviewing movies at home, new releases on Netflix and OnDemand pay services. Over the course of the year I added Prime Video, IMDB movies, and most recently to catch some movies the day of their theatrical release, HBO Max.

And I’ve been reviewing movies this way ever since, as I await the day when movie theaters once again become safe to visit.

But something has happened along the way. The movies have stopped being as enjoyable.

Part of it, for sure, is the majority of the movies I am watching at home in terms of quality are just not matching the movies I would see on a weekly basis released to the big screen. There have been a few exceptions, but for the most part, the movies I’ve been watching since March 2020 have simply been not as commendable as movies I normally see.

But the other part is the actual experience. I love watching TV and movies from the comfort of my living room, don’t get me wrong, but truth be told, you just can’t replace the movie theater experience for watching a movie, especially if you’re going to write about it.

On a wide screen, with a crystal clear picture, you can see pretty much everything and really appreciate a movie the way its director wants you to. If you’re not burying your head in your large popcorn or chatting with your friends next to you, you won’t miss a thing. Add to this perfect sound, and you can hear pretty much everything as well. When you pay attention, you’ll be amazed at the use of small background sounds in the movies. And often they’re sounds that when I’ve re-watched the film at home, I simply don’t catch.

And with most theaters having stadium seating, with reclining chairs, you can’t beat the comfort either! And if you love movie popcorn— it all boils down to a truly special experience.

And it’s one that here in April 2021 I’m missing. Big time.

So, I can’t wait for theaters to reopen and become safe to visit, and I hope each day that they survive this pandemic so they will be able to open.

Because, right now, watching movies at home just isn’t the same. And it’s a major reason why I’m not reviewing a new movie this weekend.

Again, the other reason is the quality of the at-home release movies, generally speaking, haven’t been as good. Neither has the quantity. On any given weekend, you can find three or four new movies opening at theaters, at least. I’m not finding that many on the streaming services, at least not films I’m interested in.

And I’m much more inclined to watch something I’m not as interested in at a movie theater than at home, because I so enjoy the movie theater experience.

So, if in these pages in the coming months, you see fewer reviews of new movies, know that it’s not that I don’t want to review movies anymore. It’s just that the films available at home just aren’t holding their own for me.

That, and the popcorn from home just isn’t as delicious.

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