Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The Pittsburgh businessman and politician opened the country’s first modern motion picture theater in 1905 on Smithfield Street in Downtown.
The Nickelodeon charged a nickel to theatergoers, who lined up by the thousands to catch their first glimpse of moving pictures.
More than a century later, we still flock, with popcorn and soda in hand, into the cool, dark cavern known as the movie theater — our eyes riveted on the screen to forget about life for a while.
2 comments:
This shift in the moviegoing atmosphere is in an interesting direction that in my opinion is going against the idea of a “movie theater.” With the so-called “innovation” of an entertainment superplex, the focus towards an actual moviegoing experienced is being further and further diminished and attention is being spread towards the things you can do besides watch the actual movie. When I walk into a theater, I want to walk up to a counter, purchase a ticket, grab my popcorn and coke, and enjoy the show. End of story. What I’m not looking for in a theater is somewhere where I can show up, eat a meal, go bowling, go smoke in a cigar lounge, watch a comedy show, eat another meal, and finally go watch a movie. Call me old-fashioned, but sometimes innovation can just result in complication and the destruction of something that we previously held as tradition.
It is interesting to see how movie theaters adapt with the times. The Showcase Cinema near my house recently remodeled their layout. They took out all the traditional seats and replaced them with brand new, much more comfortable seating. I find it very interesting that while have lost a significant chunk of the seating capacity, the ticket prices are still the same. As for companies that want integrate things like alcohol into their dining options, many will find it hard to get licenses or other approvals depending on the state the movie theatre is located in. The technology is also changing in the theatres; the quality used to produce and show movies has improved drastically. With improved LED and LCD technology, companies can use space more effectively, as well as create a better experience for movie-goers. As some movie theatre companies, such as Showcase, begin to change their business model, it will force a shift in the entire industry to adapt toward this new way of movie streaming.
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