Monday, May 25, 2009

Monday Movie Meme - Watching Movies



This week's Monday Movie Meme from the Bumbles is about how you watch movies. Do you rent, do you buy, do you plunk down a thousand dollars and watch it on the big screen or do you watch at home? Drive-ins? Netflix? Blockbuster? Here is what we do at the Nawrot house:

Netflix - We are avid fans of Netflix, and have been members for four years. We are on the 3-at-a-time plan, which may be a bit indulgent, but I like having a nice pile of movies waiting to be viewed. Some are mommy/daddy movies, and some are appropriate for the kids. We like to have a family movie night on Friday nights. I have also been known to watch a Netflix "Watch Instantly" movie on my computer. Also, another cool option is to view instantly on my son's TV upstairs - it streams through his XBox.

Movie Theater - I'll just lay down my cards here on this one. If we go to the theater, it's most likely to see a kids movie. (I can count on one hand how many adult movies my husband and I have seen at the theater in the last five years.) Luckily, our kids are old enough to view most PG-13 movies, as long as the sexual content is at a minimum and plot will keep them interested. They don't scare easily. Sometimes we'll see a new feature (like last night - Star Trek!), sometimes we go to dollar theaters. We rack up some serious movies in the summer.

TV - Once in a blue moon we will happen upon a good movie on the idiot box. This is something that happens primarily to me. I can't flip by certain movies when they are on, I am compelled to watch them, even if it is the 32nd time I've seen it, and even if the movie is half over. An Officer and a Gentleman, Shawshank Redemption, Baby Boom, When Harry Met Sally...they stop me in my tracks.

Hotel/Drive-In - OK I've only had this experience once in my life, but it was so cool, I have to mention it. A couple of years ago, my daughter and I went to Colorado for a wedding, and stayed in a hotel that faced a drive-in. Each room had a big picture window, speakers that you could turn on or off, and easy chairs, so at night you could watch what was showing from the comfort of your room with your carryout pizza and beer. We need more of these around! We don't have drive-ins where we live, so this was a treat.

Restaurant theater - We have one theater in town that shows one movie at a time, and is generally a smaller, indie movie. You know, the really good ones that are reviewed in EW but you never see heads or tails of. But the fun part is that they have a full menu, as well as wine and beer, and you sit at tables when you watch the movie. We've only been to this theater a handful of times (most movies are rated R), but my dream is that one day I can buy an annual membership and see everything they show from my reserved table!

How do you enjoy your movies? Do you have any unique viewing experiences?

17 comments:

Unknown said...

My children are too small to take them to watch a film, so we decided to invest in a home theatre - we have a projector and a big screen, so when they are asleep in bed we watch DVDs. We probably only watch 2 or 3 a month, but it is a real luxury. I haven't been to the cinema for about 4 years, and I don't normally watch them on TV.

I have never been to a drive in or restuarant theatre - they sound like interesting experiences. I'm not sure there are any of those in the UK!

Unknown said...

Just about everything is on Netflix these days. I do watch some on the computer. We go out to a movie theatre maybe four times a year, now. But, when I was in college and lived in San Francisco, I went to at least four movies a week.

Beth F said...

That hotel/drive-in sounds cool.

I loved the drive-in when I was young. Do they even exist anymore?

We do NetFlix and HBO/Showtime. We hardly ever go to the theater.

Literary Feline said...

Hubby and I really like Netflix too. Although, maybe it would be accurate to say that I do. :-) Hubby's not quite so interested in watching movies at home like he once was. I see it as a good thing though because it means I can rent all those movies that he really isn't interested in without guilt. :-)

You sound a bit like me when it comes to watching movies on TV. Haha!

I've been to dinner theaters with stage performances, but never one showing a movie. What a novel idea!

Iliana said...

A hotel drive in - now that is so cool! We usually rent movies although I do prefer to go to the movie theater. Our problem is that we always seem to attract the noisiest and most annoying people which is not good given that I want complete silence when I watch a movie! haha...

Michele said...

Gosh, we used to go to drive-in's all the time when we lived in Colorado. I had forgotten all about that until you mentioned it! They were so much fun!

Unknown said...

I order mine through Blockbuster Online, it's just like Netflix execpt you can also get them in-store as well. And I Tivo alot of old movies and musicals. I love the classics. I rarely go to the movie theater anymore, it has to be a really good movie to tempt me away from my comfy sofa!

The Bumbles said...

You know what I like about this week's topic? Learning that first of all there are a ton of different ways to watch movies. And second of all, that everyone prefers something different. If I had stayed in that hotel you described I think I would have forgotten to go to the wedding and then never checked out. What a totally cool idea!

Melody said...

I haven't been to a drive-in, but I remember there was a time I went to watch a Chinese horror movie with the family out in a field and the experience was simply awesome!

Kim said...

DVD's usually for me. I have an aversion to movie theatres ever since the time I sat in a theatre in Singapore and a looked down to see a cockraoch crawling up my jeans! I have never been to one since and just writing that down brings back all the horror.

Carrie K. said...

I just took the kids to see Monsters vs. Aliens and Wolverine at the drive-in last night! We're one of the lucky American towns that still has one of those - it opens right before Memorial Day and closes after Labor Day. It was fun.

Farmlanebook's comment reminded me of a story. I recently met a wonderful lady who is an English ex-pat living in our little corner of Northeastern Washington State. She was saying that there aren't any drive-ins in England, but when she was in college, she visited Canada with a friend and decided to give the local drive-in a try. The movie showing was: "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." When the movie was over their battery was dead - and they were terrified! :)

Sandy Nawrot said...

Kim - Oh. My. God. If you read my post on my '80's books, you will see that I have serious issues with cockroaches. Down here in Florida, you can almost rope and ride them. And they fly. That would end my theater experiences, thank you!

Sandy Nawrot said...

Carrie, that is hilarious. Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a bit campy, but I guess if my battery was dead, I'd be a little spooked too!

Matt said...

I miss the drive-in which has completely evaporated off the ground of California! So I'll wtahc a movie, something I look forward to, at the movie theater, otherwise, I'll queue up at Netflix.

Melissa said...

I love our drive in. It was closed down last year, but the new owners opened it again this year and I can't wait to go. I've heard about the drive in with the hotel, but haven't been there. I have friends who live in the town, so it's hard to pay for a hotel room just to see a movie. :)

Kim K said...

I love the drive in! The Restaurant/Theatre is awesome too...need one of those near my house! We use Netflix...3 at a time! I gave it to my husband for Christmas - he thought it was a lame gift at first but is a huge fan now!

Ingridl said...

I love Netflix! I do the three at a time option as well, and sometimes over the summer, I indulge myself by bumping it up to four at a time.

I can't remember the last time I was at a movie theater. There are so few movies that are really worth the price of admission, and I really prefer to watch movies at home, where I can pause them when I want to, where I don't have to worry about someone talking through the movie behind me, and where I can get snacks I really like!