Poetry v. The World: the (home) movie-going experience

Shout-out to Godzilla Vs. Kong! An incredibly fun monster movie to watch with friends! I think many people assume that as a film major I wouldn’t like a movie like this because it isn’t particularly “sophisticated” or “thought-out”. But really, what that is assuming is that I only can watch movies for its artistic value, which is simply not true. In the end, Godzilla V. Kong and Parasite are two different movies, and therefore you have to watch them differently to appreciate them.

That being said, I’d venture to say that there is most certainly a wrong way to watch any movie. And that is… with the lights on. That is, watching a film while openly welcoming outside distractions that will take you away from the movie. There’s a reason (besides the popcorn) that movie theaters were such a staple in our culture pre-quarantine. The darkness, the carpeted, non-creaky floors, and especially the massive screen that no matter what you can see the whole of. Even if you’re constantly making fun of it with your friends next to you, you are still being surrounded by that movie. There’s an inherent closeness between the audience and the film that movie theaters facilitate.

Now, compare this to throwing on something while your roommates cook dinner. No matter how much you like the movie, your environment just wants to suck you out of it. Even a diehard filmophile would have a tough time picking up exactly what that filmmaker wanted. I can’t help but feel bad! All of the labor and the hours of sleep lost just for you to check your phone every 5 minutes while watching what they poured everything into.

Christopher Nolan was not in the right when he demanded the theatrical release of Tennent. He was being selfish, ignorant, and entitled. But I understand why he yearned for people to “experience” his movie, not just to see it. I don’t agree, but I can sympathize. And I hope you can too… at least a little.

Best,

Jonah J Sobczak

-jonahso