Ah, you have to love the North American perspective on us Europeans: after an elegant meal of caviar and lobster claws in the local cafe, we stroll down the cobbled alley to our nearest multiplex (one in each village) that screens the latest blockbuster alongside the latest Peter Greenway art installation, only to round off the night back in another cafe sipping champagne and discussing Derrida all night. Until I was about 16 we had to be driven 30 minutes to the latest cinema, and that’s in a country that’s roughly the size of West Virginia (the 41st largest out of 50). Of course, we could have waited for it to come out on video, but that wasn’t going to happen. And that touches on another issue: buzz!

It’s fair to say that despite the immediacy of the net, we still have water-cooler moments almost every day. Everyone wants to keep up with the other, whether it’s the latest news story, latest album (whoops- showing my age there), or latest movie. Hell, you’re officially a minority if you haven’t seen Avatar by now. Think of the Twilight fans who queued for hours to catch their vamp flick, and were glad they did! And while it would be great if we didn’t suffer from peer pressure, it’s pretty unlikely that things will change anytime soon. So we’re left with a sense of media-and-friend-induced urgency to see things when they come out. If there’s a film you really want to check out do you have the patience to wait 3-6 months for a rental or retail release? Sure, you could illegally download it, but a shakey, muffled, pixilised image pretty much ruins the idea of a home cinema. So instead, we’re left with a craving to catch something before we’re left behind.

Now, as I’ve mentioned before, going to the cinema is a social activity. It’s something we do to get out, to be part of something. Almost like a sporting event. But I do confess that I ignored the many problems with such an experience. You’re always susceptible to the attention-seeking teens, the ignorant parents who drag their infant to a horror flick, the texters, and even those who think it’s okay to answer their phone during a film. I’ve always found that a certain amount of confrontation can solve issues quickly, or else attending an early screening can prevent the problem. But either way, it’s not like we don’t across these types in bars, nightclubs, gig venues, or sporting arenas either. And I’m not sure about Steve, but the kind of people who tear ticket stubs and monitor screenings in cinemas around here tend to be stoned teenagers as opposed to snack-fascists eagerly seeking contraband. I always bring my own snacks, and unless you parade it around on your head it’s usually pretty easy to avoid the buckets of over-priced cola or lard-dipped popcorn.

Now, back to the issue of transport and saving money on fuel, well let me quote the classic 50′s flick Sweet Smell of Success: “That’s fish four days old… I won’t buy it”. Firstly, to get a projector that in any way could be considered to be a rival to the cinema experience, you need something that goes beyond 2500 lumens and has a contrast well beyond 1:1000, and must have a HDMI socket. Even on Ebay, you’ll be lucky to get one less than $1000 including delivery. And that doesn’t include the essential 5.1 stereo system or Blu-ray player. That’s a lot of money, maybe more than a year of cinema attendance. And as for gas, well that’s an issue that people have had to deal with, it’s nothing new. Still, you can’t deny that with dwindling oil supplies, not to mention the lack of viable alternatives, will raise fuel costs. So why are you making your friends spend their money driving over to your house all the time? Someone’s going to have to travel somewhere! And of course there’s that nagging issue of socialising rearing its ugly head once more. Sitting in your house every weekend may not be their dream. Think of the bar/house analogy. Sure, it’s good to hang out in a friend’s house, but you also want to hang out in bars, experience life a little, even if you’re not allowed bring your own drink, or even if there are a few annoying individuals.