Why Nostalgia Might Be the Only Thing That Saves Theaters

I follow the movie industry like some people follow football. You know, like that cousin you have who knows who the Raiders' assistant coach was in 1989. I love movies, from the finished product to all the behind-the-scenes work.

And the movie industry is important to America. Entertainment, especially films, has been one of America's chief exports for decades. Like Detroit in the 1960s, Hollywood is one of our country's biggest economic engines. And, like Detroit in the 70s and 80s, what Hollywood does and how they do it is changing quickly.

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The biggest change is how consumers watch movies. There was a time when the only place to see a movie was a theater. When TV came along, you could watch movies at home, but it was a small screen that didn't come close to the experience of a theater. And the only place to see NEW movies was still the theater.

According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, only about 52% of Americans went to a movie theater last year. And in many ways, I don't blame them.

The Rise of the Home Theater Experience

Today, you can recreate the theater experience at home: a big screen, a quality sound system, and crisp, clear images. And at home, you get to skip all the negatives about the theater. You can pause whenever you want for snacks or a restroom break. Nobody is on their phone or talking. Nobody is kicking your chair or running up and down the aisles. All the little negatives that will make you rethink spending $50 on a night out at the movies (as long as you don't get snacks). Especially if it's a new movie you know nothing about and may not enjoy.

Variety reports that in 2002, moviegoers in the U.S. and Canada bought 1.6 billion movie tickets. That was the peak of the theater business. Last year, only 769.2 million tickets were sold.

So, we have all these movie theaters that need people to go to them. What to do? I think the movie theater experience is worth preserving. We need to readjust our expectations, from a business and consumer perspective, to reflect the modern world.

Could Nostalgia Bring Moviegoers Back?

Seeing a film in a theater with a crowd is a fun, energizing social experience. It's like cheering on your favorite team from the stands with other fans. The thrills are bigger, the scares are scarier, and the laughs are harder in the theater. But how do we get people back to the theater?

One word: nostalgia.

We need to stop trying to entice people with the new and mine their memories for theater success. Hey, fellow 80s kids, wouldn't it be super awesome to take your kids...or grand kids, shoot, I'm old...to the theater and experience Back to the Future much like we did in 1985? In the dark, watching a giant Doc Brown hang from the clock tower. I know lots of people who would spend real money to take their families to see Star Wars in a theater - or Die Hard!

There is some of this going on in the industry. Some of the bigger theater chains show old movies. But they are usually only one-night special events that are poorly promoted. By the time I finally hear that The Prisoner of Azkaban is going ot be on the big screen again, there'll be just one showing that evening. The movies need to be in theaters longer and have more show times. I mean, what would the theaters miss out on? Another empty 1:00 PM showing of Scream 7?

Hollywood Has Used This Strategy Before

The Disney company survived several creative downturns over the years by rereleasing its animated classics to theaters. It's how I first saw Pinocchio, Bambi, and others. They'd rerelease it like any new movie, with lots of showtimes and proper marketing. This is a model that any studio could still follow. "This summer, in theaters, experience The Matrix the way it was meant to be."

And these shows have to be priced for the impulse buyer. "What do you wanna do today? See a movie?" When you can get a movie, popcorn, and soda for less than $10, I'd go see movies all the time.

Growing up in a small town in Nebraska, our local two-screen theater was a social hub. You'd see a movie and people you know every weekend. I'd hate for that experience to go away.