AMC Theatres

While I am not someone who is a huge fan of movies (they’re just too long, in my opinion), I do enjoy going to the movie theater. You may be confused about how I could like the movie theater, but not like watching movies. You see, there is more to the movie theater than watching the movie. The overall experience one gets from going to a movie theater is a relaxing one.
For starters, the seats at a movie theater are some of the comfiest seats ever. Plenty of theaters even have reclining seats. What could be more relaxing than watching a movie (or taking a 90-minute nap) in a super comfortable, reclining chair?
Another de-stressing feature that movie theaters provide is their extensive menu of food. From popcorn to candy to pretzels to even chocolate hazelnut-filled churros, the movie theater cafe has it all.
As for the actual “movie” part of the movie theater, watching a movie is a great way to get lost in a different world and escape your current stressful state of mind. Movies have an effect on us whether they make us feel sad, happy, scared, or excited. By allowing a movie to change your emotions, you are able to get away from stress and anxiety.
Mr. Pete Gambino, who teaches the Film Appreciation course at East, believes that watching a movie can provide an escape from the real world.
“The most relaxing aspect for me is vicarious experience through a story. The thing that a movie offers that I really gravitate towards is a safe place to process either challenging material or just a fun escape,” Gambino said.
When you are stressed and overwhelmed, experts recommend getting in touch with your five senses. The movie theater can help you reach all of your senses at once: sight as you watch the movie, hearing as you listen to the movie, touch as you feel the comfortable seat beneath you, taste as you drink your cherry Icee, and smell as you get a whiff of buttery popcorn.
Watching a movie at home just doesn’t provide you with this same experience. Gambino believes that nothing tops the experience you receive when watching a movie in the theater.
“Something that I think people don’t value as much as a whole anymore is the common experience of watching [a movie] with other people — crying with strangers or laughing with strangers. I think there’s really nothing that beats it,” Gambino said.
Overall, going to the movies is an excellent opportunity to escape from reality for a few hours and take some time to relax.