Why do you think people prefer to watch movies instead of going to a playhouse?

Cost of tickets and parking

Convenience (Don't have to make advance reservations at home)

Don't have to get dressed up

Well, I think people are sadly mistaken when they prefer movies to plays, because really all they are getting is one instant shot of entertainment, that may last for a few hours. But that is, I guess why people prefer them. There is something beautiful about the audience-performer relationship in theater, that many are not aware of (you'd be surprised by how many people have not seen a live show!!). I think people choose watching movies, because it is instant access, instant entertainment, and instant gratification. There is really no thinking involved in most of the movies. Everything you need and want you can get directly from them, while with plays, a lot of the time the best part is having all these unresolved questions that you can ponder the meaning of.

Why I prefer films to plays:

I like the way movies can lead you and show you things by subtle shots of the camera - a hint of the time on the clock, or magazine cover on the bed, a picture on the fireplace that shouldn't be there....you can notice something is wrong and try to work it out. Watching a movie, things seem so normal, I might not notice a clock striking three on a movie...because it looks and sounds like the real world. Later on when they reveal he couldn't possibly have killed her at 3pm I will go "ahhh yes that's right!" but on stage it's all so false, if the clock chimes, you KNOW you are meant to notice it. It's just not subtle.

In a heart beat you can go to New York and then to Tokyo to see how events come together later in London (or whatever), they can cut conversation together so two sets of people can be speaking but they can make a parallel between them by showing each face as they speak - you know just who you should be watching or listening to. They can show you things that are not said out loud, so you have private insight into their private lives...(for example the father/daughter & mother/son may be talking but the question will be asked by the daughter but answered by the son.

You can switch quickly to different scenes that wouldn't be worth it on stage, a shot in a movie of someone running, you might only see a hand with blood on, this is kinda difficult to recreate on stage, or a conversation in passing that contains maybe a dozen or less words...."You did it didn't you" "....I don't know what you mean" (she slams the door) unexplained at the time, but will be essential when she turns up dead and he is a suspect....

Bottom line, I suppose, film is so much more advanced and sophisticated then theater. I'd rather see the movie. I like how movies are made and I like the way I am sometimes guided right through to the end and just have to watch (A Few Good Men) and sometimes thrown in and have to make of it what I will (Eternal Sunshine), and that at other times I totally can't see it coming until it does (Primal Fear).

Why I prefer to stay home to watch the film then go to the cinema or theater:

I like to be able to pause it, and walk about, make a drink, fart, talk to Big D if I want. If I miss something I can go back and see it again, if I want to see a bit again for any other reason I can rewind.

This is the same for TV now, live TV with pause and rewind is what people want, we want to be in control of what we are doing. The days of the TV or movie chugging along without our interaction are gone, no one wants to be a prisoner for 90 minutes, rooted to a seat they can't relax in. This is our precious leisure time, we want to spend it how we want.

I can see it as a special event - I liked seeing Schindler's List on the big screen, it was powerful, and I like taking my then four year old to see Shrek The Third. He also went to the theater with his school last November, but he wasn't very impressed, it's just to old fashioned for modern kids.

I have been to plays and seen them and enjoyed them, but they are not my choice of viewing medium, and besides, the movie or theater are outrageously expensive. If you don't have a car or cinema/theater in your town, you have to factor in public transport for all of you too. It's prohibitively expensive for a family when you could spend a few bucks/pounds on a rental and watch it when you are ready - plus if you have small children, you can't go to see a grown-up film/play and take the kids.

Movies are made on location, indoor or out; a play is on a stage. How do you think one of the Jason Bourne movies would translate into a stage play?

at you local Multi plex you can choice from a dozen different movies a week vs a playhouse that might two or three shows a year.

I'd say cost but its a real shame!