A Year at the Movies

[mlcorcoran]

Kevin Murphy's passion about the movie-going experience inspired me when I read this book. In 2005 my brother and our friends conducted a smaller-scale movie experiment of our own.

The movie was Batman Begins and we saw it no less than 5 times, every time in a different theater, in big multiplexes and small-town community theaters, an old school drive-in, and a home theater. It was interesting to take in the way the experience changes based on what the theater is like, the quality of the sound, the quality of the screen and projector, whether you're seeing a matinee or a night screening, how each audience reacts to certain things (families with kids vs. college students vs. adults), etc.

I love going to the movies, and after I read A Year at the Movies I realized this simple past time has so much depth to it and it can change and be influenced by culture, history, and creativity in ways that have nothing to do with the movie itself.

[Junkyard]

I was amazed while reading it what a different persective Murphy had on movies. I've never actually been to a "single show at a time" theater, though I want to go to one nearby when a good show comes in.

[Johnny Unusual]

I like Kevin Murphy as a riffer but I LOVE him as a critic. This is a great book and I'd love to see more book and/or articles by him on movies and the movie-going experience.

[mrbasehart]

Yeah, the book's a really great read.  I especially like the part where he tries to have thanksgiving dinner at the cinema. 

[Rude]

...

The book is very fun to read. And, surprisingly, it has very little to do with whatever movie is actually being shown on any given occasion. It's about the experience, ya' know? And the one that sticks out in my mind is when he attended some outdoor festival that projected the film on a white sheet that had been strung up. I couldn't tell you about the movie itself, but i remember the story.

And now that Mike has turned him on to some good beer. I'm waiting for A Year At The Barstool. Maybe i'll have to mention it to him at the next live show!~

-Rude

[SmilinJackRoss]

I'm waiting for A Year At The Barstool.

Of course, he'd have to follow that with "A Year At Rehab".

[doggans]

Kevin's book is indeed phenomenal. Even when I didn't quite agree with all of his views (for instance, I happen to love both Universal Studios' T2:3D and the BTTF ride, and was very sad when the latter got closed), his writing makes it impossible not to respect his opinion, or at least be entertained by it.