Does God want movie theaters to survive?

[Michie]

A meditation on the 2024 Memorial Day box-office disaster and the future of movies in American mass culture​

This is the question that I have been thinking about ever since Memorial Day: What role do movie theaters play in God’s glorious and fallen creation?

Yes, that’s a strange question. Let me explain.

Back in my professor days when I taught Introduction to Mass Communication 101, I explained the whole “technology shapes culture” equation (again, think “the medium is the message”) by asking a series of questions that went something like this.

Is reading the epic that is “The Lord of the Rings”by J.R.R. Tolkien the same thing as viewing the Peter Jackson movies (let’s say one at a time) in theaters? The question is whether the content of this classic, in the printed word, changed when it was adapted into a visual medium for theater screens.

The answer, obviously, is “Yes” — even with talented screenwriters and a director who sincerely wanted to honor the author’s vision of the story.

Let’s keep going. Is seeing the LOTR films in a packed theater, on a big screen, the same thing as watching the movies on your couch at home on a television screen? I would say, “No.” Let’s push this equation even further: What about watching LOTR on your smartphone? Would that change the content again?

On one level, the movies would be the same. But what about the reality of the experience? What about the impact of the story on the viewer, in terms of the images (large and small) and the sound track? (If you are reading this post on a smartphone, CLICK HERE and think about that.)

What about the summer classic that is “Jaws”?

Continued below.

Does God want movie theaters to survive?

A meditation on the 2024 Memorial Day box-office disaster and the future of movies in American mass culture

tmattingly.substack.com

 

[AlexB23]

A meditation on the 2024 Memorial Day box-office disaster and the future of movies in American mass culture​

This is the question that I have been thinking about ever since Memorial Day: What role do movie theaters play in God’s glorious and fallen creation?

Yes, that’s a strange question. Let me explain.

Back in my professor days when I taught Introduction to Mass Communication 101, I explained the whole “technology shapes culture” equation (again, think “the medium is the message”) by asking a series of questions that went something like this.

Is reading the epic that is “The Lord of the Rings”by J.R.R. Tolkien the same thing as viewing the Peter Jackson movies (let’s say one at a time) in theaters? The question is whether the content of this classic, in the printed word, changed when it was adapted into a visual medium for theater screens.

The answer, obviously, is “Yes” — even with talented screenwriters and a director who sincerely wanted to honor the author’s vision of the story.

Let’s keep going. Is seeing the LOTR films in a packed theater, on a big screen, the same thing as watching the movies on your couch at home on a television screen? I would say, “No.” Let’s push this equation even further: What about watching LOTR on your smartphone? Would that change the content again?

On one level, the movies would be the same. But what about the reality of the experience? What about the impact of the story on the viewer, in terms of the images (large and small) and the sound track? (If you are reading this post on a smartphone, CLICK HERE and think about that.)

What about the summer classic that is “Jaws”?

Continued below.

Does God want movie theaters to survive?

A meditation on the 2024 Memorial Day box-office disaster and the future of movies in American mass culture

tmattingly.substack.com

The Bible said nothing for or against about movie theaters, so God is okay with the facilities. Just use discernment to choose the right movies.

So, what do you call a movie theater that promotes sex, drugs and lust?: A SINema.

I do not typically use this website, but it has useful info on discernment:

Should a Christian go to movies? Is watching a movie a sin? | GotQuestions.org

Should a Christian go to movies / the cinema / watch Netflix? Is watching a movie a sin? Is it wrong to go to a movie?

www.gotquestions.org