Missing Those Big Dark Rooms

These are unusual times for us movie geeks.

It's possible the last few months represent the longest period of my adult life in which I haven't sat in a theater seat. Recall the last film you saw in a theater? Though I suspect most people would not, in this respect, I'm not like most people. In early March I was mesmerized watching The Invisible Man starring the always-reliable Elisabeth Moss, even if the ending felt a little too neat. Had I known that day what was coming a week or so later, I would have talked my wife and our two friends into seeing another film following our late lunch. A missed opportunity, for sure.

Watching films on TV can be an OK substitute. This is especially true when I know how pissed I'd be if I'd squandered $20+ on junk like The Lovebirds. But I miss those deafening Dolby sound systems, the cleansing sound of communal laughter and, maybe most of all, group gasping. How about you? What part of the movie experience are you missing?

In the meanwhile, my recommendation for best recent sleeper is Leave No Trace. For my money, this is a film that works as well on the small screen as it likely would on a large screen in one of those big dark rooms filled with strangers.