See Movie Option 2882
Americans have enjoyed motion pictures for more than a hundred years. Movies have gone from a novelty to entertainment to an art form. They helped us forget our troubles through the Great Depression and our fears over the war years that followed. And, to this day, people can leave the real life outside while concentrating on what is happening on the screen. The question is where do motion pictures fit in today's lifestyles?
A recent Rasmussen poll shows that 55% of Americans rarely or never go to the movies. This is true for the vast majority of all age groups except for anyone 40 to 49 where the number drops to 48%. Among those 65+ the negative response jumps to 63%.
Occasional movie attendance, that means less than once a month, is 34% for the total sample. Those 40 to 49 are highest with 42% and free new movie Seniors are lowest at 28%. Regular theater goers, once a month or more, represent just 10% of all respondents.
So who is watching movies and where? About 44% of the individuals are viewing movies at home once every week or more. Another 41% are doing this occasionally, and only 14% say they rarely or never watch movies within their homes. The 30 to 39 age range is most likely to do this (57%). Those 65+ are least likely (34%).
Excluding individuals that rarely or never watch movies at home, 59% say they watch it on a premium cable channel or regular network TV. The number is lower for the youngest age groups, 18 to 29 (35%), and increases with age, 65+ (65%). On the flip side, 35% of the total rent movies for home viewing. Nearly half (47%) of the youngest demographic do this, while only 16% of New Seniors are renting movies.
What people watch also varies significantly by age. Comedies are 2 times as popular as some other film genre, with 37% of respondents preferring them compared to 19% for dramas. With those 18 to 29 this kind of movie was selected by 42% while among New Seniors the category was only 29%. In contrast, the older group selected dramas first with 30%, and with the younger audiences it was on 8%
Action films ranked third overall at 15%. As could possibly be expected it was highest with the young crowd at 20%, 2 times that of the older demographic. Sci-fi was fourth with 10%, but 22% of the 30 to 39 group selected it. Musicals barely made the list; in contrast, 13% of New Seniors chose them.
The report did not ask about watching movies online, upon an iPad or perhaps a phone. But it's safe to assume that this is a younger audience. The most critical thing is you can find cost effective ways to enjoy movies. But it is nice to go to the theater, buy some fresh popcorn and also a soft drink then relax as the lights dim as well as the curtains open to reveal characters that are literally and figuratively bigger than life. That's the way to lose oneself in what's playing on the screen. That is just what the movies are about.
