In my latest book “Let Nothing Go To Waste”, I share some reflections and fun memories when I was a regular cinema goer in the chapter “At The Movies”.

Let me summarize briefly. I’m not a fan of the theater anymore. You cannot press pause on the film. If you get up for food or to the washroom, you may miss a key point in the movie. That happened often to me. It was as if my bladder deliberately planned for me to miss the best parts.

Maybe it’s my status as an introvert, or maybe it is a product of age, but the cinema now feels like going out with complete strangers in a very large uncomfortable living room. Still, I attend a cinema once or twice per year because my spouse loves going to see a show and I love any and all time we spend together.

Streaming services have more than filled the void for people tired of regular television and the theater. Every few months I hear of another service that comes up. In passing conversations, there are discussions of people dropping Netflix or Disney in favour of something else, and vice versa.

Few of those people are returning to see things on the big screen. It is a new reality for many.

The week I write this, Sobeys announced they were ending their affiliation with Air Miles and replacing it with the Scotiabank and Cineplex Scene Points . Scene points are redeemable at Cineplex movie theaters. For younger readers, Sobeys’ parent corporation Empire was at one time in the movie business before selling those interests to Cineplex and Landmark Cinemas. I spoke to a cashier at a Sobeys store locally who said she found out about this through social media and not at the store level. Customers are already lining up to complain about this program.

Rightfully so. I believe it is a mistake in the making.

Few if any are going to the theaters anymore. People would rather travel if given the option.

@WriterDann