The Magic Of Movies
When it’s time to relax, nothing beats a great movie. Both of us have fond memories of watching films from our earliest days, whether it was taking in a feature preceded by four cartoons at the Rivoli for only a dime (Marvin) or walking to the State Theater to watch Rocky (David). Give us a tub of buttered popcorn, a cold drink and a great film and we’re about as happy as we can be.
Movies have only been around since the late 1800s, born humbly as short, silent depictions of images in motion. Rudimentary color came around the turn of the 20th century followed by sound in the 1920s. Modern-day movies are huge endeavors, spectacles of vision and sound, with hundreds of people working on each project (have you ever sat through the entire list of credits for a movie?) and budgets that often exceed $100 million. The sequel to Avatar, released last year, is one of the most expensive movies ever made, with a budget estimated around $250 million. It’s made $2.3 billion at the global box office so far.
Technology has changed the way people enjoy movies, bringing the theater experience directly into our living rooms, man caves and outdoor patios. Today, thanks to exceptional home-theater equipment and high-speed streaming services, more and more people are watching at home, ourselves included. Exacerbating that trend was, of course, the pandemic, which drove U.S. box office receipts to a 40-year low in 2020. Ticket sales were down more than 80 percent in 2020 to $2 billion, as theater chains were forced to shut down due to Covid. They rebounded, climbing to more than $7 billion last year, but remain below pre-2020 levels. Why go back to the theater when the at-home experience is so thrilling? Plus, we have yet to find a theater where we can smoke a cigar.
When we set out to devote this issue to the movies, we wanted to cover all angles. You’ll find the story of Marvin’s Top 10 films on page 36—and we bet you’ll be surprised by some of the choices. Next, we turned to some of the most famous people in the world (many of them former covers from this magazine) to find out what they like to watch, a story you can read on page 48. We looked to longtime movie expert Marshall Fine to get his take on the changing view of top films from a critic’s perspective (page 67), and we also had him profile one of America’s most talented directors, John Landis (page 58).
But the most important part of this cover package is incomplete. If you turn to page 73, you will see the results of a targeted survey of Cigar Aficionado readers. Now, we want to hear from all of you. If you go to cigaraficionado.com/moviesurvey, you can tell us your favorite movie, and even file a Top 10 of your own if you so desire. You’ll see the results in the future.
So, check out the many favorites listed here, turn on a big screen TV, light a great cigar and watch one of your favorites. Hopefully you’ll discover some new favorites after reading this issue.