There are a lot of different things about Korean movie theaters that make the experience a lot better. The only down side is the selection isn't the same as back home: the major blockbusters usually make there way over, as do Oscar Nominated films. Certain films will not be coming here like This is the End, We're the Miller's, and any B or below movie about American History. Right now the big films from North America are Elysium and Now You See Me with Riddick and Adore (which is called Two Mothers here) on the way.
The five films I've managed to see while here were Silver Linings, Man of Steel, An Unexpected Journey, Life of Pi, and Now You See Me. In total I've spent less than $60 at the movies including snacks! Tickets are usually $7 or $9 but snacks are not as enormous but you're not paying $10 for a bag of popcorn either. My friend and I usually go dutch on the couple-package which is two medium bags of popcorn (flavored popcorn costs the same) and drinks for 10,000 won. If I've eaten a big meal before I go for a bottle of water from a convenience store because they are built into some of the theaters.
Back home there's always the dreaded feeling after getting your tickets then walking into the theater room itself to see a mass of people sitting gobbling, talking on their phones, and someone shushing their baby in the pitch black not knowing where to sit. Korea has solved this problem by giving you assigned seating. Oddly enough at basketball and soccer games there is no assigned seating and tickets are cheaper than a ticket to the movies. Also I find the sound isn't as overwhelming, but after a year hearing twenty-seven chairs sliding along the floor simultaneously I might be used to loudness of theaters.
It's a different kind of experience in Korea but at the heart you still want to watch a magical story unfold in front of you on a screen at least 5 times the sizes of your TV.
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