Friday, November 15, 2013

Changing times

When there were only a handful of channels on television and none of them showed the latest productions, cinemas were enormously popular. For a blockbuster film, the queues would stretch out along the pavement. At the weekends, cinemas would be full even in small towns.

Then came the advent of VHS which meant you could rent a film for less than the price of cinema tickets. Following that, was satellite TV with its multiple film channels and films released on DVD and Blu-ray.  Cinemas reacted by dividing up into smaller units, the so called multiplexes, giving viewers a wider choice of films to watch. There is still something about watching a film on a big screen that appeals to some.

There is a multiplex in Orihuela at the Ociopía mall but that is going to close. Rising prices and fewer clients have spelt its death. There has been a backlash on social media sites and even a protest at the centre but I fear that neither will save the cinemas in Orihuela. Let’s face it, Ociopía struggles even as a commercial centre with many of the retail units closed.

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