There's something magical about seeing a movie in a theater. Once the lights dim, the movie-goers stop talking and cast their eyes upon the giant screen. Then a stream of light hits the screens surface, and everyone in the theater is transported to another world.

The audience watches intensely. They pass up bathroom breaks, cut the chit-chat and make sure their phones are off. Nobody wants to miss one second of the movie. The Dolby Digital surround sound may make it feel like some of the conversations or sound effects are happening in the theater. Sometimes I even look around; just to be sure it was the movie, not someone or something behind me. Then, after two hours of facing the screen in the dark, I and the audience - exhausted and exhilarated - walk back out into the lobby and real life, still talking about the movie or reliving the exciting scenes in their heads, well after the magic is over.

Seeing a movie at home can be exciting, as well. Technology has made it possible for you to see a movie in HD while blasting surround sound from the home theater system. Except, everyday life doesn't stop for the two hours it takes to see a movie on DVD. The phone, the door and your family are strong enough to pull you away from the screen.

There's no comparison between watching a movie at the theater and watching it at home. One is an experience while the other can be more like a chore. The movie theater experience allows you to escape the burden of life for a few hours. How do movie theaters create the magic? It starts with the screen- all seats are faced toward it. Then, the sound- hidden behind the screen are speakers
as tall as you are relating the musical and spoken messages clearly with feeling, that you can feel. Finally, the darkness- it's needed to project the image onto the screen, but it also serves another purpose; it blots out the "world" around the movie-goer (including other movie-goers) and forces them to see the only light in the place: the one projected on the screen.

Many times, going to the movies is a social event. Possibly, it's your first date, or your child's birthday. Sometimes, it's the anticipated opening of a major movie or sequel to a popular series. Either way, it gets people leaving the house to go somewhere. This is a gathering place. People usually don't go to see movies alone. They want to share the experience, so they'll take a friend, relative or a date. We know it's working when the audience buys into it. If the movie is good, you'll laugh at the appropriate times or cheer loudly when something spectacular happens. At the end of many films, audiences clap as a reaction to something they feel good about.

Movies are magic. A good film will transport you to another place, time or setting. And it is there you live the life of the characters, vicariously. Theaters help transport you to that place. They're designed to do that. At home, you can look around and realize you're still at home; at the movie theater, you are somewhere else beyond the theater, beyond reality.

We hope to see you at Reel Mountain soon, to send you off on a quick escape to an exciting place.