Film consumption in the 21st century: engaging with non-theatrical viewing

Abstract

Film consumption has changed dramatically in recent decades. The rise of the multiplex has reconfigured the public experience of cinema. At the same time, movie viewing has grown exponentially in domestic and mobile spheres, driven by increasingly flexible access to content and the diversity of screens this material can now be delivered to. While the history of movie watching in theatres has been relatively well traversed, the more recent and highly popular practice of viewing outside cinemas remains significantly under theorised. This article takes up the issue of this critical neglect. It suggests that the practice of watching movies needs to be conceptualised in more integrated manner and that theories successfully applied to understanding digital, Internet and mobile media may be considered equally relevant to film.