All my life I've loved the movies, a passion I share with my papa. The first theater experience I can remember was seeing Alien in 1979. Nevermind that the film would have been inappropriate for me at age nine. Papa wanted to see it and I was with him that weekend, so off we went. During the Summer I spent a lot of time with my great-grandma. On Saturday afternoons she would give me "show fare" and bribe my brother to walk me down to the Liberty Theater. It was the 1980's in Washington State and the price of a matinee ticket was $2.50.

People aren't going to the movies like they once did. I predict one day, in the not so distant future, exhibitors will be forced to reduce their outlets.  The large cineplexes will disappear from suburbia entirely and we will travel to the larger cities for our occasional cinema fix.

On what do I base my dire predictions? Why anecdotal evidence, of course. If an avid cinephile like me is barely going to the movies anymore, the theater industry's got a real problem. I can't remember the last time I went when there wasn't room to park my purse in the seat next to me. I just polled a sample of 30 teenagers, an art class no less, and only a handful said they go to the movies regularly. More people are staying home, and why not? With sky high prices on tickets and concessions, either you can't afford to go, or you can but it's not worth it.

So what's so great about home screening? Lets look at the three Cs.

 1. Cost--Netflix instant streaming is only $8.99/mo. If you want newer titles, you can opt to send DVD's back and fourth and pay twice that, but still less than one trip to the movies with refreshments. Amazon on demand services will only run you $3.99 for most titles. Then there are the movie channels on cable. Wait long enough and you can get maximum value for your high ass cable bill. Oh, and we mustn't forget the movies that millions are streaming for free on file sharing sites. You can also rent a popular title from the ubiquitous RedBox vending machines for a buck a day, but beware. I once paid $30 for a video because I forgot to bring it back for a whole month. At that point they let you keep it. This is not recommended.

A trip to the theater will cost between $8.50 and $12 depending on time and location. And you better smuggle in your own snacks because a popcorn and drink combo will set you back another $10.

2. Convenience--The latest video releases at the click of a button. No babysitters and no time spent driving back and fourth. This is particularly advantageous during inclement weather snaps. If you're not hooked into Netflix or cable, grab a video from the RedBox as you exit your local grocer.

 3. Comfort--Pop the corn in the microwave, poor the wine, (if you're well rested and feeling frisky), or Coke Zero, (if you feel a nod coming on). Slip into your cozy lounge gear and cuddle up with your honey...or your cat, or dog, or pet turtle. Either way you're going to be much more comfortable than you would be in a freezing cold theater trying to balance a greasy popcorn bag between your knees. Oh, and if you need a potty break after consuming your beverage of choice, never fear. Just hit the pause button, enjoy your hopefully clean, private bathroom and resume at will.

To be fair I should say there are still some theater advantages you cannot duplicate at home. I think most of us diehards would agree; the big screen experience still offers some added value. Whether it's enough to justify the exorbitant cost is another question, but the experience will almost certainly be more dramatic. Also, if you're among the domesticated set sometimes just getting out of the house is an end in itself. You can't beat the movies for a last-minute date night option.

 Each time I go to my neighborhood theater, on increasingly rare occasions, I wonder when they will get a clue about pricing. You should see the parking lot at this place. It's enormous. So big in fact that since it happens to be across the street from my daughter's Tae Kwon Do studio, I often use it as a jogging track. No worries about traffic as so few cars are moving about. The only section of the lot that gets any action is the size of a postage stamp.

Clearly they're not packing them in the way they expected when they built that massive parking area. If they want butts in seats they need to start thinking dollars and sense. After all, aren't we living in a Wal-Mart world? They must have read my thoughts. Just this week I noticed my theater is now offering $6 Tuesdays (all day), and $6 for every show before 2:00 seven days a week. Finally, they've read the writing on the wall. If they throw in a few concession deals I might make a weekly habit of it, and they might stay in business just a little longer.

I will miss the theaters when they go. I miss the book stores too, but time marches on.