[imagesource: Slayman Cinema]

I was never really a fan of public movie theatres before the lockdown, but I liked having the option of going to one.

Once I was there, I was reminded that screaming children and overpriced movie tickets aren’t really my thing before heading home.

I’m lucky enough to have a decent-sized TV and a comfortable couch, so the movie watching abounds in my apartment as we head into however many days are left before we can enter the world again.

Then there are the rich and famous – those of expendable wealth – who won’t lower themselves to the couchbound watching habits of the peasants.

Forbes looked into the rising trend of home movie theatres, which are exactly like public movie theatres only much better and sans the public.

Making the quarantine a little bit less painful, a coveted group of Hollywood insiders are enjoying the ultra-exclusive Bel Air Circuit, a private movie distribution service offered to the wealthy.

It was created to allow movie moguls the opportunity to screen the newest blockbusters in their private home screening rooms.

The private screening rooms have become so popular that the average rich person expects to find one in any property that he or she buys.

Jade Mills is one of Hollywood’s most famous luxury estate realtors, and she [says that], “Homes over $10 million are where you normally find a great screening room.

Lately buyers are looking for theaters that are comfortable. One of my listings is on a lower level with a gym, bar, and wine cellar attached to the screening room. Families are looking for spaces where they can spend time together, and I think that this whole pandemic has made us more conscious of really not spending a lot of time with our family.”

If you’re looking for the ultimate home entertainment system, Slayman Cinema seems to be the place to go.

Private cinema designer Lisa Slayman of Laguna Beach, California based Slayman Cinema creates stunning and often outrageous theaters in unique, high-performing entertainment environments for private residences.

She explains the popularity of the desire for screening rooms at home, “Historically, a home theater was designed as a room dedicated to one thing and one thing only: watching movies. What’s become increasingly common are home theaters that facilitate other forms of recreation.

“For many families, a multipurpose entertainment area makes a lot of sense. They may not have the free space or the funds to allocate a large chunk of their homes to movie viewing, so designing the room to accommodate other activities—watching sporting events, playing video games, listening to music, practicing yoga, you name it—offers more bang for their buck. Rather than outfit the space with stadium-style seating, for example, it’s become more important to provide large, open floor space for exercising and interactive gaming.”

I’m pretty sure that if you can afford a movie theatre you aren’t in the bargain-hunting business, so the idea of getting ‘more bang for your buck’ is a little strange in this context.

Trends include moving away from the classic movie theatre layout for a more “loungy” feel. Although clearly some still want to keep it classic.

This gem-encrusted velvet nightmare, for example:

You clearly can’t buy taste.

The above comes complete with a popcorn stocked, vending machine enhanced entranceway for that authentic movie-going feeling.

The rest of us will just have to slum it in our living rooms.

It’s no private movie theatre, but it’s not that bad.

[source:forbes]