I’ve always been a fan of movies. And not just watching them, but also analyzing them: who the director was, why they shot a scene a certain way, who produced it, the making of the film, who starred in it and why, the ratings, reviews and more.

To me, the beauty of movies is to escape our everyday life and transport us into a new reality. From this experience, the celebration of these masterpieces is the Oscars.

But more and more people today are not going to theatres to see movies. Nationwide attendance at movie theatres has been declining for years, and is at a 20-year low.

Maybe it is because it is easier to rent movies, purchase DVDs, or just log into Netflix and Hulu to watch films? Or maybe today’s rising ticket prices or the quality of movies are the main factors why audiences have turned away from movie screens to their laptop screens?

Perhaps more focus should be put on a movie’s story line rather than just expecting that pouring more and more money into a project will make it successful. As can be seen from this year’s Academy Awards, the independent, low-budget Moonlight was named the best picture of the year, beating out the other films that cost way more to produce. Maybe this is a lesson that the bigger film companies should learn.

To me, actually going to the theatre is part of the movie-watching experience.

When I was in high school, going to the movies was the best time. In my hometown of Weston, FL, we had a movie theater, and every Friday my friends and I would dress to impress since we would see our classmates. But once we were seated, my attention was always toward the 100-foot screen. It was a time when I could forget my week and enjoy this movie.

That love of movies still resonates with me.

The magic of movies will always be there for me. I still attend premieres and midnight showings, but do “save for later” movies on Netflix, Hulu, HBO and Showtime. I wish I could go to drive-in theaters!

This appreciation of movies shown at the theatre will never go away because I was raised on the expectation that when the opening credits start rolling, the next 120 minutes will take me away into another world.

Amanda Osorio is a UCF junior majoring in humanities and cultural studies. She can be reached at amandaosorio08@yahoo.com.