Overview
A movie theater, also called a cinema, cinema hall, picture house, movie house, or simply theater, is a building with seating for an audience and a screen to show movies.
Functions and Features
Employees who work in the front of the theatre sell tickets, food, and help patrons. The smallest movie theaters have a single viewing room with a single screen, whereas the largest complexes, known as multiplexes, may have up to 30 screens. Most movie theaters today are multiplexes that show first-run films with stadium-style seating for improved visibility.
Movie theaters provide concessions like soft drinks, popcorn, candy, and sometimes hot fast food. The audience sits on padded seats that are sloped so that the highest part is at the rear, allowing everyone to see the screen without obstruction. Films are projected onto the screens from a projection booth that houses the projectors.
Language Variations
The terminology for movie theaters differs slightly between British and American English. In British English, theatre is used only for live plays and musicals, while American English uses theater for venues that show movies as well. Canadians use both spellings, referring to them as movie theatres.