One integral aspect of most church services, whether it’s referred to as a rite or a sacrament or whatever, is the Eucharist, aka communion, aka probably other things. Like experiencing or witnessing something in a common presence as movies and church are both designed to incorporate, the act of consuming food in the presence of other people serves to solidify that human bond. And so, movies have adopted popcorn as their body of Christ, if you will, bearing the distinct advantage of accommodating constant munching without removing one’s eyes from the screen.
Furthermore, there’s a popular element to church that takes place outside the actual sanctuary setting: Sunday brunch. There’s something about this collective experience that folks want to extend it beyond the service and outside the church’s physical walls, prolonging their fellowship at a favorite restaurant. That’s not unlike the popular combination of “dinner and a movie” that has been a staple of film attendance for as long as many of us can remember.
Continue reading on the next page…