If you asked anyone today the following question; "Movie vs book, which do you prefer?" The popular answer would be a movie if the demographic were 21 or under. Since movies are far and above a much sexier entertainment medium, most people would rather be entertained with a higher level experience that combines visual and audio effects to stimulate the senses.
There is no doubt that movies and film have penetrated deep into our society and culture. Movies can stimulate and influence attitudes and drive major behaviors across a mass audience. Whether blockbuster action films or love stories that tug at our heart strings, movies try to deliver a promise that the audience will be taken into another place and time where fantasy and reality are easily crossed.
The question then becomes, is a Movie really a better entertainment medium for those who have read the book? Most often than not, the customer would say "No, the book was better". This then begs the question, why are we biased toward a story that resides on plain white paper as better entertainment than any studio can muster on the big screen with mega budgets and high profile stars? The answer is imagination.
When reading a book, we are so engrossed into the story line that our mind's eye has crafted a picture and emotional response that is highly intense and real. With this in mind, a movie production would be hard pressed to match what we already have formed within our mental file cabinet.
So why don't more people read "a good book" on a lazy afternoon, rather than plunk down 10 bucks on a quick fix? The answer is time. Comparatively speaking, the amount of time an individual needs to escape into a good book is a much more significant commitment. With time being a major factor, we are naturally drawn into the marketing machine that influences our decision to make a minor time commitment of a couple of hours vs several days.
In conclusion, when asked "Movie vs Book, which is better?" the book will probably be the answer most given.
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Owen Roberts
