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Americans have enjoyed motion pictures for more than a century. Movies have gone from a novelty to entertainment to an art form. They helped us forget our troubles throughout the Great Depression and our fears over the war years that followed. And, to this day, people can leave the real world outside while concentrating on what's happening on the screen. The question is where do motion pictures fit in today's lifestyles?

A recent Rasmussen poll shows that 55% of Americans rarely or never go to the films. This is true for almost all all age groups except for those 40 to 49 where the number drops to 48%. Among those 65+ the negative response jumps to 63%.

Occasional movie attendance, meaning less than once a month, is 34% for the total sample. Those 40 to 49 are highest with 42% and New Seniors are lowest at 28%. Regular theater goers, once a month or more, Full Write-up represent just 10% of all respondents.

So who is watching movies and where? About 44% of people are viewing movies at home once every week or more. Another 41% are doing this very often, and only 14% say they rarely or never watch movies within their homes. The 30 to 39 age range is most likely to do this (57%). Those 65+ are least likely (34%).

Excluding folks who rarely or never watch movies at home, 59% say they watch it on a premium cable channel or regular network TV. The number is lower for the youngest age groups, 18 to 29 (35%), and increases with age, 65+ (65%). However, 35% of the total rent movies for home viewing. Nearly half (47%) of the youngest demographic do this, while only 16% of New Seniors are renting movies.

What people watch also varies significantly by age. Comedies are twice as popular as some other film genre, with 37% of respondents preferring them compared to 19% for dramas. With those 18 to 29 this sort of movie was selected by 42% while among New Seniors the category was only 29%. However, the older group selected dramas first with 30%, and with the younger audiences it was on 8%

Action films ranked third overall at 15%. As may very well be expected it was highest with the young crowd at 20%, two times that of the older demographic. Science fiction was fourth with 10%, but 22% of the 30 to 39 group selected it. Musicals barely made the list; alternatively, 13% of New Seniors chose them.

The report did not ask about watching movies online, on an iPad or possibly a phone. But it is safe to assume that this really is a younger audience. The most critical thing is there are cost effective ways to enjoy movies. But it's nice to go to the theater, buy some fresh popcorn as well as a soft drink then sit-back as the lights dim and the curtains open to reveal characters that are literally and figuratively bigger than life. That's the way to lose oneself in what's playing on the screen. That's what the movies are about.