The Case For Bathroom Breaks

137 of the 193 movies in my collection are greater then 100 minutes (an hour 40) totaling 70% of all the movies I own. this same percentage seems to be about right for the main Hollywood film industry too (at the very least the big summer movies). So why don't movies have intermissions any more?
Many films in the 50s to the 70s had them, and live theater hasn't abandoned the practice; so why did they stop? The obvious answer would be to fit more screenings in one day, and thus increase profit. So lets talk business for a bit. How do movie theaters make most of their money? Its no secret that it's from the concession stand. Over-priced food and drink for audiences to mindlessly consume while engaged with whatever movie they paid to watch. Having an intermission should then increase profits right? How many times have you found yourself sucking on the left over ice from your drink halfway through the movie, but don't want to get up to get another one, because you don't want to miss parts of the movie? Giving audiences another go round the concession stand should easily improve profits garnered from the concessions, and improve overall customer satisfaction, and potentially enjoyment of the film.

Giving the audience time to void their bowels and bladder in the middle of a 2hr. movie can do wonders for concentration. Also this gives time for the audience to think about, discuss, and digest the ideas and concepts introduced in the first half of the movie which can make some movies (such as Inception) much clearer and easier to understand. Many live theatrical performances also have a tonal, and stylistic shift during the intermission an example that comes to mind: Into the Woods as it ties the separate narratives into one cohesive story. This also has somewhat transferred to movies not only in adaptations such as Into the Woods, but also in scripts written for film such as Rise of the Planet of the Apes as it transitions from being a comparatively lighthearted story of caring for a hyper intelligent ape to a story of bloody revolution.

Furthermore slow paced movies can just be hell to sit through with out an intermission. Most notable examples include all three Hobbit movies, and Metropolis. Long story short some of the longer form cinematic experiences could benefit from a good break as it could increase concession profits, and customer satisfaction.