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Welcome to the forum from the BBC World Service.
I am Izzie Lawrence.
Today we look at the history of the buildings where so many dreams were born.
Well, home from the movies at last.
Looks like it, Aunt Maddie.
What, Dad?
Hello, son.
Well, daughter, how was the moving picture tonight?
Mmm, lovely.
Movie theatres or cinemas existed long before that original version of A Star is Born was screened in 1937.
They now come in all shapes and sizes from tiny independents to huge multiplexes.
But how relevant are cinemas now in an era of on-demand streaming where you can watch films just about anywhere at any time?
One answer comes from forum listener Gina from California who has formed a strong bond with her local movie theatre.
It's an historic cinema building that had previously fallen into disrepair but was then restored to its former glory and is now run by a small local company.
This theatre, the way it looks, the way it's inviting you in,
the way that the people who are in charge of it are actually thinking about the audience.
Who is going to go see these movies?
What do they actually want?
That's one of the main differences is that this thing is run by such a small company that they really understand us and they give us a lot of treats.