Before VHS and running movies on television, how likely was someone to be able to watch a movie out of theaters? Was the 'shared experience of film' different then?

by Kesh-Bap

Example: A part of a '90's kid' childhood (at least in America) is watching Disney movies on VHS and sharing that experience with millions of other kids. Without such ease of access, did people then share a similar cultural experience when say The African Queen came out? Did someone just have to buy a film reel and show it with a projector to have any chance of seeing something out of theaters?

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Also as a side note: What was film piracy like before VHS? Did people set up cameras in theaters to bootleg movies?

N0rrinRadd

Also as a side note: What was film piracy like before VHS? Did people set up cameras in theaters to bootleg movies?

I remember seeing VHS copies of movies that were still in the theater at swapmeets in the 80's and 90's. Most of them were some dude with a handycam sitting way too close to the screen in the theater, and you got the sound of the crowd in there too. I thought was pretty hilarious and low budget but I guess they sold pretty well.