When Kill Bill first came out, I read a bad review of it. I still held a grudge against Quentin Tarantino over a crappy thing he did to me back in 1994, and that bad review gave me an excuse not to see Kill Bill. Over time, as his movies improved and improved by leaps and bounds, my antipathy faded. This year, I decided to give Kill Bill, with all its three-plus hours, a chance.

However, Kill Bill is truly a theatrical experience, best enjoyed on a huge screen in a grand theater. Fortunately, with my VR headset, I found an app called BigScreen, where I can sit in a gigantic virtual theater and watch Kill Bill on a big screen. It was magnificent. I am quite sure that this violent, visually stunning revenge drama would not have been nearly as effective on my TV screen or, certainly, on a computer or iPad screen. 

When BigScreen in VR first launched, one could buy tickets to screenings of films, often in 3D, and watch them in a VR movie theater with an audience. The virtual world even included a beautiful movie theater lobby, where moviegoers could gather before the movie, and to talk about the movie afterwards. They eliminated that feature, which is a shame, because this element was ahead of its time. VR has the potential to revolutionize the art of moviegoing by drawing from the past to envision the future.

For those who don’t own a VR headset, it’s hard to grasp what it’s like. Watching a movie on a big screen in VR is almost identical to watching it in a real movie theater. The same lush ambiance, the same gigantic picture, the same stereo sound. Some of us like to sit in the front row; some prefer the back row. In VR, you can choose just like life.

Interestingly, many of us with vision problems report that images in VR are clearer and sharper. While Meta has not commented on this, at least one doctor speculates that a VR image goes straight into the center of your eye-lens, without the distortion at the edges that we experience in real life. While VR creates the illusion of seeing objects at a distance, everything is, in fact, flat up against your eyes, which cuts out distortion. It also cuts down on the number of floaters interfering with your vision, since a smaller part of your eye is involved. So, for many of us, a VR moviegoing experience can be even better than visiting a neighborhood theater, because the image is so much crisper and clearder. Plus, BigScreen can create a giant and lavish theater without the overhead costs of real estate.

Imagine how this technology could be harnessed by someone with the foresight and imagination to pursue its full potential. Streaming films could debut in VR movie theaters with a full audience a week or two before their Roku premieres. Local retrospective theaters, like New York’s Film Forum, could offer their unique screenings to a global audience. For example, if you live in New York, you could watch Seven Samurai tonight on a big screen, with an audience. With a bit of entrepreneurial vision, cinephiles worldwide could join New York audiences to watch films that truly deserve the big screen experience.

But that’s not all.

For years, many lost or partially lost films have existed only in film stills and intertitles, and restorations often rely on these elements interspersed with actual footage. For instance, Greed was originally filmed in an eight-hour version, which the studio cut down to a much shorter length. The restored version includes 99 minutes of film stills and intertitles to replace the lost footage.

Today, AI can restore these film stills to their original motion, giving us the opportunity to watch something close, or at least as close as possible, to the original director’s vision. Today, AI can restore these film stills to their original motion, giving us the opportunity to watch something close, or at least as close as possible, to the original director’s vision. Using advanced algorithms, AI can analyze static film stills and generate the missing frames to recreate the motion of the original scenes. This process involves interpolating movement, filling in gaps, and bringing static images to life in a seamless and fluid manner. For instance, in the case of the lost reels from Greed (or a lesser-known partly-lost classic like The Magnificent Bardelys), AI can reanimate the stills, allowing us to experience the full narrative and emotional depth intended by the director. By leveraging this technology, we can resurrect long-lost cinematic moments, offering a richer, more authentic viewing experience that honors and preserves the original artistic vision.

Imagine something more, a world where VR and AI combine to create a moviegoing experience that is truly immersive. Picture watching a classic film like Casablanca, but with the added ability to walk through the streets of 1940s Casablanca, exploring the world in in real-time, and even letting you discover scenes not included in the original film. This level of immersion can turn any film into a personalized adventure, making each viewing unique and magical.

Moreover, VR and AI can revolutionize how we experience film premieres and festivals. Imagine attending the Cannes Film Festival from your living room, donning a VR headset and walking the red carpet alongside celebrities. AI-driven avatars of the stars could greet you, and you could join virtual Q&A sessions with directors and actors after screenings. This technology can democratize access to exclusive events, allowing cinephiles from around the globe to partake in the glamour and excitement of movie premieres and festivals, creating a shared yet individualized experience that transcends geographical boundaries.

This convergence of VR and AI holds the promise of transforming the moviegoing experience. VR can bring the grandeur of classic and contemporary films to audiences worldwide, making every home a potential movie palace. Meanwhile, AI can resurrect and restore lost cinematic treasures, allowing us to experience them as they were meant to be seen. The future of cinema is not just in the hands of filmmakers but also in the hands of technologists who can unlock new dimensions of storytelling and viewing pleasure.

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This article is written by Steven S. Drachman, a novelist. Image from Stargards.