NEW YORK, NY — A groundbreaking study released today indicates that a small but growing segment of New York City families are actively seeking out 'traditional movie theaters,' a phenomenon previously thought to be relegated to historical documentaries and suburban folklore. Researchers at the Institute for Obsolete Leisure Activities (IOLA) confirmed that these intrepid groups are willingly enduring shared air, fixed showtimes, and the physical presence of strangers for the sake of watching films.

“It’s truly remarkable,” stated Dr. Evelyn Park, lead anthropologist for the study. “We observed subjects purchasing overpriced snacks, sitting in uncomfortable chairs that didn’t recline, and even waiting in lines. The sheer audacity of it all is baffling, especially when one considers the vast array of on-demand content available from the comfort of one’s own sofa.”

The report highlights that the primary draw appears to be a concept known as 'the big screen,' a large, immovable display that requires collective attention. One parent, who wished to remain anonymous to avoid social ostracization, admitted, “My kids actually sat still for two hours. No pausing for snacks, no asking what else was on. It was… unsettlingly effective.”

Experts are now scrambling to understand the implications of this resurgence, with some theorizing it may be a desperate attempt by parents to temporarily escape their children, or perhaps a performance art piece about the decline of personal space. Regardless, the discovery has sent shockwaves through the tech industry, which had largely assumed humanity was content to stream content directly into their eyeballs until the heat death of the universe.