An Old-Fashioned but Romantic Date at MTV
Today was a rainy day, and the weather was suitable to see a movie. However, on weekend, the cinemas are always full of people, and we may not see old films in cinemas. Therefore, we decided to go to MTV, which is a popular dating place in the 80s.
What is MTV?
MTV, also known as Movie TV, is a place that allows people to watch films in an individual box. Unlike in the cinema, people have more freedom and flexibility since they don't have to be afraid of annoying others even if they talk or play with their friends while watching the films. Moreover, the diverse choices of films are also one of the features of MTV. People are no longer limited to the movies that have been released in recent months, instead, in MTVs, they can have more options to choose from, from Hollywood movies to Bollywood films, and from old movies to modern films. Hence, this novel form of entertainment has been a big hit among young people during the 80s. [1]
The Decline of MTV
You may wonder why nowadays, MTV is not as popular as it was in the 80s. The decreasing popularity of MTV is because of some social problems. As the saying goes: one coin has two sides. The freedom and flexibility of MTV sometimes would cause problems. For example, the personal and individual box that MTV offers can become a suitable place for people to conduct sexual behaviors or for the criminal to commit sexual assault. What's more, according to the article in 2009 [2], playing movies in MTVs aroused the controversy of intellectual property, and thus a relevant law was enacted in order to protect the intellectual property, which indirectly harmed the industry of MTV. In addition to the social problems, the decreasing popularity of MTV is also related to the invention of LD players after the 90s. As LD players have become popular, more and more people prefer to rent or buy DVDs and watch them at home. As a result, the number of MTVs has been decreasing since the 80s. To regain people's attention, some MTVs combine movie theaters with karaoke, which became a new form of entertainment. Now, we can still see some MTVs opening, and most of them are located in northern and central Taiwan.
The small box in U2 MTV
The corridor of U2 MTV
U2 MTV in New Taipei City
For our date today, we decided to go to U2 MTV in Sanchong district in New Taipei City. U2 MTV preserves most of the features of MTV, but it also changed its consumption pattern to make it more convenient for the customers.
When we step into U2, the first things that come into our sight are the various selections of movies, and we can decide what we want to see today. After we finishing selecting, we can go to the table aside and book a box on our own through the computer, or we can also ask the waiters for help. U2 offers several kinds of boxes, from the small one that can contain one to four people to the large one that can contain up to ten people, so you can choose the most suitable box depends on the situation at the moment. As you can see, the price of watching a film is quite cheap. On weekdays, it would cost NT$190 per person and NT$220 on weekends or holidays. Similar to the service in cinemas, we can order some snacks or drinks and carry them to our box. This is how the corridor in U2 looks like. Each box is adjacent to one another, but don't worry. The rooms are well designed and they are all soundproof, so you won't be bothered by others while watching films in your own box. Today, my friends and I had a good time seeing a movie at U2 MTV. Even though MTV is not that popular anymore, and the misuse of it may cause social problems, it is still a great place to go.
So, if you are tired of going to the same places when having an appointment with others as well, or you feel bored on a rainy day and don't know where to go, it is strongly recommended that you have an old-fashioned but romantic date in MTV.
U2 MTV (Sanchong Branch)
Address: No. 78, Sec. 2, Chongxin Rd., Sanchong Dist., New Taipei City
Opening Hours: 8:30-3:30
Written by
Joy Kuo