Church does not equal cinema

I've written in the past that I think watching and discussing movies works fantastically well in a small group setting.
I've also written about the danger of watching clips in a setting where you cannot be sure who will be attending.

The more I think about the idea of watching an entire movie during church the less I'm a fan.

Now, I should put in a disclaimer that I am a MASSIVE fan of showing clips and using media in church. They engage people really well and can convey powerful messages.

But, my issue is with the viewing of an entire film.

Why? The length of time required.

If a film goes for 90 minutes then that will most likely gobble up your entire service. I don't think this is the best use of "church time."

If the aim is to chat about what has been seen then I fear the church service time frame doesn't allow for useful, in-depth discussion (at least without the service going near three hours!).

I wonder what price the "feature presentation" has on the church service.

If, like many churches, the aim is to get people in-and-out in under 90 minutes then some things must be cut. An example? prayer and singing. I don't think these are expendable for the sake of a scantly discussed movie.

And this is the core of my issue. If church is to assist people to meet with God and to build community then I'm not convinced that staring at a screen for +80% of your time together does this in the most effective manner.

If you want to watch a short film, then go crazy, but perhaps we need to examine if the majority of the weekly church service should be used to watch a feature film.