Discussion Groups / English Usage / April 2007

It's idiomatic, for American English at least. "In theaters now" is
widely used as a tag line in movie advertisements, for example.

--

Ahmet Toprak asks about:

I think either "in" or "at" works here.  However, "is playing"
is wrong.  "Since" requires a perfect tense: "has been playing".

When a particular theater is named, it should be "at", and normally a
definite article is used with the name: "at the Park Bio Movie Theater".

Hello All:

In the following article for our radio program's news, "in theaters"
did not quite feel right. However, when I did a Google search I found
both being used.

Any comments?

(I placed ">>>" and "<<<" before and after the "in"s )

Thanks,

Ahmet Toprak
http://www.TurkRadio.us

In addition, Nuri Bilge Ceylan's movie titled
"Seasons," which won the FIPRESCI - International Federation of Film
Critics, is playing >>>in<<<  theaters across Portugal since April
12.

* [...]  During the screenings that will be held >>>in<<< Park Bio
Movie Theater [...]

One of the uses of "at" is to show that a [whatever] is being used for the
purpose for which was made.  Compare:
-- "Fred is sitting by his desk",
-- "Fred is sitting at his desk".
Only the "at" example implies that Fred is working (using the desk for that
for which it was made).

One of the uses of "in" is to show that a "whatever" is smaller than another
"whatever", and is positioned within it.  That includes such things as
events, which are, naturally, smaller than (take up less space than) the
places in which they are held.

Both "at" and "in" are therefore appropriate, in your sentences.

...

May I mention that I can't stand "Portuguese capital Lisbon"?  A
depressing number of journalists omit the "the" when referring to
people ("famed violinist Itzhak Perlman"), but you can't do it with
things that aren't people.  I'd suggest "the Portuguese capital,
Lisbon," or "Lisbon, the capital of Portugal," or some such.  Speaking
of depressing, no doubt you're right to identify Lisbon.

--
Jerry Friedman