So what word/term do you use in this case??

When I was young, it was always 'going to the pcitures'. Now I's probably say 'going to the theatre to see a film'. 'Theatre' sounds more like going to see a live performance/play.

Oh, okay. I wondered when people said hall what they meant exactly. Americans say movie theater for the most part.

We just say "movies". When I was growing up when outdoor theaters were popular, we called the outdoor theaters,"the drive in" and the indoor theater "the walk in"

Well I say cinema.

We call it Cinema here. Theater is a different entertainment venue for us.

Going for a movie is the term used here in my country

Usually just going to the movies, or theater. Although some movie theaters may have cinema in their title. We never say going to the cinema, unless not raised in the US.

i do too. can't decide sometimes

A decade ago , most parts of India would have said "Cinema" . I did say Cinema. I recollect the channel "Zee Movies " used to be "Zee Cinema" when I was very young. However, now that has changed. Many rural areas and most urban areas in India would say "movies" . Rare to hear the word theatre or Cinema these days. Guess in another 10 years, with advent of ott - it would be "movies" or some abbreviation. But the fun fo visiting the old theatres , the magic and fun has somehow disappeared. Perhaps it is because we got matured or because of technology.