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227 Comments
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+59Amen.
1) Do not bring your baby to the theater. It makes you a bad parent.
2) Do not use your cell phone in the theater. It shows you were not taught any manners and reflects badly on YOUR parents. - evolseven, on 10/12/2007, -1/+46I love my home theatre, but recently I saw V is for Vendetta in IMAX, and i will say that there is no way that my home theatre could ever rival the movie experience IMAX provides, incredibly good sound reproduction, and a huge 8 story screen.. I personally would go see more movies if they were released in IMAX.. so maybe they need to focus on doing things you cant reproduce at home. I can bring beer to my home theatre, I can have dinner in my home theatre, hell I have reserved seating there as well.. Get me a nice recliner in a theatre, and an 8 story screen with 12,000 watts of audio power and I will definitely go see more movies at the theatre.. well at least if they start making some decent movies.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+45hmm, let's compare
the movies:
10 dollars per person per movie = usually 40 bucks
about 30 bucks in snacks
and I HAVE to see ads until the movie begins
so going ot the theatre is 70 dollars with comercials
watching at home:
buy a dvd for 10-20 bucks
eat whatever the ***** I want to
skip right to the movie
when I'm done I switch the 52" inch hdtv to xbox in 1080i mode and game on
hmm, tough choice? lol - inboxnews, on 10/12/2007, -5/+42I say: good luck! I love my 55", comfy couch, snack bar, and BT. Hey, let's face it, the price is right.
- chappai, on 10/12/2007, -1/+38Things to fix to get more people back into the movie theaters:
1 - Ushers need to patrol for loud or unruly guests. The last five times I've been into a theater not once did an usher ever enter the room to check on anything until the end credits were rolling and it was time to clean. I used to be the Asst Mgr at a 12 screen complex and I required ushers to make a check of each theater, every 20 minutes. To prove they made the check they had three tasks to perform in the theater and then a log they had to sign by the rear exit.
2 - A cool idea they had at a Goodrich Theater was a Cry-Room for families with babies. This room was in the back of the auditorium and was sound-proof. They had nice speakers in there for high-quality sound but the patrons in the theater could not the baby wailing for 30 minute stretches at a time.
3 - They need to stop charging me $10 for a ticket and then subjecting me to 30 minutes of advertising from Pepsi, Nissan, and every other god damn company on the face of the Earth. Movie-goers are being promoted as a captive audience for this advertising horror we experience everytime we go into the theater. I want to see the ads for upcoming films. I don't want to see the ads for every product that I see at home already, and I don't want to see clever versions of them that do not air on television. If they are going to play these ads, my ticket could cost at least 50% less. I watch ads on television and TV is free (unless its cable of course).
4 - The price of concessions is sky high. Having worked in the business for 9 years, I understand why, but most people don't and its those people who keep your doors open. You can add video games, and IMAX screens, and cookie shops and hot dog stands and all manner of concession beast to try and get customers to come into the theater, but basically price is what is keeping them away. When I go on a date to the theater, between tickets (2 x $10 = $20 (and in Michigan you may soon have to pay an entertainment tax on your movie tickets)), concession stand visit (2 med drinks + large popcorn = $11.50) I've just spent $31.50 on my date and myself. For a two hour movie and two watered down sodas and pocorn that is not even HOT out of the popper, but air temperature out of the bin! Now if we decide to also purchase candy then raise the price another $10. For the price of a new DVD, I can sit home and watch a film from earlier in the year, make a decent dinner to serve, and still provide snacks for a lot less.
5 - HIre staff who know what they are doing in the projection booth. I had the pleasure/misfortune of going to see SCARY MOVIE 4 the day after it opened. The film had been ruined after one day of screenings. It had yellow scratches in the emulsion running through the far left side of the screen. This happens when someone misses a roller when threading the film up for presentation. You don't get yellow scratches on DVDs and you don't get them on digital projection systems. Hire the staff who can pay attention and maintain the equipment, and quit making them usher and concession supervisors. The movie going experience depends a lot on who you have in the projection booth. If its a supervisior who has to always be down on the floor, you are asking for major presentation issues in the booth.
6 - Nowadays people are too used to having those lifelines with them at all times... CELL PHONES. When I go out to a movie with my best friend, as soon as we are out of the car, he will ask if my phone is off, and I will check to make sure its off before we even enter the lobby. Then I will ask the same of him. Its a nice little system that works well for us as we usually go see new films together. This ensures that we have turned our phones off and that we won't be disturbing others. I don't have a problem with them blocking cell signals in theaters. I've been rudely disturbed by people who get their little calls then hold a ten minute conversation in the row in front of me. I remember going to a show one time where that happened and my friend CL, got so mad when they kept talking that he grabbed their cell phone, said into it they will call you back when the show is over and then tossed to the front of the theater.
I can keep going on about crap like this for another hour, but the bottom line is theater owners, as a rule treat their patrons like cattle and think they can implement any outrage on us within the walls of the cinema because we have paid to be in there. Well, they are wrong. Instead of spending my money in a high priced movie theater, I can spend the time at home with a great television, great sound, the latest films on DVD and inexpensive food, snacks and drinks. And whether its two people or 20, I still spend less at home than I do in the theater. - sert, on 10/12/2007, -1/+34What do you expect? Netflix is 20 bucks a month for dozens of movies vs. 15 bucks for a single flick for one day.
- gahal, on 10/12/2007, -2/+35I should add that there was a wonderful theater where I used to live.
They ran older movies, but only charged like a dollar or two for a ticket. The best part was the setup inside.
You could sit at tables while you watched the movies, they had smoking sections, served beer, and had a full menu.
That's right, it was like a restaurant with a screen. Just ask for a menu, order a meal and enjoy.
They worked with some of the restaurants around them so you could get anything from pizza to mexican food.
Now that was an enjoyable movie going experience. Man I miss that place. - shawnanigans, on 10/12/2007, -2/+35You resent seeing ads? That nothing compared to those ***** guilt trip videos on how stealing movies makes writers cry and producers beat their children. I pay to see a movie and they show me a video about stealing movies? I get so mad I just want to storm out and find the narrator and punch him in the throat.
- btipling, on 10/12/2007, -1/+32They could charge less for food and candy. My wife and I now go to the theatre that plays the older movies. It costs $1 to get in.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+30And how much did you pay for all of that?
I don't mind going out to see movies at all. I just resent paying to see ads. - gahal, on 10/12/2007, -5/+28Lets see, theater experience:
Overpriced, high chance of annoying people being around, can't smoke, can't have a beer while watching, sticky floor, can't pause or rewind, crappy seats, mass amounts of craptastic movies comming out.
Gee, whats not to love. - bloodguard, on 10/12/2007, -2/+25The only thing that will lure me back are Ushers armed with tasers and pepper spray to take out:
Parents who bring small children to evening movies.
Talkers.
People who can't figure out how to turn off their cell phones.
Talkers.
People who eat with with their mouths open or chew ice.
Talkers. - shortkid422, on 10/12/2007, -5/+26"For those willing to pay a slighter higher admission price ($11 to $14), movies at the ArcLight come with reserved seating and the promise of no commercials."
$14 for no trailers and "reserved" seating??? I don't know about everyone else, but that is probably why there is a drop in sales. Seriously, for $0, I get reserved seating and no trailers at my own home theater (as does evolseven ^ ). The reason why noone is going is becuase the product is not worth what they are asking. Drop the price by about half, kick out the screaming babies, remove the abnoxious teenagers, increase seat comfortability, enhance the movie image quality, make good movies for once, and you know what would happen? People would actually care to go to the theaters. Until then, I prefer my nice recliner with 5.1 THX Cert Surround Sound, 36" TV, pause capability, and free food. Oh yeah, and the chance to use my cell phone when I want.
end rant - chris86wm, on 10/12/2007, -6/+24I cant remember the last time I went to a movie.
Why?
1) I download them off the net for free
2) Most movies being put out these days are crap
3) It costs $15 to go to the stinking thing
4) I like my movies without kids screaming, people talking, cell phones ringing, and ***** kicking my seat! - jpwhitmore, on 10/12/2007, -2/+19V for Vendetta was the last movie I saw in theaters and will probably stay that way for some time. I just can't justify spending almost $9 at the local theater when most movies suck. I would gladly use the current facilities if Hollywood would just get off their asses and make better movies. It isn't the theaters fault that their product is junk.
- rewritable, on 10/12/2007, -7/+23The first time I went to a theater in 2 years was to see Silent Hill the other day and that will be the last time I EVER go. As mentioned it is not only the price and the ad's but the bitchy people that never shut the ***** up, uncomfortable seats and not being able to pause the movie to take a piss of get something to drink. I have a "52 WIDESCREEN hdtv, media center pc, soft recliner that has cup holders that I dont have to share, SO in the comfort of my home that I will watch pirated/rented movies on for now on. ***** YOU THEATERS!!!!!!!!!!!!
- mandarin, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18Well thats what they get from charging 5$ for a small plate of nachos.
- BlindIrishman, on 10/12/2007, -3/+19You forget the obnoxious pre-teen female that screams at every little thing to impress her friends demographic
- OBKenobi, on 10/12/2007, -6/+21The idiots yelling at the screens, the crying babies, the immigrants translating the movie to their families AT A LOUD VOLUME (Que?), and the morons sucking on their popcorn like some kind of farm animals tend to ruin the movie experience for me. I've learned to move if a pathetic fat doofus with a bucket of popcorn big enough to feed a small Southeast Asian family for several days sits anywhere near me.
They should have some kind of button you can press to summon an usher death squad armed with cattle prods to remove the offending rabble from the theater. It might be worth going to the theater just to see that. - datagod, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15Who needs reserved seating?? The theatres where I live are mostly empty whenever I go...I am always the first to sit down, and by the time the commercials stop there are maybe 15 other people there...
- wilf_brim, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15Aside from guys who can't think of anything else to do on a date, movies are in trouble. They need to change their business model, and there are some theaters that are doing it, but most are just bitching about "those kids and their pirated movies". Yea, right.
No, the problem is that I can get something close (not the same, but close) to theater quality for less (for rental) or slightly more (for 2) if I buy. I can watch it in comfort at home, drink quality beer, wine, soda, or whatever, eat hot pizza, and hit pause if the phone rings or I want to go outside for a smoke.
If there was a place around here that had (for instance) movies in a pub atmosphere (table service, served beer), I'd go. There are places like that, and they are making lots of money. The old model is dead. Get a clue, theater owners. - jpt62089, on 10/12/2007, -5/+17I would use our Imax but the seats are absolutely HORRIBLE! 5 minutes in those things will give you ass blisters!
- PantherX, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13Here's a better plan.
EXTRA TRAILERS (and no commercials) that start 30 minutes before the film... for those of us who love to find out what's coming out in the future... real movie buffs.
But before that, how about $5 or (*gasp*) less for admission? Perhaps charging a fair price for concessions?
THAT will get me back in the seats.
Back when movies were $5 I used to go EVERY weekend even if there wasn't a movie I wanted to see... I'd just go see something I had already seen and liked. $5 for two hours of entertainment is a good deal. And hell, I might buy a Coke and some candy... $2 each... (still high, but reasonable) and they got $9 from me... and the person I went with. Multiply that by the hundreds of people that still go, plus the hundreds of people that would go back and you're making quite a bit of money.
Movie theaters are a VOLUME business... and they seem to have forgotten this. Cheaper prices means more movie goers.
Corporate America: Put people who LOVE movies in charge of your theaters. You will see people flock back. - JimXugle, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14"Start showing anime since it's a current trend in American teen culture."
You don't see how it works... the film industry pays these people to show ***** films with plotlines we've all seen before... it's like the music industry. - JoeRandom, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12Even if the theatre sucked, I think people would go to see a movie they really wanted to see slightly before they could buy it on dvd. Its just that nearly no movies released are worth seeing.
- born, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12And how about the point: good movies? I'm not paying to see a mediocre movie for $15 if I can rent it for a fraction of that.
- TheGalacticFork, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13Theatres:
1. Install cell-phone signal blocking paint.
2. Get rid of pre-show ads, bring back movie trivia
3. Make prices affordable
4. Start showing anime since it's a current trend in American teen culture.
5. Beer in the theatre....sounds like it could make movies far more interesting....
Hollywood:
1. Start writing interesting movies
2. Stop relying on pure special effects and sensory overload
3. Start making adult/teen oriented animated movies(See Final Fantasy movie...minus the end). - eclectro, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Let's start with enforceable no cell phone rules.
- ultimathule, on 10/12/2007, -5/+15What's not to love? I'd say the theatrical experience of a smoke-free and alcoholic-free environment is something to love.
- JimXugle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+101 Free Ring. Once is understandable....
*ring ring* "Oh *****... I forgot to turn it on silent"
After that, the manager has the right to ask you to leave without any refund.
No Conversations during the movie. Go outside, you lazy ass bastard. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9"Corporate America: Put people who LOVE movies in charge of your theaters. You will see people flock back"
Interesting fact for you. My local music chain recently began to hire people who clearly are not music lovers. Why? The muckity mucks believe these people alienate the customers. Perhaps music lovers tend to alienate customers, but what it does mean is that you have passionless drones working cash registers instead of passionate people pushing your product. - Lostangel, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10It's fairly simple. Don't charge $10 to watch a movie, and $6 for a popcorn, and $4 for a drink. The movie's are usually full of ads now (can skip them at home), the popcorn is dry and the butter is fake (I can make better at home), and my shoes stick to the floor which is covered in wet candy, spilled soda and odd reflective slippery substances. I'm pretty sure I can get a better experience with a hooker on Hollywood Blvd in my own car for $20. And she'll even clean up between customers.
- bebop717, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9If you ask the MPAA it's because people are stealing movies from the internet, if you ask me it's cause there is nothing playing at the movies that is worth $1.00 let alone $10.00.
- Chompy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Here's some ideas for "amenities":
1. Tickets that cost less than $12.
2. Normally-priced concessions.
3. No ***** commercials. If it's not a trailer, I don't want to see it. Ever.
4. Ushers that actually kick people out for talking or turning on any sort of bright-ass glowing phone/PDA/toy that distracts everyone in the theater sitting behind them. It's illegal to jam cell phones in the US, but if ushers did their job it wouldn't be necessary. I mean I want a usher permanently stationed in every theater, watching for any crap like a hawk.
Now, some apologists might argue that 1, 2, and 3 are unreasonable these days.. well that's just too ***** bad. If your business model depends on that crap, it's time you went out of business. And hey look, that's what's happening now! Adapt or die, dinosaurs. - Phyltre, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Technology has overrun the box office. I'd much rather watch something in MY controlled environment than THEIRS. Cost of food, setting my own audience participation and rules, knowing for absolutely certain that no whining babies will be attending, in a world where the only cellphone that has the potential to interrupt the movie is my own...
The HD TV and DVD is an investment, one that can easily pay for itself in hassle reduction. - synaesthesia, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11I'd visit a movie theatre for, say, five dollars. I accept either cash or paypal.
- rocketnick, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10If the movie theaters want to get their business back all they need to do is put customer service back as the #1 priority, I am an assistant manager at a movie theater in AZ, and we have seen our business decline significantly due to a huge megaplex opening nearby, however we are able to keep our attendance up, even on movies that are ALREADY OUT ON DVD, due to the fact that we actually treat our customers like humans. We kick out loud teenagers, we try to keep a lid on the screaming babies, and most importantly, we don't ***** people over on food prices
- Wamzlee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Wow, are the movie companies just plan retarded? Raised prices = bad. If they just lower ticket prices and consessions prices, people will flock back to the theatre. The movie studios need to go to a second-run movie theatre and see how packed it gets. I went to see Syrianna at a second-run movie theatre on a weeknight, and the place was plum full of people!! And all I paid overall was $10....$1.50 for the admission, and the rest was for concessions. I was kinda put off by the expensive consessions prices, but the cheap admission price made up for it.
The moviegoers are still there, they just don't want to spend a ***** of money, they can't put entertainment first all the time. I just read survey result where people stopped going because of the high concession prices. So movie theatres themselves are too blame as well.
So long story short, I love going to second-run theatres. - haxx4, on 10/12/2007, -6/+14Having people smoke or drink in the theater would make it somewhere to outright avoid.
- bpapa, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9It sounds like they are taking a step in the right direction. If I can go to a movie, get some additional entertainment, some better food, and not have to deal with some idiot behind me talking on the phone every few minutes, I'll probably start going more often. Oh yeah and of course better movies too.
I can't believe how infrequently I go the the theaters now... and I don't even DL/bootleg movies, I just don't watch them. - Cymrubeats, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Better food and more than 7mm for your legs and 1mm for elbow room. Oh, and less ***** films.
- Bostonsox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Drop the price, simple economics. It is a hassle to download movies illegally, compared to shelling out money to go watch them. That is what they need to get people to pay for, the ease of seeing it. When you have to pay $10 to see every movie you want to see of course you are going to see alot fewer movies. Also, lower the hassle, suddenly your hassled with annoying crowds and commercials, another push towards downloading.
Also, make it cheaper so I don't need to download movies for my parents. - MugatuOT, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8I don't want amenities - if I go to the theatre I simply want a clean and quiet experience and the movie to start on time instead of lame commercials. And reasonable prices but that's another story.
- RyeBrye, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10@alex
I don't think he's waiting 6 months for new releases... nor do I think he was talking about NetFlix... but maybe he should factor in the cost of hs broadband connection... if you want to go with your line of thinking. - wtf00, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11this *****' hollywood ***** dont understand...
going to movies is not the same anymore is expensive, *****' ads up your ass, and annoying other movie goers either on there damn cellphone or talking or ***** blocking my view or moving to much i prefer stay home with my 27 inch tv and my 200 dollar 5.1 and on my boxers. - truebullfan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Why give coupons when you buy tix at a movie theater? So when you buy a ticket you get a $2 off your next one or some kind of card where after watching a 3-4 movies at the same theater your 5th when is on the house?
The #1 reason I dont go watch movies as much is b/c its expensive. Its like 40 bucks for a family of 4 to go and watch a movie. With that money you could pay netflix for four months. - mv10, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7so they'll be tackling :
1) watered down and overpriced drinks
2) bland and expensive snacks
3) overpriced tickets
4) rediculous amount of adverts before the film
5) the sticky floors and uncomfortable chairs in theatres
6) lacklustre films with abysmal plots being shown
7) other members of the public who disrupt the film by talking, cell phones etc
and let me add
8) MPAA
9) Crappy Movies - everfalling, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7lower snack prices. i'd pay 6 bucks to see a movie if i didn't have to pay 20 bucks in refreshments.
- Cthalupa, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Right, because a movie theater that serves booze and food is going to have such an alcoholic problem. I go to restraunts that serve alcohol all the time, and have never once had my dinner ruined by an alcoholic. Just because beer is sold doesn't mean that it's going to be full of drunks making a racket.
There's a place in a neighboring city that plays new movies and also does other events, like football games, and every saturday at midnight they have The Rocky Horror Show. They offer beer and a decent sized dinner menu, though it's limited more to pizza/burgers/hot dogs and so on. With gas prices being so high, I haven't really gone there much recently... Too far out of the way. I love the place, though. - jbus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7No Joke... I went to see Silent Hill & during the movie a scuffle broke out a few rows in front of us because some group of obnoxious teens were talking during the movie... Then about 20 minutes later some chic vomited all over the floor in the row right in front of us. Clearly going to the movie theater is not worth it even if a movie does turn out to be good.
I would pay $30 a pop to get DRMed to heck HD pay per views of a newly released movies in my home any day than to put up with BS like this. -
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