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101 Comments
- haydukeqc, on 04/15/2009, -1/+52I loved the ritual of midnight screenings.
- gaqua, on 04/15/2009, -4/+44I really hate when they ***** with the timeline. Ugh.
- michaelpinto, on 04/14/2009, -9/+44You see the good thing about a midnight showing is that you can get in line during the late afternoon — but with 7pm you'll blow the entire day. They should just forget this theater crap and let us download it from iTunes or do a pay-per-view.
- Avaseal, on 04/15/2009, -1/+32or.... they could just release the movie on may 7th
- Chairboy, on 04/15/2009, -0/+25Ideally, in Paramount's eyes, you'll do both.
The Perfect Lifecycle Of A Film
by Paramount Exec
1. You pay $x to view an unrelated movie so you can see the trailer to The Film. Remember Wing Commander, the movie? No, neither do I, but a metric pantsload of people watched it because the Star Wars:Phantom Menace trailer debuted with it. (Note: This was before we knew it sucked balls.)
2. You pay $x to attend The Movie. Possibly... more than once.
3. You purchase 'Ringtone related to The Movie'.
4. You purchase movie related tie-in meal at Taco Bell. Not a huge deal, money-wise, but it's free advertising to the guy who picks up the discarded 'commemorative cup' by the side of the freeway that you chucked out the window after finishing.
5. iTunes! The Movie is now available on iTunes for the low-low price of $14.99, buy now! The DVD won't be out for at least a week.
6. A couple months later... THE DVD! You immediately purchase The DVD of The Movie. Hell, why not buy two?
7. A couple weeks later, HOLY ***** it's out on HDBluRayBetaMax! BETTER BUY IT AGAIN!
8. Time passes. This is the least awesome part of the whole deal to the movie company.
9. Tic-toc-tic-toc-BRRRRRNGGGG! Hey guys, it's time for a super special Directors Cut! Buy.
10. More time passes.... this is slightly more awesome than #8, but mostly because film company gets some free advertising every time a film nerd commits suicide because he wants to prove his point about Deckard being a Replicant or some crap like that. UNICORNS! Yah, it's ok.
11. GOTO 6 - hokeywebb22, on 04/14/2009, -1/+24Who still waits in a line for movies? You go buy the tickets early then show up at most an hour before it starts.
- missingxtension, on 04/14/2009, -2/+23it was about time they got the hint, hello!
- TheDudeDean, on 09/13/2009, -4/+19I really wish Paramount would pull their head out of their ass.
- DirtPile, on 04/14/2009, -0/+15So, I have to make plans the night before?
- mHtt, on 04/15/2009, -1/+15Did you know:
In Star Trek: The Next Generation's episode Up the Long Ladder, a display screen shows that in 2135, HMS New Zealand was "on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan."
In Star Trek: The Next Generation's episode Brothers, a display screen shows that the starship Thomas Paine was assigned to "a diplomatic mission to Alderaan."
In Star Trek Deep Space 9's episode A Man Alone, when Odo checks Ibudan's log the screen shows that the ship has recently been at "Alderaan Spaceport"
Now you know. - amabaie, on 04/14/2009, -2/+15What do you mean "up in their years"? Hey!
- davincih, on 04/14/2009, -1/+14That's a good point. Hadn't thought of that aspect. That's true. Now to line up early you have to take off work. That makes it harder to line up early and so people probably won't, clears out more room for soccer moms to walk up and buy tickets at 6:59.
- ryan83189, on 04/14/2009, -0/+12Don't get all riled up this close to your bed time.
- pjkovach, on 04/15/2009, -2/+12Great... What am I going to tell my Canadian girlfriend...
- ModernTenshi, on 04/15/2009, -3/+13Josh Tyler is a ***** moron.
Movie theaters are well within their rights to show a movie as early as 12:01AM on the day of the movie's release. Paramount is merely letting studios show the film as early as 7PM the day before.
The theater I work for did the same thing back in 2007 with Transformers. We had 8/8:30PM screenings, followed by 11/11:30PM screenings. Remember, Paramount also released Transformers.
Earlier advance screenings like this are actually coming at the request of movie theaters, not the studios. The reason is younger employees usually can't work past 10PM, even during summer. Having midnight showings means the theater could be short staffed, and force other employees to worker longer hours than normal, which could also lead to overtime pay. Throw in the fact that theaters will also be running other films up until midnight or later, keeping the whole theater open until close to 3AM adds a lot with energy costs as well.
I'm still rather glad this is happening, though, since this means theaters should definitely be getting the prints a day early, which means I'll likely get to watch the movie well before midnight screenings. I swear, we only do it to make sure there's nothing wrong with the print before the midnights the night before. :D
That's actually mostly true, to be honest. We've caught audio and studio errors on prints by running them early. Problems like discoloration, bad DTS discs for digital sound, etc. Most recent one was with Watchmen. Nearly the whole opening scene was without audio. That would have been BAD for a midnight screening, and we likely would have had to issue around 400 passes for the patrons to return to see the movie or another movie for free.
Anyway, you're welcome for your weekly, "Inside Movie Theaters," post. :D - sexybobo, on 04/15/2009, -0/+9@aigulf
You would rather wait inline for a couple hours then pay $2.5 to order it online? - rheaume, on 04/15/2009, -1/+10Just look at her five fingers, conveniently located at the end of your right arm, and tell her you're going out early.
- novenator, on 04/14/2009, -0/+8It's been stuck up there since they handed the keys to Berman imo.
- aigulf, on 04/15/2009, -2/+9Yeah, I love paying a service fee for my already over-priced tickets.
- jcsoc, on 04/15/2009, -1/+8I went to see Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift at it's 12am opening..... The theater was mostly empty...
- notalent420, on 04/15/2009, -0/+7Wow, a little overreaction?
The obvious reason that Paramount is doing this is because they want to make bring in as much money as possible. - dfweyer, on 04/14/2009, -0/+6I really have nothing else to do...
- Spamcan, on 04/14/2009, -1/+7The first show is at 7PM, there will be at two or three shows per print that night at most theaters depending on how long it is. This is actually a good thing for most people as it means the showing you go to probably won't be completely sold out. It also means there's more of a chance for the trekkies to see it before they have to start sharing with the norms over the weekend.
- solid12345, on 04/15/2009, -0/+6Uhm how can they say it is opening May 8th if it is opening May 7th. Pretty soon with movies in Hollywood they will advertise, "see the movie on May 6th, opening May 8th!"
- jconnop, on 04/15/2009, -0/+6"you are friend is an idiot"? *shudder*
- o0adam0o, on 04/15/2009, -0/+6Just have her inflated by 5:30pm
- jcsoc, on 04/15/2009, -0/+5the 30D comes before the 40D and the 5D comes before the 5D MKII
- eclectro, on 04/15/2009, -2/+7While we're at it, they should just upload it to the pirate bay.
- geodebug, on 04/15/2009, -0/+5But then they'd have to show it at 7pm on may 6th
- mrgreg, on 04/15/2009, -1/+6What dumb reasons to be against a 7pm showing in that article.
The only decent bit is "...Cell phones are turned off, noisy kids are left home..."
I don't know about you, but I differ from the author in that I'm just a fan that goes to see a movie at midnight like any other movie, just with a desire to be one of the first in the world to see it, not to "geek out" with other fans. - Slides, on 04/15/2009, -2/+6I love star trek and will watch this movie, but honestly, I can wait one more day.
- ruforealz, on 04/15/2009, -0/+4WOW!!!
- sexybobo, on 04/15/2009, -0/+4Then you are not the majority of fans that go to the midnight airing.
- mHtt, on 04/15/2009, -0/+4this is not a reply? what?
- solid12345, on 04/15/2009, -1/+5Harry Potter is gay. No offense to real gay people.
- sexybobo, on 04/15/2009, -0/+4Which means there will be more annoying theater goers (soccer moms and there noisy children) and less of the nerd fan base that makes midnight airings fun.
- solid12345, on 04/15/2009, -0/+4Got what hint, opening a movie a day early. Why stop there, let's open it a month early, no wait, a year early!
- inactive, on 04/15/2009, -0/+3Meh. I'll get to go see it with my dad, which otherwise wouldn't be possible at a midnight show. Yes, it will be a totally different evening than if I went to a midnight show with my friends, but I'm not worried.
Honestly, if there's one such experience I don't want, it's a bunch of ***** Trekkies. As someone who really likes Trek, I can't stand ***** Trekkies.
I have a Philip J. Fry level knowledge of Star Trek, but I hate ***** Trekkies. - d3c4y, on 04/15/2009, -0/+3That would be 5.01pm not 7..
- Thorpe, on 04/15/2009, -1/+4Now the nerds can be home safe and tucked up in bed. Don't let the bed bugs bite!
- sexybobo, on 04/15/2009, -1/+4DS9 was ok since it had quark in it.
enterprise is the only crappy one. - OzzieAlThor, on 04/15/2009, -0/+3If we follow that logic, maybe we could get the movie released THIS Friday eventually!
SWEET! - eclectro, on 04/15/2009, -0/+3Meaning those four straight days and nights of coding sessions with nothing more than Mountain Dew and chips ARE GONE.
- Gowmars, on 04/15/2009, -0/+3I can just go to my local theater's website and order the tickets online for the same price. Or just go early in the morning and pick them up.
- EricAnderton, on 04/15/2009, -0/+3@mHtt: This space intentionally left blank.
- dunefurl, on 04/15/2009, -0/+3This is the first comment I've wished I could digg more than once.
- nidx, on 04/15/2009, -0/+3you wait in line for good seats (most geek movies have line at least 2-4 hours early for first showings)
- treecha02, on 04/15/2009, -0/+3Like nidx said, the point of waiting in line isn't to get the tickets, it's to get the best seat.
- LordVance, on 04/15/2009, -1/+4@sexybobo - excellent point, but can we all agree that the whole concept of a "convenience fee" for ordering tickets online is absolute *****? They don't have to pay some acne ridden 16 year old to sell me my ticket, so I have to pay $2.50? *****, I even pay for the paper and ink to print the ***** out...
- AquaOSX, on 04/15/2009, -0/+3I don't quite understand his rant about fans. A 7pm show will still have the same, if not more, fans. Fans buy tickets early and get / camp in line early. Casual movie goers don't have much of a shot at getting into an opening show at a popular theater. Opening shows sell out early because fans buy the tickets.
Moving the opening show to an earlier time isn't going to change this. Hell, the more convenient time is probably going to encourage more fanboys to fight for tickets.
I'm totally down for dressing up or camping out like a jackass, but now that I'm a little older, I fade halfway into a damn weekday midnight movie because I'm worked to the bone. Move the time up and I'm totally down to do what I did when I was 20. -
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