The Casual Moviegoer is a Thing of the Past (latimes.com) 296
U.S. movie theaters are struggling to attract casual moviegoers, who once made up a significant portion of box office revenues, as shorter theatrical runs and changing consumer habits reshape the industry. The domestic box office, which regularly exceeded $10 billion in annual ticket sales before COVID-19, is expected to reach only $8.5 billion this year.
Films now average 32 days in theaters compared to 80 days pre-pandemic, limiting opportunities for audiences to discover movies spontaneously. Midtier films generating $50-100 million at the box office have become scarcer, particularly in genres like drama and romantic comedy. Theater chains are responding with enhanced experiences and loyalty programs to draw audiences back.
"It's fair to say there is a missing billion dollars that, if we had the right movies, people would be going to see them," said Bruce Nash, founder of movie business site the Numbers, told LA Times. Frequent moviegoers comprise only 12-15% of box office revenue, according to Patrick Corcoran of theater consulting firm Fithian Group.
Films now average 32 days in theaters compared to 80 days pre-pandemic, limiting opportunities for audiences to discover movies spontaneously. Midtier films generating $50-100 million at the box office have become scarcer, particularly in genres like drama and romantic comedy. Theater chains are responding with enhanced experiences and loyalty programs to draw audiences back.
"It's fair to say there is a missing billion dollars that, if we had the right movies, people would be going to see them," said Bruce Nash, founder of movie business site the Numbers, told LA Times. Frequent moviegoers comprise only 12-15% of box office revenue, according to Patrick Corcoran of theater consulting firm Fithian Group.
They should probably... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:They should probably... (Score:5, Insightful)
Absolutely. A good start would be to start writing original works again as opposed to the endless sequels, reboots, and format shifting we're getting right now.
I cant even imagine a movie like the first Matrix movie ever being made today. An original script from a couple of relatively unknown directors? No way that would have been made today. Hollywood has become FAR too risk adverse.
Re:They should probably... (Score:5, Insightful)
That's not really the problem - Hollywood's still making money.
The real reason is streaming - why see it in theatres when in 3-4 months, it'll be on your favourite streaming site? You're going to be paying $50 for the movie and a friend, or that $50 will pay for maybe half a year of a streaming service where that movie will be shown. Or a year, if you catch it on sale.
That I think is what's going on. There's tons of movies coming out, but it's coming out so quickly you might as well just wait.
Streaming and large screen TVs. (Score:3)
Today people are buying 65", 75", and 85" TVs from Costco for $500 and getting the "big screen" experience at home, without the high ticket prices, high snack prices, sticky floors, and inconsiderate patrons.
I used to go to the movies every weekend, but haven't been back since COVID. Not sure what would get me in the theater again. Was tempted by Oppenheimer, but still didn't go.
Re: Streaming and large screen TVs. (Score:4, Insightful)
I have had a 106in screen for 2 decades. And went from 6 speakers to 15. It's still not close to the theater experience technically. But not having the inconsiderate patrons around is priceless.
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The reason Hollywood does more of the same is that it works! A MCU movie that is competently made is a guaranteed success. People who go to the theater for these movies expect they will have have an enjoyable experience, fit for the big screen, and they usually do, with some highs and lows. These movies are not the reason why people don't go to the theater. If anything, that's the opposite. Moviegoers are risk adverse too, going to the theater is not cheap, they actually have to go out, there is also some c
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Not sure of "guaranteed success". Personally, I'm MCU'ed out. Just streamed Deadpool & Wolverine and was like, yeah. More of the same, only less.
Wife and I were discussing it, and I opined that I would have been happy had Endgame been the last of the Avengers films. She agreed.
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Why would one be disappointed?
There are basically no new story categories when it comes to condensing then down to 2 words. That doesn't mean the script was not an original script with no reference to other IP from A pair of essentially unknown directors. OPs point still stands.
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I mean yeah? If you've seen ghost in the shell it's pretty obvious. Including the green shit.
I've seen ghost in the shell (more than once) and existenz, enjoyed them both but the matrix is not a ripoff of either of those.
And also if you summarise the plot in a few words, there have but been any original stories for a long time. Heroes journey. Coming of age. Rags to riches, and so on. They're called story archetypes for a reason and they have all been well trodden.
But that doesn't mean a particular new ins
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But as one of the comments in that thread said, "Everything is based off something."
If you wanted to sound fancy, you'd say "Everything is intertextual." If something were *completely* original and stood alone without reference to other works, it'd be so avante garde most people wouldn't understand it, and most people who claimed to enjoy it would be lying.
It's like when the Impressionist painters saw the potential of a box full of prepared, industrially produced paints, it ignited an intense back and forth between them full of stuff that people didn't understand. Why is the snow full
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There are only seven plots in storytelling [wikipedia.org]. All stories fit into one of them.
But there's a fundamental, qualitative difference between telling one of those seven stories all over again with new characters and circumstances, and telling the same story with the same characters in the same circumstances over and over and over and over and over and over.
Re: They should probably... (Score:5, Insightful)
Movies arenâ(TM)t doing badly. Cinemas are. The solution is probably to not charge so much for a ticket, and particularly not for snacks. If you canâ(TM)t sell all your seats, charge less.
Re: They should probably... (Score:5, Insightful)
Exactly this. It's not worth it (to me, anyway) to spend $70-100 just so my wife and I can go see a movie on a large screen (not to mention listening to the jerk behind us narrating the plot 10-15 seconds ahead of the movie itself).
But, really, lowering prices might still not solve the problem. I've got a nice 55" 4K television at home, complete with free snacks + drinks and a pause button in case I find myself in need of an urgent bathroom break right in the middle of a critical scene... it's hard for the theater to compete with that.
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Besides the cost of going to the cinema, there's also the hassle of actually having to go there. Since Covid caused all the ones nearest to me to go belly up, the closest one is now an approximately 20 minute drive. I'd rather just wait the month or so it takes for movies to hit streaming. Besides, there's plenty of other stuff to watch in the interim.
Re: They should probably... (Score:4, Insightful)
Sort of a tangent, but... while I do think COVID drove the final nail into the coffins of a lot of those local theaters, most of them were already dying prior to that.
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There isn't a home theater setup on the planet that can match the picture and sound quality of the laser projector and high-end sound system that my preferred cinema has
Picture quality: Yeah, the screen is physically much larger and that necessitates more pixels for all that space, but I don't think my 55" 4K TV looks any worse by comparison. It's just smaller. Objectively speaking, I also kind of prefer watching movies with HDR disabled. To me, the excessive brightness is just eyestrain inducing. Yeah, I realize some people find it more immersive, so it's another advantage of watching at home - you get to pick your preferred display settings.
Sound quality: Every cin
Re: They should probably... (Score:4, Insightful)
There isn't a home theater setup on the planet that can match the picture and sound quality of the laser projector and high-end sound system that my preferred cinema has...
Respectfully disagree.
Video: yes if you're streaming then the quality will be limited by available bandwidth. If you have a 4K bluray, a decent 4K OLED, light controlled room, sit close enough to the screen that it fills the same solid angle of vision as a cinema screen would, you're there. Yes the cinemas have access to higher quality digital files but 99% of people either do not have the visual acuity to notice or wouldn't care if they did. I would only be able to notice by doing a side-by-side comparison AND pixel peeping.
Audio: The vast majority of cinemas are just loud, they are not giving particularly high fidelity sound. If you like the super deep bass effects, you can not only match but easily exceed the low frequency response of a cinema simply by virtue of being in a much smaller space. My sound system (which cost less than £10K using used and DIY components) can hit 16Hz at 110dB with minimal distortion, which is easy enough because the room I'm using is only a couple thousand cubic feet. Recreating the same level of deep bass in a cinema-size space is possible, but far from practical, and certainly not economical. You won't be hearing/feeling much below 30Hz in most cinemas.
And then there's all the other benefits. Once I've bought the bluray and the hardware I can watch that movie repeatedly for free. There's nobody else there to annoy me. I can pause whenever I like. The snacks and drinks are not massively overpriced. I don't have to travel anywhere.
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There isn't a home theater setup on the planet that can match the picture and sound quality of the laser projector and high-end sound system that my preferred cinema has
Your preferred cinema must have some next-generation shit, I guess. Even a cheap TV now has as many pixels as a cinema projector, and better color fidelity since it's direct and not a projector. A more expensive TV now has twice as many horizontal pixels as a normal theater, and the same number as the best IMAX (though not the wrap-around.)
(if nothing else, the digital files that the movie theaters get are much higher quality than even the best 4K UHD Blu-Ray or streaming services can provide).
Streaming still sometimes shows obvious quality degradation, but who can see any artifacting in a 4k blu-ray without walking up to a very large screen?
The cinema usually
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Re: They should probably... (Score:5, Interesting)
I think cinemas are struggling due to the relatively high cost of real estate.
They don't seem to be able to scale prices with that and retain audiences.
Re: They should probably... (Score:4, Informative)
The theater is making little to nothing from ticket sales, due to the split between the distributor, the sales agent, etc. If the film stays at the theater for months, the deal starts to flip and the theater starts to pull in cash from ticket sales, but generally, the theater can't cut ticket prices, and can't hope to make money on most movies even at high ticket prices.
So that leaves the expensive concessions: this is where the the theater makes 90% of its money. If they cut prices here, it's coming right out of their main income stream, so probably not a great move.
The theater is working on creating a great experience (recliners, dinner-in-theater, great sound, the "IMAX" label (and other labels)) to get you to come in so they can sell you food or snacks.
It's not the only industry where the business model is not what you'd think it is.
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We'd all love better movies, but Hollywood has made plenty of garbage since the very early days. The main problem today is that most people don't want to make the trip to the movie theater for the "smaller" movies like romcoms when they have a 70 inch TV at home and have 1,001 options at their fingertips. The one thing that still gets people out of their houses are the big Blockbusters with a lot of explosions that look/sound cool on a movie theater screen.
Back in the day, you had people who would just go t
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Yes, this. Start cranking 80s -tier fantasy films. People want a villain that is beaten and stays beaten, with no redeeming qualities. Something like Beastmaster, Krull, or something that isn't the same old reboot/remake.
Why bother going to a theater, when most movies are essentially serials anyway? Bring back some original IP. Or at the least, just bring in European or Asian films for an audience. If a theater had anime, they would fill the seats.
Nobody tries to make crap (Score:2)
Yeah if they could churn out absolutely extraordinary once in a lifetime movies non-stop they could probably make more money. If anyone doing anything could do it better than no shit they could make more money.
The bigger problem is they are probably pricing themselves out of the market. Tickets are approaching $20 a pop to say nothing of the cost of snacks. And the home video market dying isn't helping either. St
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Most families have large screen tvs and streaming services. Why spend a minimum of $60 for a family of 4 (or up to $100 if everyone wants a snack) to go see it in a theater with the sound cranked up way to high and have to deal with others while one could wait a few months and rent it for $10-$20 and watch it a few times from the comfort of
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This^
From TFS: "It's fair to say there is a missing billion dollars that, if we had the right movies, people would be going to see them"
Exactly. I've seen maybe 3 movies since Dec 2019 . Every now and then I think, "I'd like to go see a movie," then I look at what's playing and there's nothing there I want to see. The last movie I saw in a theater was an old movie, last year -- a local indy theater screened Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense.
My wife and I would like to be casual moviegoers (Score:3)
My wife and I would like to be casual moviegoers. For over 30 years we've maintained a practice of a weekly date night, with "dinner and a movie" as the preferred choice. But there are so few movies in theaters that we want to see that we don't see a lot any more. Our weekly ritual now is to check the movie listings to see what's playing, decide there's nothing of interest, then do something else. Usually, just dinner, then we go home and stream something, grumbling about the inevitable interruptions.
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You are a couple not confused about your gender, you have a private residence, and are moaning about nothing to do. Ever thought of having...SEX?
"Private residence", LOL. 8 people live in my house. Note my mention of interruptions during movie streaming... interruptions during sex would be considerably more awkward. I suppose after the first two or three such events, people would be more careful...
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Maybe the costs of 30 years going out to dinner and a movie every week would've been better spent towards obtaining living arrangements where you have more privacy?
I could afford a second house if that's what we wanted. I may end up buying one for my parents pretty soon.
Everybody who actually has sex knows: Well, that's the first 15 minutes, now what did you want to do for the rest of the evening?
Well, 30 minutes :)
But, anyway, the point of date night is to get out of the house. My wife is a stay-at-home mom (and grandma) and I work from home.
that was before COVID (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm not going to sit in a room full of people which statistically will contain sick people who don't believe in masks if I don't have to, for any purpose, but especially not to see a movie.
The obscene prices for snacks don't help either, I know they need to make money to keep the doors open but I'm still not interested.
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di the theatres ban you from bringing snacks and non alcoholic beverages from an external source?
They always have done for the most part, and I used to take my own snacks anyway as I was poor. I do still own backpacks so I could technically still do this, but I'm not going to because what do I get out of going to the theater? We have a 65" 4k TV and a surround system. Even when I watch alone I get a better experience than the theater; I use a 42.5" 4k TV as my monitor, and I have Sennheisers and an Aeron chair. The only thing which could be better would be if I wanted to have a bunch of other people I
Re:that was before COVID (Score:5, Informative)
I occasionally see people wearing masks out and about. And guess what I do?
Nothing. Because I'm not a rude idiot who feels the need to "point and laugh at" someone for a personal health choice.
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I've had it about that many times too; three confirmed, one super early in which I had all the symptoms but before there were tests. Since I've definitely had it several times since, I'm reasonably sure it was the same thing.
I work with vulnerable members of the public and I don't live alone, it would be irresponsible of me not to wear a mask at the times when I have the most interaction.
The more times you have Covid, the more chance you will have long-term debilitating symptoms, and neither exposure nor va
Unpleasant (Score:5, Insightful)
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This. One recent in-theatre movie I attended had sound well above 90 db (measured it with phone app). It was a downright unpleasant experience. And not just for my old-ass ears. My kid spent a big chunk of the movie covering his ears as well.
The Bob Dylan concert I attended (way back), in a smaller concert hall, was like that, probably so *he* could hear everything. :-)
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In the days of respect such people would be asked to either stop talking or leave by the attendant. But today it isn't worth the legal hassle for movie theaters to kick people out.
Seriously if anyone reading this does this, why even bother going plus please STFU some o
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but, but, but.... DYNAMIC RANGE! Nolan specifically wanted it to sound it that way!
Who are you to judge? the paying customer?
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Cinemas have become unpleasant. Deafening sound, too many people with their phones out, nutty prices. No thanks.
Go at 3 PM. At least in my area, they're empty during the day and you get pretty big matinee discounts.
Now if only there were some movies worth watching.
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Cinemas have become unpleasant. Deafening sound, too many people with their phones out, nutty prices. No thanks.
And with most theaters now using required reserved (assigned) seating, usually for all showings - yuk.
So I've been around here for a while (Score:3, Insightful)
Given that people have been complaining about theater noise for ages and phones for as long as we've had cell phones I don't think that's the problem.
I think it's more likely that movie night has gotten to the point where it's a little over $30 a head. When it costs ov
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Especially the "nutty prices." The cost of even a _matinee_ ticket is just ridiculous at over US$12 per ticket for a first-run movie.
Star Wars, released in 1977, raised movie ticket prices to $4. Adjusting for inflation, that's $20.80 with October 2024 dollars. I forget what the Matinee discount was back then, a matinee for $12 today doesn't seem to be unreasonable.
Snacks, on the other hand...
Why go to a movie theater... (Score:2)
The drive in died in the 1970s (Score:2)
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If I buy my ticket in person from another human then I pay the face value. If I do all of the work myself and order online, likely using the same system the employee uses, then I pay an extra fee.
If I go to the movies, I make sure the staff has to work extra hard so that I can pay the lowest rates. Makes perfect sense.
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Every car (almost) has bluetooth now. They should bring back drive-ins and no wait that's a terrible idea, there will just be more shootings and that'll ruin it.
Change Showtimes (Score:2)
Theatres seem to do everything they can to make movie showtimes as inconvenient as possible.
We wanted to go see Wicked as a family, but the only showtimes available all week are either during school, or go until late in the evening.
None of this works for a family. As a result - we will probably just watch it at home on a later date.
Instead of only offering shows at 7PM and 9PM, theatres should target 6PM, so that people can actually attend them during the week.
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I have an opposite problem.
During the week 9 is too late, but 7 is pushing too early for getting home, eating dinner, and getting there.
I'm probably not the only one with a "9-5" job in a similar situation.
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This is one of the advantages of multi-cinemas that show the same currently popular movie on multiple screens: they can (and frequently do) start a new one every half hour. Then you don't really have to worry about the start time, you just buy a ticket for whatever started 15 minutes ago (and miss a bunch of ads) or will start 15 minutes from now, as a worst case scenario.
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Instead of only offering shows at 7PM and 9PM, theatres should target 6PM, so that people can actually attend them during the week.
Most people in major metro areas are still stuck in rush hour traffic or are just getting home by 6PM. 7PM showings make the most sense for a family during the week, and if that interferes too much with your kid(s) bedtime, then that's what weekends are for.
Plenty of reasons why (Score:5, Insightful)
Most folks are tired of:
1) People who refuse to put their phones down
2) People who talk the entire time
3) People who bring their three year old to run the isles and otherwise disrupt the entire experience
4) Poor theater maintenance ( buzzing speakers, smells like mold / mildew, poor sanitation )
5) Theater management's refusal to do anything about any of the above
6) Half an hour of " previews " before the show even begins
On top of the extremely poor quality of movies in general these days. I can't speak for everyone
but I'm reallllllllllly tired of any / all of the following tropes:
1) Zombies
2) Super Heros ( How many retellings of the same GD story do we need ? Eg: Batman )
3) Star Wars and Star Trek ( I'm Gen-X so this is saying something )
4) The " One " ( also known as the prophesied one ) who will fix everything
5) The quiet, retired ex-special forces neighbor who single handedly takes on the ( mafia, government, Evil Corporation, etc )
6) Children who save the day, World, Universe because adults are apparently incapable of it
7) Anything with more than two sequels
8) Pushing a real world agenda ( subtle or otherwise )
9) This list can go on, but you get the idea
Quit rehashing old shit and come up with something new and original for f*cks sake.
Recipe for Success (Score:2)
Of the last few movies I've seen that I've liked, which haven't been a lot, the following common factors come into play:
1. The director, or screenwriter, has a great idea for a movie.
2. The producer works with the director and screenwriter to get their story made
For all the various things that prevent the above two from happening, watch the show The Franchise on HBO. Studio heads get involved with the story. Outside consultants get involved with the story. The actors want to significantly change their chara
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2) Super Heroes (How many retellings of the same GD story do we need ? Eg: Batman )
From The Good Place [wikipedia.org], "...Someone Like Me as a Member" (s1e9):
Casey: Hey, a bunch of us are going to see Spider-Man 2 tonight, you wanna come?
Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell): They made a second Spider-Man? What is there left to say?
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3) Star Wars and Star Trek ( I'm Gen-X so this is saying something )
At some point you just have to realize movies are being made to appeal to younger generations and that's why Hollywood does so much re-hashing. Seeing the new as derivative crap is part of aging and it happens to us all.
Just take those old records off the shelf
I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself
Today's music ain't got the same soul
I like that old time rock 'n' roll
- Bob Seger
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Most folks are tired of:
1) 4) Poor theater maintenance ( buzzing speakers, smells like mold / mildew, poor sanitation )
I want to speak up for the Showcase Cinema in Reading.
Beautifully clean throughout especially the toilets.
VERY comfortable seating - something like four feet of leg room, buttons in the armrests to control the recline and extending footrests.
Loud but not too loud, excellent quality sound.
6) Half an hour of " previews " before the show even begins
Aim to arrive 15 minutes after programme start?
On top of the extremely poor quality of movies in general these days.
Personally I thoroughly enjoyed Juror #2 and the new Gladiator. Don't have to go to everything!
I can't speak for everyone
but I'm reallllllllllly tired of any / all of the following tropes:
1) Zombies
2) Super Heros ( How many retellings of the same GD story do we need ? Eg: Batman )
Agreed
3) Star Wars and Star Trek ( I'm Gen-X so this is saying something )
Actually I'd love to see the original Star Wars on the big screen again.
A
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They Don't Understand Their Audience. (Score:5, Insightful)
Theater chains are responding with enhanced experiences and loyalty programs to draw audiences back.
Demonstrating that they don't understand their audience. There are two things that work against movie theaters:
1. Price (Theaters need to lower their prices significantly.)
2. Convenience.
It is inconvenient for someone to go to the movies. It is far more convenient to rent that same movie from a streaming service for the same price, or less, than a single movie ticket and watch it in the comfort of your own home. Combine this with the convenience of just waiting for a month or three, for the movie to be released through other channels like streaming and possibly for cheap/free.
Movie theaters need to focus less on "experiences" and more on lower cost. I'm not paying $20 per seat to watch 15 minutes of ads and a mediocre at best movie when I can do that for free or cheap in the comfort of my own sofa.
Movie theaters also need to convince studios to not do secondary channel releases nearly as quickly. They need to make it so that the theater is the cheaper and/or more convenient choice.
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Movie theaters also need to convince studios to not do secondary channel releases nearly as quickly.
Movie theaters need to just go away. Fixed scheduling is an anachronism for movies just like it is for TV, and secondary releases are bike-shedding this reality.
[Movie theaters] need to make it so that the theater is the cheaper and/or more convenient choice.
This can never happen. The movie theater can never be the more convenient option, and it will never complete on price with streaming. Paying $75+ for tickets and concessions for the family to watch a single movie can never complete with (roughly speaking) $25/month and essentially free concessions to watch everything of interest.
And packing up the f
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Movie theaters take up a lot of space.
Even if they pay their royalties as a percent and drop the price in half. Are they really going to double the attendance?
I suspect the inconvenience is a bigger problem. Yes, once we get over that hurdle the prices are off-putting, but I suspect just the annoyance of getting there and back at a fixed time more than outweighs the better experience (if one accepts the premise that it's better).
Especially since it's competing with high definition 70 inch TVs now.
From what
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1. Price (Theaters need to lower their prices significantly.)
Actually, distributors need to lower their prices.
I remember reading that distributors will take 90% of the first two-week gross sales. That doesn't leave the theater much to run on, which is why they make their money on snacks and such.
Watching movies at home... (Score:3)
Of Course (Score:2)
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The only reason to go to the movies was for the popcorn. And nowadays, microwave popcorn has gotten a million times better and movie popcorn is stale, flavorless, and expensive.
Microwave popcorn is still crap. The way to make good home theater popcorn at home is with a hot oil popper machine. The "secret" ingredients are refined coconut oil and Flavacol.
If you like to make your popcorn really unhealthy with movie theater buttery flavored topping, that's another thing you'll have to order online. The stuff sold in the grocery stores tastes nothing like what they serve at the cinema. It goes without saying, movie theaters don't buy their popcorn supplies from Whole Foods, so be
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I do popcorn in a pot with some oil, I never burn it because I always keep it moving, and then I add some butter (not that much, it's already been popped in fat) and salt. It's better than the movie popcorn IMO, though it doesn't have the nostalgia factor of butter flavored topping I guess.
I'd like a machine, but I wouldn't use it enough to justify how much space it consumes. Even a small one is too big. The pot is used for other things and it nests :)
Perfect Storm. (Score:2)
A lot of the movies coming to theaters these days are following last decade's trends, instead of exploring new ideas. Many of those movies have taken those trends, and directed them at increasingly niche audiences, instead of being designed and marketed toward the broader audiences that filmmakers usually go for. Those things make the movies themselves, less collectively palatable.
It doesn't end there, though. Twenty years ago, I could take my wife to see a matinee for $10. Now, I can't even buy one ticket
No time for that (Score:3)
Modern life has destroyed my attention span.
I rarely watch full-length movies any more. But if I do, I wait till I can borrow the DVD free from the library, put it in my computer and watch it sped up to at least 1.5X, and break it up into 2 or 3 sessions.
That would be me (Score:5, Insightful)
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How about some blinders or something to give some privacy from the teenagers making out or feeling each other during the movie? Oh, FCC please allow radio jamming so the phones completely stop. Nobody needs that shit either.
Say... how about doubling down on privacy so we can take a blanket and pretend we are teens... and gross out the kids with our behavior? Enforce the rules on rated R too. Bet this increases customers... ;-)
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Are you the one that convinced Lauren Boebert to test this idea?
Future of cinema (Score:5, Interesting)
I think the future of cinema is event programming.
Instead of focusing on the latest releases which have never been marketed, and no one has ever heard of, theatres need a way to provide a large back catalog.
Like on May 4th, showing all Star Wars on your screens.
Or small (private?) theatres rented to show your favorite Disney film for a birthday party.
Smart theatres could have a system where people can vote to see some old flick, and get notified when enough customers have pledged support.
More odd-ball stuff like the Taylor Swift concert could become the norm. Live performances simulcast to theatres across the country would be a good fit here.
Get creative providing quality programming. Like a theatre where you have a membership to go when you want, but you don't know what you're going to see; but they only show Oscar winners from the 70s and 80s. Date night surprise.
And of course 50% of theatres probably just have to fail to right size the market.
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Yes! I saw The Mummy (Brendan Fraser) this year when it went back to theaters. Bring back hits and you'll put butts in seats.
Essentially you are deciding to compete with the streaming services and will need to provide an experience worth that higher entrace price.
Give me high-end tech like IMAX, laser, 4DX, D-Box, calibrated audio. Give me an experience like Arclight who will have staff introduce a movie, have stick around a few minutes to ensure things are good, and are strict about talking or phone use. G
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Our local 'discount' theater does that. Tickets are still like $8/each, and they only get older films (so about 6 months delayed 'official' release, I think). But they often have older films and do movie nights for cult films, and things of that fashion. If I go to the theater, it's there.
And yet.... (Score:2)
The cost drives many people away (Score:3)
There was a time when you had a mix of movies, from the big blockbusters, comedies, drama, you name it, and many times, people would just take a gamble on going to a movie they have never heard of before, just to pass the time. With the high price of going to a movie, combined with the lack of originality, people will either really like it, or they won't find it is worth the money, but more often than not, it is the later, and it's just a waste.
We also have the situation where if you enjoy movies, you can get a decent home environment. A 65 inch 4k TV with a surround sound audio system isn't really all that expensive as well. Then, you have the quality of movie theaters, where if they are not higher end(with better seating, great audio and visuals), then those may also have uncomfortable seats that haven't been replaced in well over a decade, but cost $15+?
For the big blockbuster movies, then sure, going to an IMAX Experience or full IMAX is worth it, but for others, what you can get at home for $1000-$2000 ends up being a better movie-watching experience.
Theaters suck (Score:2)
In the past, they were required because of the tech of the time
Today, they are dinosaurs and need to die
Here's the theater experience...
Drive across town
Try to find a parking space, often paid
Wait in line for a ticket
Wait in line to pay way too much for crappy snacks
Try to find an acceptable seat
Suffer through endless commercials
Once the movie starts, there is no way to pause or rewind if you need to pee or miss an important part
The sound is mixed with effects too loud and the actors mumbling or whispering,
Why make good movies so LOUD? (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
You want to sit in the middle of an IMAX theater, just like any other theater, then you're not next to the speakers and you have the best view. Just don't go when a movie has just opened and you can pick a decent seat.
It IS the fashion to turn up the volume too much, though, and it is irritating. It's just not as irritating when you're not pretending you're on all the drugs at a show.
Why go out? (Score:2)
In my home theater, I can watch the movie when I want, with who I want, pause as needed, and not put up with ads and high snack prices. There's not really anything they can do to get me to go back - I don't mind waiting for the dvd...
Theaters are disgusting (Score:2)
Theater chains are responding with enhanced experiences and loyalty programs to draw audiences back.
Two of our local theaters closed. The one remaining one is disgusting. It's not maintained at all. The seats, floors, counters, and restrooms are all filthy and in disrepair. It's clear that the chains are unwilling or unable to afford to pay for adequate staff to maintain the facility. I'm not paying a hundred bucks for a night out to enjoy that "enhanced experience".
Everything is at home now: movies, work, fitness (Score:2)
There's also "politics" (Score:2)
I stopped going to the movies when the MPAA lobbied congress for an abusive copyright law. Since then I've seen exactly 3 movies at a theater, and one of them only because I could verify that it wasn't approved by the MPAA. (And one of the others was a real disappointment. If not I might have started going again.)
Too expensive these days (Score:2)
I cannot really justify spending that much for a Sunday matinee except on special occasions now. The experience of being in the theater and being able to focus on the movie is wonderful. But, I can usually get the same movie for $10-15 on disk or through a service if I just wait a while, and I can
Have they not seen the ticket prices? (Score:2)
Immersion is key (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The 4DX and similar experiences can be worthwhile. Moving seats, wind and mist in your face, that sort of thing. But the theater has to offer something you can't get at home.
That might be enjoyable for a 5 minute theme park ride, but I'm not going to sit for two hours with my seat bouncing around in a simulated maelstrom. Heck, I'm already over the novelty of 3D. It's entertaining in short doses, but headache inducing after an hour or so.
Times change, move with them! (Score:2)
I'd go more often... (Score:2)
...if a night at the movies for two didn't cost close to $100 with a drink and snacks.
After years of getting screwed over at the theater I finally invested in a 70 inch TV.... now I can bring my dog and all my friends and family to a movie for the cost of streaming it.
Doubt I'll ever go back to the theaters.
unpopular opinion: this isn't a bad thing (Score:2)
If, evidently, people are perfectly happy NOT to spend the billion dollars that the theaters wish we would spend, I don't see why I should take the theater's side that something needs to change. I watch movies alone or with my family. It's far cheaper to watch them at home than nearly anywhere else. There's no reason to go to a theater for a movie anymore.
$15 Popcorn (Score:2)
Nobody wants to be the "no snacks" Dad, but what I don't get is this:
Theaters make most of their money on concessions but they have six people in a given showtime with $20 popcorn-n-soda instead of 120 people in the theater with $5 popcorn-n-soda.
The material and labor cost is under $1 either way.
So they're leaving $500 profits on the floor for those shows to chase $100 profits.
Or so it would seem. What is going on here?
Re: (Score:3)
The problem is that the distributors demand a certain amount per set of eyeballs that see a movie, figuring (probably correctly) that people don't generally make an effort to watch a film a second time unless they really liked it the first time. If it was just "pretty good" they're going to buy the Blu Ray, not go back to the theater, so selling out seats cheaply today means the same people won't pay twice as much some other day. The interests of the distributors and the theaters are not aligned.
The age of cinema has passed (Score:3)
The age of cinema as a significant art form - one of cultural significance - has passed.
We're ~20 years out from the era when movies were of significant artistic value. This is due to several factors, but since Netflix took over with direct-to-home DVD rentals it's been downhill ever since.
* Movie budgets have gotten pinched and funding for the kinds of movies that were possible in the 90s and early 00s (think: Shawshank Redemption, The Matrix, Braveheart, Gladiator, Donnie Darko - and many many others).
* Computers have made it increasingly easy to do special effects. This has resulted in quality story being supplanted with special effects, because it's cheaper.
* Traditional values like "good" and "bad" are politically untenable so "moralizing" films with heroes have to be stereotyped and downplayed. (Think: Marvel).
* Film production has gone international. There's now a bigger market for movies outside the US, and as such they have to appeal to international sensibilities.
There are many others, but those are the big ones I've seen, and why anything worth watching tends to be in a long format show variation anymore. It's been years since I've seen a movie I even want to watch. As someone who went to school for film, this is really disheartening.
Cost is real (Score:3)
They've priced themselves out of casual movie going.
I have ALWAYS measured my recreation time against a night at the movies. I used to be able to go watch a movie and load up on snacks for myself and 1 other ... come out like 30 bucks or something. I could watch a movie for 90-180 minutes for 60 bucks...or get a top tier video game that will keep me busy for at least 30 hours.
Now those guys want 30 bucks just to rent their two chairs. And another 35 bucks for a popcorn that costs them $1.
They've lost the casuals due to their own greed.
Re: (Score:2)
Mary Sue is a terrible insult, if this was 1954.
Re: (Score:2)
Found the time traveler.
Re:Movies have WEAK MEN, and STRONG (ugly) WOMEN (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:3)
OP is not wrong though...
The story isn't that people are avoiding Hollywood entertainment, they're avoiding going to the cinema. Netflix has been adding subscribers and their profits are up. [theguardian.com]
The OP just poorly articulated that they're displeased with what mainstream Hollywood entertainment is putting out lately, which pretty much demonstrates their own ignorance to the multitude of other entertainment options being produced world-wide, or that they now have easy access to a back catalog of entertainment better than any earlier poin