Theatres are feeling jilted

[Sandman]

linkage

I rarely go to the theatre anymore, and when I do, it's only for the eye candy. I might go more often, but taking the entire family can be an expensive night. It's far cheaper to just buy the DVD.

Even with matinee prices, it's all the stuff afterwards that's insane... $3.00 for a soft drink? Puhleeze... and let's not forget popcorn. It costs pennies to make and yet they're selling small tubs for $4.00 or more.

It's ridiculous.

... oh, and let's not even get started on the commercials that start beforehand.

[Skydancer]

Thats a cinema.

A theatre is where you go to watch the ballet, a play with real live actors ( not CGI) or a comedian or some such thing.

Funny how we speak the same language but don't if you see what I mean.

Thats why there is so much confusion over the rules in this place.

( sorry if this is a hijack went off on a tangent )

But I agree with you. Its a rip off. I go to the Cinema rarely and only if I think the film will be better enjoyed on a big screen. I don't buy the junk there I eat and drink before I go. Mind you I don't have any kids yet  so who knows!

[LePaul]

You make a great point.  Sadly, its been that way forever.  Its comedy material that going to the movies costs a lot.  

I honestly dont understand why a medium popcorn is $5.50.  Or a medium drink is $4.50.  

And I also dont understand why more people arent vocal about this.  But perhaps with the recent Hollywood theater slump, they'll figure out that its vastly cheaper to rent the DVD than sit in their theaters.

[AKS\/\/ulfe]

I've gone to the movie theater three times in the past 10 years.

I haven't even seen Star Wars Ep III yet, because I am not going to a movie theater evar again.

Rip me off to sit there and have to deal with getting people to shut up or have them take their bastard child outside so it will shut up or stop kicking the chair while sitting in a crappy uncomfortable seat with some strange goo on the floors and arm rests.

No thanks.
-SW

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Skydancer
Thats a cinema.

A theatre is where you go to watch the ballet, a play with real live actors ( not CGI) or a comedian or some such thing.

Funny how we speak the same language but don't if you see what I mean.

Thats why there is so much confusion over the rules in this place.

( sorry if this is a hijack went off on a tangent )

But I agree with you. Its a rip off. I go to the Cinema rarely and only if I think the film will be better enjoyed on a big screen. I don't buy the junk there I eat and drink before I go. Mind you I don't have any kids yet  so who knows!

Can't you find a nice quiet english BBS where you don't have to force feed your culture down one's throat because of your insecurities? (j/k)

[Maverick]

It has been over 2 years since I went to a first run theater to watch a movie. I wait until it's out in the "cheap" movie theaters. I do like to see it on the big screen and hear the sound track on a super sound system.

To me the theaters and more specifically the folks who make the movies are making big bucks. Watching the "score" of how many millions the studio makes on opening weekend is a good indicator of the amount of money they are making over production costs. Then again I am NOT a fan of paying entertainers and sports entertainers fabulous amounts of money for what they do. They should be compensated decently but paying them millions of dollars for a single season / film is outrageous to me. Because of thet I do what I can to insure I pay the least amount for their "product".

[john9001]

the cinemas make their profit from all the popcorn, drinks , etc, your ticket price goes to pay the "stars" 20 million per picture.

[DREDIOCK]

If its an epic and something I think is interesting Ill go see it in the movies (cinema)

If its just a comedy or some  sort of drama. I'll just wait for the DVD.

I'll sping for a large coke but usually sneak my own snacks in.

Anybody ever go for the double feature.
That is when one movie ends slip into another one instead of leaving?

I dont but my wife will do it with my son.
I usually get pretty pissed when I find out as Im not into that sort of thing.

Never been a good theif so I dont do it.

[J_A_B]

I stopped watching movies in the cinema when they started showing a bunch of commericals before the film in addition to the usual previews.  The point of going was to escape commercials, not be bombarded with commericals when I couldn't even change the channel.


J_A_B

[Toad]

I don't envy the cinema companies.

"Home Theater" is pretty amazing right now and there's never a line for the bathroom.

Once you get in the cycle "new release" DVD's come along quite regularly and cheaply.

The companies say VHS didn't kill them and DVD won't either. Probably not; the kids have to have somewhere to take their dates, the "big screen" will always have it's appeal.

I think the "glory! glory!" days are over for them though.

[moot]

Madstone cinema in Phoenix (Chandler, on Ray) tried the old fashioned film approach and quickly ran out of business.

They had a guy give a spoken intro to each movie, which was really good I thought, and a nice place to sit for drinks or talk next to the register.  That could have been improved in terms of comfort and aesthetics, but they obviously hadn't made enough profit yet.
It showed mostly indy and foreign films, and the better hollywood stuff.
The sound systems and seating were as good as the regular big theaters, so it's a shame it didn't last.

[Beefcake]

I'm just going to chime in here since I work at a 5 screen cinema.

As john9001 said, cinema's make all their money at the snack bar as we get almost nothing off the ticket. Our cinema got 2 copies of SW:EIII and after the first week was over, we ended up with our best opening weekend ever. Our ticket sells netted 13,000 bucks, the best ever for a cinema in this little town. However, the movie company gets 90% profit off each ticket, so that means out of that 13,000 bucks the cinema got 1,300. Bare in mind if that was our only income, we would be looking for new jobs now, however, even though we only made 1,300 dollars in ticket sells, our snack bar made well over 10,000 dollars in candy, popcorn, and drink sells, and that is 100% profit right there. So I hope you guys can understand why prices at cinema's are so high.

Also a little tidbit so you know how much cinema's have to spend to stay running. At our cinema it cost's us 15 dollars an hour to run 1....ONE projector and all its support equipment. (lamphouse, lights, exhaust, platters, automation, sound system, ect.) Times that number by 3 since Star Wars is 3 hours long. Now times that by 10, as for the first 2 weeks we had 10 shows of Star Wars running a day. If my math is right that comes out to 450 dollars a day to run 2 theatre's, and I'm not even adding in the fact that we had 3 other theatre's playing other movies besides Star Wars.

So please, next time you goto see a movie, spend a few dollars (if you can spare it) at the snack bar. Those people behind the counter will thank you as their paychecks and jobs are riding on it.

/rant off

[Gunslinger]

FWIW,

movie houses now make more money off of DVD sales (in most cases) than they do off of theater/cinema tickets or concessions.

[rpm]

Originally posted by Skydancer
Thats a cinema.

That there's a picture show. dang city folk.

[Toad]

"pichure show" I think, isn't it?