How many people still actively goto movie theatres? - (BETA) DVD Talk Forum (2024)

IC_Freeze

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so it looks like about ~50% of you guys still goto movies, and some very actively. How can you guys afford to see movies more than once or twice a week? where do you find the time?
I predict that in the coming years, theatre attendance will dwindle down due to the following:

1) Rude audiences, ie, talking during movie, cell phone, kicking seats, etc. The current generation today are pretty much the 'spoiled' generation. These kids grew up having basically everything their way (strong economy, etc). So they are naturally spoiled and spoiled people are most likely rude. This will eventually turn off movie goers unless theatres start enforcing common courtesy laws.

2) DVD/ HT equipment advances (in both tech and cheapness) the movie experience will be that much closer to your living room

3) Movie downloading. As broadband becomes more available, more people will download movies. And possibly, movie companies should look at the a pay-per-view type of download for new movies.

Giles

Join Date: Dec 1999

Location: Washington DC

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sadly, having a part time job (matinees)... .... ... and three theatres within walking distance of my job and home (one of which my high school friend is a manager of). DC Film Society member: free screenings.

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Last edited by Giles; 03-21-03 at 12:09 PM.

sundog

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I stop at theaters on my way home from work. I got a bitch of a commute, resulting in staggered hours so I can get out early and beat rush hour. Rather than going home I just catch matinees and by the time the movie's over, traffic is considerably lighter.

As for cash, aside from the not-so-often full-price multiplex visit (usually resulting in multiple movies), I'll pay either four, five or six dollars max a trip. That's thanks to memberships. Over the course of a year the fee pays for itself. And each renewal also yields more free passes.

thecrazydude

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RayChuang

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I don't often go to theaters for this reason: they're no longer cheap. The best theater complexes I know of in my area (Century 20 Great Mall in Milpitas, CA and Century 25 Union Landing in Union City, CA) want US$6.00 for a matinee ticket and US$10.00 for an evening ticket!

Before the complexes I mentioned opened, I rarely went to theaters for the following reasons:

1. Lousy picture quality (out of focus, not bright enough).

2. Lousy sound quality (lack of decent, clear surround sound).

3. Price of concessions WAY too high.

4. Uncomfortable seating, often with poor sightlines.

5. Annoying patrons that talk too much and don't bother to turn off cellphones and pagers.

6. Theaters that are not properly kept clean.

Anyway, with the price of 1.78 to 1 aspect ratio HDTV projection TV's, progressive-scan DVD players and decent Home Theater receiver/speaker setups rapidly dropping in price, it's getting to the point you can duplicate the movie theater experience (with the possibly exception of the large screen experience) at home relatively easily. And best of all, at home you can make your own snacks at WAY cheaper prices and can stop the movie anytime temporarily for any form of interruption (phone call, needing to use the restroom, and so on).

DVD Smurf

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Troy Stiffler

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Hmmmm. Went around 80 times last year. I'm a dork and keep a record of everything I see.

As for this year... It's been pretty much all duds so far. I went to see a lot of oscar-season movies for the second time in the past three months.

I've been going to Madstone Theaters (God Bless Them), in Chandler, AZ lately. They've been getting a lot of different prints to a LOT of classics. Look at this list:

Blood Simple (Going to see tomorrow/Sunday)
The Wall
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Bonnie and Claude
Last House on the Left
Bottle Rocket
Royal Tenenbaums
Lost Highway (Sunday)
Wild at Heart (Sunday)
Goodfellas !
Mean Streets
Traffic
Sex, Lies, and Videotape
Dr. Zhivago
Suspiria
Casablanca
Dr. Stranglove !
Stranger than Paradise
Oliver
The list goes on and on, I just can't think of more right now.

I've had nothing but good expierences. They seem to only get film buffs. No cell phones, no kids (obviously), and best of all, NO OLD PEOPLE (suprising). Old people are more annoying than and kid-audience that I've ever sat with. They can never keep up with anything that's happening (even in a simple movie like The Man Who Wasn't There!), and they always feel that they have to repeat or point out what's happening on screen.

None-the-less, I'll never give up on going to the local cineplex. I'm just waiting for Hollywood to get back into good movies for this year.

gutwrencher

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BassDude

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WOW! Since they closed Cine Capri, I've been wondering where the theaters that would screen classics would show up. Valley Art has some occasionally. (Saw Casablanca there.) They have their D.O.A. festival going on now. Anyway...thanks for the tip! Gotta check that theater out.

We'll see how much HDTV affects the theater's bottom line. We've heard it all before.. VHS will kill theaters... Cd's will kill folks going to live concerts... But at least with HDTV and home theater equipment, it seems more feasible to see some decline. Still...those of us on this board are in the minority. The segment commonly referred to as Joe Six Pack outnumbers us, and having just left the Cineplex tonight (saw Chicago..just in time...) theaters appear to be doing pretty well.

IC_Freeze

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FHaggis

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While I absolutely love going to the theaters, I have to say that I abhor showings that aren't matinee most of the time. Matinees are the best because you have a near genuine theater experience when all is dark, more or less quiet, intensely personal, and comfortable. I hate the crowds that appear for the evening showings and frequently distract others via blathering, phonecalls, spontaneous sex, and whatever else bothers the hell out of me. Everytime I find myself trapped in the middle of widespread stupidity, I have to ask myself if what I'm paying for--or not, is really worth the money and/or time. Even with one too many flaming idiots in the milieu, there are certain movies though that work so much better on a thirty foot screen.

One perk that makes theater-going ultimately plausible is AMC's Moviewatcher membership; I can't see myself shelling out so much money (i.e. 9/10 dollars for every showing in NYC!) and not getting anything else for it. Discounts keep me happy and free movies are just neato. The food discounts are laughable tho: $0.50 off five dollar nachos... yeah, okay...

I find that I rent fewer films/movies now just because I desperately love to own what I like. If I do rent anything, it's often because of the following: I'm either overly antsy, can't find a new DVD to play, unwilling to shell out ten bucks, or (perhaps) feeling somewhat tolerant of the VHS format.

Last edited by FHaggis; 03-27-03 at 01:19 AM.

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