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Movies

The Casual Moviegoer is a Thing of the Past (latimes.com) 292

Posted by msmash from the closer-look dept.
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.

The Casual Moviegoer is a Thing of the Past More | Reply

The Casual Moviegoer is a Thing of the Past

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  • They should probably... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by JoeDuncan ( 874519 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @03:10PM (#64985809)
    ...just make better movies, instead of churning out garbage.

    • Re:They should probably... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by skam240 ( 789197 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @03:19PM (#64985829)

      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)

        by tlhIngan ( 30335 ) <slashdotNO@SPAMworf.net> on Monday December 02, 2024 @04:33PM (#64986057)

        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.

        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.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by GuB-42 ( 2483988 )

        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

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by shmlco ( 594907 )

          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.

    • Re: They should probably... (Score:5, Insightful)

      by beelsebob ( 529313 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @03:35PM (#64985887)

      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)

        by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @03:45PM (#64985913)

        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.

        • 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.

      • This ^^^^^^^^^^ If I could have upvoted you instead, I would have.

      • Re: They should probably... (Score:5, Interesting)

        by AvitarX ( 172628 ) <me AT brandywinehundred DOT org> on Monday December 02, 2024 @04:18PM (#64986005) Journal

        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)

        by jddj ( 1085169 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @04:39PM (#64986075) Journal

        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.

    • There are more good movies than ever. It is just that most of them will never be on a theater screen.

    • 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

    • ...& maybe try building cinemas where someone might casually come across one instead of giant warehouse/hangar cineplex thingumies miles away from civilisation?

    • 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.

    • Making something creative is hard. Especially with the standards modern audiences have.

      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

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Ogive17 ( 691899 )
      You think movie quality was better in the past because you don't remember all the garbage that came out in each era. It's not really a quality issue as a cost issue.

      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

    • 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. 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.

  • that was before COVID (Score:5, Insightful)

    by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Monday December 02, 2024 @03:15PM (#64985821) Homepage Journal

    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.

  • Unpleasant (Score:5, Insightful)

    by bradley13 ( 1118935 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @03:19PM (#64985831) Homepage
    Cinemas have become unpleasant. Deafening sound, too many people with their phones out, nutty prices. No thanks.
    • 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.

      • 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. :-)

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by bn-7bc ( 909819 )
          No, musicians have on stage / in ear monirtors, thay don't really listen to the dame pa as the audience, mostly because thst la is usually in front of the pointing at the audience, allso most/all musicians bave dadeceted mixes for their monitir so they hear mosttly what thay are doing and theothers on stage just ( in the pacround to get their timing right ) sorce: sond techs at the place i work
      • Sound levels are higher now because it has to overcome all the people that have no etiquette in public events and just yap away like they are having a conversation at home. Any they don't just talk, they yell so they can hear each other.

        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

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by munehiro ( 63206 )

        but, but, but.... DYNAMIC RANGE! Nolan specifically wanted it to sound it that way!

        Who are you to judge? the paying customer?

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • And every time there's a news story about movie theaters I've been seeing those complaints since I started. I suspect they go back farther. I wouldn't be surprised to find Socrates complaining about the noise and phones in theaters...

      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
  • ... just to have to listen to someone gabbing on a mobile phone in the row behind you?
  • And now the walk in theatre is on its deathbed, considering the price of admission and the prices at the snackbar i can see why, and internet streaming move onto your HUGE LCD_HDTV made it too easy to stay home make some popcorn in the microwave and your own livingroom is better theater with all the conveniences of home plus you can pause the movie as needed

    • 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.

    • 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.

  • 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.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AvitarX ( 172628 )

      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.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by Mal-2 ( 675116 )

        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.

    • 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)

    by nehumanuscrede ( 624750 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @03:26PM (#64985851)

    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.

    • 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

    • 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?

    • 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

    • 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

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by bn-7bc ( 909819 )
      You say "old shit " and you might be right but holywood sees" proven track record and IP we allready own"

  • They Don't Understand Their Audience. (Score:5, Insightful)

    by SlashbotAgent ( 6477336 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @03:27PM (#64985859)

    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.

    • 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

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AvitarX ( 172628 )

      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

    • 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)

    by GotNoRice ( 7207988 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @03:29PM (#64985867)
    One thing the article really glosses over is the fact that home entertainment has really flourished, both in terms of technology and availability (streaming). Back when the best you could do was a small NTSC TV, combined with maybe renting a VHS/DVD, going to the movies was a very compelling experience. Now with large 4K TVs common and cheap, there are a lot of reasons why it makes more sense to just watch movies at home instead. And the theaters have a lot of reason to look inward also. Over-charging for drinks and snacks, skyrocketing ticket prices, etc. Not to mention, that at the theater you can't simply pause the movie to use the bathroom, fill your drink, or answer your phone without missing part of the movie. You have to deal with other people, their kids, and all of their bad habits. You have to get there early and wait if you want a good seat. You have no control over the volume level. The reasons really begin to add up. A lot of us already knew how great simply watching movies at home could be, even before Covid. Covid converted a lot of the people who still went to theaters out of habit, and also changed the way studios release movies so that you're no longer always waiting 6 months before you have the chance to watch it at home.
  • 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. Oh yeah, and many modern movies are terrible because they're made with the mindset that they'll be guaranteed hits if they spend enough money on flashy effects, regardless of how vapid the plot is.

    • 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

      • 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 :)

  • 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)

    by Waffle Iron ( 339739 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @03:32PM (#64985877)

    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)

    by RUs1729 ( 10049396 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @03:32PM (#64985879)
    The thing is, since I am not into superhero movies, or other movies addressed to teenagers, and the movie experience sucks to high heaven, I am unlikely to go back to the movie theater any time soon.

    • 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... ;-)

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by Mal-2 ( 675116 )

        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?

        Are you the one that convinced Lauren Boebert to test this idea?

  • Future of cinema (Score:5, Interesting)

    by reanjr ( 588767 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @03:43PM (#64985905) Homepage

    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.

    • 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

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by CAIMLAS ( 41445 )

      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, there are more movies than ever. Some movies are unequivocally better on the biggest screen you can find. If you live in a small apartment, a medium screen at neighborhood theater is also an excellent amenity. However, movies are movies. If more movies than ever are being made and more people than ever are being paid to make them, is it really a bid deal outside of nostalgia than movie theaters are niche industry? On that note is $8.5 billion in tickets sales really niche anyway? The overall indust

  • The cost drives many people away (Score:3)

    by Targon ( 17348 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @03:48PM (#64985923)

    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.

  • 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)

    by C0L0PH0N ( 613595 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @03:57PM (#64985947)
    Saw "Oppenheimer" a while ago. Great subject, but made the mistake of selecting an "IMAX" theater. WAY too loud. We sat near a set of speakers that were the size of Volkswagons, that just blasted us. And why would a movie about Oppenheimer need sound levels that would compete with a jet engine next to you? By the way, I saw "The Martian" a few years ago at an IMAX and it was a wonderful experience. So just cut the sound levels down please.

    • 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.

  • 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...

  • 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".

  • Make our homes nicer and the outside world more expensive and everyone does everything at home now. Since the pandemic, nearly everyone does more from home now: work, home, movies, eating, etc. Casual movies have been in decline for a long time. TV and streaming offer a great experience. Theaters still suck, but they've also gotten really expensive. However, it's just impossible to compete with the convenience of video on demand. I can watch nearly any movie in existence, at whim, for less the price of

  • 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.)

  • The prices have gone through the roof... For a Sunday matinee with three children under 11 it cost over $50 for tickets yesterday. 3 drinks, 2 cups of water, popcorn, and a couple of snacks was another $60+.

    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
  • Who can affort to be regular moviegoer nowdays? Thats really financially irresponsible
  • 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.

    • 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.

  • People, especially businesses people, need to stop living for the good old days, and accept that things have changed. A significant proportion of people now have a decent home viewing setup, and access to movies has become easier with broadband. Instead of lamenting about how we no longer see working horses on the streets, why the department stores have all closed down, accept these are no longer required. Start looking forward, not backward and find new ways to make a profit, not just keep complaining that

  • ...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.

  • 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.

  • 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)

      by Mal-2 ( 675116 )

      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)

    by CAIMLAS ( 41445 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @09:33PM (#64986755)

    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)

    by skogs ( 628589 ) on Monday December 02, 2024 @11:59PM (#64986923) Journal

    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.

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