Do you GO to see movies anymore?

[Venetia]

Long long ago in the Age Before Time Itself, people made big events out of going to movie theatres. Most didn't have televisions, and the only way to SEE the news, or a cartoon, or a film, was to head down to the local cineplex.

As television became more accessible, regular shows and news broadcasts were phased out of theatres, and it gradually became movies-only. Even still, this was the ONLY opportunity to see movies: they'd only appear on television, MAYBE, after many years had passed, and would be heavily edited. Or, they'd appear in matinee features at theatres that only showed older movies. Thus, people still went to box offices in droves.

With the popularization of the VCR, people no longer NEEDED to flock to a theatre to see a movie while it was still relevant. After usually only a few months to a year, it'd come out on tape, and you could play it from the comfort of your own home. Movies started to play for less time in theatres, and, over the years, they would start to come out on tape (and, later, DVD, etc) sooner and sooner, making it a much more interesting option to people who didn't want to make a big event out of going to see a film. Drive-ins became mostly obsolete, only a novelty in some places.

Nowadays, you can get a film even before it's released, on the internet. Movies come out in downloadable or rentable or buyable formats almost as soon as they're out of theatres. Movie theatre prices have jumped way up due to lack of attendance (even when I was a kid, you could get in for $3 for a matinee, and nowadays it's about $8-10). Going to theatres has become more of a luxury than a staple of entertainment: there are much easier, cheaper alternatives.

SO

Do you still go to movie threatres? How often?
Do you do it only when you see something REALLY worthwhile, or do you still go for pretty much anything that even piques your interest?
Are you more likely to download a movie or watch it on DVD/Blu-Ray (whether legit or otherwise)?

If a brand new movie came out you were excited to see, and it came out first both in downloadable format (or disc media) AND in theatres at the SAME TIME, which would you opt for?

What do you think the movie theatre industry could do to make your experience more worthwhile, to make you WANT to see the movie in THEIR establishment more?

(Theater, theatre, whatever)

 

[Ellie]

Once every month or two and it's generally a big deal when we do it. Special etc. Mainly because it's so damned expensive. Cineworld near me is £7 per person now, with a popcorn and cola costing you £7.80!

I don't download anything and buy DVDs when I have the money. Not very often. Keeps movies being a special thing and means there's always another film out there I haven't seen ~

They should change the generic cineplexes into the old-age movie theatres we used to see. It would make it a lot more special rather than "just another place". I'm talking less perfectly square warehouses with movie reels in them, and more of this:

In fact make it four seats, one for each family member, and make it free to get in.

In all seriousness though the companies themselves are killing it. By raising prices to cover losses they're further turning people away. I won't pay £15 for a night out when I have £10 a week disposable income. ;-*

 

[JD_Slasha]

I go very rarely, only when the Mrs. really wants to see something, or if something ooks interesting enough that it'll be a cool experience seeing it in theaters (i.e. Up, etc.)

 

[moxie]

Personally, I go 3-4+ times a month. I'm one of those dorks that loves the theater experience (As long as it's not too crowded.) and I guess you'd say I enjoy the social aspect of it.

The prices I'm not too crazy about... what we do is take big purses on movie day and smuggle soda/candy in to not have to buy a tiny Coke for $6 and candy for $10+. That just leaves one of those ginomous refillable popcorns for $8. :smoke:

 

[Venetia]

I barely ever go. Maybe 3 times a year, I'd guess. Pretty much anything else, I can wait until it comes out on pay-per-view or television. It's cheaper, it's easier.

Plus, most movie theatre experiences are rather poor. The volume is often terrible, the seats smell/are uncomfortable. When the credits roll, the ushers all stand there impatiently staring at you--and I like to sit through them. The food is ghastly expensive, and often, not worth it (watered-down soda, artificial butter, greasy nachos). You have to share both armrests, sometimes with perfect strangers. They're always way too cold or way too hot (bad climate control), and after you leave, there's nothing to do but wander aimlessly back to your car, which is parked about 14 miles away. And heaven forbid you use the bathroom--they're disgusting.


Now there's a few theatres in the tampa area which are rather cool and they have the right idea.

The Cobb Theatre features roomy, comfortable seats, with their own armrests. The theatres are small while the screens are large, and the sound is great. There's an option, called the CineBistro, where you can sit in an upper deck during the movie, and you're waited on and served 4-star meals, with a bar right behind you for drinks. The upper-deck seats are ENORMOUS, bigger than 1st class airplane seats, and feature individual collapsible tables. This isn't cheap, in fact you're lucky to get out of there under $50 for 2 people, but it's HUGELY enjoyable.

There's another place that's cheaper, I don't recall the name, where they play movies in these individual rooms where you can sit at a table and drink beer and eat relaxed-style food, like burgers and wings. Then after you leave, there's another bar right outside the theatres, where you can put on a nightcap, should you so choose. There's also an arcade nearby.

Since theatres have been feeling the pressure of new technology, I think more and more of them are going to need to tack on dining and entertainment as a means of sweetening the deal to their clientele. They'd probably make a hell of a lot more money, too. I mean, if you're in the mood to go to a restaurant anyway, why not pay an extra 3 bucks and get a movie too?

Man, if I had the cash, that would totally be my idea of a cool business to start.

 

[united washcloth express]

Whenever I do go, I bring in my own drinks and food. They never stop me for some reason.

 

[mawk]

I go when there's a huge movie or something, or if I'd rather see something in BIGSIZE rather than on a pretty lametv (I used to know a guy with a free wall and a screen projector, but we've pretty much both moved to opposite corners of the country now). my go-to theatre is in the biggest mall in the free world, so smell and volume aren't really an issue, but the Cobb Theatre sounds leagues nicer. it's not like it's just for the movie, though; I rarely go alone, and the immediate area has all kinds of other cool stuff.

still, though, it's only like four or five times a year.

 

[Ellie]

Huh the movies here are actually good then, the screens huge, the sound perfect, the resolution great and the seats uber comfortable. Other than the price and the food, it's rather good.

 

[Venetia]

it was usually a fairly decent experience for me when i lived in san diego. i think just, movie theatres outside of big, well-to-do cities, err on the crappier side here in NA.

 

[Ellie]

Well here while there's a few small cinemas, they are actually nicer than the corporate ones. The small ones have character and whatnot. Posher seats, nicer chaps, etc. And then the big companies like the Odeons and the Cineworlds and the Showcase's, their cinemas are really nice, multiplexes. It's England so you're never further than 5mi from a multiplex lol.

 

[Jason]

Lol you're right, there's a Vue cinema like minutes away from me, and it's bloody excellent...

 

[Tindy]

I wish I could see more movies ;-; I'm one of the gals that enjoys the "big screen" experience - HUGE explosions and surround sound and popcorn and all that good stuff - but it's just too damned expensive. My theater at home costs no less than $11 for a ticket (though it's $5 on Movie Madnesss Monday), not including food, drink, or guarantees on happiness. And that's at the cheap theater - the "BIG OMG WOW" theater is upwards of $15 and it's a horrible, gaudy theater (in my opinion). And here in Japan, there's all of...ONE theater in the area, and it's about $15 for a ticket as well. And the movies here only play for about a month!

I also wish that movie theaters would play old, excellent movies - not necessarily antique classics like The Wizard of Oz (though that would be an awesome family night) but made-for-big-screen movies like Top Gun, the Matrix, stuff like that.... T-T Alas.

 

[Calibre]

Orange Wednesdays at Odeon then to Orange Wednesdays at Pizza Express... that's the way to do it.

 

[moog]

my homeboy bittorrent gives me the hook up

why pay when i can get it for free? thats logical to me.

 

[Ceroscuro]

Too expensive. Only for awesome movies or if I'm really bored. I usually just watch movies on my media PC.

Fun fact: the oldest operating movie theater in America is in my hometown. :grin:

 

[Twirly]

Only if it's a really good movie, otherwise.... heh

 

[gRaViJa]

Recent years I didn't go to movie theaters as much as i used to. Why? Because a few months later i could hire a dvd put in my HD Tv with dolby surround. The result is almost the same as you get in a movie theatre. However, I think this is gonna change, because of the 3d technology that has improved vastly since Avatar. Now i'll go to the movies more again because i can experience something i can't experience at home. Before Avatar I saw an trailer of the new alice in wonderland movie. The 3d images looked even more impressive than in Avatar. Now I wanna go see that movie, and i'd never want to see it if it didn't have 3d.