Anyone else feel like movie theaters are going to be extinct?

I go to the movies for experience. Courting my girlfriend. However, when I have kids I would do the same. There was a gap of about two years when I hardly ever went, but started again regularly because of social habits.



If they wanted to draw more people, they should include the DVD cost or a digital copy of the movie in with your ticket price. In other words, you go see it in theatres, and once it comes out on video you get a free download.



This latter idea would make me see a lot more movies. If I know I'm going to buy them anyway, I'd probably attend nearly ever blockbuster I could. And, I'd see more comedies and dramas because I know I have the replayability later on.



They might see it as a concession, but the numbers could add up very beneficial to them if they dropped off before hand.

reply to post by Gazrok


I think it's area dependent. I'll go to see a movie a few times a year and over the last few years, there's only been two occasions where the theater was actually filled. Most of the time, it's been pretty darn empty--less than a dozen people even on a Friday or Saturday night. Kind of weird. I think it might be a mixture of the cost of going to the movies and not a whole lot of originality in the movies themselves. The two movies that were actually packed were Iron Man 2 and The Avengers. Theater was probably filled with Marvel fans, lol. I know in our house, we kind of have adopted a perspective on theater going to reserving the venture for movies that are going to be filled with big booms and lots of special effects. Comedy/romance--well those things can be enjoyed when they hit Redbox.

That said, we have dinner theaters that are actually fairly popular. Some are pretty inexpensive (older movie/pub/dining) and the newer variant here is pretty curious and features steak dinners and fine bottles of wine. The new ones have a kind of tiered pricing depending on how one chooses to view a movie and where they are going to sit. The seat prices for an adult/evening ticket range from $10.50 for basic auditorium to $18.50 for "ultra luxury seating". I've had friends go there and state that they end up spending a whole lot more but the "experience was worth it". Kind of disturbing was the fact that they were also people who probably shouldn't have used their money in that way but to each their own, I guess.

Movie theaters around me are packed day in - day out. I can't see any sudden drop off. Movies pull in a ton of money in the theater release.

Only during the weekends though. Any normal day of the week, and I bet it is pretty sparse.

Without fail some tall dude or lady with the big hair sits right in front of me

If you get to the theater first, you can sit at the seats that have the rail in front. Nice place to kick your feet up, nobody in front of you, etc. But these are always the first seats to go.

At least our small local theater isn't too bad. First run movies, lower ticket price (about $3 lower than the bigger city) and lower concessions (about 30% lower). Even still though, can really add up for a few people. Downside is, they only have 6 theaters, but they are pretty good about sticking with the big movies.

Lets see... $15 per ticket for a theatre, or Redbox for $1

Or a whole month of Netflix for half the price of one theatre ticket. People are broke, they'll go for cheap.

reply to post by tinker9917


Exactly. I see a lot of movies with a Redbox rental these days. It's cheap, convenient, etc. I'll even pick up everyone's favorite boxed candies (spending $1 for each instead of $5), some soda, and popcorn, etc. at the store, and have our own movie experience.

I do love seeing horror movies with an audience though. I love hearing, "Don't go in there, don't you dare go in there girl!" when the heroine is inching towards a door... Or those moments when the audience jumps out of their seats. Priceless. That is a shared experience.

reply to post by Gazrok


As a SAG-AFTRA actor, I hope theaters don't become extinct but most of the films I have been in aren't really even made for theater distribution. They may have a short run but like you said and go to DVD almost immediately. Films actually are made for the cable market where the production gets to rake off some of the advert sales. Also foreign distribution via DVD is huge. I recently worked on an indy made in New Mexico that wasn't even going to be released in the states; straight to India and the Philippines.

However, Disney and Marvel will keep the theaters open.....for now.

Go see the Lone Ranger and keep an eye out for olaru12!
www.youtube.com...

or this one....


www.imdb.com...

No way. They are making the movies like everyones houses now anyway. You can get a dinner and a movie at the same time now. So if it does, you will see a surge of really cool stuff that theaters will do.

Like, seats that rumble, and that would be standard! More gimmics like thins flying at you from the celing. They used to do stuff like that. Like the Rocky Horror Picture Show, everyone dressed up and went, that I thought was cool.

They should have theam movies, where you HAVE to dress up to be there. That would be cool

Originally posted by Gazrok
I just find it hard to justify the expense when a little patience is fine.

You didn't seem to have a problem justifying the expense for your 60" TV with Bose surround sound. Anyone who can actually afford something like that is hardly going to break the bank by hitting the theater once in awhile.

yup, i dont need a movie theater, i got the internet.. lmfao

but pretty soon i wont be online nearly as much as i am now im expecting a huge life change fairly soon...

reply to post by okayimhere

You didn't seem to have a problem justifying the expense for your 60" TV with Bose surround sound. Anyone who can actually afford something like that is hardly going to break the bank by hitting the theater once in awhile.

Got both off Craigslist, from a guy moving back to India. I like good stuff, but don't like paying out the nose for it. Besides, times were better then. I had a higher paying job vs. having to live off savings for months, etc.

Life is a bit different now than it was when I got these higher ticket items.

I hope the movie business does not focus on streaming and limited time downloads and such.

What happens when you can ONLY rent anything and you do not own a copy of scarface any more, you only have digital rentals.

Not everywhere has internet connectivity and half of those that do, have poor speed.

reply to post by Biigs


Plus, some just enjoy building a movie/tv library. I know my stepson has enjoyed going through our collection of old TV shows and movies and finding interesting ones he'd never heard of.

The cinema is going the way of most things impacted by computers.... evolving or going extinct. In the case of movies, I sense it will become more of an event like visiting an amusement park... everyonce in a while... a special occasion, but not the weekly affair it used to be... and only for major movie releases that need to be seen on the "big screen"...ie Jurrasic Park, Saving Pvt Ryan, etc.

We are in a time much like the early 20th Century... but instead of automobiles we have computers... what industries will survive and which ones will die out... photoshops have gone the way of blacksmith shops... VCRs will go the way of wagons and mules... newspapers are already borderline endangered species... landline phones are quickly fading away...

Will movie theaters survive? Let's see in about 10-20 years or so.

I haven't been to a movie theater in several years.

Blah... strangers hacking, sneezing, coughing, talking too loud, uncomfortable seats, no smoking, over-priced munchies.

My preference is to sprawl out on the couch in my jammies, wrapped in a blankey, tons of munchies, cigarettes and ashtray close at hand... and watching 2-4 movies back to back throughout the evening.

Movie night has become a tradition in my household.

I honestly can't see myself ever stepping into a movie theater ever again. Can't be bothered.

But I don't think they'll go extinct anytime soon, there are more people who still like the social outing to a theater, rather than someone like my self who prefers to take in a movie (or twelve) in the comfort of their own home.

I enjoy the theater experience, especially with the big budget block busters. As CGI gets more and more realistic; a 60in and good sound system still can't do justice to the artistry the editors/SFX people do in post production. I expect that there will be more films coming from the likes of Disney and Marvel [and other state of the art production companies] that need the full theater treatment; lacking even in the best home environment.

Movies are expensive to see in the theater because they are very expensive to make.

However I get in free with my SAG-AFTRA card in many movie houses; otherwise I would have to be content watching films on my small TV or laptop.

Just saw WWZ in the theater.....should have waited for the DVD. Stupid waste of time!

reply to post by olaru12

a 60in and good sound system still can't do justice to the artistry the editors/SFX people do in post production.

I can agree with that. Mostly, these films are the ones I'll go for. For example, I'd rather see The Hobbit on a big screen, when the next parts come out.

reply to post by olaru12

Movies are expensive to see in the theater because they are very expensive to make.

The payouts of big actors are a big part of that expense. As movie theaters lose more and more business, we may just see those payouts go lower and lower. (and more movies made with unknowns) Their ridiculous salaries are why we have to pay $7 for a coke that costs the theater like $0.30 (including the cup).

As I said, I'm fine with paying an upcharge, like even 200% of retail, due to exclusivity. But I cannot justify paying 500% or more...that is beyond upcharge, and is now downright extortion.