Poll: Most prefer to watch movies at home
06-17-05, 10:33 AM
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Poll: Most prefer to watch movies at home
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Like many Americans, Mark Gil prefers the low cost and high convenience of staying home to watch movies.
"You can go rent a movie for three bucks, but by the time you're done at the movie theater with sodas and stuff, it's twenty bucks," said Gil, a mortgage broker from Central Square, New York.
Three-fourths of Americans say they would just as soon watch a movie at home, an AP-AOL poll found. With people more inclined to think movies are getting worse, it's no wonder Hollywood is having problems filling theaters.
Hollywood is in the midst of its longest box-office slump in 20 years, and 2005 is shaping up as the worst year for movie attendance in nearly a decade, if theater business continues at the same lackluster rate.
While 73 percent said they preferred staying home to watch movies on DVD, videotape or pay-per-view, 22 percent said they would rather see them at a movie theater, according to the poll conducted for The Associated Press and AOL News by Ipsos.
"You can go rent a movie for three bucks, but by the time you're done at the movie theater with sodas and stuff, it's twenty bucks," said Gil, a mortgage broker from Central Square, New York.
Three-fourths of Americans say they would just as soon watch a movie at home, an AP-AOL poll found. With people more inclined to think movies are getting worse, it's no wonder Hollywood is having problems filling theaters.
Hollywood is in the midst of its longest box-office slump in 20 years, and 2005 is shaping up as the worst year for movie attendance in nearly a decade, if theater business continues at the same lackluster rate.
While 73 percent said they preferred staying home to watch movies on DVD, videotape or pay-per-view, 22 percent said they would rather see them at a movie theater, according to the poll conducted for The Associated Press and AOL News by Ipsos.
Others view the slump as a sign that theaters are losing ground to home-entertainment options, particularly DVDs available just months after films debut in cinemas.
But the poll found that people who use DVDs, watch pay-per-view movies on cable, download movies from the Internet and play computer games actually go to movies in theaters more than people at the same income levels who don't use those technologies. That suggests the technology may be complementing rather than competing with theatergoing. Eight in 10 in the poll said they have DVD players at home.
But the poll found that people who use DVDs, watch pay-per-view movies on cable, download movies from the Internet and play computer games actually go to movies in theaters more than people at the same income levels who don't use those technologies. That suggests the technology may be complementing rather than competing with theatergoing. Eight in 10 in the poll said they have DVD players at home.
06-17-05, 11:09 AM
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I'd like to think it has something to do with the dismal manners of so many of the other audience members at the theater. Cell phones, talking, kicking seats, BO, etc all have been known to hamper my enjoyment of a movie at the local cinema. Nowadays, unless it's a film I must see on the big screen or one where the audience adds to the experience (like ROTS) I'll wait for DVD release.
06-17-05, 11:19 AM
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Nothing can compare to going to the theater IMO. The big screen, the sound system etc. just beat even the best home theaters and is worth the money.
And I fucking hate when people factor in buying sodas and snacks making a movie like $20 like the guy in the article.
Don't buy that overpriced shit! If you absolutely have to eat and drink during a movie, take it with you. I've never been to a theater that doesn't allow or inspects backpacks, purses, jacket pockets etc.
I just don't eat or drink and catch matinees or get a student discount, so it's at most $7 for me.
And I fucking hate when people factor in buying sodas and snacks making a movie like $20 like the guy in the article.
Don't buy that overpriced shit! If you absolutely have to eat and drink during a movie, take it with you. I've never been to a theater that doesn't allow or inspects backpacks, purses, jacket pockets etc.
I just don't eat or drink and catch matinees or get a student discount, so it's at most $7 for me.
06-17-05, 11:48 AM
#6
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I prefer the theater. I just don't prefer all the other people in it that are completely inconsiderate towards others with their screaming babies, cell phones, nonstop talking, etc... I refuse to walk into a theater again because of the theater's inability to make it a pleasurable experience.
06-17-05, 11:50 AM
#7
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Originally Posted by Zenigata
That's a very good point. If I go to see something it's usually a few weeks into the run, so as to (try to) avoid those issues.
06-17-05, 11:50 AM
#8
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Originally Posted by AGuyNamedMike
I'd like to think it has something to do with the dismal manners of so many of the other audience members at the theater. Cell phones, talking, kicking seats, BO, etc all have been known to hamper my enjoyment of a movie at the local cinema. Nowadays, unless it's a film I must see on the big screen or one where the audience adds to the experience (like ROTS) I'll wait for DVD release.
06-17-05, 11:58 AM
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I've said this on numerous occasions in threads like these, but I'll say it again. I haven't been to the theater since LOTR:TTT, and only contemplated going to see ROTS, but I've decided just to wait for the DVD in November. I just got some kick-ass new 5.1 speakers for my PC which ironically are better than what I currently have for my TV, and so I'll be perfectly happy watching ROTS on my PC, if I haven't upgraded my main TV system by then.
06-17-05, 12:00 PM
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totall agree on audience distractions... If I have to see it in the theater, I usually catch a matinee for this reason, and because it's cheaper too... I've been going less and less to the theater lately though, opting to watch movies in the comfort and quietness of my own home.
06-17-05, 12:00 PM
#11
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Originally Posted by AGuyNamedMike
I'd like to think it has something to do with the dismal manners of so many of the other audience members at the theater. Cell phones, talking, kicking seats, BO, etc all have been known to hamper my enjoyment of a movie at the local cinema. Nowadays, unless it's a film I must see on the big screen or one where the audience adds to the experience (like ROTS) I'll wait for DVD release.
Let me add to that another piece of the equation...
I'd like to think that it ALSO has to do with the lack of atmosphere of the current crop of theatres. The major theatres are simply people mills to move massive amounts of people in and out of the theatre as efficiently as possible.
The Harkins Theatre here in town is really an exception though! Impressive lobby and refreshment stand. Big theatres with stadium seating, excellent sound system, and surprisingly clean considering the amount of traffic.
But I know that this is the exception... back in NY, the Mid-Hudson Valley theatres are dank, damp, cramped, with poor sound and poor seating.
I long for the good-ole-days in my old Brooklyn neighborhood where the theatres seemed like palaces in comparison. There was nothing like seeing the Godfather during it's initial theatrical release in the Loewe's Oriental... plush seating, balcony...
06-17-05, 12:07 PM
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Originally Posted by sracer
Well said!
Let me add to that another piece of the equation...
I'd like to think that it ALSO has to do with the lack of atmosphere of the current crop of theatres. The major theatres are simply people mills to move massive amounts of people in and out of the theatre as efficiently as possible.
The Harkins Theatre here in town is really an exception though! Impressive lobby and refreshment stand. Big theatres with stadium seating, excellent sound system, and surprisingly clean considering the amount of traffic.
But I know that this is the exception... back in NY, the Mid-Hudson Valley theatres are dank, damp, cramped, with poor sound and poor seating.
I long for the good-ole-days in my old Brooklyn neighborhood where the theatres seemed like palaces in comparison. There was nothing like seeing the Godfather during it's initial theatrical release in the Loewe's Oriental... plush seating, balcony...
Let me add to that another piece of the equation...
I'd like to think that it ALSO has to do with the lack of atmosphere of the current crop of theatres. The major theatres are simply people mills to move massive amounts of people in and out of the theatre as efficiently as possible.
The Harkins Theatre here in town is really an exception though! Impressive lobby and refreshment stand. Big theatres with stadium seating, excellent sound system, and surprisingly clean considering the amount of traffic.
But I know that this is the exception... back in NY, the Mid-Hudson Valley theatres are dank, damp, cramped, with poor sound and poor seating.
I long for the good-ole-days in my old Brooklyn neighborhood where the theatres seemed like palaces in comparison. There was nothing like seeing the Godfather during it's initial theatrical release in the Loewe's Oriental... plush seating, balcony...
06-17-05, 01:09 PM
#13
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Going to a beautiful movie theater and watching a great movie is, for me, like going to church.
06-17-05, 01:20 PM
#14
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I like movie theatres, but I don't like all the crap that goes along with it.
If I had a movie theatre to myself, where I'm the only one watching and I have control over the projector - then I'm happy.
In reality, I don't have that luxury - so the home theatre experience is a much better movie experience IMO. I'll sacrifice some video/audio quality (it's still pretty impressive in my home theatre) for all the benefits of watching at home.
Plus, most of the films I enjoy (foreign and independant) aren't that easy to find in theatres.
If I had a movie theatre to myself, where I'm the only one watching and I have control over the projector - then I'm happy.
In reality, I don't have that luxury - so the home theatre experience is a much better movie experience IMO. I'll sacrifice some video/audio quality (it's still pretty impressive in my home theatre) for all the benefits of watching at home.
Plus, most of the films I enjoy (foreign and independant) aren't that easy to find in theatres.
Last edited by Coral; 06-17-05 at 01:23 PM.
06-17-05, 01:48 PM
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If I can buy the movie 9 months later (in most cases) from Columbia House for $.49 and watch it at my leasure on my 100" screen or pay $7 (student price) in a theater filled with unknowns, I'd much prefer the first.
06-17-05, 02:03 PM
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No surprise. For $7-10/movie at the theater, you aren't getting your monies worth. I've been to the theater twice in the last 12 months and I live one block from a stadium-seat theater.
06-17-05, 02:34 PM
#17
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The complaints here all echo the same thing. Which begs the question, why don't theater owners understand this and take measures to control their audiences?
In the old days, ushers would walk up and down the aisles shushing people and getting feet off of chairs. Now you don't see a theater employee anywhere near the auditorium unless it's to clean up. Simply assigning one or two (minimum wage) ushers to monitor the room would go miles in correcting these complaints and perhaps bring back patrons to the theaters.
In the old days, ushers would walk up and down the aisles shushing people and getting feet off of chairs. Now you don't see a theater employee anywhere near the auditorium unless it's to clean up. Simply assigning one or two (minimum wage) ushers to monitor the room would go miles in correcting these complaints and perhaps bring back patrons to the theaters.
06-17-05, 02:35 PM
#18
Originally Posted by AGuyNamedMike
I'd like to think it has something to do with the dismal manners of so many of the other audience members at the theater. Cell phones, talking, kicking seats, BO, etc all have been known to hamper my enjoyment of a movie at the local cinema. Nowadays, unless it's a film I must see on the big screen or one where the audience adds to the experience (like ROTS) I'll wait for DVD release.
And let's not forget screaming brats. When I saw Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, there was a family in there with a baby that would not shut up. For a while, they were just sitting there, as if the entire audience wanted to hear their brat scream. Finally after a smattering of comments from the rest of the audience like, "Kill the kid!" the dad looked like he was taking the kid out, but nooooooo, he just stood with the kid down by the exit sign while the kid continued to fuss.
Maybe if theaters sprang for actual USHERS this kind of crap would stop. I've never been in a theater where they would stand for the entire span of the movie, but I've been in theaters where they would come in and stand for a little while at random intervals during the movie. It's been a while since theaters cared to do that, and it's been about that long of time that the desire to go to theaters has gone down in this country.
And while the matinee idea sometimes works, I have found there more often than not to be more kids there. Unless you can go during the school months in the the middle of the afternoon, but that's not always possible. One time I went to see Toy Story 2 in a matinee and there was only one other person in the theater other than me. She had a kid with her but I never heard a peep out of them during the movie.
Last edited by calhoun07; 06-17-05 at 02:42 PM.
06-17-05, 02:37 PM
#19
Originally Posted by Josh Hinkle
Nothing can compare to going to the theater IMO. The big screen, the sound system etc. just beat even the best home theaters and is worth the money.
And I fucking hate when people factor in buying sodas and snacks making a movie like $20 like the guy in the article.
Don't buy that overpriced shit! If you absolutely have to eat and drink during a movie, take it with you. I've never been to a theater that doesn't allow or inspects backpacks, purses, jacket pockets etc.
I just don't eat or drink and catch matinees or get a student discount, so it's at most $7 for me.
And I fucking hate when people factor in buying sodas and snacks making a movie like $20 like the guy in the article.
Don't buy that overpriced shit! If you absolutely have to eat and drink during a movie, take it with you. I've never been to a theater that doesn't allow or inspects backpacks, purses, jacket pockets etc.
I just don't eat or drink and catch matinees or get a student discount, so it's at most $7 for me.
When I was a kid, my mom liked to smuggle snacks into the theater. One time she carried a GROCERY BAG in. She had made popcorn and put the popcorn in individula brown lunch bags and put the popcorn bags on top over the sodas and candy. When we got to the theater the oil from the popcorn was coming through the individual bags and the guy at the counter asked what she had and she said, "Groceries." or something like that and he just kind of shrugged it off and didn't say another word.
06-17-05, 02:39 PM
#20
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Well, I don't want to say "screaming brats" [depending on the age of the child], because there, the responsibility is on the parents to either quiet the child or leave.
* Home theater is big business, lots of folks have nice big tvs.
* It's cheaper to buy a dvd than to take the family out for a movie, not even counting snacks.
* You can resell dvds.
* Watch at your convenience, including pausing/rewinding.
* Quieter at home.
* Better atmosphere at home.
* Forced ads before the movies [not previews, but ads].
* Home theater is big business, lots of folks have nice big tvs.
* It's cheaper to buy a dvd than to take the family out for a movie, not even counting snacks.
* You can resell dvds.
* Watch at your convenience, including pausing/rewinding.
* Quieter at home.
* Better atmosphere at home.
* Forced ads before the movies [not previews, but ads].
06-17-05, 02:52 PM
#21
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Theaters are great. I'm going to see Batman Returns this weekend, War of the Worlds in 2 weeks, and Fantastic Four 2 weeks after that...and maybe Land of the Dead if I can find the time to catch an early show. I will most likely get a huge $5 pepsi each time. Some of us do not have the bladders of elderly ladies.
oh, AND i will probably buy all of those on dvd when they come out too.
oh, AND i will probably buy all of those on dvd when they come out too.
06-17-05, 02:57 PM
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[QUOTE=Numanoid]Which begs the question, why don't theater owners understand this and take measures to control their audiences?/QUOTE]
My guess would be because they are afraid of getting sued --both by the customer who is confronted, and by the employee who risks being beaten, knifed, or shot. A sixteen year old employee confronting a nineteen year old loud mouth is a formula for violence.
It would be expensive to do this right. You'd need metal detectors and security guards at the entrance to make sure you didn't allow anyone in with a weapon, so that the person confronting a customer during a movie didn't risk getting knifed or shot, and you'd probably need to have two security guards per screen to deal with trouble makers. A four-screen theater would thus have install metal dectors and employ ten trained adults (2 guards at the entrance, and 2 per screen).
Then you have the question of whether the change to the theater going experience would be perceived as more positive than negative. This is something like what they do at concerts, and the like, and personally, I resent it enough that I refuse to go anywhere where I'm going to be searched, especially if I'm paying to get in.
My guess would be because they are afraid of getting sued --both by the customer who is confronted, and by the employee who risks being beaten, knifed, or shot. A sixteen year old employee confronting a nineteen year old loud mouth is a formula for violence.
It would be expensive to do this right. You'd need metal detectors and security guards at the entrance to make sure you didn't allow anyone in with a weapon, so that the person confronting a customer during a movie didn't risk getting knifed or shot, and you'd probably need to have two security guards per screen to deal with trouble makers. A four-screen theater would thus have install metal dectors and employ ten trained adults (2 guards at the entrance, and 2 per screen).
Then you have the question of whether the change to the theater going experience would be perceived as more positive than negative. This is something like what they do at concerts, and the like, and personally, I resent it enough that I refuse to go anywhere where I'm going to be searched, especially if I'm paying to get in.
06-17-05, 03:16 PM
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"The smell of the popcorn, listening to other people talking, laughing -- I do like the experience," said Earl Ledbetter, 58, of Ventura, California.
06-17-05, 03:23 PM
#24
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Originally Posted by AGuyNamedMike
I'd like to think it has something to do with the dismal manners of so many of the other audience members at the theater. Cell phones, talking, kicking seats, BO, etc all have been known to hamper my enjoyment of a movie at the local cinema. Nowadays, unless it's a film I must see on the big screen or one where the audience adds to the experience (like ROTS) I'll wait for DVD release.