Wow, I really do feel sorry for you guys. I've never paid more than $7 for a movie ticket in my life and usually it only costs around $3-$4.50 on average.

Depends on where you are located at and the services the theater offers. I'll gladly pay extra to see a film at arclight. they make it enjoyable.

So I take it you won't be first in line to see Bewitched or The Fantastic Four?

And dont forget the pause button, private restroom and refrigerator.

Movies are still pretty cheap where I'm at, I can get a matinee for $4. But what mainly keeps me away is lackluster movies, and if there is something that peaks my interest, I then think of how people find it extremely hard not to talk during movies so I decide to just wait to rent it or buy it. People love to speak their thoughts on a movie during it, completey neglecting others can hear them. I just saw Episode III today and this guy two seats to the right of me felt it necessary to tell the woman he was with who he that was who and what he thought was going to happpen as well as his thoughts about it.

DIE

I wish this was back in the 50-60s when people shut up during a movie and endulged themselves in it. I'm trying to absorb myself into the movie and when people are constantly talking it's very hard to, I can obtain this peace and quiet at my house.

I love going to the movie theater and usually I see them for free since I have spent most of my working time in movie theaters. I am in my early 20's and don't have the bucks yet for a home set-up that would compare to a theater. To bad my parents don't see a home theater has a good project for the house. At the theaters around me the cost is $8-9 at night and about $6 for mattiee of first run movies.

Movies cost $10.50 here in NYC but I usually use those $5 Loews Weekday escape tickets for Monday-Thursday shows. I even saw ROTS opening night with one of those tickets. If it's a big blockbuster movie, I'll see it opening night but usually I can wait till the following Monday to see it. A lot of big blockbusters open on a Wed or Thurs so I get to use those vouchers anyway.

Plus, since I'm working, I can afford to see movies in the theater. Since it's usually a weeknight when the theater is slow, I usually moviehop into another movie afterwards.

I've seen at last count about 38 movies in theaters this year (yes a lot of them were crap but I still love watching movies on the big screen). Watching a big action adventure epic like ROTS or Kingdom of Heaven on DVD no matter how big your home theater is will never be the same experience as watching it on the big screen in stadium seating is definitely.

I've also still been able to buy over 200 DVDs so far this year.

You can't beat those old classic movies, actors, and actresses like, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Susan Hayward, (etc). when you won an Academy Award back in the fifties, and sixties or earlier, you've earn it. The actresses, and actors did not have to take off their clothes, and perform explicit sex scenes, and use excessive profanity, like today's modern movies. You don't mind paying an admission to see a movie with that type of caliber

or keep the dvd closer to their chest instead of a 3 month turn around....if you know you may not get to see it at home for almost a year, that could sway things...

tell us more about the "good ol' days" gramps.

Exactly...why pay that much to see a movie when in a couple months it will be on DVD with extras.

I think since 1955 there's been an article written every year about TV in some form killing the movies!

Ya know, this is something I thought about whehn I was in line for Episode III, which was the second time I had gone to the movies this year (Saw Be Cool for free in March). This was the first year I had gone to a theater twice since 2002. Since I started buying DVD's in 2000, I've probably been to a theater less than 10 times. I was trying to figure out if that was the only reason why my attendance had declined so much.

Then I came across this webpage:

http://www.in70mm.com/newsletter/200...om/cinedom.htm

This was MY theater growing up. I went there at least once a month, spending the entire day there, hopping theaters, hanging out in the arcade, avoiding employees. The memories of this place are still vivid in my mind. I can still remember my first movie there: The Naked Gun. From '88-'97, if it was a big movie, the Cinedome had it.

Batman, Field Of Dreams, Ghostbusters II, Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, Major League (sheesh, that's just '89!). I can remember a summer day in 1991 when I saw five films, starting with Bill And Ted's Bogus Journey, and ending with Terminator II. Or the the day in 1990 when they had all three BTTF movies back to back to back. I saw 2/3 of the Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition here (Saw Empire at the Mann Westwood Village, another kick ass theater)

I didn't realize it at the time, but The Cinedome was one of the best theaters in all of Orange County. In the 70's it was about the only place to go to see anything down here (other than Edwards Big Newport). I just thought it was the cool theater with the domes that was easy to sneak around. I didn't realize I was getting to see 70mm prints and well above average sound.

The domes would rock for event films, people brought beach balls to hit around before the lights dimmed. It was just a whole lot of fun to go to the movies. But when they opened up the Century 25, and the Cinedome was turned into a second run theater, and eventully torn down, the experience just wasn't the same.

Oh sure, I've had fun times at the Century 25 (The Episode I opening night was a fond memory, at least until film began), but most of the screens are small, and the overall feel isn't as warm as the Cinedome was. It's nice if you like it quiet (I once had a showing of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back to myself), and it's still fairly easy to sneak around, though I find it rare to find more than one film I want to see at a given time these days.

I didn't realize how much I missed the Cinedome until I found this website. And when I look back now, I realize my decline of going to the movies was around the time the Cinedome was put out to pasture. It wasn't just seeing a movie there, it was the experience of being there. It was the hangout, the place to be. I don't get that feeling anymore, maybe I'm just too old.

I'm trying to recapture that feeling. I think I'm going to head up to Hollywood to see Episode 3 in 2K Digital next week, maybe at the Cineramadome, at least the name fits

Preach it brother!

Other plusses:
No kicking on my seat
No cell phones ringing
No laser pointer
No gaggles of 50 12 year olds
No Talking
No babies crying

It has to be something really major to get me in a movie theater.

MST3K ruined the theater experience.

People made a huge punchline of the 12:00 SW showings, but you know what? These were the rabid fans that waited on pins and needles to see this film. There were cheers when Yoda kicked ass and at a few other moments but all the rest of the time...SILENCE. Losing a little sleep was worth a good theater experience for this one.

The biggest reason I think is the short theatrical to dvd window. Most films usually are out on dvd within 3 to 4 months. It used to take a minimum of 6 months or longer for movies to come out and you were more inclined to catch it in the theater because the wait to vhs or dvd was too long.

Not including Film Festivals, I've only been to 3 movies in the last 6 years.

The reasons:

1. Crappy movies. I hate Hollywood films, and foreign/independant films are rare in theatres in my city.

2. Prefer the Home Theatre experience. Overall it's cheaper to own the DVD, more comfortable, nobody bothering me, can pause the movie, can rewind the movie if I missed something, etc.

More plusses:

No spoilers. Don't have the guy sitting in back of me talking about the movie's ending or what we're about to see in the next scene.

Audio control. The last few times I've seen a movie in the theater, the dialogue has been almost inaudible and the music/special effects nearly blow me out of my seat.

WAY cheaper. 2 tickets + 1 popcorn + 1 soda comes to ~ $25... versus $10 or less for a DVD that I can see as many times as I want for the rest of my life.

Rude assholes in the theaters are killing the movies. With everyone having a cel phone these days (and NOT turning them off at the movies), bringing babies into the theaters, talking throughout the movie, kicking the backs of chairs, etc... going to the theater is NOT the pleasurable experience it used to be. Owners/managers refuse to do anything about this sort of thing. I was talking to some of my older relatives this past week and they said in the past, the theater manager used to walk the aisles with a flashlight and tell people to shut up and/or kick them out if they were disturbing other patrons.

Ep III was the last time I'll be in a theater.

What hasn't been mentioned yet is that one of the truly big reasons for high ticket prices is the astronomical salary base of the prima donna "stars." If all studios banded together and capped star salaries at a million bucks a picture (still pretty ridiculous, considering that acting usually requires little physical labor and not much labor of any kind if you have talent) the rental rates for theater operators could be reasonable (i.e. less than 90% going to studios) and this savings could be passed along to you. I know, I know... I've seen all the arguments about great stars like Cruise being worth their twenty-five million for two month's "work," because they bring it back in box office sales. But, c'mon. No one deserves to be paid that kind of money. NO ONE, especially not actors. People who slave over hot grills at Burger King thirty hours a week should be paid the same as pampered actors who have evertything they want. But, of course, the studios won't band together to cap salaries because each one is afraid the rest won't do it. That is why boycotts seldom have any effect. People just don't dare to participate, fearing others won't.

What are these? How do you get em?

The thing the changed my movie habit was cost. I think it is cheaper in the long run to just get a kickass home system and rent or by DVDs. I also had crowds for some movies but have to admit I like them for other movies but mostly I like going to movies with as few people as possible. That poses the problem of having to watch the movie in worst part of the building where the sounds from the movie next door bleeds into the room you are in. So I have avoid theaters with bad design which is most of them.

Right now I only go to big movies like star wars or anime movies. I also try to check out films that might not be coming out on dvd. Seattle is a big movie town and we get a lot of artsy fartsy movies.

you have to pay for parking to go to your movie theater?

I do have do commend my theater. During ROTS 12:00AM showing, they had disclaimers saying, "If your cell phone rings, you will be kicked out." Except for the Yoda clapping scenes, that was the quietest theater I have ever been to.

Well, that nicely illustrates one of the problems. That shouldn't be notable because it is unusual. Those signs should be up all the time. The real shame is that they are required at all. As others have said snack prices, ticket prices and rude patrons/crappy atmosphere were first to dissuade me from theatre attendance. For a while, I only went for special events. Advertisements were the final straw. Now I don't go at all. I can wait for the dvd to see the final installment of Star Wars. Naturally, having a reasonable HT system makes that much easier.