Obi-Wanma

Theaters can't really stop honoring the program. It's a MasterCard. It's just as good as anyone else's MasterCard. The theater receives the full ticket price. Even if they decide to train their cashiers to deny purchases using a MoviePass card, how do they stop people from using them at the kiosks?

Plus even if you're worried about the program crashing and burning, there's really no risk to trying it. It's 10 bucks a month, and you can cancel it anytime. If you use it once, it has paid for itself.

fujishig

I'm sure they can try to mount some kind of legal challenge, saying that a third party is buying tickets for a customer and that's not allowed, or something like that. Or just publicly saying they're against it puts it in people's minds that maybe someday it won't work with AMC and will scare them off. Who knows.

edited to add: I saw some people saying that Uber/Lyft block prepaid mastercards, I wonder if they can block these? I'm assuming the issuing bank is the same for all of these, though I'm not sure how flexible their system is in terms of blocking out specific card numbers.

Also, for those with families, the FAQs say one account per iphone/android phone, so I'm not sure how you would get your kids memberships (if you wanted) unless everyone has a phone.

clemente

I said the same thing when I signed up 5 years ago, turns out the business didn't crash and I've gotten hundreds of dollars of savings a year from it.

So what if it crashes by the end of the year, take advantage every day before then.

DJariya

You can't even get on the website right now. The load times out. I guess they're getting hammered.

Cardsfan111

I've always been intrigued with MoviePass. I'll give it a go at $10/month and see if I can get some use out of it before it goes belly up.

movieguru

Can you still get Regal Crown Reward Points if you use Movie Pass?

tonyc3742

I always have. The people at the counter haven't cared, I give them both my Regal Crown card and my Moviepass. I think there's something in the fine print one time that said it wasn't eligible, but I don't recall specifics, and it's worked for me.

I don't go to an AMC theatre, but if they didn't take it, well, I would stop going there, with or without Moviepass, so that seems shortsighted.

The account is linked to a phone - when I got a new phone, it was a slight hassle calling to tell them I was on a new phone.

And to moviepass's point in that article - I buy popcorn at least every other movie. If I''m with my fiancee, we get candy and drinks too. I absolutely spend a lot more at the concession with MP than I would without it. AMC seems awfully whiny about it.

I have 2 AMC theatres near me. One is a crazy expensive dine-in theatre (which i don't like in general, that's not how I watch movies), and the other is the raggedy, crappy 2$ theatre (which used to be 1$, and is now $2.25).

Huh - one of AMC Stubs' features is free refill on large popcorn. Regal offers that, and a refill on large drink, to everyone. *shrug* (I know base Stubs is free).

Obi-Wanma

I've heard other people say that about the account being linked to a phone, but I've checked in from at least 4 different phones on the same account and even logged out of my account on my phone and let my friend check log into his and check in when he was having trouble with the app, and I've never had any issue.

Regarding free refills at AMC, yes, a large popcorn is only refillable with a paid Stubs membership, all the AMC theaters in my area are self serve for Sodas and Icees, so anybody can refill those as much as they like. Also, many people ask for a Coke at the counter, but fill up from the Icee machine instead, because Soda is cheaper and nobody is watching the drink counter.

One really annoying thing about AMC concessions though is that they've eliminated all medium sizes. It basically forces everyone to buy larges, because the small sizes are ridiculously small.

kenbenobi

Hmmm, this hasn't started at my AMC. At least, not as of last week when I was there...


As for MoviePass, and AMC denouncing them so quickly, I believe this was always their plan. I'm a member of the AMC Advisory Council, and our August survey which came out TWO WEEKS AGO, said that AMC was considering starting their own program to see "unlimited movies, as many times as you want" for a monthly subscription fee of $20-$25. So they have been planning to compete with MoviePass. The MoviePass $10 announcement would obviously hurt AMC's plans, since it would be cheaper than theirs. That's why AMC is making such a big stink over this... Personally, the AMC program would be better IMO, since you can see the same movie over and over again if you want to, whereas MoviePass only lets you see a movie once. But, $10 vs. $25 would make MoviePass the winner.

bluetoast

MoviePass now lets you see the same movie more than once (according to their Twitter).

tonyc3742

Plus there are ways around that....

Re: AMC - see, now that makes sense. I can see them being against MP for that reason. (I'd still go MP because my two nearest and favorite theatres are Regal, but I wouldn't begrudge AMC trying to compete in that market.) They just need to make it competitive, and I'm sure some people prefer AMC due to location or other reasons.
Of course, this means that their last big screed was a load of lies, since if they implement this, they will be doing exactly what they said was So Bad for the Theatre Industry! It can't be good for one, and not good for the other. It still 'normalizes cheaper prices' or whatever (although less so, because moremoney+less choice < lessmoney+morechoice.)

Hmm. I don't know if my theaters have Mediums - I know I've never gotten one Small if it's just me and I am using points; Large if it's more than just me or I want the refill. (Plus with points, the 'free small popcorn' Regal reward will deduct that price from the large, so the large is like 2 bucks.)

kenbenobi

Oh really? I didn't know that! Heck, I'm gonna abuse the hell out of MoviePass once I get my card! Unless AMC finds a way to block it. That's my most convenient theater...

Dr. Phibes

I guess one of my attempts to sign up was successful. Great, except I'm on the road for work and I finished this assignment super early and I'll be at a different hotel starting tomorrow. Oops! Gotta try and see if this hotel will forward something for me.

bluetoast

I spoke too soon, they also said the opposite on Twitter (both recently).

skywalker8

Doesn't the Landmark chain already block MoviePass?

Decker

I guess that would be a big deal (in theory), but the last movie I saw twice in a theater was Titanic.

bobwil54

Is there a list of movie chains that honor Movie Pass? The majority around me is AMC so it would be pointless to buy if AMC blocks this. I asked on Movie Passes site but haven't heard anything. Thanks in advance.

clemente

AMC has said they want to "look into" blocking it, but logistically it appears it would be very hard for them to do.

The big national chains, AMC, Cinemark, Marcus, Regal, accept it at most all of their locations.

And if AMC finds a way out, you can cancel, it's not a contracted service, it's a month to month service.

bluetoast

Correct. Landmark theaters do not accept MoviePass.

fujishig

How do they block it though? Do they not have self service kiosks?

DJariya

Well, if they're not one of the theaters listed, you can't check in on the app and no money into the card to pay for it.

Obi-Wanma

Yeah, it's not really a matter of the theaters accepting it or not. In most cases, if they accept MasterCard and MoviePass has access to the theater lisings, then you can use MoviePass there. However, if a theater is not listed in the app, you can't check in and load funds on the cards.

I'm not sure the reason why some theaters and chains are not listed in the app.

rassi

I just signed up yesterday. I'm able to log in on the app (and website) but don't have my card yet. I understand I won't be able to use it for a movie yet, but wanted to see if it covers my favorite theater. Yet when I look for theaters in the app, it doesn't seem to show any. The big theater chain around here is Cinemark.

Obi-Wanma

Maybe I'm just missing something really obvious, but how do you login on the website? I've looked over it several times and don't see any place to do that.

I also don't remember it being an option at any time in the 2+ years that I've been a member.

clemente

Its seems they've recovered from the surge in traffic (or increased their capacity) - if you go to Moviepass.com and scroll to the bottom of the page, the theater finder is back.

At least in Chicago, Cinemark's are included.