I can't speak for others, but I follow the John Doe hypothetical about as closely as is possible. I'd like to say it's out of consideration to other movie-goers...not wanting to put them out of a seat, but that's not the case. I just don't like packed theaters. It detracts from the film, because there's always a noisy row or a crying baby. Plus, it's easier to sneak into a screen near the back of the theater, as opposed to an opening-weekend film in theater one, right by the ticket takers.

Anyway, your statement is valid, but I always make a point of sneaking into a film that's been out for quite some time. However, like I said, I can't speak for others.

-JP

anyone ever do 3 in a day?

i did a couple months ago.

and i have no qualms (sp?) about doing it again.

Honestly, I think I've done it once but can't remember what movies...BESIDES the time I paid to see all 3 Star Wars movies in one day (original versions).

Never movie-hopped to three in a day, though I once attended a 24-hour movie marathon. We saw 11 movies total, plus numerous trailers, short films, and etc. This guy's blog has the schedule and whatnot..

http://blogs.indiewire.com/mattdentl...es/002363.html

We weren't told before the marathon what we'd be shown. We were just told that there'd be five older films, one older "torture film" (Toys Are Not For Children), and five premiere-type films (some had been shown in festival circuits, or had opened overseas, but none had gotten any sort of release stateside). Not knowing which unseen films to expect made it exciting, and a bit easier to stay awake.

The marathon was aptly titled "Butt-Numb-a-Thon," and I'd do it again in a heartbeat (see also: this winter).

For the record, I was seated a row behind Tim McCanlies. There were a few other noteworthy audience memebers as well. All told, it was a hell of a time.

-JP

Three a day minimum for myself (depending on what I'm seeing, it's the one time going thru different genre helps). I've done 5, from 1st show to last show, before. For those that can't fathom sitting for so long, I'd basically be planted in front of the tv for the same amount of time if I didn't get out of the house.

I did it all the time back in my high school days at the Mall of America (because it was so damn easy). That theater is now a dump and the nicer ones I go to now don't have the best layout to make it easy to do.

Well, that's just dumb . . . I don't agree with theater hopping, but if I did, I sure wouldn't waste a trip (much less risk the chance of getting caught) on a movie I didn't care much about . . . I'd be in the ones that I really want to see.

Well, if you are going to get picky about it, then there's:

- the wear and tear on the seats
- the wear and tear on the carpets
- air-conditioning cost to maintain the temperature levels in the theater (from added body heat)
- additional water use (assuming that they do use the bathroom as stated earlier)

Yes, the costs are small, but they are still costs that would not be there otherwise . . . particularly as the number of theater hoppers increases.

Again, not speaking for others, but I rather enjoy paying for and supporting movies that look good, or are helmed by a director I've grown to like. It's other films which spark that guilty-pleasure curiosity that I'll see, but not pay for.

So true. I'll retract all of my previous statements, since this poster has now thoroughly convinced me that theater-hopping does, indeed, cost the theaters immensely.



-JP

What? C'mon. That's like saying it's stealing if I go to a fast food place and order water instead of Coke, since they have an insanely high profit margin on soda.

As I was reading your post, Seinfeld is on in the background, and George was at a video store returning that movie.

Hey . . . I never said it was immense . . . in fact, I said "the costs are small". To be honest, I would never would have brought it up had you not kept on vehemently insisting . . .

. . . and that is simply not true. Maybe you don't think it is an important cost, but it does shorten the life of the theaters assets. Would you be upset if you were forced to use your personal vehicle for work, but your employer only compensated you for half of the mileage? It wouldn't be much each individual time it happened, but over enough time, it could make a significant impact on the life of your car.

Last year a buddy and me did this about 4 or 5 times throughout the year. Usually we'd hit at least 3 movies and one day we hit up 5. I won't try to justify what we did as right or wrong, but considering last year was the highest grossing ever, i don't think i'll lose any sleep over it.

Funny story: We showed up one time for the 11am showing of van helsing i believe, we knew we planned on 3 movies for the day so we snuck in some lunch for the show. But of all the food we decided to bring we decided to sneak in footlong subway sandwiches. Better yet, we got the meatball sub and a steak sub. During the opening credits we cracked out the sandwiches and after about 5 minutes the only other guy in the theater about 5 rows down from us, starts sniffing the air and begins to look around. Priceless.

Anyways after watching two more shows: Punisher and troy, i believe not positive. We decided to push our luck and try to catch one last show. Of all the movies to try to sneak in to, two white boys try to sneak in to Soul Plane. As we were walking into the theater the clean-up crew was coming out. One of them looked at us asked for our tickets, as we calmly told them we already threw them away. They told us to on in but as we started walking in I heard one of them say that they were going to get the manager. After that we booked it for the door. Closest i ever been to getting caught.

Anyways i don't do it anymore, not because i don't want to or anything, but its hard to schedule in a whole day to do it anymore. Oh well, fun while it lasted.

Wait, so you were being serious? You honestly mean to tell me that when somebody sneaks into a movie, they cost the theater money because their body heat raises the temperature in the 3,000 square-foot room, thus causing the air conditioner to run longer, and raising the electric bill? I mean, seriously? You honestly believe that? I mean, that's like saying, "that fucking bird flies by that mountain of granite every day and brushes it with his wing. How inconsiderate, he's going to erode that beautiful mountain away, little by little, until it's gone."

If that's your stance, I'd venture to say that every time you walk into a Best Buy and don't make a purchase, after trampling all over their carpet...you're costing them money. You should be ashamed of yourself. Or how about all those times you stopped into a gas station to use their restroom? My God, how can you sleep at night? I mean, you're not the only one flushing that toilet without buying a stick of beef jerkey and a road map.

Enough with the sarcasm. There are no fiscal ramifications to having somebody walk on a carpet or sit in a seat. If that's your argument...that the theaters lose money because somebody walks on their carpet without paying $5-7 for a movie ticket, then I see no reason to continue talking with you. You know just as well as the rest of us that you're reaching, and you're reaching for something that isn't there.

-JP

geez, let it go. One minute your saying that there is absolutely no effect on the theaters, then after someone makes a convincing argument that there is a very small, but very real effect, you go off the deep end. Did it really require three paragraphs to repeat what you've already said?

A "very real effect" is subjective. I want scientific proof.

IMHO, my "body temperature" being in a theater has about as much an effect as my farting in the middle of a garbage heap. None.

Okay . . . so the "body heat" part was really more of a joke than anything else. But those other points are valid.

The people who handle the asset management for BestBuy would calculate the wear and tear on store assets as a result of browsing, as it is part of their business. People are expected to browse in a store . . . it comes with owning a retail store.

Wear and tear on movie theater assets can not (and should not need to) accurately calculate wear and tear on theater assets as a result of non-paying customers. The price of a ticket is set to cover all of the operating costs of a theater, including the replacement costs of equipment lost due to wear. By not buying a ticket, a person is contributing to that wear without offsetting it with the revenue that is used for eventual replacement.

Again, I refer to my "using a personal automobile for work" scenario. I know that (regardless of the fact that it is only ¢40.5/mile) I would be pretty ticked of if my company didn't reimburse me for the times that I've used my car for work . . . heck . . . I know people how keep track of mileage that they incur when they volunteer because they can write it off on their taxes.

So, I repeat . . . would it not upset you if you had to use your car for work but were not reimbursed for the wear and tear on it?

Are you really so stubborn that you can't admit that there is a financial impact . . . even if it's a small one . . . and that you just don't care about it?

To be honest...i really don't see it. The movie will be played regardless of my ass in the seat.

You know, I was going to keep quiet about this, as I had said "No, never hopped" in the poll. But all this arguing and rationalization has made me realize something.
I used to live in a small town where, if the folks running the theatre didn't actually KNOW you (hence stopping the hopping), business was usually such that you would be easily (instantly?) spotted hopping. However, since then, I was transferred to the Chicago area, where, upon going to see Star Wars III, I realized I could have hopped with no problem (I didn't do it, but saw it done often at the theater near my home).
I eventually moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and I still see it happening. Big cities must be where this occurs primarily, I think.
And now, I must be honest here, I'm considering trying it. It would be simple, easy, and one of those "crimes" where the people who lose (studios and theaters) are basically people who fuck me on several occasions per year, with poor service/shitty movies/etc....
I can certainly understand the rationalization now.

See ya at the movies...

Oh, and by the way, I have downloaded music online [gasps and mumbling overtake the audience]....

Wow, I just found this thread, and I have to say I'm suprised that there are actually adults that still do this.

Since it's ok to sneak into theatres, is it:
Ok to sneak into broadway shows without paying?
Ok to sneak into baseball or football games without paying?
Ok to sneak into Disneyland without paying?
Is it ok to sneak into the belly of a plane and get a free trip to Europe? I mean, they were going anyway, and your presence wouldn't lose them any money...

Again . . . it has nothing to do with the movie . . . it has to do with the impact on the theaters assets.

I'm not trying to convince anybody to stop hopping here . . . more than anything, I'm just amazed at peoples utter determination to stick to the statement that ther is "no, nada, absolutely zero (that's $0.00)" financial impact on a theater when somebody doesnt pay for a movie that they watch.

Don't care about the cost to the theater? Fine, but there is still a slight cost . . .

The cost is small enough that you consider it insignificant? Fine, but there is still a slight cost . . .

The theaters overcharge for other stuff? Fine, but there is still a slight cost . . .

Joeblow69:

If I could sneak into Disneyland and screw them out of a little money, I'd have no problem with that. Same goes for these sports teams (but I couldn't care less about going to those). Broadway shows? Nah. Those people work a little harder for their money. Trip to Europe? Nah. Not safe.

You might be interested to know, though, that I have been in and out of the music industry for 25 years, in varying levels of professionalism, and throughout this time, I've been offered/asked for free tickets and swag/backstage passes. No problem, until you realize that on some of those occasions I was "between jobs/assignments" an had no true reason to attend said shows. Just wanted to see the artist/band, and would not have attended w/out a free ticket. These seats are empty anyway. Fill them. I've been to 300+ shows (not counting my own performances) and may have paid for 175-200.

Wow. I wasn't certain I would try hopping after my previous posts, but after this explanation, I'll be damned if I won't. Maybe often, if I think it's low-risk enough. Fuck'em.

The point is, we have paid our initial entrance fee, but are staying for multiple viewings. Unless you're staying for a baseball double header your argument is invalid. There is no reason to hop for a single show event.

As for Disneyland. Did it a long long time ago.. one person pays, comes out with the fresh hand stamp, quickly tranfers it to a couple friends, we all go in.

I don't pay for Disney because i get free tickets.
Never been to Europe.
Don't go to baseball games any more but they were always free when I went.
Broadway shows? usually free as well, when I went. But I always get discount tickets when I do pay...and plus...as an actor, I know how hard they work and that my seat is actually paying for something.

I've done it, and I guess I'm amoral enough to still be able to sleep at night. When I did it, I always paid for the movie I cared about most with the "hop" to a movie that would otherwise be a "wait until HBO" film if not for the fact that it had a starting time coinciding with the ending time of the movie I cared about. And I'll usually buy popcorn and a drink during "intermission", so the theater makes more money off me than if I left after the first movie. I know, I know ... to the movie morality police in this thread I'm still stealing and I'm scum, no matter my "justification". I'm just saying what I did.