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-   -   MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE] (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/movie-talk/592240-moviepass-would-work-you-%5Bupdate-dead-shall-rise%5D.html)

TGM 06-29-11 06:19 PM

MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
http://www.gadgetreview.com/2011/06/...0-a-month.html


For as little as $9.99 a month you can rent an unlimited amount of DVDs from Netflix. When the company launched it was met with skepticism and apprehension. But after years of fighting the big boys, such as Blockbuster, they’ve emerged the winner. Now a company called Movie Pass is looking to enter the space, but instead of offering an unlimited amount of DVD rentals, they want you to pay $50 a month to watch as many movies as you’d like in the movie theater.

Over 100 theaters are currently participating, but from what we understand the beta program has kicked off in San Francisco. Users simply sign up on their website and then using an accompanying iPhone or Android app, present a reservation code to the movie clerk. Seats and tickets can be reserved online, and Movie Pass is even promising discounts on the popcorn, access to advanced screenings in addition to restaurant vouchers, though we’re not sure how the latter works.

Since movie theaters often make their profits on concessions, it stands to reason that these movie goers could be more profitable than an average attendee. Though if you attend the theater on a regular basis you’ll probably skip the popcorn and soda since it’s novelty factor will wear off quickly.

On average today’s movie theater tickets cost about $12. So 4 visits a month to the theater could pay for Movie Pass. However, that means attending the theater more than once a week, something most busy people don’t have time to do, hence why theaters are most busy on weekends. We’ve heard that special movies, such as those presented in 3D and Imax, will include an additional surcharge per viewing, though that info isn’t on their website.
http://i.imgur.com/LS725.jpg

Anubis2005X 06-29-11 06:26 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
I'd consider it, but for $50 a month? GTFO... :lol:

Drexl 06-29-11 07:15 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
No. I'm too selective about what I go see, and I've become so disinterested in mainstream blockbusters that I would have a hard time finding enough movies each month.

However, if they gave you the ability to buy one month of this at a time, it would be nice for a month like January or February to catch up on the awards season movies that I have increasingly preferred over the years.

Numanoid 06-29-11 07:20 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
Since I only go to the theater once or twice a year...umm, no. If they could guarantee a phone-free, silent crowd, I might actually consider it.

Gerry P. 06-29-11 08:08 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
If Landmark Theatres participated, then I would definitely buy in.

fumanstan 06-29-11 08:10 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
$50 is too much. Even in the Summer I'm not sure I can find 4 movies in a month that I really want to see.

PopcornTreeCt 06-29-11 09:02 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
I've gotten money's worth this summer but that's not typical.

Throwing Copper 06-29-11 09:21 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 

Originally Posted by Gerry P. (Post 10836429)
If Landmark Theatres participated, then I would definitely buy in.

Oh yes. I would be in too if Landmark was involved.

Charlie Goose 06-29-11 11:37 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
Since I go to the movies with the wife, it would be $100 a month for me. Probably not worth it since we don't go every week. And an extra charge for 3-D? Will they also charge extra for movies on opening weekend?

terrycloth 06-29-11 11:51 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
like stated 50 is way to much. they should offer a pass for like 30$ for unlimited mantinee showings as i usually catch a movie before work or earlier on my days off. id go alot more often and check out titles i normally wouldnt bc i wouldnt feel bad walking out.

The Bus 06-29-11 11:55 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
I see about fifty movies a year (on average), so that's $500. The Movie Pass would be $600. But then I'd be more likely to see every movie, so I could probably get savings on it.

Do this for a theater that also shows indies and I'd be in.

Spottedfeather 06-30-11 03:04 AM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
Yeah. This will work just about as much as those free movie tickets that are sometimes come with a dvd. 50 dollars a month ? Sorry, but there just aren't 50 dollars worth of movies that come out every year, let alone a month, that are worth anything. Maybe one or two.

davidh777 06-30-11 08:29 AM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
I also was surprised by the price tag, but it's not so bad considering a $12 ticket price. But I just don't go to the movies that often, and when I do it's with the family so rather than four movies a month I buy four tickets to the same movie every month or two. Maybe when I'm an empty-nester.

Deftones 06-30-11 08:47 AM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
Right now, no. With a little kid it is just too hard to get to the theater.

Pizza 06-30-11 08:51 AM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
Too much. And if it were to fly, they'd start changing the rules and there be more and more movies on that you can't see list. You won't be able to go to opening weekends for special movies or Spielberg or Lucas produced. Then it'll be opening week. Then it'll be all movies opening week. Then it'll be for all summer movies and holidays. They always change the rules. Just look at your Best Buy Reward Zone card.

DJLinus 06-30-11 06:11 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
$50/month definitely wouldn't be worth it for me. Even the four movie $30 "limited pass" is more than I'd use most months.

The theater chains aren't cottoning to the idea:


UPDATED: MoviePass introduces Netflix-style all-you-can-see program to movie theaters—and movie theaters are pissed
by Sean O'Neal June 30, 2011

For those who are forced by tough economic reality to limit their movie-going to just four or five films per month, there’s now the MoviePass, a new service that allows subscribers to visit the theater as many times as they want for the monthly fee of $50 (plus an extra $3 every time they want to see a 3-D film). Wired reports that the Netflix-like “unlimited pass” will launch in the San Francisco Bay Area over the weekend and soon begin popping up in other cities—and while most people would be hard-pressed to find five or more worthy films at the multiplex, in San Francisco, at least, the pass also works at various art house and repertory theaters. And if you still can’t find enough films to see, MoviePass probably isn’t for you.

Or maybe your city just sucks, as local selections will certainly vary—and then there’s the small matter of living your life—but MoviePass is reportedly also planning to introduce the more modest $30 “limited pass” that cuts you off after four movies a month, which sounds a bit more manageable. And if that $30 still seems overpriced, consider this: In addition to allowing you to skip ticket lines by using the MoviePass app, the service will log what movies you’ve seen and allow “studios and producers to engage with avid movie buffs based on their film-attendance history.” So maybe you’ll get a phone call from some Warner Bros. executives asking you how you liked Green Lantern, and what you'd like to see in a sequel. (Or probably just some direct-marketing emails trying to sell you DVDs.)

UPDATE: It seems the introduction of MoviePass has caught most theater chains by surprise, and they’re pretty upset about it. The Wrap reports that Landmark is already taking steps to see how they can prevent MoviePass from providing tickets to its theaters, with its CEO saying he was “stunned” after hearing today’s announcement, as MoviePass reportedly “forgot’ to discuss it with their clients” and instead negotiated its deal with online ticket services. Meanwhile, AMC has issued a press release proclaiming that it will absolutely not accept MoviePass, either in this weekend’s San Francisco beta test or during any future expansion, saying, “It does not integrate well into our programs and could create significant guest experience issues.” (It also points out that MoviePass would conflict with its current AMC Stubs program.)

For their part, MoviePass president Stacy Spikes argues to The Wrap that “getting meeting has been challenging and we haven’t really been taken seriously”—though that seems likely to change pretty quickly—but he remains confident that theaters will come around once they present their research findings promising that concession sales will go up as a result. They may have a tougher time convincing distributors, however, who believe that MoviePass could play havoc with calculating those all-important box-office grosses. Nevertheless, Spikes remains confident that the data gathered from this weekend’s test rollout will convince them all—though obviously, gathering that data just got a lot harder.
http://www.avclub.com/articles/updat...llyouca,58357/

Mr.Briggs 06-30-11 06:36 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
I'd go for it but not for that price. That's $200 more than I paid for Disney World annual passes last month (florida resident but still no way $600).

Numanoid 06-30-11 07:08 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
I don't get why theaters would be against it. They make most of their cash on concessions. Seems like they'd love to have people coming several times a week, rather than only once in a while.

Drexl 06-30-11 07:49 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 

Originally Posted by Numanoid (Post 10837788)
I don't get why theaters would be against it. They make most of their cash on concessions. Seems like they'd love to have people coming several times a week, rather than only once in a while.

Exactly. I doubt that most people actually spend more than $50 a month at the movies as it is. If someone gets this pass and now sees double the amount of movies as before, is the theater really counting that as lost revenue when the person wouldn't have spent that money anyway? Plus, sometimes the person might bring a guest (without a pass) that otherwise wouldn't have shown up at all.

Obi-Wanma 06-30-11 07:59 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
I only go to the movies on the weekend before noon, when admission is $4.25. This is not a good deal.

islandclaws 06-30-11 08:10 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
I go so infrequently now that I couldn't justify $50/month. $30? Maybe I'd go more often, but I know I'd never get the right amount of use out of it for $50.

bcd 06-30-11 08:58 PM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
I like the idea I just don't think that the cost thing would work for me. $600 a year is a little steep for me. The most that I have spent in a year was $450 and I saw 60+ movies in the theater that year. I see on average 4-5 movies a month. most of the time they are for matinee or early bird screening and pay 6-8 per movie. I guess the only thing that this would be easier for me would be to see things in the evenings, but then you are dealing with more people in the theater and more people = more texting, talking, and obnoxious viewers.(fuck I sound like an old person) If it did include theaters that showed more independent/arthouse type stuff I might take a second look, but it doesn't seem like this would be advantageous for the average movie goer.

SPiRAL 07-01-11 01:22 AM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 

Originally Posted by Gerry P. (Post 10836429)
If Landmark Theatres participated, then I would definitely buy in.

Add Laemmle as well, and I'm in.

Spottedfeather 07-01-11 05:04 AM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 
For those who are forced by tough economic reality to limit their movie-going to just four or five films per month, there’s now the MoviePass...

Seriously ? I'm lucky if I see two movies a year. I don't know anyone now and I have NEVER known anyone that went to the theater four or five times, let alone more than that. It's just now July and the only movie I've seen so far this year's been Super 8. Last year, the only movies I saw were Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1. I also Back To The Future for the 25th anniversary. I only saw 2 movies the year before that. Who are these people seeing more than five movies a year ?

The Bus 07-01-11 05:15 AM

re: MoviePass... would it work for you? [UPDATE: THE DEAD SHALL RISE]
 

Originally Posted by Spottedfeather (Post 10838175)
Who are these people seeing more than five movies a year ?

People not living by themselves in small towns. The world is a big place.


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