It seems that in time, there will be less and less reason to go to the theater.

With internet access, streaming technology, flat screen TVs, and surround sound why would people want to sandwich in to a theater and have to worry about crappy seating, over priced snacks, people being loud, and in this case, people sitting in "your" seat.

I wonder how soon they'll start offering day-of-theatrical-release films on Amazon.

I love going to the movies but I make sure I go when it's not crowded, well after the release date.

Not sure if you have any theatres nearby that use it but the Atom tickets app allows you to 'rally' your friends for a movie and will basically hold their seat and ask them to pay for it - so you can get a group of people to go to the same movie, sit together in reserved seating but all pay for their own ticket. Only 1 theatre near me uses it but I love it, very easy to use.

I can get the same movie theater experience at home for 1/5th the cost! I blame Amazon.


Sorry, fast food joke

Sorry, this is kind of ridiculous. Reserved seating is specifically good for...reserving your seat, not for avoiding lines. The theater in DC that the wife and I used to go to most often does not offer it, and if you are going to see just about *anything* on a Friday or Saturday night and do not get there at least 25 minutes early, you are not going to get two seats together that are anywhere near the best seats in the middle. Ensuring that you get two reasonable seats together without having to stare at 30 extra minutes of advertisements is totally worth it.

For matinees or weeknights or films that are just not popular, yeah, probably not necessary.

If you're lining up early specifically to get a good seat, yes reserved seating eliminates that, since you can buy in advance at the theater, or even online before you get there.

An iPic Theater recently opened up near me. They have some interesting 2-seat "pods" at the front of the theater that you buy as a pair of seats, and you have to buy both seats in the pod. Took my wife there to see Doctor Strange a few weeks after it opened. She normally hates theaters and having to get there early to get a good seat, being stuck in the middle of a row and having people squeeze by you, or you squeezing by them, to get in/out, etc. She liked the pod so much I reserved a pod for opening weekend of Star Wars: Rouge One. This was notable because she normally dislikes going to the theater so much I can normally only talk her into going once a year, and never opening weekend.

I reserved the seats about two weeks in advance. You can actually cancel up to 6 hours before the screening, but I noticed that buying earlier ensures getting a better seat.

I prefer to sit slightly above the middle of the screen, but on the edge of the row. I like to be able to pick out those seats ahead of time, regardless of how new or in demand the movie is. My back is all fucked up, so I sometimes I have to get up and go for a quick walk. I'd rather not squeeze past people interrupting them.

I wish concert venues would do the same thing more often. "Best in section/price range" isn't always what I would prefer. I would rather be an extra two rows back on the end of a row than stuck in the middle.