DJariya

vs waiting months for it to come to DVD/BD, Digital HD, Netflix or cable?

This is a multiple pick poll.


For me it's the premise/genre and actors.

A movie could have a 99% RT score, but if it's a British period piece or dialogue-driven political drama, I would have zero interest in seeing it still.

I usually like to see science fiction, comic, big budget action movies in the theater. Once in a while I'll see a smaller scale movie in the theater.

Hazel Motes

if a movie won't see a physical media/digital/ streaming release for sometime and has a very small theatrical window, I usually do what I can to see it.

Case in point the 2 Vancouver Cinematheque's will often show films very few times. Sometimes as little as 2 or 3 screenings. Right now I'm trying my best to get out to see the doc's Hitchcock/Truffaut, De Palma and Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words as I don't feel like waiting months to see them.

I'll also see a film in the theater if I think the best experience will be to see it on the big screen. Sometimes I'll even go see a movie in theaters I otherwise wouldn't watch just because the theater experience can add a visceral effect. For instance I hate all the MCU movies, but usually see some of the bigger ones because they're good for some explosions and big action scenes on the big screen.

I like seeing good and bad horror films in theaters too especially with a big crowd that gets really into it.

I also just love going to the movies, so if theres a movie I'm interested in I'll always try seeing it on the big screen first.

movieguru

I go to a lot of free sneak previews that studios offer me tickets to, so I'll go to most that I would have rented when they came out on DVD/blu. I rarely pay for most movies I see, with the exception of some blockbusters like Star Wars that I wasn't able to score free tickets to.

Draven

Certain actors and directors perk my ears up, but if it looks cool, I'm in. And honestly, that policy has only burned me 2-3 times in 39 years of moviegoing. I'm pretty forgiving of even "bad" movies - because something must have looked cool to me to get me there so at least I'll enjoy that part.

Solid Snake

Many factors.

In order...

The premise
Behind the scenes creative people (director, producer, writers) The producer matters fuck all to me though.
Rotton Tomatoes score/Movie critics reviews
The actors

Example. Paddington Bear. I like the character fine. He's a cute bear and he does things. Ok, whatever. THe trailers for it were absolutely horrible. The RT score though? Was amazing. Turns out it was a fucking great movie. An actual good kids/family film. One that isn't dialling it down for the stupidest of fucks. Great fucking film. I need to get that BD cuz I think they had it for sale BF but I missed out on it from Amazon.

Alan Smithee

Nowadays the main factor is whether or not I'll be able to see it at home accurately. I saw the last Hobbit movie only because it was in high frame rate, and I wanted to see what it looked like as the first 2 were already on disc in plain old 24 frames per second (I laughed at most of it, as it looked like something that would've been on PBS in the 80s, but that's how it was shot. They should've at least had it in 30fps on disc). I saw a few of the first "current" 3D movies in theaters too before I had a 3D TV at home.

I'd go to a LOT more movies if we had a real BIG screen theater here. Instead they keep building pathetically small ones that aren't worth my time or money.

Solid Snake

You have a job that pays you now?

Trevor

I used to go to the theater all the time and thought I'd never change. But to get me in the theater now it pretty much has to be a free or heavily discounted ticket, except for 'big events' like a Star Wars or comic book film. For 99% of films, I'd rather wait for the $5-10 bluray and own it forever, than pay $30 per more (wife and kid) to see it in the theater once.

ytrez

I actually find this sad for myself after 40+ years of movie fandom but based on the last several years of tracking my movie going habits it breaks down to this:

1. Is it a Marvel movie?
2. Is it some iteration of the Rocky franchise?

Everything else I just wait to get the blu-ray and watch at home.

dex14

For me, I go usually on a Saturday morning around 10am and it is $7.50. Not too bad a price. On the rare occasion my girlfriend wants to see something, we'll go at night and it'll probably be $20 or so total. A friend of mine who lives in LA came for a visit and we were talking about going out to the movies and he explained how he doesn't go see them often anymore either because of the cost. For him, at night, it can be $15/$20 for a ticket (time 2 if taking his lady), plus parking, plus snacks or dinner. So it could end up being a $100+ night to go. I never really though about it that way. He'll eventually see something if it makes it's way to the $2 dollar theatre. Living in a major city is pricey for these things.

bunkaroo

These days unless it has the words "Star Wars" somewhere in the title, I'm probably fine to wait for home release.

stingermck

If I want to see it now and if I want to eat popcorn.

kenbuzz

For me, "OTHER":

I don't want my moviegoing experience to be ruined by other moviegoers. I don't want chatty folks. I don't want kids on their cell phones. I don't want folks talking back at the screen. I want to either have the theatre to myself OR be there with other people who want to see the movie.

Since I cannot control *why* others are there, I choose to go only if I can control *whether* others are there. For that reason, I will only go to a matinee, and then preferably mid-week when schools are in session. That way the only people I have to share the theater with are geezers (like me).

TomOpus

There are movies that need to be seen in a theater. This includes movies I don't want to get spoiled for me. I hate having to tiptoe through social media to avoid spoilers.

kd5

To me the only things that will entice me to see a movie in the theater are the premise of the movie and the ability to see it with my wife who is also interested in seeing that same movie. But both of those are typically cancelled out by the price. Movie theaters have gotten so ridiculously expensive these days that I'll either wait for the dollar theater to get it or wait until it comes out on physical media so (like Trevor) I can own it forever.

TomOpus

I guess it depends on your area but spend $5 or $6 at the AMC during matinees. There's also a Cinemark that's $4.25 before 6pm.

inri222

The director

HN

big, loud, fx heavy movie that i'd want to watch anyway that my puny home theater couldn't do it justice

Trevor

I might see more if the prices were this low, but our matinees are $10.25. I'm at a stage where I can't imagine wanting to see a film alone, so that's $20.50/$30.75 minimum (if just wife or all three of us) before snacks, which are hard for us to resist at a theater. We do have a local cheap theater, but even that is $6.50 a ticket with similarly high concession prices.

BrewCrew

Other - I don't want a movie to be spoiled if I think the premise is interesting. Another reason is if my kids want to see a movie there are usually only a couple of choices or sometimes only one.

Why So Blu?

Depends on the story and if it looks cool or not. I also tend to only do reserved seating theaters. That's pretty much it.

Solid Snake

Fancy fucker.

Quack

Solid Snake

I always think the butter dispenser goes too slow cuz the stream is small. But I butter the ever loving fuck out of my popcorn. I'll fat fuck that popcorn gleefully.

SuperJim88

Big explosions, good CGI, visual effects. It speaks more of how much my home entertainment system sucks than the factor to go to the theater.