Draven

Snackbars help keep theaters open since they are hosed on getting paid for opening weekends of new releases. And a big part of the fun of seeing a movie in theaters is a big ol' tub of popcorn.

Could I make it cheaper at home? Sure, but it's not all about the expense.

That said, having an Alamo Drafthouse in town has spoiled me - I never want to go to a theater with randos on their phones, talking loudly to their neighbors and bringing in babies to R-rated movies again. I want DEAD SILENCE when I'm watching something new.

And we usually get a lot of food there so it's spendy. But I'm also limiting myself to only 3-4 movies a year. Basically the Marvel stuff is all I need to see in theaters anymore. Everything else can wait for a home release - even a digital blind-buy is cheaper than the theater.

Eric F

The only theater I would consider going to at this point is a real IMAX theater, but unfortunately my local one, Jordan's IMAX has been closed for almost 2 years now.

rocket1312

Dolby Cinema > IMAX

Artman

I'm essentially a premium screen only theater goer now. Saw a film on a regular screen last wk, the experience was pretty bad...squeaking seat behind me, uncomfortably close rows. Even when films get a big theatrical release it's still a case of the haves and the have nots, I'd rather see a film for a second time (like I will with Spidey this wk) on IMAX/Dolby than see something on a regular screen.

DJariya

If AMC A-List didn't exist, I wouldn't go to the movies nearly as much as I've done in the last 4 years (2020 doesn't count)

$23 bucks per month and I can see up to 12 movies and especially IMAX and Dolby at no extra charge. Those screenings alone cost $19 per showing in my area.

If I see a big tentpole movie, I always look for a premium showing.

Eric F

When they open a Dolby Cinema near me I'll go to it.

Does Dolby Cinema have buttkickers?

lwhy?

I haven't been inside a theater since February 8, 2020 and The Rise of Skywalker was the last movie that I saw too. I don't feel that it's a risk worth taking right now. I really miss going to the movie theater with friends though.

Obi-Wanma

I've seen one movie in Dolby Cinema, and I honestly didn't notice the difference from a regular screen. Guess I'm a philistine, but I doubt that I will pay the upcharge again unless someone else picks it or the time of the showing just works out a lot better.

rocket1312

Your regular theaters must be really nice if you didn't notice a difference. The first movie I saw in Dolby was 1917. I was skeptical going in, but it blew my mind so much that I had to go back so I could bring my friend. If I had more opportunity to go, I'd resubscribe to A list just so I could see more in that format.

Alan Smithee

Why not build a multiplex where ALL the screens are premium? I know it's traditionally been moving the older movies to the smaller theaters, but if a movie isn't doing enough business to fill a premium auditorium why show it at all? It's insulting when a theater promotes itself as having the big "extreme" screens but then your movie turns out playing in a broom closet, it's like they're saying "Sorry, but your taste in movies sucks." In the old days (80s) the smaller theaters often didn't even have stereo, and there was no way to tell which screen you'd get before going in so I just stayed away from those theaters altogether.

Draven

That would mean fewer showings and fewer audience members.

There was a great theater in Des Moines when I was growing up that showed one movie at a time on a MASSIVE screen. I remember seeing The Lion King trailer (the original animated version)there and being blown away. It closed because that's not sustainable in our modern market.

Eric F

Is this a larger than normal screen? Jordan's IMAX has a 6 story screen.

MLBFan24

Since this is a catch-all movie theater thread - when will they get rid of 30 minute trailers/previews/commercials before movies?

Ridiculous

JayTL

Never. They probably make more on that than they do on a ticket haha.

It's getting bad with the commercials for the movie theater though.

mwynn

Movie Theaters cannot sustain themselves by showing just movies. They need more revenue streams.

rocket1312

I have no idea if there is a standard size for Dolby Cinemas, but the single screen near me is nowhere near as big as the Jordan's IMAX (which I have been to).

But it is a big screen, and more importantly, the quality of the projection and sound is the best I've ever experienced.

Alan Smithee

When patrons put their money where their mouths are and STOP going to theaters because of them, COMPLAIN to theater management about them and BOYCOTT anyone who advertises that way. I've always resented seeing paid ads anywhere I've paid access to (main reason why I've never had cable), and the movie screen should be a sacred place where such mundane things aren't shown in the first place. Tickets still cost too much with or without them. In the early 90s I worked at a theater where people complained all the time about the previews being too loud. They eventually added pre-show slides which were incredibly tacky- I thought for sure those people would complain a storm about them and we'd be rid of them in no time, but hardly a word was ever said about them. That theater was later bought out by Regal and the slides were replaced with their video ads; I heard there were complaints about those but in the end they didn't lose enough business and the advertisers didn't get any heat for them. (I remember at the last theater I worked at, there was a sandwich place I liked right next to it. One day they started advertising during the slide program and I stopped eating there as a result.)



Any screen less than massive isn't sustainable in MY market, because I already have more than "good enough" at home. Want me to go out? Give me what I can't get at home. When I finally get a projector that'll give me even less reason to go out to a theater. The chains have completely lost sight of making moviegoing an EVENT and just made it more like a big TV.

Eric F

I live closer to the Jordan’s in Natick, which is their older theater, so it is standard IMAX on a large screen (although digital now). Their sound system has always been amazing, as well as having “buttkickers” under each seat, sort of a DBox type setup. Their theater in Reading MA (which I’ve been to once) is even nicer, and has a laser projection setup. I’m not sure how it competes with the better Dolby Cinemas but it must be close. It’s a shame they’ve both been closed for almost 2yrs now.


The next closest IMAX theater near me is in a multiplex on a standard sized screen. I think there’s a Dolby Cinema in Danvers, not anywhere near me.

Rodney2187

I never minded those and considered them part of the show. I used to get there even earlier so I could watch First Look with Maria Menounos. I'd stay and watch the credits too.

Inhumans99

Many movies theaters offer reserved seating, so if folks want to miss the Noovies stuff before the film it is easier than ever knowing you can arrive right before the film starts and not worry about finding a seat. For theaters that do not offer reserved seating, well...if you get to the theater early to get a prime seat, staring at a blank movie screen is not all its cracked up to be. I know that pre-Maria Menounos stuff I used to see trivia run before a movies start, and the audience would sometimes get into it. Also, most theaters do not block your phones signal in the theater so you can futz around on your phone if the pre-show stuff does not float your boat.

Honestly, for the most part theater going has not changed all that much in the 40+ years I have been going to theaters. Now, as it was back then you sometimes were/are unlucky and end up with a crowd with a few bad eggs that spoiled your experience, and when it comes to the fact that almost everyone has a phone they can whip out to check before the film starts, well, it does become more important than ever that folks heed the gentle reminders to put their phone away before the film starts.

Theaters have gotten pretty creative creating mini-ads that are designed to entertain you while telling you to keep it your pants (the phone that is, but THAT also, but that should go without saying, lol!).

Draven

Here's the thing - most people don't seem to mind it because they've been doing this for a long time now.

I spend more to go to the Alamo Drafthouse because they don't do commercials and actually produce a pre-show piece. Before No Way Home, they ran a video that recapped every Spider-Man movie. That was great for my wife who has only seen the Garfield entries once. I'll get there early to watch that thing. But that's a boutique experience and won't work for the megaplex that needs to be competitive with ticket pricing.

If you want to talk about how I think there are actually too many movie theaters and that's what's lowering the standard for the whole industry, then I'm happy to do so.

Alan Smithee

It's far more tasteful than being turned into a billboard- and of course proper theaters have CURTAINS closed over the screen until the show starts. Suitable music should also be playing- before my theater started playing those stupid "Movie Tunes" CDs (top 40 dreck with a DJ talking in between songs, who would often get cut off mid-sentence if showtime struck) I would often play a soundtrack from the same composer as the score for the movie being shown.

Draven

You know most movie theaters are for the masses, right? No one is going to pay for this everywhere.

Wolf359

Most theatres now offer advanced reserved seating. If the preshow ads and trailers bother you that much just show up 15 minutes after the listed showtime. First world problem solved.

TomOpus

Reserved seating has taken care of several problem certain old-timers have with modern theaters. I would guess "a proper theater" would continue to be a free-for-all when it comes down to seating.