I've always wondered about this. What makes you guys decide to see something in the theater vs waiting another 3-4 months for it to come to VOD/home video for rentals?


For me it's probably money and time. I can't afford to see every single new release that comes to theaters that interests me and also I don't have the time to go to the theater every since week.

If it's a summer blockbuster, I'll most likely make the attempt to see it in theaters. Same goes with other high profile releases.

timing. reviews. during the school year, its hard during the weekends bc it is usually a mini-production. would rather do other things or nothing at all. i would have seen X-Men this summer but timing prevented it so i will buy it on home video. godzilla as well. those i wasn't dying to see. GotG and Sin City: ADTKF i will go see in theater. def. GotG at least...

Action, explosions, martial arts, bullet time, genre, etc. I'll catch at the show but comedies are reserved for home viewing.

I prefer watching everything at home. The only recent movie I've gone to the theaters was the latest Transformers movie and that's only to do something with my dad since he likes the franchise and likes going to the movies.

Fuck renting a movie... In a physical format. Hell, it's barely an option for me now with streaming.

Some films aren't available in my dominant location so that matters too. Last film I travelled for was The Raid. That was 40 miles and that was bitch to get there for me with the timeframe I had. Traveling out of the city for a movie has to hit my level of comfort in timing. I got a lot of shit to do. Can't afford being stuck somewhere out of my city unless I have a lot of time.

Smaller films I'd want to see and aren't offered here ill wait for it to hit video or normal offered streaming. I very very fucking rarely will do VOD. I HAVE to be really damn interested in it for that... Hobo with a Shotgun was totally worth it.

I collect Blu-rays and have a nice set up at home. I don't rent or stream. The nearest theater is a 45 minutes drive away. Depending on traffic me catching a movie at the theater would take up at least four hours of my time. Meaning, impossible for me to go during the week. That film must be really special for me to sacrifice half of my free Saturday.

I like watching movies in theaters (have a good, low trafficed theater, so crowds /distractions aren't an issue), it's how I found myself drawn to movies and even as an adult, my life isn't so busy I can't make it to one or two a week.

Basically, if I want to see it, its in the theater, its I'm iffy about it, I'll see it on cable/DVD.

I rarely go to the theater because of expense and annoyance. I might see something if my kids are interested (Divergent yes, Lego no). Otherwise I have to luck into an open window when I can see something by myself (Captain America 2).

For me, the big thing is spectacle. I've got a decent set-up at home, but nothing beats seeing something on the big screen. If it's in the blockbuster vein and decent, I'll likely catch it in the theater. I don't have a hang-up on theater audiences as I've never really been bothered by many. In fact, I typically have good luck and enjoy a big crowd.

The other thing is something I have to see immediately, like 'Boyhood'. I've been waiting a long time, and I'd rather not wait another few months for home release.

If it's something I really want to see and I don't see it in a theater, chances are I might never see it, since I'm too busy at home watching other stuff on tape and disc that I never get around to catching up to recent theatrical releases. So I try to see things I really want to see while they're in theaters. Trouble is, there's not too much I want to see anymore. This summer, it's basically just LUCY and EXPENDABLES III I'm going to make the effort for. The last one was GODZILLA. Going to movies is a lot of work. Gone are the days when I could shoot down two blocks to Times Square after work to see a 6PM show of a Van Damme or Seagal movie at a theater that didn't require an elevator, escalator and long hike down a corridor to get to. And I'd still get home at a decent hour.

Basically if I really want to see it right away or not, but sometimes the fiancee and I will just feel like catching something on a bored weekend. Big movies like Captain America, X-Men, or whatever I'll see in theaters without a question, other big summer movies that i'm not as hyped about I'll wait (like Godzilla, Spider-man). Once in awhile an unexpected movie gets stellar reviews so i'll go watch it like Edge of Tomorrow. And sometimes we'll be bored and think a movie might be interesting enough to catch a matinee.

If it's something I'm genuinely excited about and it's a film that would be an experience on a big screen, I will make the effort to see it in a theater.

The last films to push my to go to my local theater are Godzilla, The Raid 2 and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

There's all kinds of things that have to break right for me to see something in the theater. I won't see anything unless I'm very confident I'll enjoy it, so I usually wait until there's some buzz after a film releases. Then it's a matter of whether there's time to do so. Sometimes it just doesn't work out.

Movie money

Right now it's only if it's something I can't wait to see- and the last thing that really met that description was Star Wars Episode III (which despite the general hate for the prequels, I enjoyed, though presentation-wise it was underwhelming where I saw it). Prices are too high and screens are too small to make it worth bothering with much anymore.

With the current price of tickets and that they're ever-increasing (for no good reason), there's really not much (if anything) that will drag me to a movie theater, especially with what theaters are available around here. We even lost our "dollar theater" (at least for the time being). We won't pay $10+ apiece to see anything in the theater. I'll wait for it to hit DVD/BD if I want to see it badly enough and I think it will have rewatch value, then I'll generally wait for it to make the pricing rounds before I buy it. The only movies we've rented for at least the last couple of years were the Hobbit movies, at least until the extended versions were/are available to buy.

It's more time than money. I go during matinee pricing so it's usually between $4.25 and $5.00 for a ticket. During a lull I try to catch a movie I missed.

Are you going to see Episode 7 in theaters or wait for the VHS?

It depends on the movie and time of year. I usually see a lot of summer movies, but this year there haven't been too many movies that have screamed must-see. I guess it also comes down to losing interest in certain genres, actors, etc. I'm also one to likely see a big spectacle movie before a comedy. Not that I have anything against comedy, but most of them are just terrible. Same goes for horror these days

Wow that`s cheap. Here in the SF bay area its $7 and that`s for the 9am show; after that it`s $10 and up. That`s for the Century near my house; AMC I believe still has cheap twilight prices and student discounts but it`s further out so I don`t bother going there.

Honestly, spoilers are the biggest issue - particularly for someone who can't avoid the Internet for three months. If I want to see something but not have anything ruined, I usually head out to the theater the first weekend (i.e., the latest X-MEN film). If I don't really care about the movie enough to worry about spoilers, I can wait for home video (i.e., I still haven't seen DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES yet).

Of course, other factors weigh in as well...if I have a free weekend, I'll see a movie just to have something to do - but the majority of movies I see in theaters now is to see them before someone else ruins something for me.

I got tired of collecting DVD's and started seeing everything I want to see in theaters. Who would have thought that acquiring material possessions that I don't use would leave me feeling hollow?

I do my best to catch everything once. I also rent through the cable company sometimes.

Yeah, the AMC is $5 and Cinemark is $4.25. The Regal is $6 between 4pm and 6pm plus all day Tuesday. But I try to avoid Regal due to the projection issue brought up in another thread.

If it's a comedy that isn't getting great reviews, I can almost guarantee I will either rent or not see it altogether. Timing is also something of an issue. If the movie is a new release (as in not an awards season wide release after December) and it's out any time in January, I will most likely skip as I know it will probably be a piece of shit.

During the summer I try to take in at least one movie per week, typically one of the big, fun, blockbusters, because I know it benefits from a theatrical viewing. Aside from that, it relies heavily on the director and subject matter. Movies by Ridley Scott or James Cameron will always guarantee a theater trip for me.

Mainly, "event" movies which I want to see will equal a trip to the theater. That mostly means super heroes or sci-fi.

Timing is the biggest factor though. I have missed a few things because I didn't have time. On that same note, if I am out of town I might see something I wouldn't normally see if admission is in the $5 range.