David Bloom is a contributor to Deadline.
Frequent moviegoing has plummeted among entertainment options for Americans during the past three years, according to results of an annual survey by the public relations giant Edelman. The study, which looks at attitudes and preferences of U.S. and UK entertainment consumers and the impact of social media, was presented today at the Soho House in West Hollywood. It shows that TV remains the most-used source of entertainment (45% of Americans frequently turn to it for entertainment, and 58% in the UK), while the Internet continues to creep up in usage (34% of U.S., 27% of UK). The real loser, however, was “cinema/movies,” which now rate as a “frequent source of entertainment” among just 3% of U.S. consumers, down from 28% in the survey just two years ago.
“It confirms some of what we’ve been seeing with declining movie attendance, which had a 16-year low in 2011”, said Gail Becker, Edelman’s chair for the Western Region, Canada and Latin America. “But I think the bigger change is in the perceived value of entertainment content.” All categories of entertainment “moved up together in both countries”, she added. “It signifies how this entertainment ecosystem is lifting all boats”. Becker was referring to other survey findings that showed a huge uptick — in most cases doubling — in the value audiences put on six categories of entertainment: music, film, cable TV, satellite TV, social networks and games.
The survey results also show that bad entertainment products are swiftly and widely punished with negative comments on social media sites. That reality puts a greater premium than ever on creating really good content, because the bad stuff won’t survive long, said members of a panel discussing the survey results. “You can’t market your way out of a bad product anymore,” said Jonathan Anastas, VP Global Brand Marketing for Activision, the world’s largest game company. “People are spending more time on fewer brands. You have to have a great product and figure out how to activate those triggers in people (to get them engaged and watching). It’s a combination of top down and bottom up.”
The quality of films has dropped dramatically. I used to go to tons of films. Now. maybe one a month.
Last few years have been brutal. You can’t even so to an action film without some political speech ruining the fun. I gave up two years ago.
Last few years has seen Hollywood stars make films more “advocacy” than “entertainment.” So yeah, the decline makes sense.
Last few years have been brutal. You can’t even so to an action film without some political speech ruining the fun. I gave up two years ago.
Last few years has seen Hollywood stars make films more “advocacy” than “entertainment.” So yeah, the decline makes sense.
Same here. I used to go literally every single week, all year long up until my mid-20’s. That’s when I really realized how mediocre most films were. Now I go maybe every other week during the summer and holidays, and only once every month or two during the rest of the year. And the cost is definitely a factor. They’ve got a lot of nerve asking me to shell out $13 for Men in Black 3.
Agreed. When movie quality declines and ticket prices continue to increase, it doesn’t take a scientist to figure out the problem. And it doesn’t matter if it’s in 3D, people still won’t go.
The REAL problem is that the studios know this and refuse to do anything about it.
While I agree that quality of product will always keep people heading out to the movie theater, I also want to point out that the current prices of what it costs to see a movie have made it too expensive for people to go see a new movie every weekend.
This past weekend it cost my wife & I $40 for 2 tickets to see Prometheus in Imax 3d. It then cost another $19 for 2 drinks and a bag of popcorn. $59 for 2 people to go to a movie together and have a snack is obscene. We have the money but we both said we’ll hold off on movies until Dark Knight is released.
With prices this high, there’s no way in Hell you’ll get my money to see another Spiderman. I don’t care if it’s the greatest Spiderman in history, dropping $60 for us to go see it ain’t gonna happen.
Somehow the studios and theater chains need to bring the pricing back down to earth. An Imax 3D ticket should be $12 tops. Regular 3D $10. 2D $8. The prices are ridiculous.
I’d take a chance on movies like Ted & Moonrise Kingdom if ticket prices were normal. And please don’t give me “matinee” pricing. If you both have jobs, you can’t make the matinee’s.
Fix the pricing, keep the content strong and people will come back. Prometheus in Imax 3D was sensational. But it wasn’t worth $60.
“If you both have jobs, you can’t make the matinee’s.”
Weekends, dude. Learn about ’em.
There are no matinees here in Hollywood. Sorry dude, that went out along time ago. Plus why should you have to go to a matinee when you want to have a date with your wife?
It is not the same price everywhere, they say the average ticket is $8, I would like to know where that is? In the Midwest, the South? Small towns? Not here in the big cities, the average ticket is $11 dollars and that includes matinees.
Please get your facts right before telling people what they should or should not do.
Thank you Miss. I hate when the suggestion in these forums is move somewhere where they still let you see 2 moving pictures on the side of a wall for a dollar and you get a pop and a popcorn for .50 cents.
Here in the big cities (we’re in NY), that’s not the case. And who the Hell wants to go to a Saturday or Sunday matinee as a date with your significant other. You work all week. You go to the gym and food shopping on the weekends. Maybe you go to lunch. I don’t know how people with kids go to movies except if they are kids movies.
My wife & I used to see at least 2 movies a month on Saturday nights. In 2012, we’ve seen 3 movies total so far; Prometheus, Avengers & the Marigold Hotel movie because my 70 year old Mom wanted to go see it for Mothers Day.
If prices were less ridiculous you could count on us to see Ted, Moonrise Kingdom, This is 40, Spiderman, Brave…you might even get us to go see That’s My Boy if tickets were $7-8 for a Saturday night show.
Now, we’ll just wait for Dark Knight and The Hobbit this winter and let the rest get filled in on home video.
We love movies. Without a doubt, pricing is what’s keeping us away.
As a New Yorker, I couldn’t agree. Users who think movie tcikest aren’t very expensive are way out of touch
Miss Manners? I hear your point but you shouldn’t be saying matinees don’t exist in Hollywood. Daily showings start every day between 10-11am and roll on out from there.
There are definitely matinees in Hollywood.
This is a really great point, especially when you consider the current state of the economy. People can’t afford to spend that much to go to the movies every weekend.
And yet…
Go out to a nice restaurant for dinner and a couple drinks and you’re out $40 a person if you’re lucky.
Go to a sports game — let’s see, $30-$100 for the ticket, $9 for the beer, $8 for the burger.
Live theater — $45 for the nosebleeds, $70 average, per person.
Movie theaters are a P.I.T.A because of the potential for noise, texting, general filthiness, and projection issues. But I fail to see how a ticket between $10-$20 is worse than any other night-out entertainment option. Hint: if you must eat, bring your own snacks.
Eating at a restaurant is the only entertainment option you suggested that families may engage in at least once or more times a week. I agree that it can be just as expensive as going to the movies if not more expensive. However, many others on this thread have also mentioned the high prices at the movies, so I am not the only person with this view. Maybe some people feel that spending $40 at a restaurant is better value for their money than spending $40 at the movie theater.
What the hell does P.I.T.A. mean?
Pain In The A$$
And what’s wrong with weekend matinees? Five bucks each for two tickets plus another ten tops for snacks, so around $20 total.
Where in the hell do you live that a matinee ticket is $5? Seriously. The town I live in isn’t that big and our theaters aren’t quite state of the art, but $5 is less than the price for a medium soda! $8.50 if it’s not in 3D. If it’s in 3D, you’re looking at just about a normal price.
I agree that the cost of going to the movies is terrible. But the quality is really bad.I’ve always gone to the movies , sometimes twice a week. But now there just way to much shit being made. Who are they making it for? The bombs have to outweigh the hits.
Who are they making movies for? International audiences who don’t speak english. That where the growth is coming from in terms of revenue. As long as that is the new “mantra” american box office will continue to decline. Most adults I know stopped going to the movies years ago when tentpoles became the new game.
Thank god for Cable TV. That’s the new “night at the movies”.
Yeah, the global audience is keeping down the quality of movies. Just look a box office mojo sometime, which shows the percentage between domestic and international revenues for each movie.
The “smarter” sort of popcorn flick that has some pretentions to intelligence – the last Star Trek, Hunger Games, that sort of thing – doesn’t even get to the standard 50/50 split. What gets a big international percentage are movies like Battleship and Dark Shadows, that were killed off by bad word of mouth at home, and atrocious nonsense like the Transformers movies.
That’s why I don’t at all believe that statement that “the bad stuff won’t survive long.” They’ll just make it up the lost domestic revenues in foreign markets.
When I was a kid going to movies was fun and exciting today its a ordeal. The single screen movie theater is now a multiplex of horrors. Buying a ticket takes forever. A single file line turn into a mess when you have 3 preteen girls in front of you that now huddle box office window and each pay for there own ticket. A huge line to buy OVERPRICED popcorn and soda. Then when you do get to sit down you get commercials! Then once the movie starts you get idiots with cellphones. I loved going to movies before now I hate it. If the theaters want to get us going back they should offer “ADULT ONLY SHOWINGS” and they should put in a device that blocks cellphones!
It also depends on the market you are in. LA, NYC, Chicago etc are going to b more expensive then other locations in the US. It is basic economics that you charge different prices in different locations because the potential users will pay that amount.
Why are you buying snacks??? Sneak them in. Then you don’t need to eat the nasty crap they sell.
But overall, there are few movies worth bothering to get to a theater for. This year, there will be three for me, at most. Otherwise, Netflix.
You mean really great stuff survives, like Twilight?
Thanks a lot asshole.
In the last five years, commercial films have meant male-centric films. For gods sake us females can’t even have SNOW WHITE, the broads are in it for ten minutes and it’s all about the Huntsman and unnecessary battle after battle.
Corporate Hollywood has driven out the female consumer. Last time I looked around, we’re about 53% of the population.
Twilight, Hunger Games, Bridesmaids, even the 3D re-release of Titanic come immediately to mind re: big-budget, female-driven box office successes.
But keep crying victim.
Wow,fluffo, you name four movies, one of which is a decade old, and act like that proves a dearth of films for women isn’t a problem. Way to completely ignore reality. It’s like when someone Black points out how few Hollywood films deal with their experience and someone says “what about Will Smith and Denzel”, like two guys who make a movie a year fixes everything. Jen’s legitimate point is that there are hundreds of movies released by Hollywood every year and they mostly skew white and male (superheroes, tough guy action movies, nerds getting laid/slacker comedies from the Apatow crew), and perhaps if Hollywood tried looking at other experiences they might solve the problem of diminishing audiences. Bridesmaids and Think Like A Man proved that the audience is there.
This female consumer couldn’t be happier with the current movie offerings. I loved “Snow White and the Huntsman,” with its female hero and villain, and its gritty action themes. And I couldn’t be happier with the dream-come-true slate of superhero movie after superhero movie! Not every female is just looking for romantic comedy.
Last time I looked around, Jen, the men were the ones paying for movies on date night. Sequere pecuniam.
On the other hand, if you want to pony up for us to go see “Dolphin Tale” then I can’t argue.
We can’t help it that women only flock in mass to one genre: love stories. How many of those do you expect Hollywood to make a year?
I used to see hundreds of movies a year in the theatre–no exaggeration. Multiple films each week at the regular theatres and 50 or so at the Toronto Film Festival. Now if I see 10 per year in the theatre, it’s surprising, and that includes 5 I see at the Film Fest.
I could care less about 3d and the spectacle–haven’t seen one of those films yet. I want good stories, not good explosions.
The difference for me isn’t the price, but the experience. I hate the ads. I hate the idiots with their cell phones and their nonstop chatter. I hate the “preshow”. It’s just not worth the frustation.
When I’m in LA, I hit the Arclight as much as I can–saw 4 films in 10 days this past December. No commercials, no preshow, no talking idiots.
No one is forced to buy snacks. Buy some Red Vines and Skittles for $1.50 and bring them in your pocket.
True, not forced at gunpoint anyway. But if you get caught sneaking your own food into the theater, then you’re gone. (Not that it’s hard.)
Concessions is where the real $$$ is at anyway.
But what if you love hot popcorn? You can’t sneak that in. And its 10 dollars a bag.
Movie attendance has been declining for me as well. I have seen just one film in a theater this year.However I have seen probably 20 to 25 films through Netflix at home. The last movie was Margin Call which was well done but did it really need to be seen at a theater? This generation of Hollywood epics are aimed at the graphic novel lovers and I am not one of them.For me there isn’t much to see at a theater.
I honestly think 3D has murdered moviegoing. Prices have gone up and they’ll never come down. I can afford it (fortunately) but taking my wife and 3 kids to Madagascar 3 this weekend cost over $100 with snacks. WTF?!
Cinema, unlike theatre, opera, ballet etc was affordable for everyone. How many families can honestly afford to drop a C note on a movie on a regular basis? Especially vs $1 movie rentals from Redbox.
Katzenberg, Cameron and all the other 3D advocates have killed the golden goose.
AGREED!!! I HATE 3D… the idea of a movie is to make you feel like you are IN THE MOVIE… but 3d… makes me feel like I HAVE TO wear glasses to watch a movie… REMINDING me this is not real! I’m always thinking… what is on my face.
I refuse to go to the 3D anymore.
I’m no fan of 3D, but surely you know pretty much every 3D movie is usually offered at the same multiplex in 2D as well? That’s how I chose to see “Avengers” after the 3D in Thor nearly made me leave the theater.
I spend a lot of time in Europe, maatkare, and I have to tell you that is not always the case. Audiences are more often presented with the 3D version on a take-it-or-leave-it basis, added to which, there is also often an extra charge due to long running time. Interestingly, I was at a screening of an upcoming animated feature that clocked in at just shy of 90 minutes. It, too, is 3D, so audiences will have to pay more for that, but I’ll bet my bottom $ admission prices won’t be cut because it, uh, under-runs. The result will be a good film, fine entertainment, doing less business than it could have done. As burkiss (above) has posted, Katzenberg and co. have cynically milked the consumer and what should have stayed special has become the norm, audiences voting with their wallets accordingly.
And guess what? It’s NOT because of “piracy”. Declining quality of movies and HIGH CINEMA PRICES are largely to blame. Cheaper large LCD screens, smaller home video window and other entertainment options from the Internet also contribute.
Going to a movie used to affordable — so much so that if you saw a stinker of a movie, it wasn’t a big deal. Now if a couple goes to the movies and drops $25 to $50 or a family of 4 drops $50 to $80 and it’s a dud, that hurts.
If theaters don’t find a way to increase the value to customers without increasing the prices, movie goers are going to end up only going to to the must-see major releases while mid-to-lower tier movie will go mostly ignored.
I wouldn’t be surprised that if attendence continues to trend downward that theaters will start pricing movies based on expected demand (ex. “The Avengers” at $15 a ticket while “My Week With Marilyn goes for something like $8 or $9 a ticket). If there is no plan to get butts back into seats for all movies, the industry is headed for disaster.
I think you’ve hit the nail on the head.
Going to the movies used to mean spending a few hours with friends, family, a date, or even by yourself and if the movie was great then that was a nice bonus.
Now that prices have gone up so much, it is about getting your money’s worth first and foremost. That means audiences being more picky with choosing which movies to see in theatres (in most cases waiting for the ones like ‘The Avengers’ and ‘The Hunger Games’ that everyone is talking about) and which ones to wait and rent later.
If you want a less picky audience, lower prices. If you don’t want to lower prices, then start making better movies.
My usual strategy is only to go to the theatre for films that demand a big screen (lots of SFX or great cinematography) and I avoid “family-friendly” films.
The local gigantaplex sees me about 4 times a year. Everything else is Redbox or Netflix.
I’m certainly not going to maintain that the movie industry faces no significant challenges these days, but the data from this “study” seem highly suspicious. If frequent moviegoing, in fact, were to drop from 28% to 3% in just two years, the immediate effect on box office would be catastrophic and immediately visible. Instead we are seeing quite the opposite in terms of box office as well as total attendance, this year at least.
Again, there is no denying that the film business faces some real challenges from other entertainment media, but with data this dramatically out of line with demonstrated behavior there’s definitely something wrong with the study’s methodology.
This is a pretty solid point.
If I’m reading these results correctly, that means that in 2010: 28 out of every 100 people said going to the movies was a “frequent source of entertainment” but now only 3 out of 100 say the same?
It almost seems like the first study was done in populated areas and the second in remote areas. Or with vastly different age groups.
Interesting.
The most obvious factor was not even mentioned in the article. The FOOD and DRINK prices are clear RIP-OFFS. As another commenter mentioned.. it is outrageous cost to enjoy a movie. I understand that is where the theater house makes their money but, OBVIOUSLY this is affecting Box Office numbers! SO, the industry better come up with a BETTER win-win scenario. The consumers KNOW they are being ripped off when a 20oz bottle of water costs $4.50!!!! For water. No one likes to be ripped off.
You do want the whole family to go right? Like that commenter stated just for 2 of them it was $59! … add two kids and you are easily almost double that! They need tickets and their own drink and of course candy.
THAT is the real issue .. no matter the quality of the movies. AND ACTUALLY many lesser known movies (meaning those that don’t break 65 million opening weekend) will never stand a chance of survival in the theaters because if I’m going to pay $59 – $100 for a night out to see the movie… that movie BETTER be good and I am not doing it that often.
Its a numbers game… and those intelligent to figure it out knows that getting MORE people in the door RATHER than MORE money per person is the answer. If MORE people see a movie… then MORE people are likely to tell MORE People… and MORE people are likely to purchase the DVD or rent the DVD after… there is likely MORE buzz about the movie and the lifespan of the movie has a better chance of survival.
If I were a chain of theater houses I would re-negogiate with studio distribution! In today’s changing world… and technology changing… they need to make it easier for people to go NOT more difficult. Otherwise the movie theater house will turn to dust like the drive-in movies did. Then how are they going to distribute their movies… through the internet and tv? In their own homes! .. At least then the water won’t be $4.50 for a bottle!
Many exhibitors look to the concession stand to bring in the real revenue (remember how Fox grabbed also a chunk of that with ‘Star Wars’?). It’s almost like those fancy restaurants which could actually give away the food because they make so much on the wine! Thing is, nobody is forced to visit the concession stand and pay those prices, so kids can be educated (read, threatened!) to accept a smaller portion (and fight obesity at the same time!) or have a drink beforehand! I do agree with you, though, the prices are outrageous all the same, but at least audiences can fight back here.
Who is making you buy concessions? If you can’t afford them, then don’t buy them.
Can you really not go two hours without stuffing your face with buttered popcorn kernels and sucking down sugar water? Try going out for dinner before the movie so that you aren’t hungry when you get to the theatre. Sneak in a snack in your pocket.
I like your point about the numbers game though. If theatres reduce ticket prices, that means more people seeing the movie and more word-of-mouth on social media.
I saw Prometheus over the weekend at the local Cineplex Odeon whatever-it’s-called theater. During most of the loud action scenes, half the speakers would “crack” & “pop” over the films actual audio. My friends and I couldn’t believe it. Since we saw the Sunday late show, nobody but a young employee was in the lobby afterwords. So, I called the theater the next day and talked to a manager. Not only was I one of many who complained, this audio “glitch” had been present on the Friday & Saturday showings too. So despite knowing about this problem and not being able to fix it, they still showed the movie. They still accepted my 15 bucks and hoped I wouldn’t care.
It’s not that movies suck now. Bad movies have always existed. It’s that the theater experience sucks. Movies aren’t keeping me away, the theaters are.
Which is why a few years ago I decided to make a small investment in my home entertainment system. It was the best thing I could do. With the advent of HD content/Blu-ray, I’d rather sit at home and re-watch a classic on Blu-ray that was beautifully restored. Obviously the screen isn’t remotely as big, but it’s a trade off. I can watch a film with my family & friends in peace. And the chairs are a lot more comfortable, too.
I still love seeing new movies. It’s why I own 500+ Blu-rays. I just hate going to the theater now. And the quality of home video has nearly caught up. Spend 30 bucks on 2 movie tickets, or spend 20 bucks on the beautifully restored Ben-Hur on Blu-ray? Sorry, but my curved projection screen at home is winning the battle 99% of the time.
I used to see one or two movies a week. Then i found Netflix DVD’s and now streaming. I don’t mind waiting three months for the savings i enjoy. I started going again with the start of 3D but quickly learned 3D didn’t mean a good movie. It just meant a damed expensive waste of time.
If Hollywood was as concerned as it should be, the solution is a piece of cake. Lower the price of a ticket to $6 and watch a huge surge of moviegoers in their 20s, 30s, and up pack theaters for all kinds of films. And come back eagerly and regularly. I’d say “like the old days” but those were before my time.
What is truly said is how obvious the solution is to the public, and how blind the industry is to it, for the same reasons and short term thinking that plagues our government’s decisions, namely 1) globalism creating the notion that the entire pie is for the taking and 2) spending huge amounts attracts huge amounts back to the “right” parties. That may seem like a stretch…but it’s the reason why we’re so hungry for American films that once again can show us the country we know, the good and the bad, and not some grey, generic Toronto serving for a charming US city yet again.
A film like Moonrise Kingdom should have no problem opening to $10m with the stars and Netflix-popularity and hip catchet of its director. And yet, now it’s cheered if it grosses $15m total domestic. This sad state of affairs means very few people, typically upperclass ones and not the rural kids who are bored and may fall in love with cinema, see a thought provoking, entertaining work about humans. Not more super humans. Not more cheesily shot shoot em ups.
American audiences have fallen for the trap. We tell ourselves on sites like this that our country is too dumb for a film like Moonrise or even The Raid to open semi-wide. When in fact we just can’t afford the current prices. We can’t take the loss on the anti whiz-bang films that may not be as good as the reviews. We’d rather spend to be part of an event b/c that’s what sites like Deadline encourage with rat race reporting.
But Hollywood is deluding itself. For every Avengers there’s three Battleships that turn the public off more, and offend intelligent, middle class former moviegoers. So how does Hollywood plan to top Avengers? By spending $500m on Avengers 2 or $400m on Transformers 4. Where does it end? It’s not sustainable. And less and less people are seeing these films domestically.
In five years, online shows, premium cable, and services like Netflix, YouTube, and Xbox Live will all be on the same playing field right in the living room. Hollywood will have to focus more on creating censored spectacle for the Chinese market. The last charms of Hollywood will have been whisked away like any semblance of artistic expression. All because execs refused to return the medium to its populist roots and reduce the ticket prices by a couple bucks.
Greed is only good when you’re releasing movies as good as Wall Street and not sharting out Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps and Battleship. Ain’t a happy ending in sight this time. Denial. Denial. Denial.
Theres a special place in hell for parents who bring
their 5-6 year olds to Hard R rated films.
I cannot stand it when the little kids talk, scream, cry
throughout and the parents just sit there doing nothing.
Another good reason NOT to go to the movies!!!
THIS. I’m picky about when I go to the movies now because it’s a crapshoot. You’ve got little kids, texting, people loudly talking, FIGHTS breaking out, and the like. It’s insane.
Moviegoing has never been a communal thing for me. I don’t need to be with someone to sit in the dark and watch a movie for two hours. Thus, I prefer the AMC Theater special at $6 for the first show of the day. It’s a nice and inexpensive way to watch movies and the audience for an 11AM show tends to skew older, and QUIET.
More variable pricing is needed based on the time period the movie is out.
Start off with full retail for a blockbuster.
Knock off 30% during the second or third week.
Then drop to 50% of original retail during the fourth week onwards.
Since you are fighting a drop off expected during these time periods, the increase in volume should outset any decrease in ticket price. Theaters will be happy with the variable pricing because more patrons = more concession sales, which is where they make their money.
Most importantly, you capture the segment of the market that will not pay full freight but are willing to pay more than $1-$1.50 rental price charged by Redbox.
People refusing to put their phones away for 2 hours is definitely a contributing factor as far as I’m concerned. It’s hard to create and feel the “movie” experience when there is constant chattering, beeping and lighted phone screens all about you…
I feel exactly the same way. When I watch a 3D movie, I’m not pulled IN to the experience like 3D advocates say I should be, I’m actually pulled OUT because of the additional piece of plastic that I have to put on my face in order to watch the damn movie itself! Whether it’s a subtle blur of some 3D that didn’t transfer, a smudge in the lens that I have to rub off or just the fact that I’m wearing a pair of f*cking glasses, 3D is an annoying, expensive pain in the ass.
I’ve realized that I’m sucked into a movie much more in the traditional 2D way. Whether it be a movie theater, my tv or my apple computer (which is as clear, if not better than my tv). Point is, 3D sucks because you have to pay more money to DEAL with something extra not ENJOY it.
My suggestion to the studios- pay for better scripts that make better movies. For the theater owners- IMAX. Before it was the multiplex, then stadium seating, now the standard needs to be IMAX at every theater. Every screen. Every town. Ask anyone, IMAX is the constant impressor. Why? Because most people don’t have a five story screen in their living room. F*ck 3D. IMAX is the true, pure MOVIE GOING experience that they can’t get anywhere else.
Idk about EVERY screen being Imax. But I would have enough so that actioners and comedies, at the least, can show on IMAX. But there should also be some regular screens for older movies, or films that don’t “require” a big screen.
But yeah, it would be nice if I could see Avengers, after week 1, on Imax.
Supply and Demand. The movies are supplying to a specific market and the demand from that market is not infinite. Prices up. I know the theater owners only make a profit on the snacks, still… And despite what the trades and studios say I haven’t seen a film offered in the last year that I really “must” see. A whole lot of alternatives, most cheaper, out there. When in doubt read a book.
The “specialness” of going to the movies seems to be gone. Part of that is due to the quality of the films. Part of it is due to the environment – people getting calls during the movies, checking their cellphones during movies (can see those bright lights), and – worst of all – the endless commercials before the movie.
And then, after paying outrageous prices, we are subjected to a half hour of non-stop ads, and then a half-hour of very LOUD previews (i.e. more ads). THAT’S AN HOUR OF ADVERTISING!!! (if you go in time to secure a good seat.)
If I pay those prices, the LAST THING I WANT is to be subjected to advertising.
I’m going to buy a new big screen TV and watch at home, thank you very much. That way I control my environment and guess what? NO ADS.
I should note that that was based on going a half-hour early to get seats to see Prometheus. The actual movie didn’t start until a half-hour after the posted start time. Thus I was subjected to an hour of commercials in order to see a movie I PAID FOR.
Hollywood recently surveyed the changing media landscape and the moviegoing public and decided to spend the bulk of its money and resources serving ONE demographic: the fanboy. They are now reaping the fruits of this decision.
Adolescent males have THE MOST entertainment options and on most any given night can be found playing first person shooter games. They have the shortest attention spans and have the least amount of disposable income, but Hollywood decided they deserve it all. Not just ridiculous properties, but with the biggest budgets and in 3D and visual phantasmagoria over plot/story.
Women? Screw ’em. Older audiences? Who have money and actually LIKE going to the movie? Screw em. We’re devoting all our money and resources serving the might fanboys!!!!
This is how it’s working out. Enjoy.
The cost isn’t an issue per se, it’s sort of a meta-issue for me because I feel I’m being played for a sucker. $5 for Raisinets? Yeah, I have the five bucks, I’m not going to miss my car payment for the five bucks, but at the same time: f*ck you.
They beat beat on me with marketing, they shove the movie down my throat night and day, then comes the ticket price and the food prices from the filthy concession stand. Finally it’s advertising and previews and a dirty theater and wearing the fakakta glasses over my own glasses, watching through sunglasses in effect, while the sound system makes the dialog unintelligible. All so I can get to a story full of plot holes evidently written for morons. My recent Imax 3-D Prometheus single-handedly turned me back off movies.
What a ridiculous study and article and yet another forum for people to complain about 3d — which has gotten out of hand with the surcharges but there is a 2D option!!!! And depending on your place in the country you can watch a movie for 7.50. Also all movie chains over prepaid movie tickets– if you have anybody who works at a hospital or big company, they can get tickets or go directly the each theater chains website, eBay or entertainment.com or workers advantage.com