The entire cinema eco-system needs to do better - here's how much tickets and a box of popcorn should really cost if theaters are going to make a comeback
Yes!! Agreed on the trailers for sure! As a former gov contractor I had to have my mobile device on me at all times, but I always set it to silent. I'm flex on cell phones but they have to be silent and put away... just for emergencies. But I feel you on this one!
Also, any movie that’s over two hours is gonna have to wait. If my mama directed a movie that was longer than two hours, I’d have to wait for it to hit TUBI.
You know, that's a great point. It seems that modern movies are very long compared to the almost mandatory 90 minute run time of films from back in the day. I think a brilliant film can be made in 90 minutes still.
Thanks for sharing John. Realistically, ticket with snacks (meaning a drink, popcorn and hottamales lol) should run no more then $25 per person. Especially in more expensive places like Cali or NY for Ex. Ideally everything should be cheaper but yeah for sure an experience going to a movie anymore is kinda nauseating; especially when the movie is rushed and not a piece of fully thoughtful fine art. Next question you should ask is Marvel or DC, which do you prefer in terms of story telling?
Thanks Sarah ;) Ok, let's include hottamales... good choice btw! Let's do some quick math.
Movie Ticket: $7 + Icee or soda $4 + Popcorn $4 + Choice of Candy $4 = $19 tops ... I believe keeping tickets around $7-$10 max, no matter what time you go, adjusting cost of goods so the movie goer spends roughly $15-$20 per person... this is ideal to get people out there. Let's take a movie goer that buys nothing else but the ticket... $5-7 matinee, $10 max for anything after 6pm.
Re: Marvel vs DC... that's a tough one, I like and dislike something about both. What we really should be getting are films from the Vertigo or Elseworlds line of these companies, which would be pretty rad!
I can dig those prices and reasoning for them. Thanks for commenting off the subject as well; i agree with mixing genres too cause concepts of expanding stories from fixed universes tend to be clever and expansive. What a wonderful world it would bring back nostalgic yet evolutionary focused blockbusters rather than mundane, repetitive, infuriating entertainment. Ugh
I absolutely love seeing movies but I have really reached a tipping point with the prices. Yes, I can afford to go but in recent memory I’m not feeling that I’m getting the “ROI” financially or frankly in fun, either. There’s a whole model adjustment to be made somewhere to include no phones allowed at all, drop ‘em in a box or something, subscription model for drinks maybe like a theme park does? How about a summer movie pass like a local theme park? Anything to infuse some innovation to improve the experience and cost.
I've seen that also at another theater here in San Diego. I'm like, isn't part of the reason we go to the theater is to escape commercials?! lol On the flip side, I've been to one film, I'm still trying to remember which one (a few years back) where there wasn't a single trailer or commercial of any kind, not even the concession bumper... it went right into the film at the start time. I was blown away!
I've loved going to the movies my entire life. I've passed that love on to my sons, especially the oldest, now 13. It's just so expensive to be able to enjoy a night out at the movies. Drive-Ins are awesome if you have one within an hour's drive as I do. Some theaters run great matinee deals too, especially if you can get to one on a weekday.
My 16 year old and I loved going fairly regularly. Drive-ins are absolutely a blast... we used to have one we went to that was only a five minute drive away back when I live in East county in San Diego... that was wonderful... it doubled as a Swap Meet (I used to buy all my baseball cards and comics from there)... but now the lot is just apartment buildings :(
Agree on all accounts. I just don’t go anymore. It’s no longer fun. Plus the type of movies I like don’t need big screen. I honestly don’t see it going anyway but the way of the Drive In.
It's sad because movie going was a very regular thing for me. I even had a membership at one point and would go at least once a week. You're right... if it keeps going in this direction we might not have theaters in the not too distant future... which breaks my heart
I’m totally with you on that. Used to LOVE it, but it just seems like the big players don’t care about the patrons. I used to go at least once a week in the 90s and 2000s. Maybe they will allow installment payments for a family of four?
“The rest of the slate? Often cookie-cutter sequels or half-baked reboots,”
When we took our kids to see the Minecraft movie, every trailer was just that, an over-hyped live action, a useless sequel, or a worn out “re-imagining.” It was actually rather depressing.
I miss the days when we would be drawn in by a midnight premier of our favorite story come to life, costumes and all. Unfortunately it’s not just the prices, it’s the fact that the quality of what they’re pushing out these days is seriously lacking. So I probably won’t be back for a while, even with the kids.
You're totally right MaKenna!! I think there was maybe 1 or 2 out of the six or so trailers we saw that I was like, oh, this might be good (the new Mission Impossible being one... I like those films :) The rest were a mess lol
So many video game related properties, also can be a hit or miss, but films need to start with great stories and ideas!
"Here’s an idea – bring back 80s, 90s, and 2000s film to cinemas on a regular basis." This seems like a slam dunk. So much money to be made here. We used to have $5 throwbacks in my town. We got to see stuff like Jaws, The Breakfast Club, Princess Bride...all kinds of cool stuff, as a family, sometimes for the first time on a big screen. So cool.
That's what I'm talkin about Tom! Yes, bring back films like Jaws, let's not forget The Warriors lol, and films we grew up watching and we know the younger gen will love because those films are timeless... even No Holds Barred! ... though we might be able to do without Under-Siege lol We had a thowback theatre out here once also...
I think negotiating licensing for older films would be cheaper and the theater could be more selective on the newer stuff. Anyway, yes, bring the films we grew up watching as a way to start this movement! ;)
Dude - before we moved out of town, my buddy who runs a film festival got a private screening of The Warriors for me and our friends. Never saw that one on the big screen until then. It was RAD!
The Warriors is my favorite film from the 70s. I wish I could see it on the big screen. I hope to one day for sure!! Glad you got to experience it in the cinema, the film is poetic!
I legit love going to the movies. It's the perfect "going out" experience for an introvert like me. I worked at a small-town theater for my first job- it was great. Free tickets for me and a guest whenever I was off clock. Even though prices were cheaper back then, I was a poor teenager. Not sure I could have afforded to date without that job. I'm even currently working on a screenplay loosely inspired by those experiences. So it bothers me that cinema is in such bad shape.
There are a lot of problems with the movie business right now, but I think you've diagnosed the two biggest issues: cost and movie quality. Most of the fixes theaters have tried are empty gimmicks like 3D, vibrating seats, whatever. Those are fine- I'll admit I'm a fan of the recliners- but they don't cover for crap movies and they only drive the price up.
The best theater in my town (KC) shows as many (if not more) old movies than new ones, a mix of classics and cult classics and everything in between. The projection system isn't as state-of-the-art, the sound isn't as good, the seats aren't as comfy, but the atmosphere is fantastic. The people who run it love movies, they pick good films, and even if tickets aren't as cheap as I'd like, they do good business. That's all you gotta do. Show good movies and charge a reasonable rate. People will come and you'll make more money in the big picture. Okay, I'm done with my rant now.
Five bucks for matinee. No cell phones allowed. Limit trailers to four or five instead of the current 27.
Yes!! Agreed on the trailers for sure! As a former gov contractor I had to have my mobile device on me at all times, but I always set it to silent. I'm flex on cell phones but they have to be silent and put away... just for emergencies. But I feel you on this one!
Also, any movie that’s over two hours is gonna have to wait. If my mama directed a movie that was longer than two hours, I’d have to wait for it to hit TUBI.
You know, that's a great point. It seems that modern movies are very long compared to the almost mandatory 90 minute run time of films from back in the day. I think a brilliant film can be made in 90 minutes still.
Thanks for sharing John. Realistically, ticket with snacks (meaning a drink, popcorn and hottamales lol) should run no more then $25 per person. Especially in more expensive places like Cali or NY for Ex. Ideally everything should be cheaper but yeah for sure an experience going to a movie anymore is kinda nauseating; especially when the movie is rushed and not a piece of fully thoughtful fine art. Next question you should ask is Marvel or DC, which do you prefer in terms of story telling?
Thanks Sarah ;) Ok, let's include hottamales... good choice btw! Let's do some quick math.
Movie Ticket: $7 + Icee or soda $4 + Popcorn $4 + Choice of Candy $4 = $19 tops ... I believe keeping tickets around $7-$10 max, no matter what time you go, adjusting cost of goods so the movie goer spends roughly $15-$20 per person... this is ideal to get people out there. Let's take a movie goer that buys nothing else but the ticket... $5-7 matinee, $10 max for anything after 6pm.
Re: Marvel vs DC... that's a tough one, I like and dislike something about both. What we really should be getting are films from the Vertigo or Elseworlds line of these companies, which would be pretty rad!
I can dig those prices and reasoning for them. Thanks for commenting off the subject as well; i agree with mixing genres too cause concepts of expanding stories from fixed universes tend to be clever and expansive. What a wonderful world it would bring back nostalgic yet evolutionary focused blockbusters rather than mundane, repetitive, infuriating entertainment. Ugh
I absolutely love seeing movies but I have really reached a tipping point with the prices. Yes, I can afford to go but in recent memory I’m not feeling that I’m getting the “ROI” financially or frankly in fun, either. There’s a whole model adjustment to be made somewhere to include no phones allowed at all, drop ‘em in a box or something, subscription model for drinks maybe like a theme park does? How about a summer movie pass like a local theme park? Anything to infuse some innovation to improve the experience and cost.
Suggestion: Last movie I went to had a half dozen local commercials before the movie played. That’s really outrageous. AMC theater. Won’t go back.
I've seen that also at another theater here in San Diego. I'm like, isn't part of the reason we go to the theater is to escape commercials?! lol On the flip side, I've been to one film, I'm still trying to remember which one (a few years back) where there wasn't a single trailer or commercial of any kind, not even the concession bumper... it went right into the film at the start time. I was blown away!
Galaxy Quest is perfect? :)
Galaxy Quest is perfect. Fixed it for you.
😆🙌 "By Grabthar's Hammer, by the Suns of Warvan, you shall be avenged"
Yes sir, it is ;)
The show it is based on, is near perfect. Well. TNG, anyway. ;)
I've loved going to the movies my entire life. I've passed that love on to my sons, especially the oldest, now 13. It's just so expensive to be able to enjoy a night out at the movies. Drive-Ins are awesome if you have one within an hour's drive as I do. Some theaters run great matinee deals too, especially if you can get to one on a weekday.
But, YES to everything here.
My 16 year old and I loved going fairly regularly. Drive-ins are absolutely a blast... we used to have one we went to that was only a five minute drive away back when I live in East county in San Diego... that was wonderful... it doubled as a Swap Meet (I used to buy all my baseball cards and comics from there)... but now the lot is just apartment buildings :(
That's too bad.
Agree on all accounts. I just don’t go anymore. It’s no longer fun. Plus the type of movies I like don’t need big screen. I honestly don’t see it going anyway but the way of the Drive In.
It's sad because movie going was a very regular thing for me. I even had a membership at one point and would go at least once a week. You're right... if it keeps going in this direction we might not have theaters in the not too distant future... which breaks my heart
I’m totally with you on that. Used to LOVE it, but it just seems like the big players don’t care about the patrons. I used to go at least once a week in the 90s and 2000s. Maybe they will allow installment payments for a family of four?
“The rest of the slate? Often cookie-cutter sequels or half-baked reboots,”
When we took our kids to see the Minecraft movie, every trailer was just that, an over-hyped live action, a useless sequel, or a worn out “re-imagining.” It was actually rather depressing.
I miss the days when we would be drawn in by a midnight premier of our favorite story come to life, costumes and all. Unfortunately it’s not just the prices, it’s the fact that the quality of what they’re pushing out these days is seriously lacking. So I probably won’t be back for a while, even with the kids.
You're totally right MaKenna!! I think there was maybe 1 or 2 out of the six or so trailers we saw that I was like, oh, this might be good (the new Mission Impossible being one... I like those films :) The rest were a mess lol
So many video game related properties, also can be a hit or miss, but films need to start with great stories and ideas!
"Here’s an idea – bring back 80s, 90s, and 2000s film to cinemas on a regular basis." This seems like a slam dunk. So much money to be made here. We used to have $5 throwbacks in my town. We got to see stuff like Jaws, The Breakfast Club, Princess Bride...all kinds of cool stuff, as a family, sometimes for the first time on a big screen. So cool.
That's what I'm talkin about Tom! Yes, bring back films like Jaws, let's not forget The Warriors lol, and films we grew up watching and we know the younger gen will love because those films are timeless... even No Holds Barred! ... though we might be able to do without Under-Siege lol We had a thowback theatre out here once also...
I think negotiating licensing for older films would be cheaper and the theater could be more selective on the newer stuff. Anyway, yes, bring the films we grew up watching as a way to start this movement! ;)
Dude - before we moved out of town, my buddy who runs a film festival got a private screening of The Warriors for me and our friends. Never saw that one on the big screen until then. It was RAD!
The Warriors is my favorite film from the 70s. I wish I could see it on the big screen. I hope to one day for sure!! Glad you got to experience it in the cinema, the film is poetic!
I legit love going to the movies. It's the perfect "going out" experience for an introvert like me. I worked at a small-town theater for my first job- it was great. Free tickets for me and a guest whenever I was off clock. Even though prices were cheaper back then, I was a poor teenager. Not sure I could have afforded to date without that job. I'm even currently working on a screenplay loosely inspired by those experiences. So it bothers me that cinema is in such bad shape.
There are a lot of problems with the movie business right now, but I think you've diagnosed the two biggest issues: cost and movie quality. Most of the fixes theaters have tried are empty gimmicks like 3D, vibrating seats, whatever. Those are fine- I'll admit I'm a fan of the recliners- but they don't cover for crap movies and they only drive the price up.
The best theater in my town (KC) shows as many (if not more) old movies than new ones, a mix of classics and cult classics and everything in between. The projection system isn't as state-of-the-art, the sound isn't as good, the seats aren't as comfy, but the atmosphere is fantastic. The people who run it love movies, they pick good films, and even if tickets aren't as cheap as I'd like, they do good business. That's all you gotta do. Show good movies and charge a reasonable rate. People will come and you'll make more money in the big picture. Okay, I'm done with my rant now.