Going to the movies

[GH85Carrera]

My wife and I used to go to the movies fairly regularly. The prices were getting really high, and there was a lull in decent movies and we pretty much got out of the habit of movies for over two years.

So on Sunday we went to see the movie 1917. Anybody that thinks they are having a bad day at work should see that movie and see what a tough day at work really is.

It was a very different experience in 2020 to see a movie. First I tried to buy a ticket online, and got to the point of entering my credit card, and the big red buy button did not function for the web site on my phone. I did not want to download the app and set that up with yet another username and password.

Screw it, we will get tickets there.

So instead of the bank of humans selling tickets, just a wall of computer monitors. OK, easy enough. Poke the movie we want on the screen, the next showing, two tickets. Now one "gets" to pick the seats they want. OK, get that done, go to pay with a credit card, and it says problem printing tickets, please see concierge to retrieve your tickets. WTF, they have a concierge now? So some 17 year old dude behind a counter is dealing with several other people with the same issue, so we all stand in line with just one person to help us. Yea, this is efficient.

We get the tickets, but they have no seat assignments on them. So pay for some very expensive popcorn, and it is really good popcorn. And an overpriced bottle of water for each of us. So find theater number 11 and sit to wait through a bunch of commercials.

Up walk a couple and claim to have tickets for our seats. OK, we move over a three seats, no big deal. 25 minutes of previews of movies that all look horrid. Only the upcoming James Bond is something I might see, and I will wait for it to be on HBO. It does not look like something I want to pay much for. The other previews were mostly horror flicks, and movies I can't care less about.

1917 is a god move and well worth it.

We hit a 10:00 AM Sunday Matinee and it was $10.50 for the two of us. They made their money on the water and popcorn.

Oh, one other major difference for Oklahoma, they have a full service bar so one could order a mixed drink and they had two beers on tap. No I did not partake at 10:00 AM and drinking beer at a movie where they shows us 25 minutes of previews and then the movie it was over two hours in the seat. I can't do that and drink beer.

We will likely go back but not real soon. With HBO, Amazon, and Apple TV I have a long list of movies to see and I can press pause, go get a cheap beer from the fridge, or go pee and not miss any of the movie. A movie on Amazon is usually $3.99 or $5.99 or free with Prime.

[stevej37]

The only advantage the theater has now is timing...those who have to see it upon release are limited to the theater or wait.
The last few theater movies that I've seen..the sound was not as good as my home system.
Plus..I can pause for drinks, bathroom, of whatever.
It's still nice to get out to see a new release...so I'll still go.

[GH85Carrera]

To see a movie in 3D iMax is a visual experience that can't be replicated at home.

For the most part, I prefer to want movies at home just to have the pause button, and not have someone coughing like a pneumonia patient or sneezing like a flu patient.

Movie theaters do have a tough time competing. The big screen helps, but it is not a business I would want to invest in.

[steve185]

Holy ****, I had the very same experience and thoughts on Sunday afternoon when my wife and I went to 1917.

I was at the movie ATM, if that's what it's called. The people in front if me were painfully slow, I thought this till it was my turn. Then the screen came up to pick the seats, I though WTF, the seats were in about five different colors. I just hit the next button and it picked two seats.
My wife uses a wheel chair to get around but sits in a regular seat when we get there. So we go to the handicap seats, I park the chair, move her to a seat, but they are not the seats assigned to us. Some other people comer along ( not needing to be in the handicap section) and say "Oh I think you are in our seats" we shuffle around and watch 45 minutes of crappy interviews etc.
So I am still thinking how did even going to the movies get fuched up?

Was a great movie! I lost four great uncles in WW1, my grand father served ad would tell me somethings. WW2 was the greatest generation, WW1 was the lost generation. Imagine if all those young men had lived.

[MBAtarga]

We had a movie theater $25 gift card sitting in our "gift card" drawer from a previous Christmas gift exchange. The wife had a business trip and headed out on a Sunday afternoon - so I thought, eh - I'll grab the card and go see a movie. After paying for Sunday late afternoon admission, medium popcorn and small drink - I had to go south to my wallet for a few bucks! What a racket.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

My friends and I have dinner and movie night 2-3 Sundays every month. 4 to 8 of us get together to have dinner at a local restaurant and then see a movie or vice versa. It's a cherished ritual.

Movies close to everyone are $12.50. Given that we see a minimum of 2 movies per month, I subscribed to the AMC A-list plan. For $24/month, I can see 3 movies each week, every week, at any AMC. So it pays for itself just going with friends.

But the AMC Boston Commons has one massive theater and seeing anything IMAX is $21. So at one of those, and another movie, AMC is "paying me" to see movies. Thing is, the sound, etc. is soooooo much better at the Boston Commons theater, in all rooms, than where we see movies, so I see an average of 6 movies per month.

I'm an extremely visual person so the theater experience is perfect for me. I don't have a TV so I can't really watch anything other than Amazon stuff on my 27" iMac, which is fine. I can say it's really nice to get out even just to go see a movie and have dinner any given weeknight.

[JavaBrewer]

About a year ago we found a theater close by Angelika Carmel Mtn that is our go to place. Less seating with big leather recliners and they serve alcohol The tickets run $15 so a couple bucks more but very worth it. We only see 4-5 movies a year so it fits in our budget. We hit the 2-4 pm range on a weekend, never a problem with online ticket sales and seat selection - actually all the seat are really good except the first row. The hit you with the booze prices...insane. So we have found ways around that...which we learned in our younger years going to concerts

Most movies today are not appealing to us. Did see 1917 and it was good...not great...but then we are not the target demographic anymore. Wish we had this when Last of the Mohicans, River runs Through it, Jaws, Braveheart, Jurasic Park, etc...came out.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

For $24/month, I can see 3 movies each week, every week, at any AMC. So it pays for itself just going with friends.

For $288/yr (+gas +concessions) you could own a big screen and get them free from the library.
I do like the outside experience though.

I recently went to "Ford vs Ferrari" (worth the big screen) with Kach. First in a while.
The theater was hidden in the back of a big mall with a pothole drive.
$7 for matinee. They wanted $15 bucks for popcorn and soda and $8 candy. Yikes.

Had to pick assigned unknown seats while buying tickets.
(I think they do an electronic head count while they scan the audience for cameras.)
Seats were electric recline and cushy but the first set didn't work. Covered by thin faux leather they would probably not last long.

Movies are nice but the theater pricing makes them an occasional event these days.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I get $5 medium popcorn and soda deals with my A-list. I can't even imagine buying popcorn otherwise.

The last thing I would ever do is own a TV. It's like putting a bullet through your head. Can't put a price on that.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by john70t

They wanted $15 bucks for popcorn and soda and $8 candy. Yikes.

You just don't know the visit to Walmart right before the movie and wear a big baggy coat to smuggle those delicious twizzlers in.

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

I get $5 medium popcorn and soda deals with my A-list. I can't even imagine buying popcorn otherwise.

The last thing I would ever do is own a TV. It's like putting a bullet through your head. Can't put a price on that.

+1

I have a TV with firestick and that's it.

I search "Trump" on YouTube for the absurdities of the day and watch a of couple movie reviews. I like Chris Stuckman and Jeremy Johns for that. I rip an old movie now and then with the Exodus add-on. The end.

Love going to movies with my son and just found out about the AMC plan when seeing the Star Wars flick a week ago.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I just checked my AMC iPhone app, I have 2 $5 rewards to use. The $5 for popcorn and a soda expired.

[A930Rocket]

We see movies maybe once a month. Sometimes every few months. Just depends on what’s out there. Being seniors, we pay a little less, but they make it up with popcorn and a soda.

The last movie we went to was deserted. Ms Rocket and I sat down in our assigned seats and after a few minutes, a guy comes in and sits on the other side of Ms Rocket, in all but empty theatre. WTF. That was weird.

[Erakad]

My wife and I love to go to the movies. In fact, so do our 4 grown kids. My wife and I (now over 65) go on weekdays...preferably Mondays when we get the senior discounts; costs around 15 dollars or so. We spend $20 on overpriced popcorn and "snacks"....but you know what....we love it. Don't ask me why, but we love a theater, popcorn, movie, big screen; been hooked since I was a kid. My only regret: it takes me a full hour...on a good day...to get to the theater. But, you know what, I'll do it whenever I get the chance!

[Bill Douglas]

I really enjoy it when I go. But I just don't go that often. It used to wind me up paying for parking, where the parking cost twice as much as seeing the movie. But that excuse is gone now we have some excellent suburban movie theaters. Ones you can have a great meal at and take a drink in to have during the film.

I wanted to go and see Cats, but the reviews were so bad I've put that idea on hold.

[sc_rufctr]

I love the movies... Big screen, great sound but the refreshment prices are ridiculous.

A few years ago I was dating a girl that took her own refreshments in a back pack. (Canadian recently arrived in Aus)
Another patron saw her diving into her back pack and reported it to the ushers...
Rather embarrassingly we were escorted out of the cinema.

[cairns]

The sound is too loud at the movies. I have had to wear ear plugs. I only wore ear plugs to concerts years ago. Once past a certain dB my hearing gets distorted like a blown speaker. The movie theater doesn't need to be that loud.

Same here. And the initial commercials are even louder IMO. I just don't go anymore.

[GH85Carrera]

I understand they are business in business to make money. They don't do it for fun or as a hobby. They is the reason I put up with the sill prices on the popcorn and drinks. They do have really good popcorn.

I can't imagine paying to park to see a movie, or go to a restaurant. Not gonna happen to me. We have several big movie complexes near us. On Sunday we went to one at the mall. We have been there many times and know the good place to park, and can get in and out easily.

They are building yet another huge multiplex not far from us. One other new one opened up a few miles away. There will have to be a shake out of that many theaters. No way they can all survive.

[varmint]

People will always have to go out on dates.

One of the few things I miss about LA was movie night at the forever cemetery.

We would sit on the lawn near the graves and watch old movies projected up on the wall of the mausoleum. Saw a bunch of film noir, Hitchcock and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by varmint

We would sit on the lawn near the graves and watch old movies projected up on the wall of the mausoleum. Saw a bunch of film noir, Hitchcock and Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.

How cool is that?

Saw Eraserhead at some midnight showing at Kent State in the way back but a cemetery adventure buries that.

[A930Rocket]

Forget to say we saved money on “refreshments” when we were younger.

As soon as the lights went down, it was woosh woosh woosh as beer bottles were opened.

Then there was the famous rolling of the empty beer bottles when you knocked them over to go to the head.

Good times....