tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post2746160353355095766..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: GOING to see a movie these daysBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-43555312603449311982017-08-04T17:09:34.724-07:002017-08-04T17:09:34.724-07:00Our only local theater is not that bad. They run t...Our only local theater is not that bad. They run the local ads before the published show time, and, if nothing else, they add local color. Olympic Game Farm, which started as Disney's go-to supplier of camera ready animals, always has their trailer for the "home of the waving bear". There's one for an "unforgettable" home for Alzheimer's patients. There is usually an ad for one or another of the local farms serving as a music venue. There is usually one public service ad from the county or local water district. These run on a loop before lights out. At showtime, the lights go down, there are three or four movie previews, then the movie. We are probably so far from being a real demographic, we can actually get to watch our movies. (They sell 3D glasses at the box office. We keep ours in the glove compartment.)<br /><br />For the real spectacles best seen in 3D or iMax, we try to get into Seattle and watch them at the Pacific Science Center. They do a pretty good job of crowd control, rarely have more than one preview and no advertising. I think they are used to dealing with school groups, so they've got it down to a science.Kaleberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05283840743310507878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4718300244331659362017-08-04T09:50:48.281-07:002017-08-04T09:50:48.281-07:00Back in the 80's I used to read before the pre...Back in the 80's I used to read before the previews started. Or if I was with someone else we would be able to talk. Not a chance 10 err 20 OMG 30+ years later. Even when they started showing silent slide shows with local ads and trivia it wasn't a problem.Rich Shealerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06349316644704593604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9792329815719534012017-08-02T21:33:34.124-07:002017-08-02T21:33:34.124-07:00@Kosmo13
I believe the odd pricing is a backdoor ...@Kosmo13<br /><br />I believe the odd pricing is a backdoor price increase. <br /><br />Instead of tickets costing $9 "INCLUDING sales tax", the theatres, knowing that most people use credit cards to pay, now have the ticket price as $9 PLUS sales tax.<br /><br />I believe Disney did that years ago at its theme parks in order to impose a silent increase in the price of admission, while still advertising the same price.Edwardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03428768957017762182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16656719427554725042017-08-02T18:58:51.994-07:002017-08-02T18:58:51.994-07:00Our largest theatre chain here in Canada has a pre...Our largest theatre chain here in Canada has a pre-show featuring interviews, trivia, product reviews; followed by an interactive cell phone game that ends with "Please turn off your phones NOW. It's distracting to those around you." They also run a very short animated clip, which shows the annoying habits of, alternately, Suzie Seatkicker, Tommy Texter, Sally Soundtrack and the guy who takes up a whole row of seats for his (imaginary?) friends. Then, yes, the commercials... I think this is somewhat effective, but whatever happened to ushers? They used to patrol the theatre to tell people to get their feet out of the aisle and the like. I am a shy, non-demonstrative person but I have found myself bending over or even walking over to cell phone offenders and telling them to turn the damn thing off - which is fairly effective.Brian MacIntyrenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-49598972266887229782017-08-02T16:39:41.239-07:002017-08-02T16:39:41.239-07:00I'm just a cheap, self-indulgent bastard. I...I'm just a cheap, self-indulgent bastard. I'll wait for the Blu-ray at Amazon. It's cheaper, and I can watch it as many times as I like. Commentaries, if I want to hear them. Most importantly, pause button. Don't @ me, Hollywood.<br /><br />Besides, TV shows are better.Charles H Bryannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36978279118662881472017-08-02T13:59:48.905-07:002017-08-02T13:59:48.905-07:00Darlene, You can sell my clothes.I've died and...Darlene, You can sell my clothes.I've died and gone to Heaven. Ken cited me in the first line of his world famous blog.ChipOnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-53975290518079652252017-08-01T20:34:23.909-07:002017-08-01T20:34:23.909-07:00One nice thing about the move to digital projectio...One nice thing about the move to digital projection: The film you see in a second-run house looks basically the same as it did at its premiere. You used to have to take a fingers-crossed approach to discount movies. You never knew whether the print would be decent, or scratched and worn out. I've even been to a few where there were frames missing, even entire lines of dialogue. You got what you paid for.Andy Rosenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69285837499710132162017-08-01T19:37:10.570-07:002017-08-01T19:37:10.570-07:00I was threatened by a little gangster wanna be who...I was threatened by a little gangster wanna be who threatened to beat me to a pulp at a screening if LA Confidential. I spoke to management, and guess who's friends were working at the theatre. And we didn't get our money back. And the theatre chain cared less. So, it doesn't always work. That, and we see trailers on tv and when it comes to cable, and we get a free weekend...we are almost always somewhat disappointed....if not very disappointed. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16052986912066599837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69174026859736851162017-08-01T17:28:08.725-07:002017-08-01T17:28:08.725-07:00Majestic Bay in Seattle has no ads and minimal tra...Majestic Bay in Seattle has no ads and minimal trailers. And reasonable prices for both real popcorn with real butter and concessions (and parking is street parking). Breadbakernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-62646840507257451192017-08-01T17:06:25.420-07:002017-08-01T17:06:25.420-07:00I know to a certain extent this must be regional, ...I know to a certain extent this must be regional, and I don't disagree that movie prices have gone way up (and concessions more so) but I'm always intrigued when I hear about $20+ movie tickets. Maybe it's more consistent in LA? <br />I am in a major metro area and the only times movies cost more than $15 is either in the schmancy, leather recliner, food-service at your seat, assigned seating, no children allowed theaters OR when it's an IMAX 3D giant blockbuster and part of that cost is a tacked on extra glasses fee. A regular 2D not IMAX movie on a Saturday night for me is $14, and matinees and earlier showings are easily had for anywhere from $6.50-$11. That's not even at "the cheap theater" doing second run stuff. I just don't go to movies at peak times anymore and it's not that bad.DBAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36221741132991603322017-08-01T15:37:22.791-07:002017-08-01T15:37:22.791-07:00Wonder if that was for Ken and his wifeWonder if that was for Ken and his wifesanfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06580867647162091670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-66502734726083449922017-08-01T14:58:57.225-07:002017-08-01T14:58:57.225-07:00I've found the worst instances of talking in g...I've found the worst instances of talking in general seating seating multi-cinemas in malls where people aren't very serious about movies and often drag in kids waaaaaay too young to see the movies and scar them for life. It tends to be different if you can get into a special screening at a mall theater, but that's not always possible throughout the country and those "free ticket" websites can be very annoying and time consuming.<br /><br />Small indie theaters are more strict about phones, texting and talking. People are asked to leave for texting or using their phone. Hardly anyone even whispers. It makes one spoiled when visiting a mall theater again and hearing thoughtless people talking at full volume. Because they're small and show a lot of older films, they usually charge less per ticket or offer subscriptions or annual memberships which pay for themselves if you attend often enough. Some cities have festivals with the same benefits. It depends on your city, and not all cities have enough film buffs, but there are also some colleges that might welcome attendees, also at lower prices. You never know.<br /><br />If you want to see a new blockbuster, go to a morning show, not a weekend or evening one. Just like anything else, stay away from popular times, holidays, things like that if you can. Even big movies don't fill theaters on a weekday morning. Some theaters even lower prices on slow days. The Edwards theater chain in Southern California offers new movies at 5 dollars on Sundays and Tuesdays, and it's usually less busy on Tuesdays naturally. <br /><br />One message to tall people -- look behind you! If there's a short person or a kid there, sit down as low as you comfortably can, or choose a sitting position and stick with it so they don't have to keep darting their head around you. And guys with baseball or cowboy hats, take the them off, for gosh sakes! It's like it's 1915 and the magic lantern show has to remind ladies to remove those big flouncy potato chips things on their heads!<br /><br />I think the biggest thing to remember is what my mother always says if we take to much food from a dish at Thanksgiving: "Hey! There are other people, you know."Greg Ehrbarhttp://www.gregehrbar.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-52003531988168067232017-08-01T14:39:21.800-07:002017-08-01T14:39:21.800-07:00I stopped going to the movie houses until the Cine...I stopped going to the movie houses until the Cinemark opened near me. Plush seats that become recliners at the push of a button, and few enough seats to make the experience somewhat intimate. Popcorn is $6.50 for a large tub and one refill is free. Same with drinks. On Tuesdays, the day I go, the tickets are $5.50. <br /><br />What I don't understand from some of the comments here is why you people tolerate obnoxious patrons. Tell them to shut up or call the usher and let him/her deal with it. Quit being sheep.<br /><br />This place still has the plethora of ads, but what bothers me more than the fact that they're running is the fact that they're so damned LOUD. At least twice as loud as the show. What I do now is buy my tickets in advance, show up 20 minutes after the announced show's start time, and bring ear plugs just in case. Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-51995463997299697022017-08-01T14:21:10.918-07:002017-08-01T14:21:10.918-07:00Haven't been to a movie theatre in decades. T...Haven't been to a movie theatre in decades. There is no movie ever made that I will pay $20.99 (plus parking, etc.) to see on a big screen -- not when I can see it at home.<br /><br />I might consider going if the $20.99 included a complimentary no-frills/no extras DVD or BluRay of the actual film.<br /><br /><br />Arthur Meenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-5117927355260632972017-08-01T14:18:08.887-07:002017-08-01T14:18:08.887-07:00From my brain to your blog. You covered every sing...From my brain to your blog. You covered every single reason I don't go out to movies anymore. The last new movie I saw in a theater was THE WORLD'S END (directed, ironically, by Edgar Wright). Long ago, I got tired of dealing with crowds, commercials, and high prices, and all for the hope that's what on the screen was worth the trouble and expense. Give me YouTube and the Internet these days!Steve Baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07460010481523481647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86486630740482931502017-08-01T13:36:29.802-07:002017-08-01T13:36:29.802-07:00We have Cinema Cafes in our part of the country. T...We have Cinema Cafes in our part of the country. The ticket prices are significantly lower because they expect you to buy food, but those prices aren't excessive (even the popcorn is rationally priced) and it's pretty good. We have 2 "second run" theaters as well as 2 "first run" in our area if you want to save even more. <br /><br />And they serve alcohol, if that's what you desire.<br /><br />It's the only way we go out to the movies anymore.Jeff Weimerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07802456524746485019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-66925544313841172942017-08-01T13:22:57.518-07:002017-08-01T13:22:57.518-07:00Imagine adding all that to a Judd Apatow film and ...Imagine adding all that to a Judd Apatow film and you'll have to spend at least 6 hours at the theater. His thank you would be 45 minutes minimum.Sean Farrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06656088554095579888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-53205548347782069122017-08-01T13:13:26.236-07:002017-08-01T13:13:26.236-07:00For me, it isn't that the theater experience h...For me, it isn't that the theater experience has gotten so much worse, but that the home-viewing experience has gotten so much better. Big-screen, high-def, good sound, comfy seating, whatever food I want, and a personally selected fellow audience make it a near-perfect entertainment experience. I have access to thousands of older films on Netflix and Amazon, and plenty of new-ish choices on pay-per-view (or, even better, on Redbox DVDs for $1.50). <br /><br />I still go to movie theaters to see big special-effects-heavy blockbusters (or on date night). But once I upgrade to an even bigger ultra-high-def TV set (which are amazingly affordable right now), I might not even do that.BigTednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14911528016238322162017-08-01T12:43:03.725-07:002017-08-01T12:43:03.725-07:00What gets me is that just about every theater I ha...What gets me is that just about every theater I have ever gone to must have some algorithm that tells them just exactly how many people they should have working concessions at any given time to help the line move quickly enough, and then they lower that number by 3 in practice.<br /><br />I also want to beat over the head any customers who spend more than 5 minutes in line for concessions and then have no idea what they want when it's their turn.Tyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01874797503792047387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-19477653552194693252017-08-01T12:09:16.168-07:002017-08-01T12:09:16.168-07:00I remember when the only commercial was the LA Tim...I remember when the only commercial was the LA Times commercial about how cool it was to be make movies. I must have seen the one where people are doing foley a million times until I felt like screaming at the screen, "we live in Los Angeles, no one CARES how you do foley!"Catnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67461707538450012342017-08-01T10:56:27.838-07:002017-08-01T10:56:27.838-07:00As someone who worked at a movie theatre I can tel...As someone who worked at a movie theatre I can tell you, while the prices are insane (Ken's not lying about the markup) the amount of overhead to keep things running is pretty incredible. There is quite a bit of risk involved that equates to 20 dollar popcorn.<br /><br />It was a 12 screen cineplex (here in canada) and we'd often have 30 - 40 employs working on a busy night, paying for cleaners (people are DISGUSTING), paying for prints and for projectionists to cut and re-cut trailers etc.<br /><br />Your not wrong, but its not entirely greed – in fact many nights we lost money. Ticket gate went solely to distributors etc. - the theatre makes ALL of its money on concession. Or at least that's what I was told!<br /><br />Having said all that, I am very pick and choosy and what movies I go to on the big screen. Went to Dunkirk (cost me and a friend a total of 80 bucks for a "VIP" experience: sitting on a leather couch and with a burger and a beer) and I'd say it was worth itPhilipnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-42704014390769885392017-08-01T10:55:00.353-07:002017-08-01T10:55:00.353-07:00I've been a super movie fan since I was 5 and ...I've been a super movie fan since I was 5 and saw ROB ROY. Grew up in the '50's going to Saturday Matinees for a quarter with nickel Sugar Daddys from the snack bar (what a novel thought...selling concessions for grocery store retail prices) and drive-in movies in the '60's. And now I go to a theater once every year or two. For all the reasons mentioned above. I can't stand the unruly crowds, the commercials, the food pricing (and who has to eat junk food during the 2 hour movie anyway? As a kid you needed the sugar inbetween the triple features, caroons, newsreel and serial chapter. But now? No.) So add my voice to the enjoy a movie (can't call them films any more, can we?) at home crowd. My 65" UHD delivers better image, better sound, a better stocked snack bar (ahhh, a glass of 2010 Screaming Eagle Cabernet) and a cleaner toilet for those senior breaks. Sell theater chain stocks short. I think they're going to be a thing of the past very quickly. For what it's worth, I do venture out to a new complex on the Monterey Peninsula to experience certain movies. The last one was almost two years ago for the Star Wars film in 3D. It was the first day with a riotous crowd...and I enjoyed sharing every moment with them. But I equally enjoyed seeing the movie again on Blu-ray a few months later. Maybe theaters are still viable with the under 45 crowd but all my friends share a similar life style when it comes to viewing entertainment on screen.Richard Pryorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08720033342761326530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72845583657537513472017-08-01T10:22:17.080-07:002017-08-01T10:22:17.080-07:00In the opening scenes of THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979) w...In the opening scenes of THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979) while the characters are waiting for their studio screening to start, Scooter runs around the auditorium yelling, "Popcorn! Get your popcorn! Only a buck!" In 1979, theater audiences laughed because it was ridiculously overpriced. Popcorn was only around a quarter even then. Now, audiences STILL laugh because, at a buck, it is hilarious under priced because most popcorn is now $7.99.<br /><br />I admire the late Jim Henson's ability to keep a joke funny even under changing circumstances. RRhttp://www.richardrothrock.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-87164963812730675322017-08-01T10:05:24.624-07:002017-08-01T10:05:24.624-07:00Quote: "Then of course, there are the asshole...Quote: "Then of course, there are the assholes who check their phones or text throughout the movie."<br /><br />You mean the worst people on the planet? <br /><br />I guess some people just aren't aware how awful such behaviour is for others? I've seen people do it AT LIVE SHOWS. I felt like screaming, "they can SEE you, you know!" (both times they were on the front two rows, too, if you can believe that).<br /><br />As for prices, don't come to central London to go to the cinema. You're looking at $30 just for the ticket! (Luckily as a local who attends regularly, there are schemes to reduce the prices, but visitors are screwed!)Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14065311571693087022017-08-01T09:45:23.445-07:002017-08-01T09:45:23.445-07:00100% agree. I quit going to the movies. It's F...100% agree. I quit going to the movies. It's FAR cheaper to wait for a film to come out on DVD then end up in the $5 bin, which happens 6-12 months later. If I don't like it, I donate it to the local thrift store (OFFICE SPACE, THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN).<br /><br />Disney/Pixar films never do that; they are the only ones I'll go to the theatre to see -- but ONLY originals. CARS XVII and FINDING NEMO'S LONG LOST COUSIN FRED should go direct to video (so I can really ignore them) and stay out of theatres. These hack retreads are classic Disney money-milking and hugely degrade the originals.<br /><br />Worse, where I live, there is only one theatre (a 4 plex) within 100 miles. Movies arrive Thursday and run a week (unless they're held over for at most another week). By the time I find out a movie is in town, and that it's worth seeing, it's gone. Which kinda solves the problem.RyderDAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00980791636129598607noreply@blogger.com