$125 to take the family to the movies. There are few movies worth that.

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
It’ll be like drive-ins

Yes, and for the same reasons. Teens these days learn all they need to (and more!) about sex on the Internet, they no longer have to visit the drive-in or movie theater balcony to get their thrills.

Although many of us old-timers still think they are missing something.

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:
...Maybe because a lot of my viewings have been at IMAX showings, which charged a lot of bucks at the time...

Charging big bucks will keep some demographics out, but around here it doesn't make a difference on bad behavior. My neighborhood is middle class or upper middle class, but the next neighborhood over is full of Lamborghini's, Ferrari's, etc.

The movie theater 2 miles away was the largest movie theater in US at the time it opened a few years ago. They have a "VIP" area with a secondary entrance, endless soda, endless popcorn, endless soft serve ice cream, a pay bar, and premium price. Affluent parents drop their teenage sex trophies off and they run around the VIP area in an unsupervised herd. I had no idea this occurred when I took a half day vacation and forked over for VIP one time only to have a had a bunch of teenage rich kids acting up the whole movie. Of course, the theater does nothing.

It’s not going to be that long as they are struggling and have been. Hollywood + the theater chains are really feeling it. They didn’t do anything about phone interruptions and exacting policies against it, and enforcing it. Had they been much stricter on this the older demographics would still be going, despite the ridiculous pricing.

Gen Z is the first generation we’ve had where their IQ is lower than the previous generation. So that means they are dumber, and the films reflect this. Plots and storylines are dumbed down for them. Matt Damon spoke about this on a recent podcast with Joe Rogan where he explained now they have to explain the plot line, 3 times in a film, and keep bringing it up because people are too stupid now to keep up. Effectively lowering the denominator which makes films worse. And even that doesn’t work and the films are still bombing. The quality of film from the plot/story, to direction, acting, production has been dumbed down. And independent films, once a staple for my viewing, are so far and few between. DVD’s and Blu Rays kept that business model good enough for independent film to be a strong thing. Streaming services killed that.

All the money has been moved to episodic content. Hollyweird states, again Gen Z, that their attention spans are extremely short, and how films are too much for them. Umm, what? You can’t relax for 90 or 100 minutes and watch a movie? It’s too much for you little snowflake? Yet they’ll binge watch a series for 8 hours straight. Figure that out and move to LA and you’ll have a job worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Films are a sign of society, a trigger. Think about it, you’ve got a huge swath, maybe even the majority of people out there who think they are more important than they are. How are you going to give cinema any time, music, any artistic form, when you have your head up your own ass 24/7?

Then there is technology, for home. I built a Dolby Cinema (Dolby Vision + Dolby Atmos) at home for a fraction of what it used to cost. I have better audio than even an IMAX theater.
And when you choose a proper screen for your MLP, even an IMAX screen doesn’t matter because it’s so large you miss artifacts during the film. The human eye can’t track everything across that monster. But if you choose your screen size at home, properly for the room, you can, and it’s still large enough to get the effect. My panel and many have an IMAX setting where you get IMAX scenes in full screen with no letterbox. Over the years I have helped friends, colleagues, and neighbors buy their gear even on a budget getting them a decent right sized panel with a soundbar with satellites and sub and they are happy as a clam. They can buy a 4k disc, and even if the film is not up to their family’s expectations, well $20-30 for the brand new disc from Amazon is a mere fraction of the cost of what it would take to for them to bring their kids, to the cineplex, and buy snacks. That’s over $100 now. And honestly most of them will wait for streaming or if they can’t wait do the $20 pay now thing these streaming services offer for rental.

In due time this space will be niche with theaters closing, downsizing, and a few will remain for nostalgia sake just like skating rinks and bowling alleys. Everyone is addicted to their phones and many of these younger generations are content to watch this or that newer film on their phone. I’ve asked them, geez wouldn’t you rather watch on a flat panel at home? They say no, they prefer their phone. So they don’t care about sound quality, picture quality, as they are addicted to having my precious in their hands at all times for everything, even cinema. So enjoy the cineplex while it’s there. Long term I don’t see any way they will survive without better quality films, strict enforcement policies, and a severe reduction in price. None of which is going to happen.

quote:

Originally posted by Prefontaine:
Gen Z is the first generation we’ve had where their IQ is lower than the previous generation. So that means they are dumber, and the films reflect this. Plots and storylines are dumbed down for them. Matt Damon spoke about this on a recent podcast with Joe Rogan where he explained now they have to explain the plot line, 3 times in a film, and keep bringing it up because people are too stupid now to keep up. Effectively lowering the denominator which makes films worse.

Theater sales get affected by dumb plots combined with Hollyweird being too dumb to realize normal people don't want to watch their woke shit. People don't want a remake with race-swapping, gender-swapping, forced inclusivity (i.e. LBGQT people are ~9% of population but an insane amount of lead characters), etc. Also don't want original movies with Christian hating themes, man hating themes, and family hating themes.

quote:

Originally posted by preten2b:

quote:

Originally posted by SigLaw:
Funny - we saw the same movie yesterday at 6:45 and it was 80% full. I agree that the movie was enjoyable, we both liked that it was "wholesome" which was a nice change.

One of you had temperatures with a wind chill of 5 to 10 below and the other one was in Arizona. IMO this explains most of it.

Yes it’s crazy cold out and movie was an earlier one but I’ve been out to same theater and others in the area in the spring and summer and it’s the same. The crowds are gone. It’s just not sustainable with the current numbers of attendees.

As someone with relatively poor visual acuity at range, I enjoy the premium sound options some theaters offer. However it seems the 2 hour movie has become a bad format, too short to do real story telling too long for the typical attention span. They were coasting on habit before Covid, and it shows now 6 years on.

I’ve been to one theater movie in the last 10 years and the experience was so underwhelming that as far as I’m concerned they’re extinct already.

Many of them are already gone, as malls die, so do theaters attached, high prices, absurd concession costs but mostly idiots with cell phones on either looking at the internet or phone ringing.

Not to many years ago some guy was on his phone, talking, when asked to stop it he started a fight and ended up dead....

Why would I expose my family to those people,

quote:

Matt Damon spoke about this on a recent podcast with Joe Rogan where he explained now they have to explain the plot line, 3 times in a film, and keep bringing it up because people are too stupid now to keep up.

I watched that 3 or 4 days ago and either I’m too stupid too keep up, can’t remember shit, or not, but I don’t believe that’s what he said or the point he was making. I believe he said people watching at home are busy doing other things besides just sitting there focused on the screen. Maybe it was Affleck. Now I gotta go rewatch and find out how bad my memory is.

Although I don't go, based on observation of the MQT theaters parking lot, it is thriving. But... Its the only real multi-screen theater in the region. I think that may be keeping it viable.

Do you guys even have high speed internet up there? Up until last year, the fastest internet we could get was 4mbps DSL through the Upper Peninsula Telephone Company. Being in the lower peninsula, we where way at the end of that line.

Yeah, haven't been to a theatre since a buddy of mine wanted to see the Ultron movie.

Didn't want to see much of anything else, but I almost went to Indiana Jones and the Touchtones of Destiny.

Now with all of the social race justice affirmation and transqueers in every movie? Hard pass.

We saw “Melania” last night and was about 1/2 full for Saturday night 6:50 show. Good movie. I live in an area that went about 75% trump in my county. When they showed the Bidens there was several audible “ blecchh” sounds lol

The small theater in my old town was a 2 screen place from the 1950’s and they would show old movies on the big screen. Like Jail house rock for Elvia’ birthday. Was totally full. Random 30th anniversary of raiders of the lost ark and was sold out. Movies a lot of people had never seen on the big screen.

They also sold burgers for the cafe next door and delivered them to you and also sold beer. They also showed first run movies but their bread and butter was creating fun Anniversary and birthday showings of movies stars had been in.

my kids wanted to see iron lung the other day. 3 tickets was $28 total. Food was $43!!

Full on high speed Intergoogle here in MQT. Very reliable too. I think most cities in the Yoop have high speed. The rural areas not so much.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Theater sales get affected by dumb plots combined with Hollyweird being too dumb to realize normal people don't want to watch their woke shit. People don't want a remake with race-swapping, gender-swapping, forced inclusivity (i.e. LBGQT people are ~9% of population but an insane amount of lead characters), etc. Also don't want original movies with Christian hating themes, man hating themes, and family hating themes.

Yup. My friends and I have a running joke. The white male lead is either dumb as rocks or the bad guy in much of recent stuff. People are tired of being preached at with woke politics. Especially when they are dropping $100+ on taking their family there for their overpriced shit. And Disney just keeps losing millions and billions trying. I guess to them this agenda is more important than making money. I’m sure their fucking shareholders just love that if they haven’t sold off their stock already.

I saw “CARLOS” (Santana) and “Sound of Freedom” in the theater in 2023, and other than possibly seeing “Melania” in a theater, I have zero interest in going to ‘The Movies’ to see ANY woke garbage that Hollywood is shitting out their asses.

I cant
t stand the never ending preview intro to every moving thats coming out next year, just play what I came to watch and be done with it.

quote:

Originally posted by XLT:
I cant
t stand the never ending preview intro to every moving thats coming out next year, just play what I came to watch and be done with it.

+1

Song Sung Blue, the movie about the Neil Diamond tribute duo had 27 minutes of bullshit before starting the movie. It was a Regal.

Most movies I've seen the past 6 or 7 years have been at a chain with only 10 locations. They feature 100% recliner seating, has a kitchen, has a bar, and has wait staff taking orders and delivering food/drink to your seat. Much less previews than what I experienced at Regal.

According to Gemini AI, typically only the last two trailers have been mandated by studio for the theater to play the movie. Big chains like Regal and AMC have their own in-house advertising programs and everything before the last 2 trailers was their decision.