quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Do you guys even have high speed internet up there?

Gig fiber to the house since a year ago. We are in a very rural part of Michigan. Local company, very happy with our service and light years ahead of the poor cell service we switched from.

My wife and I see movies at the theater on a regular basis. The local theater chain here in the San Antonio area, Santikos, has Military Discount Monday. For about $20, you get two tickets, a large refillable drink, a refillable bucket of popcorn, in assigned seating with those reclining seats.

We were actually at the theater the last night before EVERYTHING shut down for COVID. That's the last time we regularly saw crowds at a theater. We saw Melania last Monday, at we were pleasantly surprised the theater was almost completely full.

Even so, if we had to pay what non-military pay, we probably wouldn't see but a movie or two a month.

Also, we will see Solo Mio tomorrow as did the OP. We were going to see Send Help, as last week, but at the last minute, se saw Melania. The trailer for Solor Mio, and it looked pretty cute to my wife...and I guess to me, also. I do like it is another Angel production.

I really enjoyed going to theaters will my kids, and seeing very new releases. That may still drive young people to get to the movie, so they can converse on topics related to the film.

My kids are grown now. I can't see me going back without them. I have wait a few weeks and watch it for pay-for-stream rent. My home kit is pretty good. Certainly good enough that I start watching, and forget I'm at home. The movie ends without disruption. No candy wrappers, no cell phones, no talking. And if there is a disruption, it is that my drink ran out, or I had to pee.

New movies suck + ridiculously expensive * home viewing is great now = theaters close

My wife will very occasionally get fed up with work bs and announce to me that 'we're going to the movies. She has done this, on average about once every 18-24 months apart for the last 10 years or so. She knows I oppose going on general principle. But I know that she has to be at the end of her rope to do this in the first place so I only ask to get a say in what we go see.

My local theater is right next to Cinemark corporate hq. They embraced about a 60% or more Bollywood movie schedule years ago, with covid, and it's still that way today. So in a way, the theatres got way smaller for us, with far fewer choices.

We go together about every other month

The Mrs. and daughter go about every month, mostly Disney crap that they like

It's funny how streaming has competely changed the entire movie experience. My wife had to get up in the middle of the movie to use the bathroom and I jokingly said as she got up: "I'll pause it for you!"

She did end up missing a key scene.

The last time I was in a movie theater it had paper towel holders fastened to the back of the seat in front of you.

Last time in a movie theater: 2004, Sierra Vista Arizona. Movie, The Passion of the Christ.

quote:

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

Exactly, my thoughts too.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
I would go to a theater in Korea or Japan though. Different experience than here.

I'll bet they are clean, and there are no issues with Miss Shaniqua and Miss Lakeesha on their cell phones.


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quote:

Originally posted by 83v45magna:
My local theater is right next to Cinemark corporate hq. They embraced about a 60% or more Bollywood movie schedule years ago, with covid, and it's still that way today. So in a way, the theatres got way smaller for us, with far fewer choices.

Ah Cinemark on Dallas North Tollway in Plano. I used to hit that theater once in a while. Mine “was” the Cinemark at Legacy on 75. I lived in McKinney during my last years in college in the early 00’s. It was my go to up until 2019 even though I moved to another city and bought a house. 100% correct about Bollywood. They started doing that around 15-20 years ago to the point they’ll show the same Bollywood film, in 2 theaters of the cineplex, at the same time, each in different Hindu dialect. The Cinemark on Legacy is routinely dead as door nails any and every time I drive by it. The Romano's Macaroni Grill in front of it closed a long time ago. Just a matter of time before it all closes and they do to it what happens to the malls. Full demolition. Then build 4-5 story apartment complexes with the first floor being shops. And some tiny homes around it.

You can buy Cinemark passes at Costco. Before I stopped going they were $8 and you’d buy in packs of 4. They work for any film at any showing except for Disney where you can’t use them until 2 weeks after the first theatrical release date.

I have zero desire to drive 20 minutes, pay for parking, take out a mortgage for tickets and snacks, and then run the risk of having to tell some dipshit to shut the fuck up and put their phone away.

Dad was a union projectionist back in the day though he ran the biz side instead of the projector. I knew the stories and economics as a kid.

Wife got a projection 4K tv from work as a prize, we have a spare unused bedroom, set it up and have a pull down 100 inch screen for the grandkids to watch movies. Two bean bag chairs, popcorn, ginger ale, and we get about 15 to 30 minutes of quiet time before they bolt to do other stuff LOL

Lot less expensive than the theater...

For those of you still venturing forth the the cinema, I recommend taking your wife, GF, or other family member(s) to see Song Sung Blue and Solo Mio.

They are both way better than many of the movies we have seen that were actually worth the expense of going to the cinema for.

I haven't been inside a movie theater in over 40 years.I have no idea what they charge these days.

Back in the late eighties and nineties there were theaters everywhere. I used to live near Plano, and there were 6 theaters in the early nineties in a town of 150k people at that time. I would go at least twice a month. In the last ten years I’ve been maybe 10 times. Between woke Hollywood and rude, stupid people, it’s just no fun anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by 9mmepiphany:


The big budget savings for theaters was cutting out projectionist. It was a a huge part of their budget as most projectionist were unionized...get paid the same for running a 35mm movie as running a Super 8mm in a porn house.

Movies are now run on continuous reels and since it is a "push button" operation, theaters have a "manager" do it. Their big money maker is still the concessions bar. When I worked in a movie theater, but in the early 70s, the profit margin on popcorn was something like 300-400%

Don't you think it's all digital now? I don't know; I'm asking.

quote:

Originally posted by 9mmepiphany:


Movies are now run on continuous reels and since it is a "push button" operation, theaters have a "manager" do it.

They're all digital now. They have basically big servers that are feeding the movie to the screens digitally, the one AMC near me actually has this room on display. Even the little old restored old-timey 1920's era one-screen theater in my town has gone 100% digital.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

Don't you think it's all digital now? I don't know; I'm asking.

Not everything is. There's one AMC near me that advertises its 70mm projector when certain movies (like Oppenheimer) come up, and there are still IMAX film theaters sprinkled around the US and Canada.

Mom and Pop theaters are a crap shoot on what they have.