I'll tell you why movie revenue is dropping...

Post by jakarta » Thu, Dec 29, 2011, 11:07 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #106

msluyter wrote: post #34

I think Alamo Drafthouse in Austin is doing it right: 1. Food & beer/wine served with movie -- convenient and much preferable to overpriced popcorn. 2. Cellphones must be turned off. 3. They take talking seriously, and preface each film with a strongly (and amusingly) worded statement to that effect. 4. No babies allowed except on specified baby nights. 5. Creative and fun special events, such as quote-alongs, sing-a…

I went to an Alamo in Houston and while I liked the concept, the theater was a bit dank (which I worry is an inevitable result of serving beer and food) and not a place I'd prefer taking my kids --- which is relevant because "family of four" seems to be the core market for blockbuster films. I like Alamo, don't get me wrong, but there are downsides to the model.

Post by icebraining » Thu, Dec 29, 2011, 11:28 PM UTC

bayleo wrote: post #68

jwingy wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interactive entertainment is a markedly different form of entertainment from movies. You're comparing apples to oranges I'm afraid.

That said, there's only a certain amount of time each person can spend on escapism. If gaming is occupying more of that space it is intrinsically encroaching on other forms of entertainment. Ebert is notorious for writing off the gaming industry, so I'm not surprised it wasn't mentioned in this article.

Post by ohashi » Thu, Dec 29, 2011, 11:31 PM UTC

dangrossman wrote: post #178

FreeKill wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

wow, they charge you a fee for buying the tickets online? Ridiculous...

The chain theaters tend to use Movietickets or Fandango for online & phone ticketing, and both charge an extra dollar or two per ticket.

Post by ultrasaurus » Thu, Dec 29, 2011, 11:52 PM UTC

rhplus wrote: post #116

2. Ticket prices are too high. People have always made that complaint, but historically the movies have been cheap compared to concerts, major league sports and restaurants. I had to check this claim, because inflation and purchasing power can fog people's memories. Using average U.S. ticket prices[1] adjusted to 2010 dollars[2], I get the following: Year | Price | 2010 price adj. w/CPI ------------------------------…

Post by tptacek » Thu, Dec 29, 2011, 11:54 PM UTC

jerf wrote: post #192

tptacek wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or, in other words, for a family of four who would have ordinarily gone to the movies every other weekend, the cost of 2 years worth of movie tickets before concessions. In return: * They have a massively improved home viewing experience, which is something they were doing already with television. * They have a massive improvement in convenience (they don't have to leave the house to see it). * They have a "good enou…

Don't forget "And it's useful for a lot of other things other than movies", which is what really tipped it over the edge for me. Video games, streamed TV, second computer monitor, family photo viewings, etc. We're getting pretty close to "optional monitor for your cell phone", too, in the slow-but-inevitable substitute-replacement of your laptop by your cellphone.