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Empty Screenings – Finds AMC movie screenings with few or no tickets sold

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Re: Empty Screenings – Finds AMC movie screenings with few or no tickets sold

#31
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm finding that more and more, when I impulsively go to the theater and try to buy tickets at the door... I always find the only tickets available are horrible, like in the front row to the side. You want like F-6 and F-7 and get A-2 and B-2. And if I even accept this, the people in the choice seats invariably show up right when all the trailers are wrapping up. so - people buy tickets ahead of time, and it might be…

wait... I don't think I've ever experienced assigned seats in a movie theatre. Is that a thing?

It’s the only way I’ve ever seen movie tickets sold outside of North America anywhere.

Re: Empty Screenings – Finds AMC movie screenings with few or no tickets sold

#32
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never been to a theater without assigned seats. Maybe it's a regional difference?

Regional where...? Never seen this in the Northeast.

Outside North America just about every country I’ve ever lived in or visited had assigned movie ticket seats.

Re: Empty Screenings – Finds AMC movie screenings with few or no tickets sold

#33
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never been to a theater without assigned seats. Maybe it's a regional difference?

Regional where...? Never seen this in the Northeast.

I'm also in the northeast (Europe). It is quite normal to have assigned seats.

Re: Empty Screenings – Finds AMC movie screenings with few or no tickets sold

#34

I remember I went to a small showing once as a kid. It was just our group and 1 lady in the theater. We got to small talk and the lady mentioned she had once been the only customer for a showing and told the projectionist that she didn’t want to be a bother and could come back and another day. The projectionist had apparently replied that it was no bother - they would roll the movie even if no one showed up!

Im assuming (though rare) it’s the same with flights. They keep the schedule for movies in case someone joins half hour late. Plenty of people visit my the cinema for all kinds of reasons other than the content (like sleeping in the AC among other things that come to your mind). Keeping the movie going rather than waiting for someone to show up and make it awkward would probably be better for customer service too.

Re: Empty Screenings – Finds AMC movie screenings with few or no tickets sold

#35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

wait... I don't think I've ever experienced assigned seats in a movie theatre. Is that a thing?

Yes for higher end theaters like imax and the kind where everyone had a recliner chair

Or just about any movie theater of any kind outside of North America.

Re: Empty Screenings – Finds AMC movie screenings with few or no tickets sold

#36
post #11
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t remember the last time I bought a ticket at the cinema. I like picking my own seats online.

In most European countries you only get reserved seats at big multiplex cinemas, stuff like Cinestar, NOS and so on. On the European Cinema network [0], reserved seats is a long gone concept. So not always a given that seats can be reserved online for cinema, depends on ones location. [0] - https://www.europa-cinemas.org

I don't recall having been to any cinema in denmark ever that did not do assigned seats. They won't check if nobody complains, but is is printed on the ticket.

Re: Empty Screenings – Finds AMC movie screenings with few or no tickets sold

#37

Do enough people buy tickets in advance now that this really indicates anything of value? I'm old and have never pre-purchased a movie ticket in my life. I assume a lot of people do, but the few times I've been to the movies lately, it seems people are buying tickets at the theater.

Quite a bit in the early showing for good movies. Project Heil Mary has continued to sell all the good seats out and I’m bad at planning ahead for entertainment. It usually isn’t obvious because most of the movies have been atrocious in the last several years.

Re: Empty Screenings – Finds AMC movie screenings with few or no tickets sold

#38

I remember I went to a small showing once as a kid. It was just our group and 1 lady in the theater. We got to small talk and the lady mentioned she had once been the only customer for a showing and told the projectionist that she didn’t want to be a bother and could come back and another day. The projectionist had apparently replied that it was no bother - they would roll the movie even if no one showed up!

Im assuming (though rare) it’s the same with flights. They keep the schedule for movies in case someone joins half hour late. Plenty of people visit my the cinema for all kinds of reasons other than the content (like sleeping in the AC among other things that come to your mind). Keeping the movie going rather than waiting for someone to show up and make it awkward would probably be better for customer service too.

Well it's very different for flights, they need the plane at the destination so they have to fly it. With movies it's probably just simpler to start the movie than to try to manage the logistics of not starting it, just to save 2 hours on the projection bulb.

Re: Empty Screenings – Finds AMC movie screenings with few or no tickets sold

#39

I remember I went to a small showing once as a kid. It was just our group and 1 lady in the theater. We got to small talk and the lady mentioned she had once been the only customer for a showing and told the projectionist that she didn’t want to be a bother and could come back and another day. The projectionist had apparently replied that it was no bother - they would roll the movie even if no one showed up!

Im assuming (though rare) it’s the same with flights. They keep the schedule for movies in case someone joins half hour late. Plenty of people visit my the cinema for all kinds of reasons other than the content (like sleeping in the AC among other things that come to your mind). Keeping the movie going rather than waiting for someone to show up and make it awkward would probably be better for customer service too.

This makes sense if someone bought a ticket and didn't showed up, but what if none was sold? They could just stop selling after a certain time and be sure nobody will be there late.
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