Theaters I don't think are going anywhere for a while.

The whole dinner theater type setup like Alamo and Studio Movie Grill plus reserved seating are adaptations that a lot of theaters are taking in to appeal to audiences and they will continue to make other changes/adaptations as time moves on.

Until a whole other medium becomes available to view new movies in a different way, the price becomes too high, or the quality of films drop off tremendously theaters are here to stay.

BernArnold said:

---

tv1113 said:

---

Has anyone correlated attendance with movie ticket pricing. To go at peak times inside the city can approach 15-20 bucks a ticket and is pretty ridiculous. People don't feel like going to as many movies at that price.

---

little correlation....ticket prices were going up and up during that phase of growth in viewers too.... although yes there seems ot be more increase from the mid 00's on.


Year Avg. Price
2018 Est.$9.18
2017 $8.97
2016 $8.65
2015 $8.43
2014 $8.17
2013 $8.13
2012 $7.96
2011 $7.93
2010 $7.89
2009 $7.50
2008 $7.18
2007 $6.88
2006 $6.55
2005 $6.41
2004 $6.21
2003 $6.03
2002 $5.81
2001 $5.66
2000 $5.39
1999 $5.08
1998 $4.69
1997 $4.59
1996 $4.42
1995 $4.35
1994 $4.18
1993 $4.14
1992 $4.15
1991 $4.21
1990 $4.23
1989 $3.97
1988 $4.11
1987 $3.91
1986 $3.71
1985 $3.55
1984 $3.36
1983 $3.15
1982 $2.94
1981 $2.78
1980 $2.69
1979 $2.51
1978 $2.34
1977 $2.23

---

Where the hell in this country can you go to a movie for less than $10, $9, or $8 since these are supposedly "averages."

Sorry but I declare shenanigans on those numbers.

One of the restaurant style theaters near me has $9 tickets. The original Movie Tavern in FW has tickets for like $6.50, matinee pricing is $4.

We just look up a movie time and roll. Haven't looked at prices in years. Last second is more fun anyhow I've found.

Primetime weekend at night is $7.31 at the College Station Cinemark. And you get a luxury lounger/reserved seats.

Hell of a deal since they made the seat swaps in every theater room there. I think it's like $4.50 during the day.

Look Cinema- which is one of my favorite theatres in the country. Shows movies for $5 on Tuesdays.

Every theatre chain runs discounts at least one day a week.

I still love going to the movies. I've been in some really top notch home theater rooms. Still doesn't replace a movie theater experience in my mind.

Man I still love going to the movies. My wife probably see about 40 movies a year in theaters. To us it's still a fun experience. Seeing Star Wars, Harry Potter, or some other major franchise is an awesome social experience for sure. The theater we go to has reserved seating and it's usually packed or sold out. Cost benefit wise, it's totally worth it to us.

Cromagnum said:

---

Because most everything that's coming out sucks, is a rehash, or is the 99th sequel to something.

---

There are plenty of great original films if you seek them out. The problem is that they get a small fraction of the press big franchises or remakes get.

All you folks on the first couple of pages, need better home theaters. There is no way a commercial theater beats even a budget home theater.

11' screen at 9ft, 4K, 7.2 sound, bass shakers in the platform, Berkaline recliners.

For less than $5k you can beat the theater at home on video quality, sound quality, comfort and immersion experience.

Disagree.

Ya? How is a theater better?

expresswrittenconsent said:

---

Some would say that home theatres like you've described are generally quite tacky.

---

That's a little off. Have you ever been in a nice home theater? If so, I don't think you would say this.

The Debt said:

---

The writers strike in 2007 didn't help. But that isn't the whole story.

Truth is 2001-2009 were the Bush years and 2004 Hollywood went all out to show their hatred toward the man. During that time hundreds of thousands, if not millions, decided to question where they put their dollars.

---

Maybe the theater owners are kneeling during the national anthem.

dlp3719 said:

---

All you folks on the first couple of pages, need better home theaters. There is no way a commercial theater beats even a budget home theater.

11' screen at 9ft, 4K, 7.2 sound, bass shakers in the platform, Berkaline recliners.

For less than $5k you can beat the theater at home on video quality, sound quality, comfort and immersion experience.

---

Yeah, most American homes aren't big enough to accommodate that in a practical way.

This is a discussion on why Americans aren't going to theater like they used to. It isn't because they have all that crap in their house.

Change is inevitable.

Record stores
Video rental stores
Drive-in theaters
Vinyl Albums
8 Track cassette
Regular cassettes
Rock stars
VCRs
Taxi cabs
Home phones on the wall
Record players
Hastings Music
Blockbuster

All gone. Digital technology is basically scorching the earth in a lot of ways.

And yes, I realize there are actually still taxicabs and vinyl stores, but you get the point.

What? You didn't watch the new Muppet movie where the antagonist is an evil oil exec?

nai06 said:

---

dlp3719 said:

---

All you folks on the first couple of pages, need better home theaters. There is no way a commercial theater beats even a budget home theater.

11' screen at 9ft, 4K, 7.2 sound, bass shakers in the platform, Berkaline recliners.

For less than $5k you can beat the theater at home on video quality, sound quality, comfort and immersion experience.

---

And then I have to devote an entire room of my house to a theatre with a few arm chairs in it. It's kind of a waste of space that will certainly come close to theater but never replicate it. Also I wouldn't be seeing new movies just older releases

---

Agreed...and......


$5K?!?!?!! you think that's affordable for the average person?????

Even at say $11/ticket average a couple would need to see 227 movies to equal that cost. at 30-40 movies per year that's 5-7 years worth of movies.

And I'm betting you'll be replacing some equipment in that time. And that does not include the cost of the media itself - 4K BR discs cost as much as 2 tickets to the movie anyway, or cable/PPV monthly, etc. In some way you are paying a lot more than the startup cost of your home theater.

What about if/when you move.... aww it doesn't fit and you have to buy more new equipment, or the person buying the house wants it, or your new house doesn't have a room for it and more cost to build or retrofit a room.

Not to mention as it stands now.... you won't be seeing any first run movies there. usually 4-6 months before it hits cable, ppv, BR, etc..... unless you are watching bootleg but then the quality is sooooo bad what the hell difference does your $5K equipment make it still looks like crap and likely has subtitles in a foreign language. Or you are paying for first run big movies at the theater AND that home theater room too?

Are home theaters nice... yeah sure. But don't act like they are either saving money or affordable to the average person, and they are not ideal for people who want to see first run movies.


Personally I've never really wanted one. I'd take one if a house came with one sure, but I'm not investing in one. It's a huge sinkhole. It would be great for re-running great movies. But my house is pretty good for that as is - the TV is 60" wide and 1080p HD, and at night it's dark despite the windows being open, our couch and ottoman are just fine for reclining very comfortably, and I have a nice surround sound system at 5.1 with a booming bass unit that still shakes the room. TV and surround sound were less than $1K. And I still go to first run movies.

And as others have mentioned - the method of: buy online, show up after previews, skip the line, still get a big seat with recliner in the center of the theater works pretty well.

Each to his own of course.

You can do a home theater for less than $5k. I love mine, but still like going to the movies. Most theatres today seat less now with reclining chairs etc. does that affect attendance?

I've wanted to go to the movies for the last two months and there's not a movie out that I want to see. I'm sure lots of people like the ones that have come out but they haven't interested me or any of my friends.

everything is a reboot, remake, sequel or reimagining of an action/comic franchise. Certainly has its place, but only appeals to a relatively narrow group of people. And now it's everything, the last two movies I went to, of the 12 or so previews I saw, 10 were probably in those categories...and the two that weren't were that stupid Alec Baldwin baby movie, and one decent original (Ready Player One).

Nothing out there for adults, people who want to think, see an adult movie etc. Thise people have no decent options, so they just don't go.

I'm 46. Most of the movies just don't appeal to me. I barely even watch movies on Netflix or Amazon.

oragator said:

---

everything is a reboot, remake, sequel or reimagining of an action/comic franchise. Certainly has its place, but only appeals to a relatively narrow group of people. And now it's everything, the last two movies I went to, of the 12 or so previews I saw, 10 were probably in those categories...and the two that weren't were that stupid Alec Baldwin baby movie, and one decent original (Ready Player One).

Nothing out there for adults, people who want to think, see an adult movie etc. Thise people have no decent options, so they just don't go.

---

Except that all the big money makers are reboots, remakes and sequels. Hollywood is a business, and they're going to make the movies that consumers want to see. I don't think it's all the sequels or liberal Hollywood politics that are causing drops in attendance. It's that the under 30 crowd (the group that's always been what drives what is being made) doesn't see very many movies anymore. When they do, it's Star Wars and comic book movies.

AggieLitigator said:

---

I've wanted to go to the movies for the last two months and there's not a movie out that I want to see. I'm sure lots of people like the ones that have come out but they haven't interested me or any of my friends.

---

Not sure what you want to see. But there is no more diverse time than Dec and Jan. All the award show type movies are out now cuz they have to be released before year end at least in limited theaters. And there are still the usual blockbusters and kids movies too.

Summer has very little variance in type just more of them.

You do have to seek them out a bit. And go to more like art house theaters. Like in Dallas we often find more interesting stuff at Angelica or Magnoilia theaters.

I see all types but when there is nothing to see I check those places and research them a bit. Often I have not seen any previews for them but reading reviews etc. I can usually find something interesting.

TCTTS said:

---

oragator said:

---

Nothing out there for adults, people who want to think, see an adult movie etc. Thise people have no decent options, so they just don't go.

---

This is so wrong I don't even know how to reply. There are SO MANY "adult" movies in theaters literally right now... The Post, Phantom Thread, I, Tonya, The Shape of Water, 12 Strong, Call Me By Your Name, Hostiles... none of those do it for you, even though they all fit your criteria?

---

None do it for me.

The lack of comedies is disturbing.

TCTTS said:

---

oragator said:

---

Nothing out there for adults, people who want to think, see an adult movie etc. Thise people have no decent options, so they just don't go.

---

This is so wrong I don't even know how to reply. There are SO MANY "adult" movies in theaters literally right now... The Post, Phantom Thread, I, Tonya, The Shape of Water, 12 Strong, Call Me By Your Name, Hostiles... none of those do it for you, even though they all fit your criteria?

---

None of those have the backing the blockbusters have. Not even close, from casting, to promotion to production value. For example, Shape of water had less than 10% the budget of a larger comic book movie.

There used to be a time, not even that long ago, when we would get movies like Cast Away, Shawshank, As Good as it Gets, American Beauty, Forest Gump, good will hunting, Eternal Sunshjne of the Spotless Mind and countless others... casting, production value, story all there.
Adult movies now are borderline Indy films, which are fine but not worth going to theater over. There are few and far between now between the extremes - big budget blockbuster or lower budget adult. Arrival is the only one I can think of in the last few years truly marketing to that crowd, but that was relatively low budget too. Same with Hidden Figures. But the craving for those types of movies is why they were both "surprise hits". There's a large untapped market out there Hollywood has set aside. Sooner or later they will swing back that way, but not until people stop paying to see the same movie over and over again with a new name.

Jmo.

Unthought Known said:

---

I'm 46. Most of the movies just don't appeal to me. I barely even watch movies on Netflix or Amazon.

---

I'm 46. A few weeks ago I went and saw Darkest Hour.

The small theater was almost sold out and I think I was the youngest person there.

"All those great movies that aren't sequels or comic book movies don't have big budgets!"

Seriously?