Movie theaters are in trouble.

[Laidbackman]

I think it's because I generally keep my place on the cooler side, that is one of the aspects I enjoy about AMC. They definitely are the most fitting my temperature levels. I go to the Regal more, but I find their temperatures to be more hit or miss than AMC.

In the 80's and 90's, theater temperatures weren't even an issue.

 

[LezJepzin]

I was going to agree but the two closest Theaters from me (ten minutes away)are always packed on weekends and new releases.

Even the Drive-In has no signs of slowing down.

Especially this Summer

 

[jetflyinglimousineriding]

- All the spoiler/rumor mill sites and social media removing suspense and motivation to watch releases in theater .
- Oversaturation of movie releases (which ties into the expensive argument and the experience not feeling like an 'event')
- People's preference shifting to want things virtual / at-home vs in-person.

 

[darealvelle]

Theaters also need to start providing the actual trailer start time and the actual movie start time. Nobody wants to watch 25+ mins of trailers that they already seen online weeks ago.

 

[BuckFilly]

oled, sound system, home cooked meal, the ability to pause > theatres'

 

[LDC]

I agree with a lot of the points made. Movie theaters really did benefit from a lack of options for decades, before streaming. In the 90s, what else was there to do in the house on weekends except watch the same network marathon of 70s movies (Rocky, Star Wars, etc) with the occasional "network premiere" of some 90s blockbuster from 2-3 years prior.

Also, smartphones slowly but surely eroded the movie experience. Everyone be on their phones checking every notification, scrolling down their timeline, etc, and for the quieter non-blockbusters where ish ain't exploding everywhere it is distracting to constantly have phone lights in your periphery.

Yep. You mean I gotta pay $30 and be distracted not only by people talking through the whole thing but by everyone's phones too? Nah, I'm good. Problem with that tho is I'm more likely to pay attention myself in the theater. At home, I'm distracted by the phone etc and watch movies in chunks just cause I can fall asleep. So many options I end up watching nothing.

Everybody's spot on that movie quality's not what it used to be but that writer's strike a year and a half ago is probably a big culprit why things have been slow lately. On top of what COVID did for those couple of years to productions.

And it used to be you could still go see a movie 8 weeks later unless it was a huge flop. A lot of movies have physical releases by then and have been VOD weeks before that. Nosferatu came out on Christmas and Blu-ray was out in February. So why even waste the money if everybody has sound systems and OLEDs? Sad too cause I used to go a couple times a month.

 

[John Reena]

Ppl tired of seeing coming of age stories about white ppl who live in New York City with some 1970’s music blaring in the trailer for the 1,356889833th time.

If the entertainment industry and the media that covers wasn’t so racist and would just stop complaining about “I don’t see myself in or understand this black character.” we’d have packed movie houses with ppl taking in new and interesting stories/movies.

 

[re'up]

Yep. You mean I gotta pay $30 and be distracted not only by people talking through the whole thing but by everyone's phones too? Nah, I'm good. Problem with that tho is I'm more likely to pay attention myself in the theater. At home, I'm distracted by the phone etc and watch movies in chunks just cause I can fall asleep. So many options I end up watching nothing.

Everybody's spot on that movie quality's not what it used to be but that writer's strike a year and a half ago is probably a big culprit why things have been slow lately. On top of what COVID did for those couple of years to productions.

And it used to be you could still go see a movie 8 weeks later unless it was a huge flop. A lot of movies have physical releases by then and have been VOD weeks before that. Nosferatu came out on Christmas and Blu-ray was out in February. So why even waste the money if everybody has sound systems and OLEDs? Sad too cause I used to go a couple times a month.

All good points here, but usually for me, people on phones isn't an issue I see. It's like a gradual tightening of everything. If I don't see it within a week, it's gone. The theaters are further from my house.

I did go to see Black Bag at The Lot last week which San Diego's luxury cinema, and it was great. Small, luxury theater, it was a full house. The tickets were $24 dollars, which isn't an issue for me, but I get why a lot of families would cut that expense. For a family of 4, that's like $180 all in.

 

[feelosofer]

Movies go up and down with the economy and it's just more cost effective to either have the movie stream on your platform or even buy it directly, in the comfort of your couch and any of your favorite foods/snacks at your reach

 

[MajesticLion]

One thing not mentioned here is that at home you can rewind as much as you like or have subtitles. Whether it's a decline in audio quality or just actors that don't speak clearly...that plays a part.

 

[Amerikan Melanin]

All it takes is one loud group or a knucklehead to ruin the movie experience.

 

[Sonic Boom of the South]

Streaming fukked up the brain function of humans.


It is also about how Hollywood stopped making a regular rotation of niche talk driven dramas that would explode in the theaters as a suprise like in the 90's and such. (Movies like Rain Man, etc.) And everything had to be mega block busters.


Now even when good movies are released in theaters, most people don't even consider going because they don't seem like a blockbuster theater quality and people look at it like: "That's a streaming level movie, I ain't finna pay for that shyt. It will be on Max in a month."

-----------------------

Streaming fukked up everything.


Streaming should have only been a library of old movies and tv. Not New ass movies that was in theaters a month ago.


Same with music.

 

[FlyRy]

oled, sound system, home cooked meal, the ability to pause > theatres'

oled's will never compare to a 65 foot screen

 

[FlyRy]

If you have to wear a light jacket, or even bring a small blanket, like I've seen some do in these AMC theaters, then they're keeping it way too cool in their auditoriums. I actually got congested a half hour into "American Fiction" one Wednesday night. These theaters are known to get a little too cool at some point in the movie, but this was the first time this ever happened to me, to the point I got sick on the spot. What made it so bad was, the movie was holding my attention. When I came back a week or two later to see that same movie, the temperature was more tolerable, plus I wasn't the only one in the auditorium this time. No wonder I don't see too many retirees, especially the elderly, going to theaters too much anymore. This use to be one of their favorable hobbies. You couldn't beat it. Now it's all messed up for them, and I know half of it has something to do with the temperatures being too cool. What are these people thinking. Do they not know they too will become the elderly one day...if they're lucky.

I also noticed that when AMC theaters show a movie that's more popular with Blacks, the temperature gets a little too cool after a while, or hit or miss, unless it's one of those popular Black movies that can draw Whites. But when it's one of those Marvel movies, etc..., the temperature seems to be more comfortable. The temperature seems to be more comfortable even when it's a White movie that don't attract large crowds.

 

[Optimus Prime]

I still love the theater experience. Nothing like sitting in a theater alone with a big screen all to yourself
I got Regal Unlimited and my theater is walking distance. I try to go atleast 2 times a month to get my money's worth and usually even for the big movies I got one of the middle rows to myself with at most maybe 5 total people sprinkled around.