Moviewatcher Premium: The Backlash Begins (1 Viewer)

[Joel Mack]

I knew this was too good to be true.
Apparently Paramount, unhappy with AMC's Moviewatcher Premium program, has pulled (or is going to pull) all of their product from the Omaha & OKC theaters. Warner's is apparently poised to do the same. Hopefully they'll get something worked out, otherwise it looks like MWP is doomed.

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"If we blow up, whatever's left of me is kickin' your butt."

 

[Kevin Leonard]

Hmmmm...wouldn't the theaters attempted to work out an agreement with the studios before doing something like this?
Sigh...sounded like a great idea; I would've signed up for it in a flash.
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Have you ever noticed anyone driving slower than you is an idiot? And anyone driving faster than you is a maniac!! - George Carlin

 

[Jeff Rogers]

NNOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
What a bummer. I have seen 11 movies in the last month thanks to that little puppy. I hope they get things worked out

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If I could go back in time, I'd meet Snoopy

 

[Scott Weinberg]

I've been using my Moviewatcher card for about four years now. I believe I get a free movie every fifty points. (You accrue 2 points per movie ticket you buy, max. of 4 pts per visit.)
How does the Premium Plan differ from this? Or are they the same thing?
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Scott
TheAngryJew's Movie Reviews at HBS.com

 

[Joel Mack]

How does the Premium Plan differ from this? Or are they the same thing?

The Premium card (being tested in Omaha and OKC), is $17.50 per month (with a 6 month minimum commitment) which allows you 1 movie per day, no restrictions.
Sweet deal for someone like me that sees 3 or 4 movies a week... The intention, I'm assuming, is to make the money back off concessions...
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"If we blow up, whatever's left of me is kickin' your butt."

 

[Joel Mack]

CONFIRMED
Paramount's "The Score", which is set to open nationwide Friday, will NOT be playing at the AMC Oakview 24 in Omaha.

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"If we blow up, whatever's left of me is kickin' your butt."

 

[BrandonL]

1 Movie per day for a month at $17.50 a month? Damn thats an awesome deal. How can a theater make money doing that anyways? I would easily $50 a month to do that.

 

[george kaplan]

I guess using your power and leverage to force other companies not to do things you like has become the American Way.
Microsoft
Blockbuster
Wal-Mart
Paramount
etc., etc., etc.
[rest of post about the courts stepping in deleted to avoid political censure]
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13-time NBA world champion Lakers: 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001

 

[Joel Mack]

How can a theater make money doing that anyways?

One word: Concessions.
Paramount can bite me. I was really looking forward to seeing "The Score", but I guess I'll just go see some other studio's films a couple more times and put the money in their coffers, instead...
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"If we blow up, whatever's left of me is kickin' your butt."

 

[Jason Seaver]

Thing is, I thought I read that AMC would be paying the studios what they would have received for a full-price ticket if someone used the card. If that's the case, what objection could Paramount have other than that it makes the grosses looks smaller?
Not that bragging rights don't mean anything, but this doesn't exactly seem in Paramount's best interests.

 

[Joel Mack]

Jason, that is how it's working, and it shouldn't alter their B.O. numbers since it still tickets as a full price admission. I don't know if Paramount thinks AMC is fudging the numbers, or what...
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"If we blow up, whatever's left of me is kickin' your butt."

 

[Jason Seaver]

Really? I would figure it would mess with the BO numbers - AMC couldn't honestly report that they'd received $8 for this ticket - but they would still pay Paramount $5.60 on a 70% booking. So Paramount would get the same amount of money, but the box office numbers reported to the press would be lower.
After giving it some thought, I can see Paramount's point. Sure, AMC is paying them the equivelent of what they'd receive from a full-price ticket now, but what's to keep AMC doing so in the future? If I were them, I'd probably want to amend the distribution agreement to get the "same amount as a full-price ticket" in writing before opening a film there.
Of course, who knows whether or not that's why Paramount pulled their movies, or if they're negotiating with AMC to resolve it. Hopefully it is and it can be ironed out quickly.
(And hopefully the program's enough of a success that Sony or GCC emulates in the Boston area...)

 

[george kaplan]

What I don't understand is why the companies that are being blackmailed don't fight back. If Universal told Blockbuster, you won't carry film X, fine we won't discount ANY of our films for you, how long would Blockbuster hold out.
If AMC said, we're not going to exhibit the Score in ANY of our theaters, how soon until Paramount gave in?
How many want to bet that Wal-Mart is going to carry the widescreen only Phantom Menace. If Fox could somehow withhold this from Wal-Mart, how soon until they gave in?
Why don't these companies fight back?
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13-time NBA world champion Lakers: 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001

 

[L. Anton Dencklau]

>If AMC said, we're not going to exhibit the Score in ANY of our theaters, how soon until Paramount gave in?
Because a big pissing match between the distributor and the exhibitor doesn't do anyone any good. The customer always loses. Even though there have been some bankruptcy filings there are still too many theaters in the US. I don't think they will have any problem finding theaters to put the film in.
I think i'm with paramount on this one. I like cheap movies like everyone else (and i'm kind of spoiled: top price in Ames is $6.25, matinees at $4.25, and the discount theater has 50 cent wednesdays), but if it were my studio, or my film I don't think I would want it playing in a theater that was devaluing ticket prices.

 

[Joel Mack]

but if it were my studio, or my film I don't think I would want it playing in a theater that was devaluing ticket prices.

Maybe I'm not getting something. If AMC is paying the studios the exact same amount as if I'd plunked down my $7 instead of using the card, what's the difference?
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"If we blow up, whatever's left of me is kickin' your butt."

 

[Jeff Rogers]

Thats esxactly what I was wondering. They (paramount) pulled Pooty Tang last week from the AMC here and now The Score? If amc is paying the studios then whats the problem? Are they worried about having to trust Amc? It just doesn't make good sense
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If I could go back in time, I'd meet Snoopy

 

[Joel Mack]

I just got word that Warner Brothers has officially joined Paramount in their buttheadedness.
I expect the Moviewatcher Premium card to die, shortly.
Thanks, WB and Paramount. You can both eat my shorts.

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"If we blow up, whatever's left of me is kickin' your butt."
[Edited last by Joel Mack on August 15, 2001 at 01:38 PM]

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

Joel, I'm curious what the theater landscape is like there. Does AMC dominate? When the program was announced, suspicions were that the market I live in would be in the next rollout stage, possibly this fall. AMC rules the roost here. 30 screen, 24 screen, and 18 screen theaters plus a smaller one that I think is still open. Only one direct competitor (Marcus) with one 17(?) screen theater. Here I would think objecting studios would have little room to pull these kinds of stunts.
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Read my reviews at www.dvdmon.com
Most recent reviews: Diary of a Chambermaid: The Criterion Collection, Another Woman, September, Shadows and Fog, Alice, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Gray's Anatomy
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[Joel Mack]

AMC has a single 24-plex here in Omaha, that does extremely well. It's pretty jammed every night during the summer and weekend nights during the school year.
The only *real* competitor in town is Douglas Theater (local/regional), who have a 20-plex, an 16-plex, and two 9-plexes. There's also a couple of Super Saver-type theaters, and a couple of arthouse theaters.
The Douglas properties are nice enough (except for the 20-plex. It blows. I wouldn't go there for free.), but from my observations they're not doing nearly the business AMC does... Granted the business is spread out quite a bit over 54 screens, but some of the Douglas properties are literally deserted on nights when the AMC is packed.
I wish I knew exactly what Paramount & WB's problem is...
*edit* Man, when I go back and read that, it's astounding how many screens we actually have in Omaha...
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"If we blow up, whatever's left of me is kickin' your butt."
[Edited last by Joel Mack on August 16, 2001 at 10:53 AM]

 

[LisaH]

Acutally, it's only $14.50 a month here. I saved $25 last month - I love this deal! Warner hasn't pulled any movies in OKC as of yet -but I just checked tomorrow's movie schedule and it looks like Paramount's embargo is still on as Rat Race is not opening at AMC. Oh well, it could be worse - The Fellowship of the Ring could be Paramount.
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