National Cinema Day September 3, 2022 All Movies All Formats $3.00 (1 Viewer)

[Jake Lipson]

I dont see a need to sneak anything in.

"Sneak" was perhaps the wrong word for me to use.

I do not think it is wrong to go to a movie without buying food. I do that all the time. But I do think it is wrong to bring in other food that you didn't buy there. Whether you sneak it in or whether you bring it in in full view of the staff is irrelevant because the end result of deliberately circumventing their main revenue generator is the same.

But I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I'm just sharing my opinion. By all means, you do what feels right to you.

 

[Jake Lipson]

That's like just ~1/2 what similar big theater chains (ie. Regal and AMC) charge here in NYC these days

Right. I realize that the bigger markets with higher prices inevitably ended up with higher discounts. That's just math. But $12.50 becoming $3 was still a significant discount as far as I am concerned.

I would have gone to see No Way Home again regardless, but it felt nice to get a bargain.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Two movies and plenty more snacks later, I’m bushed. Man, teenage girls are annoying. More to come about my experiences tomorrow.

I think I’m done with movies theaters except for a few exceptions.

Okay, the first movie on saw on Saturday was "Jaws" in 3-D. The theatrical presentation was good so I had no complaints and enjoyed the 3-D. However, with about 35-40 minutes left in the movie, three young women that looked to be teenagers comes into the theater talking loud. They left then reappeared again with 3-D glasses and sat down in the back of the theater. Again, they started talking loud and after I turned around and looked directly at them, they stopped talking. After about another 10 minutes or less they decided to leave the theater during the film's climax. By the way, only three people actually bought tickets to my showing.

The second movie I watched on Saturday was "Spider-Man: No Way Home" in a Dolby Cinema theater. While surfing on my phone before the trailers started, I noticed 8 seats in the row behind mine were purchased after I already purchased my ticket. Sure enough, here comes 8 more teenage girls coming up the aisle stairs. Like many young people they're just chattering away loudly so everybody in the theater can hear them. Luckily, once the movie started, they basically stopped talking except to react to certain film sequences which is normal. Man, I'm glad I watched this movie in a Dolby Cinema theater with those nice relaxing recliner seats as that was one long ass movie. I enjoyed the movie, but I was never a big Spider-Man fan like I am with the other Marvel Super Heroes. I'm starting to hate the multi-verse concept. At first, I was okay with it, but I'm kind of tiring of it now after seeing the last Dr. Strange and Spider-Man movies.

All together that was one long day at the cinema. I was there for almost seven hours total. I think that's the last time I do that again. I used to do that all the time. However, at my age with my arthritic knee , it's just too much. Another thing, I don't enjoy being around a large group of people anymore. Being one of the few wearing a mask and being with a bunch of strangers isn't appealing to me.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Because I enjoy seeing movies with an audience at the movie theater, and I want movie theaters to continue to exist. Sneaking in outside food actively works against movie theaters continuing to exist.

Only if you would've bought theater food instead.

If the options are "bring in outside snacks" or "don't eat anything", the theater loses nothing.

Not everyone who brings food would've bought food otherwise.

 

[BobO'Link]

For those of us who are going, what are you planning to see on Saturday?

I'm going to Spider-Man: No Way Home in the premium auditorium.

Oddly enough, at my local theater they have currently sold more advance tickets for the same showtime on Sunday (when tickets go back to normal price and the premium screen will incur an upcharge) than for Saturday.

Browsing through the seating charts at my local theater on their website does not indicate a huge amount of advance sales for any movies throughout the day. Many shows have a handful of tickets reserved, but not a lot, so the theaters must be hoping for a spike in walk-up business. My screening tomorrow afternoon has five tickets sold right now as of this writing.

I'm really curious to see how this stunt is going to play out at the box office.

$3 tickets sound great, but it only matters if the theaters have films that audience members want to see. We know from last weekend's results that most of the movies in theaters right now are not setting the box office on fire. Also, because this promotion was only scheduled last Sunday, there hasn't been a whole lot of time to promote it for people who don't usually go to the movies. I found out about it from my local theater's email list, and of course there has been the discussion from hanging out here. But I wonder how many average people who go to the movies a couple times a year even know this is happening. I certainly wish the theaters luck in trying to get people to come out. We'll see what happens.

In spite of the discussion here I just saw this *today* - 2 days too late to see if the chain that services my town was participating (probably were, but...). I'd have absolutely checked what was playing and sales and then just as likely have stayed home as I can't think of a single current movie I'd like to see. I'm in that group who doesn't usually "go to the movies" though I *do* try to keep up with what's currently in the theaters.

 

[Malcolm R]

IMHO, relying so heavily on charging outrageous prices for the kinds of concessions most theaters usually offer just seems like a bad way to run this business (as Josh pointed out)... and I'm not sure "enabling" that in the hopes of saving them is such a good idea.

The theaters don't have much of a choice if they want to be able to show the biggest studio films on their screens. At the moment, the studios dictate the terms and if the theaters decline those terms the theater is not able to show the film. If your in-market competitors are showing the latest and greatest tentpole and you're not, you're not going to stay in business for long.

It would take all theater owners banding together in order to affect any kind of change in the box office split to result in more equitable terms for theaters. But I don't think most of them are in the financial shape necessary to endure the pain that would result as the studios resist and withhold films, or assign them to other nearby theaters that are not willing to stand together with the rest.

 

[B-ROLL]

The theaters don't have much of a choice if they want to be able to show the biggest studio films on their screens. At the moment, the studios dictate the terms and if the theaters decline those terms the theater is not able to show the film. If your in-market competitors are showing the latest and greatest tentpole and you're not, you're not going to stay in business for long.

It would take all theater owners banding together in order to affect any kind of change in the box office split to result in more equitable terms for theaters. But I don't think most of them are in the financial shape necessary to endure the pain that would result as the studios resist and withhold films, or assign them to other nearby theaters that are not willing to stand together with the rest.

From what I've been told ... and this may have changed ... the Theater Circuits put in their bids for the films several months(up to a year) in advance. They have certain "zones" that may have exclusivity for at least the first two weeks of first run films.

As part of their bid, the theaters also agree to run less "audience pleasing films*" from the same distributor in order to get the blockbusters.

Ideally any theater chain/circuit should have equal standing and if zone A, B, & C are adjacent, depending on how many chains there are in the market- a particular chain may not be able to book the same film in all three zones, instead other chains may individually get B and C respectively.

*This was a term used by a manager I knew to differentiate blockbusters from more artistic films that are a lesser known (economic) quantity.

 

[Wayne_j]

If the theaters could choose to keep more ticket money for themselves so they don't have to survive on concessions, they would have done that long ago. The studios don't give them a choice.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I suspect (as Josh? once suggested in another older thread) I (and at least few others here) may simply no longer belong to the main demographic target consumer of the theatrical exhibition bizz anyway (although Josh was previously referring to something else about this bizz re: release windows).

I said I almost never go for concessions, and that wasn't quite the case decades ago at least when concessions didn't seem quite so outrageously priced (back in the 80's and early 90's I think... but then, I was also more into junk food snacking back then)... though I certainly was never a big snacker while watching a movie (unless it's quite mediocre and/or I'm bored by it perhaps). But back then, I (and almost everyone else) also didn't have my own good, theater-rivaling HT setup nor huge collection of movies (and never would've imagined having what I have now in both regards)...

Still, it would be nice to go see something well presented in a theater that my own setup clearly can't replicate (or better in some cases) every now and then w/out being overcrowded w/ inconsiderate audience members... though that's become harder and harder to do before this pandemic. The pandemic has actually been a saving grace for me to get back into theaters more often due to the reduced crowds (and at times inconsiderate fellow audience)... but of course, what suits me doesn't suit the bizz at all due to the basic realities of movie-theater-going. I don't even mind that much (non-discounted) ticket prices having escalated to near $30 for some truly premium screens like the big IMAX at Lincoln Sq, especially after throwing their convenience fee on top, IF they offer better, "real" food whether for/during the screening or just outside, I'd certainly give that a try and probably enjoy that enough (as I do at the local Alamo... though I'm not that crazy about having waiters/waitresses coming and going during the screening).

I don't know. Ultimately, maybe this whole theater bizz will inevitably go the way @Josh Steinberg predicts... and I'm not quite sure how I feel about paying a high premium comparable to live entertainment events even for the big IMAX at Lincoln Sq NVM any other theaters around -- I really was not quite that impressed by Dolby Cinema at the supposedly best AMC in town for that (not helped by the usual offending signages and lighting plus sometimes annoying audience members) and certainly wouldn't wanna pay more for that than I have on the couple occasions. There's certainly no way they could charge quite as high premium as live events in general, but I guess they could eventually get much closer if Josh turns out to be correct...

_Man_

 

[TonyD]

Only if you would've bought theater food instead.

If the options are "bring in outside snacks" or "don't eat anything", the theater loses nothing.

Not everyone who brings food would've bought food otherwise.

This is us.
If we’re hungry we will either eat at a restaurant before the movie and for roughly the same amount we can have a more regular meal for what we would pay for popcorn a drink and some candy.

I don’t mind the theaters that offer meals delivered to a seat. It’s not very intrusive at all and the prices generally aren’t awful.

Also as I mentioned before the Dolby screen I attended Saturday was less then optimum and if I had paid full price for it I would have been very unhappy abo7t the presentation even without the people who let their kids stomp up and down the isles most of the movie.

I’m never going to feel bad for a movie theater when I go into one with a bottle of water and a box of candy that I paid less then $2 for.
Sure they’re in business to sell stuff but I’m in the business of ME and I’m not spending more then my business thinks it should.

 

[TonyD]

So AMC got us for concession food.

Wife and I tried to get a bite before the movie somewhere but here near Minnesota all the fast food places were closed.

Had just enough time before the movie to stop and get a chicken sandwich but they along with the other fast foods closed today for Labor Day.
This is fine and those folks should definitely have the day off.
I just never saw it before.
Never saw these places closed for a holiday. Was just weird.

So we didn’t have time to go somewhere else or find anything that was open
we went back in and spent $20 for some crappy bottom of the bin popcorn and a gigantic cup for drinks.
🫠

 

[Tino]

AMC here has the Cameo combo for $5

Small popcorn and soda. Good deal. Right @Colin Jacobson

 

[TonyD]

I would have bought that but didn’t see it on the board at this location.

I saw that offer in the email from AMC telling me about the $3 tix too.

 

[Tino]

I would have bought that but didn’t see it on the board at this location.

I saw that offer in the email from AMC telling me about the $3 tix too.

I think you gotta ask for it. I don’t think they’re advertising at the theater.

 

[JoeStemme]

If folks think that theaters shouldn't rely on concessions to make a profit, just ask yourselves if you are willing to pay $20-$40 for a movie ticket?

Ever since the Consent Decree in 1948, the studios have taken to asking for more and more from theaters. The Decree was overturned a year or so ago, so we'll see if any changes are forthcoming (Netflix and Amazon have recently bought theaters in L.A.).

Still, until then, theaters' business models rely on concession stand sales for profit. It's that simple.
Does that mean folks are obligated to buy them? Of course not, but, to just rail against their high prices without understanding their financials is being blind to the issue. One of the main reasons for all the loyalty programs out there is that they bring people back over and over. Even they don't buy concessions each time, the cinemas figure on a certain percentage who do.

 

[TonyD]

It’s already $20-$40 a ticket.

I never said I’m not willing to buy concessions I just would rather not v

 

[TonyD]

Also

What does concession mean?

1 : an act or instance of conceding or yielding. 2 : something conceded:

No thanks to that at buying popcorn

 

[B-ROLL]

Also

What does concession mean?

1 : an act or instance of conceding or yielding. 2 : something conceded:

No thanks to that at buying popcorn

Definition of CONCESSION

the act or an instance of conceding (as by granting something as a right, accepting something as true, or acknowledging defeat); the admitting of a point claimed in argument; something conceded or granted:… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

con·ces·sion | \ kən-ˈse-shən
\

plural concessions

Definition of concession​

1a : the act or an instance of conceding (as by granting something as a right, accepting something as true, or acknowledging defeat) The union will seek further concessions before accepting the contract.

b : the admitting of a point claimed in argument



2 : something conceded or granted:

a : acknowledgment, admission

b : something done or agreed to usually grudgingly in order to reach an agreement or improve a situation The ending of the movie was changed as a concession to the American audience's sensibilities.

c(1) : a grant of land or property especially by a government in return for services or for a particular use

(2) : a right to undertake and profit by a specified activity a concession to drill for oil

(3) : a lease of a portion of premises for a particular purpose also : the portion leased or the activities carried on



3a : a small business or shop where things are sold in a public place (such as a sports stadium or theater) The theater had real Raisinets at the concession, so I got some of those, too.— Neal Fandek … Billie's visiting with her father, and I'm standing alone at the concession stand, buying my butterless corn.— Carrie Fisher

b concessions plural : things sold at such a business Spectators spend an average of $5 per game on concessions.— Jack Gallagher

From an advert on HTF:

 

[TonyD]

Yeah that too.

 

[JoeStemme]

The average movie ticket price is about $9.50.
My point is that if you take away concession profit margins, the 'fair market' price would be $20-40 to achieve the same profits.
Nobody would want to pay that.