One Dollar Surcharge for Theater Security?! (1 Viewer)

[Lee Scoggins]

Friends,
Fox News is reporting that Loews movie theaters is going to increase security in light of the 9-11 attacks and estimates that these extra measures may add as much as a dollar to the cost of every movie ticket!
Good grief! Isn't a safe movie environment part of the experience and already high price???
Who wants to bet that the dollar represents more profits for these overleveraged, overbuilt theater companies that are perennial bankruptcy candidates.
I will boycott this nonsense. The projection quality has already gone downhill in many local joints.
Maybe my extra dollar is better spent on securing a front projector!
Lee

 

[Jeff Rogers]

...well maybe if the extra security was able to take care of rude patrons, like holding the gun to their heads and saying...
"Maam...this is your last chance. Shut your kid up"
I would be more than happy to pay it. If it scares the idiots that ruin movies into behaving then heres my buck.
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If I could go back in time, I'd meet Snoopy

 

[Brad_W]

I agree with Jeff on the whole gun to the head thing. Also, keep in mind that some moron could put some deadly airbourne pathogen in the ventalating system and infect hundreds!
I once went to a Halloween midnight showing of "The Exorcist" and during that whole silent 15 minute intro, a group of people were talking loudly! Managers came in and out and the kids didn't leave. I would have not only paid a dollar for the gun to the head, but given an extra 38 cents to pull the trigger. Now that's a lot for $1.38!
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[Edited last by Brad_W on November 01, 2001 at 09:11 PM]

 

[Jeff Rogers]

..Brad is a smart man....
But to be serious--on a fri. or sat. night I would gladly pay (depending the movie) up to a few bucks more to shut the traps on them young folk. Hate to generalize, but I am only 22 and every time I go, its youngins.
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If I could go back in time, I'd meet Snoopy
[Edited last by Jeff Rogers on November 01, 2001 at 08:46 PM]

 

[Mitty]

Another corporation cynically using Sept. 11 to justify unsavory business practices.
If they're not using the occasion to get away with guilt-free layoffs, they're using it justify price gouging. Does the capitalist economic model take societal fear and public paranoia into account?

I would be shocked as shit if any Loews patrons could see any noticeable security increase owing to their extra dollar.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Who wants to bet that the dollar represents more profits for these overleveraged, overbuilt theater companies that are perennial bankruptcy candidates.

Loews is way past being a bankruptcy "candidate". It filed Chapter 11 early this year.
M.

 

[Jason Whyte]

What nonsense. Watch as they drop matinee prices soon as well (remember when those used to actually be a DEAL)?
Mitty, have you been to either Alliance Atlantis theater in Vancouver? Both places jumped up a dollar to $11.50 non-member evenings, and both the Park and Fifth Avenue were dead with WAY too many kids running the popcorn counters when I was there this week. Outreagous.
Jason
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[Glenn Overholt]

Added security? Sounds like a great idea! Will they do something? That's the real question.
I can only guess that they should hire a rent-a-cop. Ok, at a buck a head, maybe 50 or so.
But at any rate, I'd give it a shot just to see what they have added. The next time you're listening to some jerk making unwanted noise during a flick, I'd yell out 'Security' and see what happens.
Someone should come running, and if no one does, you could alway sue stating that you didn't feel any securer.
Glenn

 

[BryanZ]

After you add in the regular ticket price, popcorn, candy, cell phones, pagers, babies, people talking during the movie, and coke it kinda makes spending $2,500 or more on a HT system seem almost sane.

 

[David Susilo]

Watching movie in a theatre:
tickets $12 (times 2, including my wife)
baby sitter $45 (or $0 if my parents baby-sit)
gas $4
total: up to $73 and 3 hours of our time
Watching movie at home:
movie $30 (tops, and you get to own the movie)
total: $30 tops.
bonus: no disturbance from cellphone, kids running around etc.
I wonder why movie theatre will soon be a dying breed.

 

[Jason Whyte]

Ticket prices have shot up AGAIN at Famous Players, and no doubt Odeon will be following suit soon:
Premiere Theaters: Silvercity/Colossus/Paramount etc
Evenings: $13.25
Weekend Matinees: $10.00
Weekday Matinees: $8.00
'Cheap' Tuesday: $8.00
Regular Theaters:
Evenings: $10.75
Weekend Matinees: $8.00
Weekday Matinees: $6.75
Jason
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[Kevin. W]

Like I tell my wife, "Wait six months and the movie will be out on DVD and I'll buy or rent it". By the time you factor in ticket cost and popcorn/drinks its easily $50-60 for 3 people. Thats 2 DVD's.
Kevin

 

[MichaelPe]

Yesterday, the AMC theater here in Montreal increased its prices by $1. That includes students/senior/children prices as well. They didn't give a reason, but I don't think it has to do with security.
The AMC theater is the largest complex in the city, but it is still (even after the increase) the least expensive theater here in Montreal. However, it hasn't been making a lot of money since it opened this year, so I think that the price increase is related to that.
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[Bruce Hedtke]

Jason,
You're "cheap tuesdays" are more expensive than my regular evening fares. That is outrageous. I am so glad I don't go to the theater much anymore. Price is one thing...paying extra to have to sit by loud, arrogant, rude people who obviously aren't there to watch a film-that is something else entirely and one I won't subject myself to.
It is a shame that Sept. 11th has become a crutch for some corporations to lean on to support their money-grubbing ways. So, now all of a sudden, the theaters aren't safe? Or were they always unsafe? If they were always unsafe, why didn't you raise ticket prices before to rectify that? Look, raise prices. But, make the movie-going experience much, much better. Hire professional projectionists. Enforce behaviour codes. Keep your equipment up to date. Give us a reason to come to the theater again.
Bruce
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[Jason Whyte]

"You're "cheap tuesdays" are more expensive than my regular evening fares. That is outrageous."
Yes, but in Canadian funds. But still....
Everyone knows how many films I see, but I have NEVER paid $13.25 to see a film at the local Silvercity. Never. The presentation quality is horrific (misframed picture, focus problems, bad splicing), and you actually get a better presentation downtown for LESS money! When I don't have passes, I mostly go to matinees or use my membership at Alliance Atlantis and save some money.
As previously discussed, the corporations just use September 11th as an excuse. "Added security" my ass. You should be secure with any monetary transaction, be it eating in a McDonalds or riding a bus.
The real reason is the quality of films these days are getting worse and worse, less people are coming out, and so on. They think the best way to handle it is to raise prices, but as soon as I mention it to ANYONE, they groan and say something to the lines of "Oh I'm not seeing a movie there now." Many people in line when I saw Monsters Inc. last night balked at the price hike, I think even one or two even walked out.
My personal opinion? LOWER prices. Get people interested in coming out to the theaters again. People respond to CHEAP things. That's why DVD is doing so well.
Jason
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[Mitty]

Mitty, have you been to either Alliance Atlantis theater in Vancouver?

Why yes - I live very near the 5th Ave. - but rarely in the evenings. I typically go to matinees on my days off. I'm also a member which shaves a little off the price.
But, it was $10.50 last time I looked. The $1 hike is news to me. I wonder if the members fee is a dollar higher, or if this is chiefly to motivate people to join.
Even still the 5th Ave. is NOT a really good theatre. A couple of the theatres are so small there really aren't ANY good seats, and the only aisle is right up the middle to ensure it.
Of course, the Alliance Atlantis theatres book the most interesting, off-the-beaten-path first run movies, and I'm just happy that I have such a place so close to where I live.

 

[Mark McLeod]

Jason and Mitty,
I found out about the price raise last night when I went and saw Monsters Inc and Mulholland Drive. My friend that I went with purchased the tickets to MI and so I didn't think to look at them because well I was expecting the usual $12.75 at Silvercity. So that was fine, we watched the movie and everything was fine except for the first 3 trailers being projected wrong (adjustable masking problem). Then I convinced him to stick around and see Mulholland Drive and I agreed to pick up the tickets. So I get ready to swipe my card and I see $26.50 instead of $25.50. We were running late for the show since MI ran a bit longer then I thought. I said did you pay that? He said yeah. I would have talked to the manager but I still had to make a phone call before the movie etc.
I'm a bit ticked at this point but let all that go aside because I really enjoyed MD the first time and I want to experience it again and didn't want the experience ruined by having to argue with someone about pricing right beforehand.
I've never had any major problems at Silvercity Riverport with print quality/projection issues. Anytime I had a problem it was fixed before I told them about it. Well after paying $13.25 for a ticket I was expecting the usual quality presentation. Well there presentation of Mulholland Drive was TERRIBLE. There were numerous scratches, vertical lines, horizontal lines etc. A lot of green noise. It was by far the worst presentation I've seen there. I'm not sure if they destroyed the print in the week it had been playing there or if they hadn't cared to request a better one. Audio quality was surpringsly poor for them too. The print I had seen a week prior at the Capitol 6 was in far better shape despite a couple noticeable splicing problems in the middle of a reel plus a couple audio dropouts. I never thought I'd say Cap6 had a better presentation. This wasn't related to the $13.25 price change and I wasn't being any more observant there were just more problems.
As for why the price went up. I think it had to do with Monster's Inc, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings coming out. I've noticed the last few major price increases have corresponded with a "Major Release". Episode 1 saw a dollar increase, then some other major flick bumped it another $1.50. The increase from 12.25 to 12.75 however wasn't as noticeable and once again came as a surprise to me when my friend picked up the tab on those tickets.
I think it's getting ridiculous and I defintely plan to see more movies at other theaters despite my love for the Silvercity theater. I don't care much for Cinemark Tinseltown but I've never had a problem there other then their lame line policy where they don't let you in untill 10-15 minutes before start. Riverport always has bigger caps in the times and that's something I like.
M.
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[Edited last by Mark McLeod on November 03, 2001 at 06:27 PM]

 

[Jason Whyte]

I've never had any major problems at Silvercity Riverport with print quality/projection issues. Anytime I had a problem it was fixed before I told them about it.

I've been meaning to check the Riverport out, as from what you've said and what I've gathered from others, it's the only Silvercity designed BEFORE all the other ones were, and some screens are common height proportioned, unlike the current Silvercity which are all common width proportioned.
I saw Mulholland Drive at the Park and was pleased with the presentation, even though there was a little bit of street light coming out of the exit doors and there was a slight "echo" sound eminating from the front channels.
I agree on Capitol 6 in Vancouver with the exception of screen one, aka "The Barn" as Tim so eloquently puts it. I love that place, but the Granville has such superior presentation quality (but they're so damn LOUD!).
Tinseltown is an interesting theater with such different policies than the other places. There are no theater checks, no staff is allowed to clean the theater until the end credits have finished, their seats are incredibly comfy (I like sitting in the back row and putting up the arm rest so I can stretch out! I fell asleep to "Druids" that way)
I still must check out the Riverport. One of these days, or maybe when they read this thread and agree to drop a few prices.
Jason
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[Neil Joseph]

What is a security guard at a theatre going to do when faced with a terrorist attack of some sort? I don't know what difference it would make, no insult to any security guards out there, but I don't think the dollar surcharge is worth it in this case.
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[Scott H]

However, if you quit going to the movie theater now, there will be fewer DVDs to buy in the future.
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[Edited last by Scott H on November 05, 2001 at 11:15 AM]