Saving seats at showings of blockbuster movies. (1 Viewer)

[Michael Hansen]

I must admit that it is interesting to see the many posts in this thread. Obviously it is something that people 'care' about, or at least have strong feelings about.
Someone mentioned earlier in this thread that he or she wouldn't like to sit next to some obnoxious character who does not know how to behave around other people, or something to that effect.
Let me just stress that I am a serious seat-and-crowd-fascist. In fact I can sit in the lobby of the theater and drive my friends nuts by pointing out the exact person or persons whom I would very much like to avoid as seat 'neighbour'.
My point is: do you really want to arrive early to the theater to get the best seats, and then have to move because you find the person next to you annoying to some degree? Talk about rising stress levels. Let's all just agree that the succesful experience of a blockbuster movie on premiere night has very much to do with where you sit, and who sits next to you.
NB:
Since there are many different views concerning the reserved-seat-policy, I would just like to finish off by telling everyone that I - thanks to the reserved-seat-system - am sitting now, writing this, holding my tickets for the AOTC-premiere tomorrow. My seats are the absolute best in the house, right in the middle with just the right distance to speakers, so that I may enjoy the soundeffects in all their glory. Thank you, reserved-seat-policy!!
Regards,
Michael

 

[Ted Lee]

coming in 10 minutes before a movie starts is just asanine. if you're serious about seeing a movie, you'll take the extra time to get there early! if the lady would have asked in a nice, polite manner, then maybe the crowd would have responded differently.

my usual M.A.T. (minumum arrival time) is 30-40 minutes early...especially if it' a relatively new movie. even for spider man, the movie came on at 10:00am - we were there (with my girlfriends kids) by 9:00am. needless to say we got excellent seats. by the time we left around noon, there was a line wrapping around the building.

regarding reserving seats - maybe a couple is okay...but a whole row is just stupid.

regarding who you sit next to (or who sits next to you) - total crap shoot. i've sat next to some really cool people, then again i've sat next to people that i've openly yelled at to shut the f up.

 

[MickeS]

Wouldn't it be nicer with reserved seating, where you could buy your seat the day before, or even an hour before, and then go off and do something else and come back 5 minutes before the movie, knowing where your seats are?

It works for sports and concerts, why not for movies?

/Mike

 

[Ted Lee]

for a concert, you're really there to listen more than anything else. for sporting events, you've got a big-ass court or 100 yards of grass to observe.
but in a movie, you have a limited field of vision. sit too close or too far off-center and you lose some of the stuff that is going on the screen. obviously, for most of us reading this, what's on the screen is very important...much more important than for the casual viewer.
i hate it if i do not have optimal seating in a movie...almost to the point of getting my money back or going to a different viewing.
unless i'm with friends or something...after all...i don't want to seem like a freak...

 

[Dave Gorman]

Wouldn't it be nicer with reserved seating, where you could buy your seat the day before, or even an hour before, and then go off and do something else and come back 5 minutes before the movie, knowing where your seats are?

If, as others have pointed out, one could select the location at the time of purchase, it would be a very good thing. If the seats are assigned at random, I would rather be early to select good seats so I don't get stuck in a back corner or the left-most seat of the front row.

 

[BrianB]

In the UK, when a cinema books seats, it's like the theatre - they will try & fill the 'best' seats first (middle of the cinema) & then fill out the edges.

 

[Damian James]

If I am there before your friends have arrived at the theater and you are saving 7+ seats, I'm not going to be too accomodating.

 

[MickeS]

Dave, at least in Sweden you could select which seats you wanted. Personally, I always went for 7th row center.
/Mike

 

[James Zubb]

They should have assigned seating, but have each seat assigned randomly. Break up all the annoying people who insist on talking during the movie and dissuade people from bringing their young kids.

 

[Ron-P]

The world belongs to those who wake up early. You want good seats? show up early, period.

Exactly what your friends should have done Holadem. If family or friends cannot be there early enough to get there own seats, too bad, go to another show. Now, if they were there and got back up to go get food or drinks, no problem holding seats.
Peace Out~

 

[DaveF]

Saving seats for a few people who are out getting snacks, using the restroom, etc. is acceptable. I do it. My friends do it. And I also bear the raw end of it too, from strangers.

But two guys saving twelve primo seats, for a big movie, opening weekend, for friends who are there yet, 20 minutes beforehand, is not reasonable. I don't know what I would have done (I'm not particularly confrontational). But I'd be tempted to sit there anyway.

 

[BrianB]

100% agree with you, DaveF. Popping out for a snack from the stand? Of course you should be reasonably expect your seat still to be there when you come back.

 

[MickeS]

Well, we all know why theaters don't want to use assigned seating... it might result in lost ticket sales.
If a couple shows up 2 minutes before the movie and there is no assigned seating, they still have the hope of finding decent seats, even if they bought the last two tickets. They know rationally that it's impossible, but they have the dream that they'll somehow get the two last good seats (much like how the oppression of the american working class works, but I won't go into that here ).
However, if there was assigned seating, they would see right away that the only two seats left were first row all the way on the left or something (the worst spot at least for me), and wouldn't buy the tickets.
So theaters probably have no interest in this, even though it would be a great benefit to the moviegoers in most cases and would reduce completely the kind of problems that are discussed in this thread.
And that was my last post about this. (yeah, right ).
/Mike

 

[Damian James]

MickeS - That Pong link is just outstanding

 

[Brian Kidd]

I have no problem with saving seats for less than three other people. Other than that, it's a bit ridiculous. I know that I'm going to have to save seats for my wife and her best friend Friday night when I go see AOTC. They're always late in going to the theater to get seats. For FOTR, I had to sit in the front row, off to the side. Never again!

 

[John Berggren]

Saving a handful of seats should be respected. Saving a number greater than 5 should be questioned.

I do think assigned seating would be a lovely option if online ticket sales were implemented well.

 

[Ron-P]

Assigned seating, no way. If theaters did that, I'd never go back, not that I go much anymore.
Peace Out~

 

[Andrew_Sch]

Here's my plan for AOTC Friday:

Get home from school, grab credit card to get tickets from Fandango machine. Get ride to theater, arrive around 3:15 for 4:20 show. Go in theater ASAP, get good seats (I prefer high up in the center) and then plop my ass down and DON'T GET UP FOR THE NEXT FOUR HOURS. I'm not kidding, I'm not getting up for anything short of a life or death situation. Or I have to pee real bad, but I won't be drinking anything so that shouldn't be a problem.