Why I don't like seeing films theatrically anymore (1 Viewer)

[The Drifter]

If that's obviously the practice, and no one ever shows up to use those seats, what's stopping you from moving once the film starts?

Very occasionally, you may have someone show up late who has bought that seat, but if you've observed that these seats often go unused, I'd just move (though I have no experience with reserved seating; none of the theaters around here use it).

Again, you have no way of knowing whether someone will come late & sit in an assigned seat; I have gone to plenty of movies where people come late, after the movie starts. So, you would have to wait a while to make sure someone doesn't sit in the seat - and even then you are not 100% sure the seat will go unused - since some people get to the theater really late (though I admit this is rare).

If you've never experienced assigned seating at movie theaters, be thankful. It's one of the biggest pains in the @$$ I've ever had to deal with re: going to the movies, and is close to my #1 reason why I choose not to see films theatrically anymore.

When the feature finally DID start (a half-hour later) and the lights went all the way down, there was blue floor lighting turned on between the block of front seats and the riser seats that illuminated the lower half of the screen during the entire film. It made the "this is black" Dolby Cinema intro quite ironic to behold, because there was no "black" anywhere to be seen. In addition to THAT, the film looked slightly soft, AND I had a guy to my right coughing and blowing his nose the whole time, with another on on the left a few seats down doing the same thing.

You've just proved my point here. I.e., if you didn't have assigned seating in this case, you could easily have moved your seat to get away from the coughing/sneezing people (I've had to do this on public transportation as well). However, with assigned seating you're essentially "stuck" in that seat, and are taking a chance moving your seat (as I've detailed above).

 

[Scott Merryfield]

If that's obviously the practice, and no one ever shows up to use those seats, what's stopping you from moving once the film starts?

Very occasionally, you may have someone show up late who has bought that seat, but if you've observed that these seats often go unused, I'd just move (though I have no experience with reserved seating; none of the theaters around here use it).

The issue with doing this is that you are then disturbing other people around you when the person who holds those seats shows up and asks you to move, and also while you move to other seats that hopefully will not get claimed so you have to go through the process again.

We have season tickets to USA Hockey's major junior team, and I know I get annoyed if someone is sitting in our reserved seats. I do not want to be the one annoying others at a movie theater, and I shouldn't have to. Just sell me a decent seat if it has yet to be purchased, just like anyone can do walking up to the box office at our USA Hockey Arena.

 

[bmasters9]

We have season tickets to USA Hockey's major junior team, and I know I get annoyed if someone is sitting in our reserved seats. I do not want to be the one annoying others at a movie theater, and I shouldn't have to. Just sell me a decent seat if it has yet to be purchased, just like anyone can do at our USA Hockey Arena.

That's great that you seem to have a refuge from the problems of assigned seating (albeit assigned seating is a thing there)!

 

[Scott Merryfield]

That's great that you seem to have a refuge from the problems of assigned seating (albeit assigned seating is a thing there)!

Most sporting events have assigned seating, so this is not really unusual. However, those venues also accommodate walk-ins and will not refuse to sell them a premium seat if it has yet to be sold. Since our local arena rarely comes close to selling out, it's not good business sense to deny someone from buying a seat because you want to get a few extra bucks out of them by forcing them to buy online. Same with a movie theater -- if the place is only 20% full, don't make me buy a seat way up front because I didn't pay your online charge.

We did this over the holidays a couple of years ago. We were spending a few days on the west side of Michigan, and wanted to attend the live musical version of "A Christmas Story" that was playing there (we were in Grand Rapids). When I checked online before the trip, the Ticket Master fees were almost as much as the actual tickets, which we thought was outrageous. So, we took our chances and just went to the box office when we first arrived, since we had a couple of evenings when we could go to the show. The theater sold me two excellent seats that were available, and we saved about $75 in Ticket Master fees.

 

[BobO'Link]

In this particular case, yes. It's the easiest modern theater for us to get to from our home, too, but I will never go there again.

Did you contact the manager to let them know you'd not be back and why? I sure would. And if those tickets weren't actually sold they should make them available at the box office. If they don't - complain. I'd be willing to bet there are lots of people who've attended that venue once and, like you, were disillusioned enough to never return. If it's affecting ticket sales management may be clueless as to why.

 

[dpippel]

If assigned seating worked perfectly the way it was intended to 100% of the time, I would be more in favor of this. However, here is what I've noticed the few times I've dealt with this:

1) You typically can't choose the seats that you want - not necessarily due to others sitting in them - but due to the theater blocking out all the best seats (as detailed by SM above).

2) You will get to your assigned seat & find someone else sitting there. Then, you will need to argue with them about your right to sit there. They may get belligerent, and you will then need to decide whether you want to bother getting into a physical confrontation with them (which almost happened to me once), threatening to call management, etc.

3) You may/will be forced to sit near people you don't know/have no connection to & who may be obnoxious/drunk/on drugs. As a result, you may want to get up & move your seat to have more room/space, but can't do so due to the other assigned seats.

So, to those that assigned seating works for, great. However, I strongly suspect that you if go to enough movies w/assigned seating, you will invariably run into one - or more - of the issues I've detailed above.

I'm sorry that your experience with this system has been so negative, but I've never run into any of the issues you mention, and I haven't gone to a movie without reserved seating in over three years.

 

[dpippel]

I have no issue with a theater offering reserved seating. However, I do have an issue when they do not make those same seats available to me as a walk-in customer if they have not been sold. Forcing me to buy online at an additional fee when I purposely go during a non-busy time (in our case Sunday morning) and there are lots of seats unused is not right.

I agree that this isn't a great business model for those who want to walk in.

 

[BobO'Link]

We did this over the holidays a couple of years ago. We were spending a few days on the west side of Michigan, and wanted to attend the live musical version of "A Christmas Story" that was playing there (we were in Grand Rapids). When I checked online before the trip, the Ticket Master fees were almost as much as the actual tickets, which we thought was outrageous. So, we took our chances and just went to the box office when we first arrived, since we had a couple of evenings when we could go to the show. The theater sold me two excellent seats that were available, and we saved about $75 in Ticket Master fees.

A venue here charges those fees if you order online or pickup at the box office. There's no way to avoid them. I no longer attend events at that venue because of this and let them know why. I also no longer attend functions that require tickets be purchased through Ticket Master due to their usurious fees.

 

[TelevueNP101]

Being a huge film aficionado, some of my best experiences in the past have been seeing films theatrically - primarily in the 200X's. At the time, some local art house theaters had showings of older 1950's/1960's films, so it was great to see classics like this on the big screen. And, there are definitely a lot of other great films that are amazing on the big screen, i.e. the Star Wars films; Blade Runner (saw the 2007 cut in a limited theatrical release), and too many others too list.

However, as time went on I realized that it was becoming a huge hassle to see films in the theater. In fact, in my experience, non-issues with theatrical audiences are the exception rather than the rule. I used to go see movies in the theater 2-3 times a week in the 200X's, from huge Hollywood blockbusters to small art house films. And, whether I was in a large theater or a small one, the a-holes would all come out of the woodwork. Here are just some examples:

-Seeing the re-make of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 2003; a family thought it was a good idea to bring their infant to this violent film, and the kid kept crying throughout. At the same film, a women kept leaving the theater multiple times to talk on her cell phone. WTF?!

- People talking throughout the showing of Dirty Pretty Things (2002), even when various audience members told them to keep it down.

I've got numerous other examples. But, in general, I've seen the following many times when I've gone to see films in the theater: people coming in & then leaving the theater multiple times, people coming to the theater very late & disrupting the film while they find their seats in the dark, kids crying/screaming, drunk/high/obnoxious or mentally ill audience members, etc. can make going to the theater a truly messed-up and unpleasant experience.

I just don't see the point of making an effort to get expensive tickets online (or wait until you get them in the theater), drive there, and sit down in a crowded (maybe) theater to put up with this. The viewing experience @ home is a lot more pleasant, easier, and stress-free.

This is exactly why I chose to build A Theater in my home.

 

[dpippel]

You've just proved my point here. I.e., if you didn't have assigned seating in this case, you could easily have moved your seat to get away from the coughing/sneezing people (I've had to do this on public transportation as well). However, with assigned seating you're essentially "stuck" in that seat, and are taking a chance moving your seat (as I've detailed above).

The same is true if you go to a showing with a packed auditorium, which are the type of showings I normally attend. You're stuck with whomever you're sitting next to because there are no seats available to move TO. Doesn't matter if it's a reserved seating engagement or general admission.

 

[Todd Erwin]

When the feature finally DID start (a half-hour later) and the lights went all the way down, there was blue floor lighting turned on between the block of front seats and the riser seats that illuminated the lower half of the screen during the entire film. It made the "this is black" Dolby Cinema intro quite ironic to behold, because there was no "black" anywhere to be seen.

That goes completely against what Dolby Cinema is supposed to stand for, and I would have complained to both the manager and AMC corporate customer service, and possibly Dolby as well.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

Did you contact the manager to let them know you'd not be back and why? I sure would. And if those tickets weren't actually sold they should make them available at the box office. If they don't - complain. I'd be willing to bet there are lots of people who've attended that venue once and, like you, were disillusioned enough to never return. If it's affecting ticket sales management may be clueless as to why.

No, in this particular case we didn't bother. My wife is great at writing complaint letters or emails when something goes amiss somewhere, but in this case we didn't plan on ever returning so we really didn't care if they knew why -- and they wouldn't miss us anyway, since we are not frequent movie-goers.

 

[dpippel]

That goes completely against what Dolby Cinema is supposed to stand for, and I would have complained to both the manager and AMC corporate customer service, and possibly Dolby as well.

I already have Todd. It was entirely unacceptable.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

That goes completely against what Dolby Cinema is supposed to stand for, and I would have complained to both the manager and AMC corporate customer service, and possibly Dolby as well.

I ran into the same floor lighting issue the three times I've been at the local Dolby Cinema. The manager says "it's how they set it up", AMC corporate said the same but asked if they could follow-up with me...which they never did, Dolby never responded. Great concept, especially the seats, bozo execution (at least locally - the AMC in Rockaway, NJ).

 

[Bryan^H]

Okay, I've got to ask: What movie, and what was it about the experience that made it so extra special?

the 40th anniversary re-release of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' . It is my favorite film from Steven Spielberg, and depending on the day my favorite film of all time. There was only one other movie goer in the screening. The audio quality was mind blowing, and video was perfect.

It was always a dream of mine to see this on the big screen as I had seen it only on tv. This rare opportunity arrived, and I walked out of the theater more impressed with the film than I had ever been. It was like seeing it for the first time. This wasn't a simple re-release for me. It was a magical experience.

 

[bmasters9]

the 40th anniversary re-release of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' . It is my favorite film from Steven Spielberg, and depending on the day my favorite film of all time. There was only one other movie goer in the screening. The audio quality was mind blowing, and video was perfect.

It was always a dream of mine to see this on the big screen as I had seen it only on tv. This rare opportunity arrived, and I walked out of the theater more impressed with the film than I had ever been. It was like seeing it for the first time. This wasn't a simple re-release for me. It was a magical experience.

OT: was Columbia's opening logo the Sunburst/Abstract Torch as it was originally way back when, or was it today's Sony-era logo?

 

[ChristopherG]

This is starting to sound like the "What annoys you?" thread....

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I thankfully don't encounter any of these issues going to cinemas near me. Only a couple of the cinemas I frequent have assigned seating. It seems to work fine as far as I can tell.

My issues with going to the cinema are:

1. There just are not many films released each year now I want to see. So, I probably go to the cinema only about 6-12 times a year.

2. More comfortable seating is a problem as is booze being served. So, they have these great recliners now so I am nearly flat on my back watching the film. Add to this most of the cinemas near me serve booze...so now I am liquored up and lying down in the cinema...I have a high potential of falling asleep.

Probably not the same issues others are having.

 

[dpippel]

so now I am liquored up and lying down in the cinema...I have a high potential of falling asleep.

Probably not the same issues others are having.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

So, honestly my wife asked me to go to a film with her during the winter. The place was packed and I was sitting in the very back row in this huge recliner. I had I think three adult cocktails, 2 prior to the film and 1 during the start of the show, within about the first 20 minutes I was sound asleep...as was the guy sitting next to me who was also seeing the show with his wife. The show ends and the theater is emptying out and me and the guy next to me are still out cold. I wake up to our wives (none of us knew each other) snapping photos of us with their cell phones. I grabbed the guy's arm and shook him awake and I said "Hey, they were snapping our pictures while we slept. We gotta get the phones so they don't post our photos on the internet." He was confused at first but then jumped up out of his chair and chased his wife out into the lobby. I heard him yell "Ah ha!" as he caught her.

So, this is one of my major issues with going to the movies now.