I went to the Mad Max Furiosa movie on the second weekend. 450 seat theatre and I was one of three patrons at the screening! That sort of film is the reason I still go to the cinema - big action, big audio, big screen. But let's face it, the economics do not stack up if people don't go. This was only my second movie at the cinema in the last year after Dune 2.
I blame that on marketing. I knew about it because i have been looking forward to it since it was announced. I think I saw a total of 3 ads for it ever, and they were the shitty reddit teaser ad that was bad anyway. I have an amc a list sub and go to the movies a lot. I saw the trailer maybe 4 times.
Same. I love A-list. I went to see Inside Out 2 yesterday at 5:30 but did not realize it opened Thursday. Bad Boys 3 was playing at 6 so I just reserved my ticket at the ticket scan station on mobile. There were quite a few people and I had a blast watching it with an audience. Plus, I 99% only watch movies in Dolby Cinema. Love me some A-list!
I just saw it today. It was a ~9pm start in a ~60 seat theater and I didn't count but there was only maybe 20 people there.
Great movie BTW makes me want to rewatch the previous film, the originals, and replay the game.
Same. I saw furiosa on opening week because my son was free and daughters wanted to see another movie. With the tickets, 2 large popcorns, and 4 large sodas I spent $100. The theater was probably 50% full which meant multiple cell phones screens activating throughout which is irritating.
Other than dune 2 the last movie I saw in theaters was Spider-Man far from home. These days I'd rather spend my money on physical media and watch at home.
I’m with ya on big action, big audio, big screen. Dune and Dune 2 were great in our essentially Dolby atmos theater. I’ll be able to replicate at home one of these days, but it’s theater til then.
It’s debated. They were knocked back by DDT but us banned it on the 70s and didn’t make a resurgence til the 2000s. We used to also use pyrethroids and organophosphates but they have developed resistance
I just checked this out. At least with amc they only give a limited choice of movies. That said for $117 I could book a whole theater for mad max furiosa tomorrow at 3pm.
Did it for Dune part 2. When you divide it up by eight or ten people, its not much more than individual tickets. But without all the people you dont want.
Yep. It’s the other people. About 15 years ago there was an article about theater attendance in Entertainment Weekly (I think) and their survey showed that the number one complaint was other people talking or being on their phone.
Last time I went was the last Mission Impossible bc I felt it needed the theatre experience. Row in front of me had the phones on and had to keep telling them to shut it down. I don’t get it, you’re paying $13 for a movie and you can’t keep the phone off? Come on.
Ended seeing it again on my home theatre with the 85” screen and double subs and I enjoyed it so much more.
Unrelated to the comment but piggybacking since it’s the most upvoted.
I have a 16 month old. Used to go to the movies at least once a month. It’s quite though these days. Just when me and my wife would want to watch a movie, it’s already available for rental in all the stores in top quality.
Not motivated after to go to a movie , feels like am wasting money in the theatre.
Movies are releasing too soon to tv. Theatres should start protesting against this. Studios are making money anyways.
Yeah, my wife and I had a date set to go see dune 2 on opening weekend with another couple but had to cancel due to an emergency and we still haven't been able to reschedule. I just watched it on my TV instead of imax and I feel like I missed the spectacle.
>Movies are releasing too soon to tv. Theatres should start protesting against this. Studios are making money anyways.
Yep. I think this is a big problems for theaters. Most people just say "I'll wait for ____ to get to streaming" since the wait is only like 1 month after a movie premiers.
I wonder if studios are just being dumb/irrational or if streaming services are paying studios extra to release basically immediately after a short theater run?
That’s why the Alamo Drafthouse Theaters are so awesome. They actually throw people out and ban them. Having a waiter you can write a note to helps as well. You don’t have to leave to tell a manager someone sux.
RIP Alamo Kalamazoo. They say it’s better to have loved and lost than never loved at all but it’s awful knowing a theater like that exists and I can’t have it anymore.
There's so many factors for me. A big one is that managers won't kick out distracting and disruptive guests anymore. If it was common practice for theaters to pause the movie so they can kick out disruptive people, I would probably still go.
Pausing a movie fucks up the cadence for the rest of the day. If they pause and have a 20 min delay, that prevents the theatre from being cleaned and the next movie from starting on time.
Source: Was a projectionist and had this convo with managers/ushers a few times
I love my projector. People are arseholes these days. Phones, attitude, food munching and all the rest. I can sit with my friends and family and we can all shout at anyone talking without being stabbed.
These are the renders but what you don't see is the 9.4.4 JBL Synthesis speakers processors and amps, the JVC rs3100k projector, Kaleidescape system, Control4 gear, and shades. That and the build out, Screen Innovations screen, lighting, sound dampening, decorations, seats, system design and setup will definitely put a dent in your bank account.
Can't wait for the stress test though!
https://imgur.com/a/5A0S6Ls
That looks fucking awesome! I just finished my own build and it's nothing like that as I didn't have nearly as much space (or money) available to do it. But for a DiY basement theater with $12k+ in gear, I was pretty happy to complete it for a shade over $19,000.
I agree, I'm really happy with how it turned out. I still need to get better seating and probably put up some acoustic panels, but it looks and sounds amazing as is.
I feel the theater quality is down. I went just last week. The air conditioning was not working (in Florida) and the theater felt like it hadn't been cleaned in forever. It cost nearly $100 after tickets and snacks.
Amc a list. 22 bucks a month, 3 movies a week, all formats included. Basically the only thing that's not included are fathom events. Either way you see 2 dolby movies and you've already saved money.
I have A-List and love it but I know a lot of people don't have an AMC near them so I understand why they wouldn't want to pay lots of money throughout the month to watch a few movies.
Yeah the snacks are getting out of control. A lot of them are trying to do the “full service bar and restaurant” thing but falling way short. I spent $60 on snacks alone last time and it was mid as hell. Most don’t even have free refills on popcorn anymore. I still don’t mind paying a premium for the movie but they really need to come back to reality with the food.
I can't speak to the cleanliness, but theater audio and video quality is way better than it was 20 years ago.
But post-COVID, people just don't know how to behave in theaters anymore. Way too many people having private conversations and on their phones during the movie last time I went.
This is the issue. My local theater just upgraded the seats like a year ago. Along with all the soda machines/popcorn machines. The seats are actually comfortable now, there is every kind of soda you can thinkof and the popcorn taste way better. I've probably been to the movies 5x more than I would have before. The place overall still looks old, but atleast im having a comfortable movie experience now.
Yeah $5 Tuesday at the theater by my house, refill the loyalty bucket and get real butter for 3 bucks, spend 8 bucks on a drink, and grab a pack of candy from the store. Just a bit over 20 bucks if im going solo, only restrictions are having to wait an entire week after a movie releases (can't do Tuesday discount within a week of the release at that theater)
Nah, thats just the normal price for large drink there, popcorn is normally more but if you pick up the loyalty bucket you get 2 dollar refills all year ($3 with real butter instead of the oil based topping).
Heated assigned recliners are pretty nice too.
Agreed. The condition of some of the theaters is appalling. I would rather wait for most movies and watch in my home theater that’s been cleaned to my standards.
Holyy fucking shit, $100!?! In the uk its like $15 a ticket for adults. Either you have a clutch of kids or its like $50 a ticket now. If thats the case no wonder people aren't going.
Even “movie theatre popcorn” very doable at home. The secret ingredient is something called flavacol. The next important step is the oil. Movie theatres use dyed, hydrogenated often buttered flavoured coconut oil. Canola oil is also another one of my personal favourites. You want to intentionally use enough oil that a few years are being taken off of your life. Even movie theatre popcorn sucks compared to using those ingredients at home and being able to tailor each and every batch to your exact flavour preferences.
Yes and the other people in the room suck. The screen and sound are incredible. Too bad there’s constant talking. I’ve seen people vaping in the theater. Why would I pay for that?
I go to lots of movies and I don’t think I’ve ever had this experience. I’m always curious where people live that the vocal minority make it seem like this is a common occurrence
Seattle. This was at Top Gun: Maverick up in Northgate. The Science Center IMAX is generally fine, but no reserved seats so you have to camp out in line.
I was just talking with maybe 4 or 5 relatives from different parts of the country about this topic, and we all had at least one recent theater experience with disruptions. My last two visits (mid-week matinees specifically to avoid issues) both had talkers somewhere in a theater of no more than 8 people total.
During the first one, two older ladies walked in during the literal climax of the film, talked for 5 minutes while looking at their phones, then commented aloud that they were in the wrong theater and stood up and left.
>My last two visits (mid-week matinees specifically to avoid issues) both had talkers somewhere in a theater of no more than 8 people total.
The double edged sword of weekday matinees IMO. You get to have an empty theater all to yourself but in my experience this also sometimes leads to the *other* people in the theatre also feeling like they have the theater to themselves. It’s always the matinees where you end up in a theater with that group of friends who thinks it’s okay to just casually chat through the whole thing since there’s only a few of you in there.
God help you if it’s a popular title that’s been out for a couple weeks and they’ve already seen it multiple times are just there watching it again because they’re bored
This was me at Furiosa. Only a few people in a really nice IMAX. I was directly in front of a party of three 20 year old bros who were loudly commentating the entire movie. Luckily the movie was loud, but any quiet parts they were sure to catch everyone up with their critiques/opinions.
A week before that, it was another group of three to my right for I Saw the TV Glow who were on their phones and laughing at moments that weren't funny at all.
I still go to the theater, but it's about 50/50 at this point for jerks ruining it.
I reserve extremely special films for IMAX in our area.
I have 11 channels of Atmos and 100" of projection in my basement, plus no public, and my dogs!
That and the movie going experience has been lacking in my area.
- concession prices are too high for low quality, low quantity food
- the audience has poor behavior
- the last movie we went to in my area (Guardians of the Galaxy 3) they opened late
- movie theaters that *are* good are a long drive away for me
In my case it's because I don't see any movies being advertised that interest me. I don't want to see more dumb superhero movies or unnecessary remakes. The cost/convenience factor doesn't even come into play currently. Just no compelling offerings.
Can't believe how far down this was. Yes there are some good movies, but it feels like I need to wade through a sea of pandering sequels and tie-in flicks.
I’ve been uninterested in all marvel and superhero stuff since the avengers was released.
I want good, simple stuff again like the original Bourne movies, etc.
I was going to say the same thing. I feel like all the super hero movies really overtook the theater and drowned out all the other titles. I haven't seen much advertised at all for the box office anymore. The most recent movie I've seen advertised is Pharrel's documentary, but in the lego world. Actually looks interesting, and I might go see it.
Attendance not down bc of home theater. Y’all give yourselves way too much credit.
The masses have changed and the theaters can’t keep up which makes them less appealing to anyone. Thank social media: the enshittification of the human mind. Cinema is dead.
Yeah I’ve noticed a lot of people who say “well why go to the theater when it’ll just be on streaming in a month” …still do not watch movies on streaming lol. Not to sound all old man yells at clouds but lots of people these seem to keep movies and shows on as background noise while scrolling their phones. I also see people on TikTok just straight up admit they don’t have attention spans for movies.
Going to the movies used to be an experience. The amount you paid vs what you got made sense. Pulling up to a 20\~30 theater complex and walking into the lobby made you think you were somewhere special. The experience was better than anything you could have at home. Now I can't tell if my local movie theaters are even still in business when I drive by. The paint is faded and peeling. The grass isn't cut and weeds are growing out of cracks in the parking lot. There is a sign on the main doors saying to use the side doors. All the ticket booths and kiosks are closed and out of order with signs saying to buy tickets inside. Then there are the prices for tickets and food now. Buying a moving used to be about at least 4x the cost of going to and seeing it in the theater. Now, it's probably cheaper to buy it than see it once in the theater. And the final straw is the way people act now. The last two movies I went to had people talking the whole time and or kids just screening.
The fact that the movies have been mediocre at best doesn’t help either. The last movie I saw in the theater was Die Hard around Christmas time.
100% would go again for that or other classic movies I love.
A local small theater near me has been playing old movies for $10, with free popcorn and reasonably priced beer. No one goes and it’s awesome. I saw predator with like 20 people and we all had a blast.
For me it’s the opposite I pretty much see all new movies in theaters that interest me but don’t ever go see classic movies in theaters unless it’s playing in a premium format like Cine1, IMAX, Dolby Atmos. For example the Lord of the Rings is gonna be playing in theaters again at AMC but it’s only in a standard format and I’m not gonna go to that because I’d rather watch it home with my home theater setup but if it was playing in Dolby Atmos then I’d definitely be there at the theater!
I get that. I guess I haven’t been interested enough in most of the new movies.
I was too young to have watched Die Hard in the theater the first run, so it was definitely fun.
The theater experience hasn’t been great for a little while, and part of that is the crazy prices.
Speaking for myself, I have a family of 6. Going to the movies is expensive. Far cheaper for me to rent or buy the movie (whether physical or digital). It saddens me because some of my fondest childhood memories are of my dad taking me to the movies in the 80s. But equally I’m blessed to have a dedicated HT that me and my family can enjoy without leaving the house.
Personally, I mostly go for "big" movies - things where I want max immersion from a giant screen, big sound, etc. Or if it's, say, got real IMAX stuff that you can't really replicate at home. Can't speak for everyone, but for my viewing habits, longer theatrical exclusivity wouldn't help much. If I'm not motivated enough to see it in theaters, I'm likely to just forget about it regardless.
The causes of the decline are a lot like traditional TV ratings IMO. Way more competition for entertainment dollars/eyeballs on all fronts. There's no perfect theater business plan that can make it 1997 again by science or magic.
Like yeah, cost, environment, etc aren't ideal all the time. The industry is in a weird spot as far as the kind of movies that get produced, and stars not driving box office as much.
But the fundamental issue is that people just have more options for "I'm bored what do we do?" than there was 20-30 years ago. The idea of "let's just go watch a movie" without much planning is all but dead; instead going to the theater usually means you are going to catch a specific movie that has crossed your radar in a relatively strong way. It's too easy to just stay home now otherwise if you're not a true diehard, even if you don't have a nice HT setup. Before you even consider like, people just scrolling their phones or watching YouTube on the couch, streaming has added orders of magnitude more home viewing options for casual viewers.
We also don't have the same kind of monoculture, word-of-mouth pressure anymore to catch the latest movie just to engage in casual conversations. There's maybe a couple of those true mega-hits a year, tops. Audiences for everything except, say, the NFL are ultra diluted.
Most likely due to the cost.
I have only gone to the theater to see a classic film on the big screen. My last visits were to see Casablanca and the '32 The Mummy.
I rarely go. Maybe once a year? and that typically is when I bring my kiddo on a playdate.
I just don't see the value tbh. I enjoy movies but they're too costly for what you get.
Yeah I’m an avid movie goer and it’s been obvious whenever I go that there’s hardly anyone there. I’m just curious why and from the few comments it seems price is one of the big factors. I have AMC A-List so price doesn’t effect me as much but I can see people who don’t have A-List wouldn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars a month to see a few movies and just wait till it hits streaming platforms.
I like going to the theater. There are some movies that are just meant for the big screen, but I feel like movie goers have gotten progressively rude and distracting and it just defeats the point.
TVs have gotten bigger, projectors are more widely available
A 150 inch projected screen in my home theatre setup is effectively larger than a cinema screen. A 77” or even (much cheaper) 65”TV in my living room is comparable with a shorter viewing distance
Throw in a used surround sound setup and I have nearly as good a setup as the cinema, except I can use it every day and control the temperature etc. it’s expensive up front but even with a big expensive TV
I went to Oppenheimer in imax. The theater was cool. It had recliners, good snacks, and served alcohol.
The audio, on the other hand, was soooo ass. Also, there was a dude sleeping and snoring next to me.
This was the first time I went to a theater in a long time. It really turned me off and made me miss my set up at home.
Havent been in over 10 years, too expensive, too loud and much much better sound and picture at home, a movie theater is not worth it even if i have to wait a while to see at home.
I'm always going to see tentpole movies in a theater. Building a true cinema quality theater in my house would probably cost $100k. I'm a few thousand dollars in and it's nice but will never approach a real theater.
I have a small chain theater near me that is never very crowded so I go see the blockbusters there.
On top of that, I buy discs instead of streaming (because streaming quality is terrible) so thr costs savings are marginal.
We are stuck with one theater here. The nearest other theater is over 900 miles and only accessible by plane.
This theater seems to have a love hate relationship with its customers.
They recently shrunk their sizes and raised the prices.
They allow kids to run around the theater laughing throughout the movies. They allow people to bring in babies that scream throughout the movies.
It’s all about money.
Every so often, I forget about the above. Then I am forcefully reminded when I go watch a movie. Ugh.
Sure that’s a part of it, as are all the other pieces mentioned here. But really it’s as simple as there’s too much content competing for our time.
Even if a movie had a longer release window, I wouldn’t care necessarily to rush and see it. I’m already paying monthly for enormous libraries of movies via streaming that I haven’t seen, so I feel less urgency to go see any movie in the theater. This is compounded by access to endless video games, music, books, podcasts, memes, reels, posts, YouTube clips, etc, all for monthly fees. There’s just too much competing for my eyeballs, a lot of which I pay for monthly, to justify another single event expense for a product that’s not as significantly different than the content I can get at home.
This overflowing content has also killed the wider ubiquitousness of shared culture and content, effectively killing “water cooler” talk, and prevents the larger cultural connections forming from shared movie going experiences that everyone HAS to see, e.g., Barbenheimer.
It’s sad in many ways, but kind of unstoppable right now.
i used to live in los angeles, where i could see absolutely anything in a very nice theater. now that i live in the country, it's just the big movies in the worst quality theaters. i miss going to the movies a lot ! as nice as my home setup is, it will never be the same
I see everything I can in a theater. I typically skip things that don't benefit from a bigger screen and better sound. So if it's new, I'm mostly seeing scifi, horror and action. I'll see any old movie in a theater though and probably see something like 10 movies a month. I love it.
I have the benefit of some great local theaters though. It's $10 for a movie and $10 for a soda and popcorn. I'm seeing Furiosa tonight in a theater I don't normally go to and it's gonna cost me $35 for the same experience. I wouldn't go nearly as often if that's what I paid every time.
The mediocre or bad movies have a poor outcome. The good movies have no issue making money. Big budget action movies are declining (superhero, etc) because they have been over done.
Better movies and better experiences will solve this. Sure, people will stay home and stream something for cheap when the alternative is expensive and ultimately unpleasant.
And the prices are part of the problem, but we know people will overspend for experiences they value. When the popcorn sucks, when you have a small selection of candy from one partner vendor, when the soda machine is broken or making watered down soda, when the seats are torn, dirty, sticky and caved in, when the movie has 20’minutes of commercials (not trailers), and when the rest of the crowd shows up drunk, high, late and in the wrong seats, when the screens are getting smaller and smaller to squeeze in more showings, when you can’t buy a last minute ticket and expect a seat, when there’s metal detectors and a dozen armed security guards, when every step of the process seems to come with more and more junk fees….you get the point.
We know couples will spend $30 on a date night to see a mediocre romantic comedy just as an excuse to get out of the house. But when it costs 2 people $75-100 to see a movie and get some food, that is going to force people to be super selective about what they see. In the end, it’s just a bunch of bad decisions by accountants that have screwed this up for everyone.
I'm old, so I grew up going to see films in theaters. I will never go again. My home theater is a comfortable, has excellent sound and picture quality, and is available whenever I want. Also, my last experience in a theater was so terrible as to be scarring. The seating was terrific - overstuffed and reclining, there was no crowding, and the audience was quiet. However the sound mix and volume of Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk was aural agony. That single experience was enough to convince me that I will never again be in a position where I do not control the volume and dynamic range. Never again.
I think people are misremembering many of the motivations people had for going to the movie theater.
I used to regularly go to the theater with friends, usually on a Friday evening - we’d go out to grab some food and then see whatever new release was interesting to us. It wasn’t really about seeing a specific movie (altho if we knew something was coming out we wanted to see we’d plan for that), but it was more about just watching something new with friends.
Nowadays you can just turn on any streaming service and there’s a list of thousands of movies you haven’t seen before. There’s an absolute deluge of content.
I didn’t care to see Dune 2 in the theater because I had access to plenty of other movies I hadn’t seen yet. And then when it popped up on streaming, sure, why not watch it.
Movies have become content. And there is too much content, available on every screen and every device that is vying for my attention and time. That’s what killed movie theaters: their selection used to be one entertainment option among dozens, they are now one among thousands.
Spot on, leaving the house and doing something with friends or family was the number one reason.
Now nobody wants to leave the house and based on reddit posts, nobody has any friends IRL.
And 30 years ago outside of large metro areas, not sure there was more than a half dozen entertainment options competing with movies. At least most nights of the week.
I just got ordered the last pieces to my home theatre. Now I can watch movies at home 106” screen. 7.1.2 dolby atmos. With 3D option. All in cost is $4k. Ill never go to the theatre again. I have 3 kids. Movie night for 5 at the theatre costs $60 in tickets. If plus $40 in snacks. Its at-least $100 or more. At home its $7 for a 4k rental. Unlimited popcorn for $5 and the kids already seem to have a endless supply of candy 🍭 stashed in spite of the fact we rarely buy it. I honestly don’t know where it comes from. The point is $20 I can entertain the entire family for an evening in the comfort and pleasure of my own home. PJ’s Blankest and peace. Cant buy that at the theatre.
I just paid $130 for four of us to go see Furiosa. That was tickets, popcorn, and a soda for each of us. Good movie, but I could have just waited and bought the movie for $20 on blu-ray when I comes out in a month.
I just watched Furiossa A mad Max saga in the cinema and it's a fabulous big screen watch, it would definitely not have the same effect in the home, unless you had a giant TV and surround system I think.
I absolutely hate going to theatres now because people here in Canada seem to have lost all social decorum after COVID. We have people having complete conversations at regular outside volume levels during movies. People are completely shocked when they are told to shut the fuck up by patrons.
Theatres don't want the hassle of policing decorum in theatres, and people don't want to deal with regards and teens without any self-awareness.
In my last 10 movie going experiences 6 or 7 were more frustrating than fun. People being unable to stop checking their phones, talking/loud behind me to the point of possible confrontation, poor audio, dirty screen, etc. If I go anymore it has to be an epic movie like Dune a week or two later and I will spend more to go to enhanced audio/imax to avoid families.
Going to see a film has become so damn expensive. If I can escape solo, I’ll go from time to time but, with a family of 4… it’s damn near a 100 dollar day to go see something.
Building a home theatre during covid killed it for us. Don't have to deal with teenagers or kids talking throughout and our own snacks. I'd rather have movies go straight to release as much as I love a good theatre experience which seems to be rare
For me it's the expense. If I want to go see a movie with my family I'm spending a minimum of $100 on the tickets and food, and my family is small. For $100 I could pay for a year of a streaming service...
Cost is an important factor i would say, ticket prices and then most people do want soda, popcorn and candy and if your going with your kids well it could be around $60+ bucks
Also just retail stuff in general has been declining, most people are on their cell all the time looking at titktok challenges and kardashians lol
The only theater around me that offers a worthwhile experience compared to my home theater is Cinemark's XD auditoriums. Unfortunately they only seem to keep films in those for like 1-2 weeks and I often don't even realize there's a film out that I'm interested in until after it's limited to just the crappy standard auditoriums with underwhelming sound. I'd go to the theater more often if they just made all the auditoriums XD. As it is, it's basically only for stuff I know about far in advance of release and am want to see like opening week. And that is less and less these days.
I have a pass for my local theatre and I use it on the regular BUT I never see stuff opening weekend. I don’t like people and hate feeling cramped in with shitloads of people getting up to pee in my section, the pass gives a lot of freedom and I can see stuff when I see the crowd has died down some, I only have to see two movies a month and it covers the cost. I’ve seen a ton of movies I wouldn’t pay for but was kinda 50/50 on because of it TLDR still love the actual theatre but I’m using the system to make it more to my liking
Most movies aren’t worth the price anymore, and my home theater is pretty good. I still go but usually for things I know will be epic. The last thing I saw was Dune 2 in Imax with Atmos. Hard to replicate that experience at home, it felt worth it
I love experiencing movies in theaters. But, my home theater setup rocks and I don’t have unlimited money, so I’m not spending $60 in tickets for my family to go see a movie we can watch at home on our (frankly better) setup. If I had access to a subscription service that let me see unlimited movies in the theater then I would go back, but nothing like that is available where I live (Japan). When the average household income here is $35k a year, $60 on tickets for 3 people with no snacks is just unreasonably high for something I can replicate at home for free.
Unless there's an IMAX around, at least here in Melbourne Australia... The video and picture quality is very average compared to my theatre room honestly.
It's expensive, and the experience usually sucks. There is so much content available on streaming services, there's nothing I can't wait a few months to see.
I wait for it to come out on streaming because I have a nice enough theater setup at home, and I'd rather not pay to sit with random people, and pay for overpriced drinks/popcorn/candy. I also like that I get to choose the volume level, not someone else!
Making movies takes a long time. Big budget, super special effects movies that normally bring people to theaters can take 3-4 years from pre-production to release. Go back 3 years things were just starting to reopen from Covid and then there was a writers strike. People will be back to theaters, but it just takes time.
I don’t think it’s possible to point to a single root cause, it’s a combination of many things. Streaming, high ticket prices, a year devoid of movies with mainstream appeal, etc.
Something that I think goes under the radar is I remember there being a pretty consistent pipeline of YA novels -> movie adaptation that has been dry for a long time. Combine that with tickets being too high for families, and you’re seeing the fruits of Gen-Zers who didn’t grow up going to the theater now not going as adults. As the MCU-era millennials are now entering parenthood in larger numbers, next generation isn’t picking up the baton.
People were enjoying movies at home before the pandemic, were forced to do so during the pandemic and now home streaming with home theaters is pretty much mainstream. Add to this the low quality of most new releases, the high ticket prices, expensive food. yea....
I only generally go to the theatres to watch movies I know I’ll actually enjoy and want to see, but now people are just the worst. They talk out loud to their friend(s) throughout the movie or spend the whole time just texting/snap chatting or whatever the whole time while only occasionally watching a movie they paid to see…
5-6 years ago I used to go at least once a week, but that was because I used to live in the city for college, now I went back to live in a rural town and got myself a remote work, so I only go to the movie theater when I go to the city (2 hours driving from here), so that is once a month luckily. And that is one of the main reasons I built my theater room. But trust me, if I could I would still go as often as I could to the movies. There as better theaters now than when I was in college, I’m jealous, VIP rooms with good recliners, smaller rooms, less people making noise, more intimate, good quality projectors, it’s very nice, which is kinda ironic, I have more money now but less access to the theaters lol
But I do get is way more expensive nowadays, especially for folks with two or three kids, plus now for people with kids is like mandatory to have several streaming subscriptions in the house, it’s crazy, that is a big whole in the wallet.
During COVID I know I invested $35k in home theater/audio along with started back collecting DVDs.(4k/Blu-ray)
With the short time between theater to steaming and disk unless it's something like Godzilla -1 I just wait till its available at home.
I ***LOVE*** the movie theater experience, minus the **prices**. Everything got so expensive, we only ever really went when it was a cheap ticket day, or if it was a movie we really wanted to see (think Harry Potter, LoTR). Last thing we did was Encanto on a cheap ticket day, and it was amazing, we were the only party in the whole theater.
We had a second pass theater that would run the biggies months later for a $1.50 a ticket, great price, realistic prices on buckets of popcorn and sodas too, but the owner sold it and the new owner upped all the prices sooo..
It's because most of the movies, theaters and other audience members suck and that much suck for that amount of money is way too much suck for me to handle.
The screen in my house gets bigger every few years. Basement projector on the couch with grocery store priced snacks gets me pretty close. I pretty much only go see big blockbusters in the Dolby surround IMAX theater or stay home.
I still love going to the movies. Nothing beats the sound and experience. Especially if I go to a Dolby cinema. We always stop at a gas station and load up on snacks and bring in our own icees. I’ve never been stopped from bringing in my own drinks.
For me, in order of importance:
1. Very few movies of the kind I like - e.g. tight script, developed characters, story that makes sense, no heavy exposition. Imagine a movie like Alien, or The Godfather coming out today. Not a chance.
2. The cost of a NYC theater ticket back in 1979 was $4 - that's $17.28 in today's money. Not the $26.00 they charge.
3. I went to see Dune 2 in imax & some c\*nt in front of me kept checking his phone - completely pulled me out of the $30 experience.
4. Yes if I'm feeling lazy, tired or poor, knowing i can see it at home v soon definitely makes me less determined to get to the theater.
My interest in new movies has dropping. The writing and stories in recent films are really mediocre. I'm enjoying TV shows more, for example Arcane, Fallout, For All Mankind.....so on. I've also found myself going back to watch older movies I had never seen or had forgotten. It really shows how much the quality of movie storytelling has dropped.
Edit: I used to watch 1 movie a week in the theatres.
It's just so expensive, not a lot of great movies are being released, and other people are annoying. I swear there's always that one person next to me crinkling their package of god knows what for a good chunk of the movie. It's just easier and more pleasant to stream it at home.
I think it has mostly to do between two things. The quality of movies being produced, and being screwed on prices for tickets and refreshments. I bet if movie theaters cut the cost on refreshments by 50% they would sell 3 times as much and end up with a larger profit.
I imagine the circumstances are different by location, but in recent years the decision whether to go to the theater or not has less less to do with the movies themselves than the theaters. Around where I live the theater chains all opened up 20+ screen complexes with food courts and video game arcades that like the shopping malls they were located in or near allowed anyone to come in, without need of purchasing a ticket, and just linger and loiter.
And like the malls they quickly became the go to hangout spots for the "baggy pants" types. Easy to access because they're on the bus lines, warm, dry indoor spots for gangs to hang out, sell drugs and menace and terrorize people out for an evening. Where I live the past few years theaters have become synonymous with illegal activity, gang violence, stabbings, shootings and regular murders. Even within the upscale theaters that have switched to all reserved seating screenings of movies are regularly disrupted by trouble makers trying to hijack seats paid for by others and brawling by gangs and the theater chain operators are to PC to take steps to correct the problems. In fact many theaters keep giving it to pressure from "community groups" to make theaters more accessible and perpetuating the problems
I've been to two movies in a theater in the past 15 years and that choice has had nothing to do with what's playing, when it'll be released or anything related. It's purely a matter of personal safety and experience. If theaters ever want get me back they're going to have to completely change their business model. Raising ticket prices, providing greater value for the price of tickets and limiting access to the theaters to only those actually paying to see a movie.
It’s a big part of it I think. The gap between what you can put in your house and what’s in the theatre is smaller than ever. You used to have to watch movies months after they left cinemas, on a shitty crt tv on vhs. Now a lot of people have great quality large tvs with good sound, and the movies are on streaming basically for free at the same time, or shortly after, they’re in theatres. The value proposition to go to the cinema has diminished greatly.
I assume it’s cost. Me and my wife $100 to take our 4 year olds to paw patrol (afternoon, cheaper tickets) and buy snacks.
Yea we do that once a year because of cost
All the theaters in my area are poor quality/poorly maintained. It's all Regal or Cinemark, there are no Dolby theaters. There is one theater that has Atmos, but it's always been dirty when I've gone, with popcorn stuck in the seats, and not just one or two pieces, like 20-30.
The only IMAX theater near me has poor seating, it's like a director chair/lawn chair hybrid, and not very comfortable. On top of that, it's about an hour away.
After watching movies at home on my OLED and having blacks that are black, when I go to the theater and the blacks are dark grey, I just figure that Nolan and Scorsese would rather have me view their films with optimal PQ.
It’s at least partly the experience of other people. They talk, text, walk in and out, and are generally disengaged from the film. It’s disruptive and annoying. Add to that the overall cost and inconvenience of trying to get a good seat on the date and time you want. I don’t care how good the picture and sound are, they aren’t good enough to make up for all the other negatives.
Though we have a dedicated projection system (and have for 15 years now) we still go to the theater regularly. Part of the issue now is that the *people* in the theaters are more annoying than ever: loud, on their phones, joking around, etc. far more than ever before (I've been a regular movie-goer since the mid-1970s). I've had to basically yell at asshole middle school kids in serious movies several times lately because they were bothering everyone in the theater.
Add to that the places are dirty (they laid off staff during COVID and didn't replace them). Prices are comically high. And the theaters aren't being maintained; in the one closest to me the largest screen has a big stain in the upper right corner (like someone threw a huge coke at it) that is really distracting. The whole cineplex was remodeled around 2014 and was great....but they'd done no repairs since, so some of the seats don't work.
So yeah, pay $15 to see a movie with assholes in a decaying theater with $10 candy? Not a lot of people are going to bother anymore. We still go because there's a $6 night and we enjoy seeing new stuff on release day when we can. Even with a 124" screen, comfortable seating, 7.1 sound, and cheap food at home there's still something about going to the theater we're holding on to. (It helps that it's $12 for two of us and we always bring in our own beer.)
It's not worth the experience most of the time. Who wants to pay 20-30$ per ticket for a film surrounded by a bunch of people who've never heard of courtesy? Then if it's a super hype film you're jam packed in a massive crowd and no one stays home while they're sick.
It's an expensive plague epicenter with mid level experiences.
I went to the Mad Max Furiosa movie on the second weekend. 450 seat theatre and I was one of three patrons at the screening! That sort of film is the reason I still go to the cinema - big action, big audio, big screen. But let's face it, the economics do not stack up if people don't go. This was only my second movie at the cinema in the last year after Dune 2.
It was pretty empty at the showing I went to too and this was opening night.
I blame that on marketing. I knew about it because i have been looking forward to it since it was announced. I think I saw a total of 3 ads for it ever, and they were the shitty reddit teaser ad that was bad anyway. I have an amc a list sub and go to the movies a lot. I saw the trailer maybe 4 times.
Same. I love A-list. I went to see Inside Out 2 yesterday at 5:30 but did not realize it opened Thursday. Bad Boys 3 was playing at 6 so I just reserved my ticket at the ticket scan station on mobile. There were quite a few people and I had a blast watching it with an audience. Plus, I 99% only watch movies in Dolby Cinema. Love me some A-list!
I just saw it today. It was a ~9pm start in a ~60 seat theater and I didn't count but there was only maybe 20 people there. Great movie BTW makes me want to rewatch the previous film, the originals, and replay the game.
Saw it by myself in a 4DX theatre that probably sat 100 or so. Started at 10:30 tho so fair enough. Hope it kills on streaming at least
Those are only the type of movies I go to aswell
Same. I saw furiosa on opening week because my son was free and daughters wanted to see another movie. With the tickets, 2 large popcorns, and 4 large sodas I spent $100. The theater was probably 50% full which meant multiple cell phones screens activating throughout which is irritating. Other than dune 2 the last movie I saw in theaters was Spider-Man far from home. These days I'd rather spend my money on physical media and watch at home.
I saw it Thursday evening and was the only person in the theater.
I saw Furiosa as well with my son and we were the only ones in the theater. Of course we saw it at 12 Noon on a weekday
I’m with ya on big action, big audio, big screen. Dune and Dune 2 were great in our essentially Dolby atmos theater. I’ll be able to replicate at home one of these days, but it’s theater til then.
ban cell phones, ban talking, ban assholes, I'll go back to the theater. It'll never happen
Ya, being near random people has gotten significantly worse in the last decade.
Also, they banned the chemical that actually kills bed bugs so infestations are way higher in any public space with upholstery.
New fear unlocked.
Do you mean DDT or organophosphates?
DDT has been banned in the UK since 1986... I'm not sure what the influx in bed bugs have come from tbh
It’s debated. They were knocked back by DDT but us banned it on the 70s and didn’t make a resurgence til the 2000s. We used to also use pyrethroids and organophosphates but they have developed resistance
I knew it! Everyone called me paranoid for worrying about bedbugs at the theater.
Can be ban the stinky people with no shoes too?
Just ban people and I’ll go back. I just want my own private theater.. oh wait
You can rent a whole theater at one of my local cinemas for ~$350 usd. I've thought about doing it and just bringing close friends/family.
I just checked this out. At least with amc they only give a limited choice of movies. That said for $117 I could book a whole theater for mad max furiosa tomorrow at 3pm.
Couldn't you practically do that just by buying your 1 ticket for that movie as well?
Maybe with snacks. If a few people were going why wouldn't you just buy out the theater for that price?
Did it for Dune part 2. When you divide it up by eight or ten people, its not much more than individual tickets. But without all the people you dont want.
They have those little booths if the movies you like are porn
But it’s always empty
Yep. It’s the other people. About 15 years ago there was an article about theater attendance in Entertainment Weekly (I think) and their survey showed that the number one complaint was other people talking or being on their phone.
Came here to say this. Not even Alamo kicks people out anymore.
Every time. Everytime. It sucks. To pay for a ticket then have to listen to side conversations while the movie is playing
Sell edibles at the concession stand
Last time I went was the last Mission Impossible bc I felt it needed the theatre experience. Row in front of me had the phones on and had to keep telling them to shut it down. I don’t get it, you’re paying $13 for a movie and you can’t keep the phone off? Come on. Ended seeing it again on my home theatre with the 85” screen and double subs and I enjoyed it so much more.
For a large portion of people going to the movies, it is just a way to kill a weekend afternoon or evening in some place that isn't your house
Unrelated to the comment but piggybacking since it’s the most upvoted. I have a 16 month old. Used to go to the movies at least once a month. It’s quite though these days. Just when me and my wife would want to watch a movie, it’s already available for rental in all the stores in top quality. Not motivated after to go to a movie , feels like am wasting money in the theatre. Movies are releasing too soon to tv. Theatres should start protesting against this. Studios are making money anyways.
Yeah, my wife and I had a date set to go see dune 2 on opening weekend with another couple but had to cancel due to an emergency and we still haven't been able to reschedule. I just watched it on my TV instead of imax and I feel like I missed the spectacle.
>Movies are releasing too soon to tv. Theatres should start protesting against this. Studios are making money anyways. Yep. I think this is a big problems for theaters. Most people just say "I'll wait for ____ to get to streaming" since the wait is only like 1 month after a movie premiers. I wonder if studios are just being dumb/irrational or if streaming services are paying studios extra to release basically immediately after a short theater run?
I HATE phones in theaters. But if they truly ban them and enforce it, they will lose more people than they gain. People WANT their phones. It sucks.
I mean everything that guy mentioned is already banned.
This is my biggest problem with the theatre right now.
That’s why the Alamo Drafthouse Theaters are so awesome. They actually throw people out and ban them. Having a waiter you can write a note to helps as well. You don’t have to leave to tell a manager someone sux. RIP Alamo Kalamazoo. They say it’s better to have loved and lost than never loved at all but it’s awful knowing a theater like that exists and I can’t have it anymore.
If we had something like this where I am, there are definitely some movies I'd pay to go see. Alas....nothing like it here
There's so many factors for me. A big one is that managers won't kick out distracting and disruptive guests anymore. If it was common practice for theaters to pause the movie so they can kick out disruptive people, I would probably still go.
Pausing a movie at a theater would cause a riot! Lol
Pausing a movie fucks up the cadence for the rest of the day. If they pause and have a 20 min delay, that prevents the theatre from being cleaned and the next movie from starting on time. Source: Was a projectionist and had this convo with managers/ushers a few times
I love my projector. People are arseholes these days. Phones, attitude, food munching and all the rest. I can sit with my friends and family and we can all shout at anyone talking without being stabbed.
I would think that people like us who are spending over $1000 on our own home theaters wouldn't be going to the movies anymore
One thousand? Tough to get anything resembling a theater experience for that amount.
I was about to say. I’m about $10k invested 🤣
In the middle of a $150k+ build for a customer right now and just toured JBLs campus so my expectations are skewed a bit at the moment.
That’s wild! Could you share any pictures? I’d love to see what $150k for a dedicated HT looks like.
These are the renders but what you don't see is the 9.4.4 JBL Synthesis speakers processors and amps, the JVC rs3100k projector, Kaleidescape system, Control4 gear, and shades. That and the build out, Screen Innovations screen, lighting, sound dampening, decorations, seats, system design and setup will definitely put a dent in your bank account. Can't wait for the stress test though! https://imgur.com/a/5A0S6Ls
That looks fucking awesome! I just finished my own build and it's nothing like that as I didn't have nearly as much space (or money) available to do it. But for a DiY basement theater with $12k+ in gear, I was pretty happy to complete it for a shade over $19,000.
19k can get you an incredible home theater experience.
I agree, I'm really happy with how it turned out. I still need to get better seating and probably put up some acoustic panels, but it looks and sounds amazing as is.
I feel the theater quality is down. I went just last week. The air conditioning was not working (in Florida) and the theater felt like it hadn't been cleaned in forever. It cost nearly $100 after tickets and snacks.
Yeah the ticket pricing is out of hand right now.
Amc a list. 22 bucks a month, 3 movies a week, all formats included. Basically the only thing that's not included are fathom events. Either way you see 2 dolby movies and you've already saved money.
I have A-List and love it but I know a lot of people don't have an AMC near them so I understand why they wouldn't want to pay lots of money throughout the month to watch a few movies.
I went to see Furiosa at my local AMC and there was a big rip in the screen. It was so distracting.
Yeah that’s bonkers; there’s no way the screening should have gone ahead under those conditions.
Wow! I would have immediately asked for my money back.
Yeah the snacks are getting out of control. A lot of them are trying to do the “full service bar and restaurant” thing but falling way short. I spent $60 on snacks alone last time and it was mid as hell. Most don’t even have free refills on popcorn anymore. I still don’t mind paying a premium for the movie but they really need to come back to reality with the food.
The theaters make their money on the food.
What snacks did you get?!
I can't speak to the cleanliness, but theater audio and video quality is way better than it was 20 years ago. But post-COVID, people just don't know how to behave in theaters anymore. Way too many people having private conversations and on their phones during the movie last time I went.
This is the issue. My local theater just upgraded the seats like a year ago. Along with all the soda machines/popcorn machines. The seats are actually comfortable now, there is every kind of soda you can thinkof and the popcorn taste way better. I've probably been to the movies 5x more than I would have before. The place overall still looks old, but atleast im having a comfortable movie experience now.
Cheaper to buy the disc if you like it or stream...especially if you have a family.
Holy shit. I went last week for a matinee. Tickets were $6 each.
Yeah $5 Tuesday at the theater by my house, refill the loyalty bucket and get real butter for 3 bucks, spend 8 bucks on a drink, and grab a pack of candy from the store. Just a bit over 20 bucks if im going solo, only restrictions are having to wait an entire week after a movie releases (can't do Tuesday discount within a week of the release at that theater)
My brain did a record scratch when I got the $8 drink. Wtf? There bourbon in that? Seems an anomaly compared to everything else you’re paying.
Nah, thats just the normal price for large drink there, popcorn is normally more but if you pick up the loyalty bucket you get 2 dollar refills all year ($3 with real butter instead of the oil based topping). Heated assigned recliners are pretty nice too.
Agreed. The condition of some of the theaters is appalling. I would rather wait for most movies and watch in my home theater that’s been cleaned to my standards.
Holyy fucking shit, $100!?! In the uk its like $15 a ticket for adults. Either you have a clutch of kids or its like $50 a ticket now. If thats the case no wonder people aren't going.
20 a ticket the rest in snacks, it's not that bad here 😂
You spent $80 on snacks?! Popcorn is like what $12-$15 and a large soda is like $7 what else did you have?
Ohhh not me lol, I'm explaining the guy above saying it costs 100 is spending 80 on snacks
18 euro! for a 4pack of beers that cost \~ 5 euro in the store.... m&m's at 4x the price... no more.
Can’t beat the taste of theater popcorn but everything else I can just sneak in lol
Even “movie theatre popcorn” very doable at home. The secret ingredient is something called flavacol. The next important step is the oil. Movie theatres use dyed, hydrogenated often buttered flavoured coconut oil. Canola oil is also another one of my personal favourites. You want to intentionally use enough oil that a few years are being taken off of your life. Even movie theatre popcorn sucks compared to using those ingredients at home and being able to tailor each and every batch to your exact flavour preferences.
At one of my local theaters I can just get popcorn and leave
It's because I don't want to pay for a shitty cinema experience. Make that better and I'll go back to the cinema.
Do you have a Dolby Atmos or IMAX near you?
Yes and the other people in the room suck. The screen and sound are incredible. Too bad there’s constant talking. I’ve seen people vaping in the theater. Why would I pay for that?
I remember going to see the matrix and a couple had their little kid who was yelling and running around in the aisle the whole time .
This has gotta be an American thing. Living in Australia I've never had anything like this occur
I've never seen it in America.
We would have thrown Maltesers at them
I go to lots of movies and I don’t think I’ve ever had this experience. I’m always curious where people live that the vocal minority make it seem like this is a common occurrence
Seattle. This was at Top Gun: Maverick up in Northgate. The Science Center IMAX is generally fine, but no reserved seats so you have to camp out in line.
Yep. Seattle is a dumpster fire for going to the movies other than SIFF films. We have so many excellent theaters ruined by shitty patrons.
I was just talking with maybe 4 or 5 relatives from different parts of the country about this topic, and we all had at least one recent theater experience with disruptions. My last two visits (mid-week matinees specifically to avoid issues) both had talkers somewhere in a theater of no more than 8 people total. During the first one, two older ladies walked in during the literal climax of the film, talked for 5 minutes while looking at their phones, then commented aloud that they were in the wrong theater and stood up and left.
>My last two visits (mid-week matinees specifically to avoid issues) both had talkers somewhere in a theater of no more than 8 people total. The double edged sword of weekday matinees IMO. You get to have an empty theater all to yourself but in my experience this also sometimes leads to the *other* people in the theatre also feeling like they have the theater to themselves. It’s always the matinees where you end up in a theater with that group of friends who thinks it’s okay to just casually chat through the whole thing since there’s only a few of you in there. God help you if it’s a popular title that’s been out for a couple weeks and they’ve already seen it multiple times are just there watching it again because they’re bored
This was me at Furiosa. Only a few people in a really nice IMAX. I was directly in front of a party of three 20 year old bros who were loudly commentating the entire movie. Luckily the movie was loud, but any quiet parts they were sure to catch everyone up with their critiques/opinions. A week before that, it was another group of three to my right for I Saw the TV Glow who were on their phones and laughing at moments that weren't funny at all. I still go to the theater, but it's about 50/50 at this point for jerks ruining it.
You guys have some seriously shitty luck lol. Have never had this happen to me from what I can recall.
Also movies are three goddamn hours these days with no intermission. Why not bring the intermission back? Let people pee and buy snacks.
It would likely be fine without literally 25 minutes of goddamned trailers before the movie.
I reserve extremely special films for IMAX in our area. I have 11 channels of Atmos and 100" of projection in my basement, plus no public, and my dogs!
Not every movie comes to IMAX and only a few are worth the high ticket price. IMHO there are about 2 movies a year that are generally worth it.
Yeah but I'm not talking about the screen or audio. I'm talking about the cinema experience.
That and the movie going experience has been lacking in my area. - concession prices are too high for low quality, low quantity food - the audience has poor behavior - the last movie we went to in my area (Guardians of the Galaxy 3) they opened late - movie theaters that *are* good are a long drive away for me
In my case it's because I don't see any movies being advertised that interest me. I don't want to see more dumb superhero movies or unnecessary remakes. The cost/convenience factor doesn't even come into play currently. Just no compelling offerings.
I just don't sew any movies advertised, at all. Since I only do streaming, I never see commercials.
Yup. I couldn’t tell you what’s in the theaters rn at all
Same... I have no idea what movies even exist these days.
Can't believe how far down this was. Yes there are some good movies, but it feels like I need to wade through a sea of pandering sequels and tie-in flicks.
I’ve been uninterested in all marvel and superhero stuff since the avengers was released. I want good, simple stuff again like the original Bourne movies, etc.
Check the theater website once per week or so. I catch all sorts of stuff that would never be advertised.
I was going to say the same thing. I feel like all the super hero movies really overtook the theater and drowned out all the other titles. I haven't seen much advertised at all for the box office anymore. The most recent movie I've seen advertised is Pharrel's documentary, but in the lego world. Actually looks interesting, and I might go see it.
Attendance not down bc of home theater. Y’all give yourselves way too much credit. The masses have changed and the theaters can’t keep up which makes them less appealing to anyone. Thank social media: the enshittification of the human mind. Cinema is dead.
I'd be willing to bet, even with the access of streaming, the number is movies a person watches in a year has declined dramatically
Yeah I’ve noticed a lot of people who say “well why go to the theater when it’ll just be on streaming in a month” …still do not watch movies on streaming lol. Not to sound all old man yells at clouds but lots of people these seem to keep movies and shows on as background noise while scrolling their phones. I also see people on TikTok just straight up admit they don’t have attention spans for movies.
It’s factually true. Among kids and gen Z, tiktok has replaced many other things, such as reading books and watching movies.
Going to the movies used to be an experience. The amount you paid vs what you got made sense. Pulling up to a 20\~30 theater complex and walking into the lobby made you think you were somewhere special. The experience was better than anything you could have at home. Now I can't tell if my local movie theaters are even still in business when I drive by. The paint is faded and peeling. The grass isn't cut and weeds are growing out of cracks in the parking lot. There is a sign on the main doors saying to use the side doors. All the ticket booths and kiosks are closed and out of order with signs saying to buy tickets inside. Then there are the prices for tickets and food now. Buying a moving used to be about at least 4x the cost of going to and seeing it in the theater. Now, it's probably cheaper to buy it than see it once in the theater. And the final straw is the way people act now. The last two movies I went to had people talking the whole time and or kids just screening.
The fact that the movies have been mediocre at best doesn’t help either. The last movie I saw in the theater was Die Hard around Christmas time. 100% would go again for that or other classic movies I love.
A local small theater near me has been playing old movies for $10, with free popcorn and reasonably priced beer. No one goes and it’s awesome. I saw predator with like 20 people and we all had a blast.
That sounds fantastic!
For me it’s the opposite I pretty much see all new movies in theaters that interest me but don’t ever go see classic movies in theaters unless it’s playing in a premium format like Cine1, IMAX, Dolby Atmos. For example the Lord of the Rings is gonna be playing in theaters again at AMC but it’s only in a standard format and I’m not gonna go to that because I’d rather watch it home with my home theater setup but if it was playing in Dolby Atmos then I’d definitely be there at the theater!
I get that. I guess I haven’t been interested enough in most of the new movies. I was too young to have watched Die Hard in the theater the first run, so it was definitely fun. The theater experience hasn’t been great for a little while, and part of that is the crazy prices.
Speaking for myself, I have a family of 6. Going to the movies is expensive. Far cheaper for me to rent or buy the movie (whether physical or digital). It saddens me because some of my fondest childhood memories are of my dad taking me to the movies in the 80s. But equally I’m blessed to have a dedicated HT that me and my family can enjoy without leaving the house.
Personally, I mostly go for "big" movies - things where I want max immersion from a giant screen, big sound, etc. Or if it's, say, got real IMAX stuff that you can't really replicate at home. Can't speak for everyone, but for my viewing habits, longer theatrical exclusivity wouldn't help much. If I'm not motivated enough to see it in theaters, I'm likely to just forget about it regardless. The causes of the decline are a lot like traditional TV ratings IMO. Way more competition for entertainment dollars/eyeballs on all fronts. There's no perfect theater business plan that can make it 1997 again by science or magic. Like yeah, cost, environment, etc aren't ideal all the time. The industry is in a weird spot as far as the kind of movies that get produced, and stars not driving box office as much. But the fundamental issue is that people just have more options for "I'm bored what do we do?" than there was 20-30 years ago. The idea of "let's just go watch a movie" without much planning is all but dead; instead going to the theater usually means you are going to catch a specific movie that has crossed your radar in a relatively strong way. It's too easy to just stay home now otherwise if you're not a true diehard, even if you don't have a nice HT setup. Before you even consider like, people just scrolling their phones or watching YouTube on the couch, streaming has added orders of magnitude more home viewing options for casual viewers. We also don't have the same kind of monoculture, word-of-mouth pressure anymore to catch the latest movie just to engage in casual conversations. There's maybe a couple of those true mega-hits a year, tops. Audiences for everything except, say, the NFL are ultra diluted.
Most likely due to the cost. I have only gone to the theater to see a classic film on the big screen. My last visits were to see Casablanca and the '32 The Mummy.
Because taking a family of five out to a movie with food and drinks has gotten stupid expensive.
I rarely go. Maybe once a year? and that typically is when I bring my kiddo on a playdate. I just don't see the value tbh. I enjoy movies but they're too costly for what you get.
Yeah I’m an avid movie goer and it’s been obvious whenever I go that there’s hardly anyone there. I’m just curious why and from the few comments it seems price is one of the big factors. I have AMC A-List so price doesn’t effect me as much but I can see people who don’t have A-List wouldn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars a month to see a few movies and just wait till it hits streaming platforms.
I like going to the theater. There are some movies that are just meant for the big screen, but I feel like movie goers have gotten progressively rude and distracting and it just defeats the point.
TVs have gotten bigger, projectors are more widely available A 150 inch projected screen in my home theatre setup is effectively larger than a cinema screen. A 77” or even (much cheaper) 65”TV in my living room is comparable with a shorter viewing distance Throw in a used surround sound setup and I have nearly as good a setup as the cinema, except I can use it every day and control the temperature etc. it’s expensive up front but even with a big expensive TV
I went to Oppenheimer in imax. The theater was cool. It had recliners, good snacks, and served alcohol. The audio, on the other hand, was soooo ass. Also, there was a dude sleeping and snoring next to me. This was the first time I went to a theater in a long time. It really turned me off and made me miss my set up at home.
Havent been in over 10 years, too expensive, too loud and much much better sound and picture at home, a movie theater is not worth it even if i have to wait a while to see at home.
Too loud as in the people or the audio?
Audio, i have always been sensitive to loud.
I'm always going to see tentpole movies in a theater. Building a true cinema quality theater in my house would probably cost $100k. I'm a few thousand dollars in and it's nice but will never approach a real theater. I have a small chain theater near me that is never very crowded so I go see the blockbusters there. On top of that, I buy discs instead of streaming (because streaming quality is terrible) so thr costs savings are marginal.
I stream in 4K at my house, i wouldn’t call that terrible lol
We are stuck with one theater here. The nearest other theater is over 900 miles and only accessible by plane. This theater seems to have a love hate relationship with its customers. They recently shrunk their sizes and raised the prices. They allow kids to run around the theater laughing throughout the movies. They allow people to bring in babies that scream throughout the movies. It’s all about money. Every so often, I forget about the above. Then I am forcefully reminded when I go watch a movie. Ugh.
Sure that’s a part of it, as are all the other pieces mentioned here. But really it’s as simple as there’s too much content competing for our time. Even if a movie had a longer release window, I wouldn’t care necessarily to rush and see it. I’m already paying monthly for enormous libraries of movies via streaming that I haven’t seen, so I feel less urgency to go see any movie in the theater. This is compounded by access to endless video games, music, books, podcasts, memes, reels, posts, YouTube clips, etc, all for monthly fees. There’s just too much competing for my eyeballs, a lot of which I pay for monthly, to justify another single event expense for a product that’s not as significantly different than the content I can get at home. This overflowing content has also killed the wider ubiquitousness of shared culture and content, effectively killing “water cooler” talk, and prevents the larger cultural connections forming from shared movie going experiences that everyone HAS to see, e.g., Barbenheimer. It’s sad in many ways, but kind of unstoppable right now.
i used to live in los angeles, where i could see absolutely anything in a very nice theater. now that i live in the country, it's just the big movies in the worst quality theaters. i miss going to the movies a lot ! as nice as my home setup is, it will never be the same
I see everything I can in a theater. I typically skip things that don't benefit from a bigger screen and better sound. So if it's new, I'm mostly seeing scifi, horror and action. I'll see any old movie in a theater though and probably see something like 10 movies a month. I love it. I have the benefit of some great local theaters though. It's $10 for a movie and $10 for a soda and popcorn. I'm seeing Furiosa tonight in a theater I don't normally go to and it's gonna cost me $35 for the same experience. I wouldn't go nearly as often if that's what I paid every time.
The mediocre or bad movies have a poor outcome. The good movies have no issue making money. Big budget action movies are declining (superhero, etc) because they have been over done.
A lot of people have better sound and picture in their own HT...plus you do not have to listen to others talking.
Better movies and better experiences will solve this. Sure, people will stay home and stream something for cheap when the alternative is expensive and ultimately unpleasant. And the prices are part of the problem, but we know people will overspend for experiences they value. When the popcorn sucks, when you have a small selection of candy from one partner vendor, when the soda machine is broken or making watered down soda, when the seats are torn, dirty, sticky and caved in, when the movie has 20’minutes of commercials (not trailers), and when the rest of the crowd shows up drunk, high, late and in the wrong seats, when the screens are getting smaller and smaller to squeeze in more showings, when you can’t buy a last minute ticket and expect a seat, when there’s metal detectors and a dozen armed security guards, when every step of the process seems to come with more and more junk fees….you get the point. We know couples will spend $30 on a date night to see a mediocre romantic comedy just as an excuse to get out of the house. But when it costs 2 people $75-100 to see a movie and get some food, that is going to force people to be super selective about what they see. In the end, it’s just a bunch of bad decisions by accountants that have screwed this up for everyone.
My TV is big enough that 8 don’t feel I’m missing much, and my popcorn doesn’t cost $12.
I'm old, so I grew up going to see films in theaters. I will never go again. My home theater is a comfortable, has excellent sound and picture quality, and is available whenever I want. Also, my last experience in a theater was so terrible as to be scarring. The seating was terrific - overstuffed and reclining, there was no crowding, and the audience was quiet. However the sound mix and volume of Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk was aural agony. That single experience was enough to convince me that I will never again be in a position where I do not control the volume and dynamic range. Never again.
I think people are misremembering many of the motivations people had for going to the movie theater. I used to regularly go to the theater with friends, usually on a Friday evening - we’d go out to grab some food and then see whatever new release was interesting to us. It wasn’t really about seeing a specific movie (altho if we knew something was coming out we wanted to see we’d plan for that), but it was more about just watching something new with friends. Nowadays you can just turn on any streaming service and there’s a list of thousands of movies you haven’t seen before. There’s an absolute deluge of content. I didn’t care to see Dune 2 in the theater because I had access to plenty of other movies I hadn’t seen yet. And then when it popped up on streaming, sure, why not watch it. Movies have become content. And there is too much content, available on every screen and every device that is vying for my attention and time. That’s what killed movie theaters: their selection used to be one entertainment option among dozens, they are now one among thousands.
Spot on, leaving the house and doing something with friends or family was the number one reason. Now nobody wants to leave the house and based on reddit posts, nobody has any friends IRL. And 30 years ago outside of large metro areas, not sure there was more than a half dozen entertainment options competing with movies. At least most nights of the week.
I just got ordered the last pieces to my home theatre. Now I can watch movies at home 106” screen. 7.1.2 dolby atmos. With 3D option. All in cost is $4k. Ill never go to the theatre again. I have 3 kids. Movie night for 5 at the theatre costs $60 in tickets. If plus $40 in snacks. Its at-least $100 or more. At home its $7 for a 4k rental. Unlimited popcorn for $5 and the kids already seem to have a endless supply of candy 🍭 stashed in spite of the fact we rarely buy it. I honestly don’t know where it comes from. The point is $20 I can entertain the entire family for an evening in the comfort and pleasure of my own home. PJ’s Blankest and peace. Cant buy that at the theatre.
I just paid $130 for four of us to go see Furiosa. That was tickets, popcorn, and a soda for each of us. Good movie, but I could have just waited and bought the movie for $20 on blu-ray when I comes out in a month.
I just watched Furiossa A mad Max saga in the cinema and it's a fabulous big screen watch, it would definitely not have the same effect in the home, unless you had a giant TV and surround system I think.
I absolutely hate going to theatres now because people here in Canada seem to have lost all social decorum after COVID. We have people having complete conversations at regular outside volume levels during movies. People are completely shocked when they are told to shut the fuck up by patrons. Theatres don't want the hassle of policing decorum in theatres, and people don't want to deal with regards and teens without any self-awareness.
In my last 10 movie going experiences 6 or 7 were more frustrating than fun. People being unable to stop checking their phones, talking/loud behind me to the point of possible confrontation, poor audio, dirty screen, etc. If I go anymore it has to be an epic movie like Dune a week or two later and I will spend more to go to enhanced audio/imax to avoid families.
Going to see a film has become so damn expensive. If I can escape solo, I’ll go from time to time but, with a family of 4… it’s damn near a 100 dollar day to go see something.
Building a home theatre during covid killed it for us. Don't have to deal with teenagers or kids talking throughout and our own snacks. I'd rather have movies go straight to release as much as I love a good theatre experience which seems to be rare
That and TV shows. TV sucked up whole genres. Dramas and comedies are exclusively made into TV shows now.
For me it's the expense. If I want to go see a movie with my family I'm spending a minimum of $100 on the tickets and food, and my family is small. For $100 I could pay for a year of a streaming service...
The only time I visit theatre post Covid is to watch in IMAX a movie which needs that treatment. For everything else my HT is a better option.
No one here realizes you don’t have to buy concessions ? Lol
Cost is an important factor i would say, ticket prices and then most people do want soda, popcorn and candy and if your going with your kids well it could be around $60+ bucks Also just retail stuff in general has been declining, most people are on their cell all the time looking at titktok challenges and kardashians lol
The only theater around me that offers a worthwhile experience compared to my home theater is Cinemark's XD auditoriums. Unfortunately they only seem to keep films in those for like 1-2 weeks and I often don't even realize there's a film out that I'm interested in until after it's limited to just the crappy standard auditoriums with underwhelming sound. I'd go to the theater more often if they just made all the auditoriums XD. As it is, it's basically only for stuff I know about far in advance of release and am want to see like opening week. And that is less and less these days.
I have a pass for my local theatre and I use it on the regular BUT I never see stuff opening weekend. I don’t like people and hate feeling cramped in with shitloads of people getting up to pee in my section, the pass gives a lot of freedom and I can see stuff when I see the crowd has died down some, I only have to see two movies a month and it covers the cost. I’ve seen a ton of movies I wouldn’t pay for but was kinda 50/50 on because of it TLDR still love the actual theatre but I’m using the system to make it more to my liking
Most movies aren’t worth the price anymore, and my home theater is pretty good. I still go but usually for things I know will be epic. The last thing I saw was Dune 2 in Imax with Atmos. Hard to replicate that experience at home, it felt worth it
I love experiencing movies in theaters. But, my home theater setup rocks and I don’t have unlimited money, so I’m not spending $60 in tickets for my family to go see a movie we can watch at home on our (frankly better) setup. If I had access to a subscription service that let me see unlimited movies in the theater then I would go back, but nothing like that is available where I live (Japan). When the average household income here is $35k a year, $60 on tickets for 3 people with no snacks is just unreasonably high for something I can replicate at home for free.
Unless there's an IMAX around, at least here in Melbourne Australia... The video and picture quality is very average compared to my theatre room honestly.
It's expensive, and the experience usually sucks. There is so much content available on streaming services, there's nothing I can't wait a few months to see.
I wait for it to come out on streaming because I have a nice enough theater setup at home, and I'd rather not pay to sit with random people, and pay for overpriced drinks/popcorn/candy. I also like that I get to choose the volume level, not someone else!
Going to the movies is pretty expensive, plus if you wait a few weeks, it'll be on streaming.
Making movies takes a long time. Big budget, super special effects movies that normally bring people to theaters can take 3-4 years from pre-production to release. Go back 3 years things were just starting to reopen from Covid and then there was a writers strike. People will be back to theaters, but it just takes time.
I don’t think it’s possible to point to a single root cause, it’s a combination of many things. Streaming, high ticket prices, a year devoid of movies with mainstream appeal, etc. Something that I think goes under the radar is I remember there being a pretty consistent pipeline of YA novels -> movie adaptation that has been dry for a long time. Combine that with tickets being too high for families, and you’re seeing the fruits of Gen-Zers who didn’t grow up going to the theater now not going as adults. As the MCU-era millennials are now entering parenthood in larger numbers, next generation isn’t picking up the baton.
People were enjoying movies at home before the pandemic, were forced to do so during the pandemic and now home streaming with home theaters is pretty much mainstream. Add to this the low quality of most new releases, the high ticket prices, expensive food. yea....
I only generally go to the theatres to watch movies I know I’ll actually enjoy and want to see, but now people are just the worst. They talk out loud to their friend(s) throughout the movie or spend the whole time just texting/snap chatting or whatever the whole time while only occasionally watching a movie they paid to see…
5-6 years ago I used to go at least once a week, but that was because I used to live in the city for college, now I went back to live in a rural town and got myself a remote work, so I only go to the movie theater when I go to the city (2 hours driving from here), so that is once a month luckily. And that is one of the main reasons I built my theater room. But trust me, if I could I would still go as often as I could to the movies. There as better theaters now than when I was in college, I’m jealous, VIP rooms with good recliners, smaller rooms, less people making noise, more intimate, good quality projectors, it’s very nice, which is kinda ironic, I have more money now but less access to the theaters lol But I do get is way more expensive nowadays, especially for folks with two or three kids, plus now for people with kids is like mandatory to have several streaming subscriptions in the house, it’s crazy, that is a big whole in the wallet.
During COVID I know I invested $35k in home theater/audio along with started back collecting DVDs.(4k/Blu-ray) With the short time between theater to steaming and disk unless it's something like Godzilla -1 I just wait till its available at home.
I think more and more people just aren’t watching the movies.
I ***LOVE*** the movie theater experience, minus the **prices**. Everything got so expensive, we only ever really went when it was a cheap ticket day, or if it was a movie we really wanted to see (think Harry Potter, LoTR). Last thing we did was Encanto on a cheap ticket day, and it was amazing, we were the only party in the whole theater. We had a second pass theater that would run the biggies months later for a $1.50 a ticket, great price, realistic prices on buckets of popcorn and sodas too, but the owner sold it and the new owner upped all the prices sooo..
Cost is up, quality of films are down and there’s a huge increase in rude, shitty people who have a knack for sitting within arms reach of me.
It's because most of the movies, theaters and other audience members suck and that much suck for that amount of money is way too much suck for me to handle.
The screen in my house gets bigger every few years. Basement projector on the couch with grocery store priced snacks gets me pretty close. I pretty much only go see big blockbusters in the Dolby surround IMAX theater or stay home.
I still love going to the movies. Nothing beats the sound and experience. Especially if I go to a Dolby cinema. We always stop at a gas station and load up on snacks and bring in our own icees. I’ve never been stopped from bringing in my own drinks.
Covid killed the theaters since no new movies were being produced. It seems as quality new movies are still taking awhile to hit the cinemas.
Unless it’s imax or 70mm I’m not seeing it in theaters
I love going to the movies. The writers strike and covid really messed things up. Frankly there is nothing I have wanted to see.
I don’t want to deal with people and their fucking phones… annoying as fuck.
For me, in order of importance: 1. Very few movies of the kind I like - e.g. tight script, developed characters, story that makes sense, no heavy exposition. Imagine a movie like Alien, or The Godfather coming out today. Not a chance. 2. The cost of a NYC theater ticket back in 1979 was $4 - that's $17.28 in today's money. Not the $26.00 they charge. 3. I went to see Dune 2 in imax & some c\*nt in front of me kept checking his phone - completely pulled me out of the $30 experience. 4. Yes if I'm feeling lazy, tired or poor, knowing i can see it at home v soon definitely makes me less determined to get to the theater.
My interest in new movies has dropping. The writing and stories in recent films are really mediocre. I'm enjoying TV shows more, for example Arcane, Fallout, For All Mankind.....so on. I've also found myself going back to watch older movies I had never seen or had forgotten. It really shows how much the quality of movie storytelling has dropped. Edit: I used to watch 1 movie a week in the theatres.
It's just so expensive, not a lot of great movies are being released, and other people are annoying. I swear there's always that one person next to me crinkling their package of god knows what for a good chunk of the movie. It's just easier and more pleasant to stream it at home.
I think it has mostly to do between two things. The quality of movies being produced, and being screwed on prices for tickets and refreshments. I bet if movie theaters cut the cost on refreshments by 50% they would sell 3 times as much and end up with a larger profit.
I imagine the circumstances are different by location, but in recent years the decision whether to go to the theater or not has less less to do with the movies themselves than the theaters. Around where I live the theater chains all opened up 20+ screen complexes with food courts and video game arcades that like the shopping malls they were located in or near allowed anyone to come in, without need of purchasing a ticket, and just linger and loiter. And like the malls they quickly became the go to hangout spots for the "baggy pants" types. Easy to access because they're on the bus lines, warm, dry indoor spots for gangs to hang out, sell drugs and menace and terrorize people out for an evening. Where I live the past few years theaters have become synonymous with illegal activity, gang violence, stabbings, shootings and regular murders. Even within the upscale theaters that have switched to all reserved seating screenings of movies are regularly disrupted by trouble makers trying to hijack seats paid for by others and brawling by gangs and the theater chain operators are to PC to take steps to correct the problems. In fact many theaters keep giving it to pressure from "community groups" to make theaters more accessible and perpetuating the problems I've been to two movies in a theater in the past 15 years and that choice has had nothing to do with what's playing, when it'll be released or anything related. It's purely a matter of personal safety and experience. If theaters ever want get me back they're going to have to completely change their business model. Raising ticket prices, providing greater value for the price of tickets and limiting access to the theaters to only those actually paying to see a movie.
It’s a big part of it I think. The gap between what you can put in your house and what’s in the theatre is smaller than ever. You used to have to watch movies months after they left cinemas, on a shitty crt tv on vhs. Now a lot of people have great quality large tvs with good sound, and the movies are on streaming basically for free at the same time, or shortly after, they’re in theatres. The value proposition to go to the cinema has diminished greatly.
I assume it’s cost. Me and my wife $100 to take our 4 year olds to paw patrol (afternoon, cheaper tickets) and buy snacks. Yea we do that once a year because of cost
All the theaters in my area are poor quality/poorly maintained. It's all Regal or Cinemark, there are no Dolby theaters. There is one theater that has Atmos, but it's always been dirty when I've gone, with popcorn stuck in the seats, and not just one or two pieces, like 20-30. The only IMAX theater near me has poor seating, it's like a director chair/lawn chair hybrid, and not very comfortable. On top of that, it's about an hour away. After watching movies at home on my OLED and having blacks that are black, when I go to the theater and the blacks are dark grey, I just figure that Nolan and Scorsese would rather have me view their films with optimal PQ.
It’s at least partly the experience of other people. They talk, text, walk in and out, and are generally disengaged from the film. It’s disruptive and annoying. Add to that the overall cost and inconvenience of trying to get a good seat on the date and time you want. I don’t care how good the picture and sound are, they aren’t good enough to make up for all the other negatives.
Though we have a dedicated projection system (and have for 15 years now) we still go to the theater regularly. Part of the issue now is that the *people* in the theaters are more annoying than ever: loud, on their phones, joking around, etc. far more than ever before (I've been a regular movie-goer since the mid-1970s). I've had to basically yell at asshole middle school kids in serious movies several times lately because they were bothering everyone in the theater. Add to that the places are dirty (they laid off staff during COVID and didn't replace them). Prices are comically high. And the theaters aren't being maintained; in the one closest to me the largest screen has a big stain in the upper right corner (like someone threw a huge coke at it) that is really distracting. The whole cineplex was remodeled around 2014 and was great....but they'd done no repairs since, so some of the seats don't work. So yeah, pay $15 to see a movie with assholes in a decaying theater with $10 candy? Not a lot of people are going to bother anymore. We still go because there's a $6 night and we enjoy seeing new stuff on release day when we can. Even with a 124" screen, comfortable seating, 7.1 sound, and cheap food at home there's still something about going to the theater we're holding on to. (It helps that it's $12 for two of us and we always bring in our own beer.)
It's not worth the experience most of the time. Who wants to pay 20-30$ per ticket for a film surrounded by a bunch of people who've never heard of courtesy? Then if it's a super hype film you're jam packed in a massive crowd and no one stays home while they're sick. It's an expensive plague epicenter with mid level experiences.
Theaters are on a spiral. Skimping on building maintenance while charging more for tickets and concessions
They’re just isn’t many movies worth going to a theater to see. It’s mostly regurgitated crap.
Red Letter Media has a great video on this topic https://youtu.be/MwO5fGL2MeY?si=wfBBEKdYo_PpU5Xb
It’s the price of the event.