[www.usatoday.com]

Quote

"It's the biggest threat to the viability of the cinema industry today," John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theater Owners, said of the so-called "day and date" release strategy.

Yes of course.
A pirate's ransom for a small popcorn and soft drink (just for starters) couldn't possibly be the source of the movie biz's problems.


[www.apple.com]

Got news for you...

Ticket sales, by and large, do NOT go to the Theater.
My best friend is a theater manager, and has managed for 3 different chains up and down the west coast for the last 15 years.
NONE of the theaters he's worked for/in has made money from ticket sales...
They make 95% of their money on concession sales.

A movie that is being released on DVD the same day it hits theaters isn't even going to pay for the cost to the theater of the film-print rental from the studio distributor, much less sell enough over-priced popcorn to waste the time tying up a screen.

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

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Eureka, CA

I hearz the same thing. . .that is why the concession stuff is expensive and why they push it so much. . .it is where the money is made. . .

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

The cost of concession items is high because, as I understand it, the theaters make very little on the ticket sales.

The main factors in diminished revenue for the theaters are home theaters with big screens that for most movies provide a sufficient theatrical experience and the fact that for some time few movies have been god enough to warrant the ticket prices.

Combine these factors with the fact that DVDs are available soon after the theatrical release and you can see why theaters are hurting.

That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

Got news for you: I don't care how theater owners USED to make money.

They are failing to realize that they need to provide a better product (better presentation, less (NO) commercials, nicer facilities, the list could go on and on and on) if they want to CONTINUE making money.

They are losing the pricing power they once had, and they're taking it hard.
I, for one, will not shed a tear for them.

As in any business, some get it and adapt and evolve, some don't and die off.

At $9.50 a ticket I hardly think ticket sales are a loss leader. If it is they should lower the price and I sure would go to more movies and buy popcorn with the diff.

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Da Good Life

true. . .whenever I go to matiness or get cheaper ticket price. ..I almost always spend the money saved at the concession stand

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I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Let's see: $10 tickets, exhorbitant concessions, a bunch of commercials shown before the movie (who gets the revenue from those, anyway?), interminable previews for horrid movies you couldn't pay me to see, sitting in uncomfortable seats next to dozens and dozens of rude bastards who'll lean back into your lap, kick the back of your seat, or take cell phone calls... Gee, I wonder why home theater setups are becoming so popular?

I honestly haven't been to a movie in atleast 10 years. Last time I went I walked out after ripping the manager a new one over a commercial being shown before the movie.

I will not pay to see commercials. I've had it up to my eyeballs with relentless un-ending commercials everywhere! I get so pissed off at this that i can't enjoy the show. So where does it all end? Just how much are we willing to allow them to feed us people?

Oh, I also got my ticket money back...like they even had a chance of keeping it! Hah!!

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- Jack D.




New tasteless sig coming soon!

I was just thinking about this; a vending machine outside the theater selling DVDs (and soundtrack CDs) of the film you've just seen.

>of the film you've just seen.

...or were gonna see until you noticed the DVD's outside...

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- Jack D.




New tasteless sig coming soon!

I heard it's secretly a film about Jolly Ranchers


Don't tell anyone else I told you.

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Join team 38910 folding! [folding.stanford.edu] multi cpu-[calxalot.homeip.net]

>At $9.50 a ticket I hardly think ticket sales are a loss leader. If it is they should lower the price and I sure would go to more movies and buy popcorn with the diff.

And there, I think, is where you miss the point...

The THEATER isn't getting a dime of that $9.50 ticket.. it get passed directly to the film distributor (and they send "checkers" undercover occasionally to count the number of butts in the seats to make sure the theater isn't shorting them $$$).

Unless its a MAJOR blockbuster that is filling the seats every show for weeks, the theater is ONLY, and I mean ONLY, making money on those concessions.

If they don't sell concessions, they don't make enough to pay their employees and keep the lights on.


And for the record, the only movie I can remember seeing at the theater last year was Serenity... and I did NOT buy any popcorn.

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Paul F.
-----
A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
----
Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
--

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--
Eureka, CA

Here is a good article covering some of the above, it's a little dated but most of the info still holds true today.

[money.cnn.com]

Actually, Zoid has a good idea.

Zoidberg, let's get together and build a package we can sell to theaters.

I always go with a lady & her purse. It holds so much candy....

Have they tried showing older movies at, say, $2.00, and selling the popcorn and letting the studio "advertise" the old stuff to boost DVD sales? I'd like to see The Godfather on a big screen for just a few bucks. Win win win.

Dennis S Wrote:
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> Have they tried showing older movies at, say,
> $2.00, and selling the popcorn and letting the
> studio "advertise" the old stuff to boost DVD
> sales?

Whenever I go to the theater (once in two to three months or so), I go to a $2.00 theater. It has recently raised its price to $2.50.

They show movies that are about six months old. They wait until the studios lower the price and then pass the savings onto the customers. At this theater the concessions are lower cost too. $1.50 or $2.00 prices for a small drink or popcorn.

And they don't show commercials.

Sometimes they do show some movie trailers.

i've not been here yet, but i'm looking forward to seeing the restored Grand Theatre:

[www.thegrandtheater.org]

might take our friend's 16 yr old son to see The Holy Grail on the big screen next Friday. i don't think i've EVER seen it in a theater.

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with my infocus DLP and netflix, I haven't really looked back.

dot.