The casual moviegoer is a thing of the past. That's a big problem for Hollywood

How about the fact that there's a massive oligopoly in the industry? How about one studio basically steamrolling the industry with one franchise in the 2010s which alienated movie goers? How about movie-going being expensive AF?

Anything except lower ticket prices right?

Took my kid to see Moana 2 yesterday. Medium popcorn was $11.50. WTF...

When it costs $50 for 2 people to see a shitty movie?

I have been to European theaters that are dine-in and smaller. You got maybe 30 comfortable seats and with tray tables. You order your food / beverages 60 minutes before the movie.

During those 60 minutes you can wait in the lounge and have a drink with an appertife.

When the commercials start the food is served, then the movie starts and everyone is enjoying their meal and movie.

When the half way point hit they pause the movie as days of yore and you get a 20 minute break for going to the toilet and order more things.

They also serve tea and coffee during that time for free.

The kicker is that the tickets are little bit cheaper then the traditional big theater and the experience is 10 times better and more intimite since it only takes 30 people in one saloon.

I don't want to watch some half assed nostalgia bait sequel or marval movie #3492

Being the price down and I'll consider going again

It's only a problem for Hollywood, and not simply the theatre companies, because they refuse to go back to the convenience of streaming the movie like they did during COVID lockdowns.

I would much rather stay home, make my own popcorn, and watch a movie on my own TV, in my underwear, being able to pause if I need to pee, than get dressed, drive across town, and sit in a sticky seat in a big dark room full of strangers who usually make hella noise during the film, paying 3 times more than the ticket just for a small bag of popcorn, and having to hold in my pee until I feel like my bladder will literally burst so I don't miss anything.

The only time the theatre experience was ever better than just being at home, was the first time I saw Rocky Horror Picture Show. Because the audience fucking participates!

Hollywood does not respect the audience, movie theater is a bad service.

Why would working person pay either of these parasites?

Yarr ;)

I used to go see movies all the time with friends/family, then it got too expensive.

I got a better job and could afford to go back, but then COVID hit, and my (ex)wife was terrified of being shot, and so my first movie in years was the first new Dune, played at an Alamo Draft House.

I went with a couple friends, got a seat too close to the screen, my friend started POUNDING their popcorn, chewing super loudly, while other people talked. Like, I thought people would shut up once the commercials ended and the movie began, but no, it didn't even wane! I got up and left after a few minutes, got a refund on my ticket. Haven't even thought about going back. Whatever I watch, it'll be on my couch, at home, for free.

It’s always convenience and cost

• the cost is absurd
• I used to wait 4-6 weeks so I could watch without crowds but now the movie is gone
• just like with live tv, I no longer have to follow their schedule. However if it is only out for a short period, they’re going to miss me.
• lack of advertising, believe it or not. Maybe they still advertise, but advertising is. So bad now that I block as much as I can. Even if they tried and it’s “a tragedy of the commons”, that’s their fault that I no longer hear that a movie exists

It’s too bad because now that my kids are away at college I keep thinking I can go more frequently. But not if it’s too expensive, too inconvenient, and I don’t even know what movies there are

In reality, I actually do go to opening weekends more frequently now that there is reserved seating and less crowds, but my overall movie frequency is much lower.

Even Alamo Drafthouse is not a solution. We finally got one but it’s downtown only, so that’s a lot of inconvenience.

Last movie I went to (like 2-3 years ago), there was a lady on her phone with the brightness turned all the way up nearly the entire time.

No thanks.

The moviegoing experience is too expensive. $20+ tickets and a bag of popcorn priced like a steak dinner? Movies used to be a date night activity, it's too damn expensive for that now. What teenager can even afford to take a girl to the movies?

And the films are crap. I watched Hollywood die, bloat and start to outgas. They don't make comedies anymore. There's maybe the Meet The Spartans guys who frat bro no homo joke their way through "parodies". Everything else is churned out corporate sludge with way too much CGI.

B movies just don't get made anymore. The upper end of B movies, like all those junk food action movies Cannon used to make, are now premium cable/streaming service TV shows. In the 80's if you wanted to see cheap crap action schlock you'd go to the theater or rental store and see "Chuck Norris Is: Eagle Death Kick", now you turn on Longmire and watch Grizzled McViagra shoot an injun right in the rezz. All of the really low budget independent "someone found a camera" stuff that RedLetterMedia laughs at three at a time end up on Youtube now, like Viva La Dirt League and their gaming-centric skits. During the Flash era and into the early days of Youtube there were a lot of budding animators but Youtube decided to kill that. So B movies are gone.

Hallmark has replaced the rom com, as far as I can tell. Everyone's mom is currently busy lapping up "Woman living busy life moves to a small town and falls for an architect over the Christmas holiday CLXXIV" They churn out a few dozen of them every year. They don't make While You Were Sleeping or My Big Fat Greek Wedding anymore, the rom com has gone the way of "finger family pregnant frozen elsa kills hitler spiderman," optimized for maximum eyeball on screen time, except instead of toddlers it's middle aged women.

What's left but the five official franchises they're allowed to make media about anymore? Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Marvel, DC and Star Trek. And that last one has made the jump back to TV. Quippy dialog filmed like a big sound board so they can make the whole movie in post. It's amazing how long it's worked.

Bring lower prices and quality media back and I'll think about it

Watching at home is more affordable and convenient. Even going out to the movie theater is time consuming having to drive there and find parking then drive back if you don't live in a place close to the theater even if prices were reasonable.

I haven't been to see a movie in a theater since 2019, and at this rate I don't think I would even go if it was free.

I still casually go see 90's films for $8 at a small place downtown sometimes, I even get popcorn.

I just like going to the movies. It's nostalgic for me. I grew up in the 90's. Put Forrest Gump on a theater for a cheap price and I'll be there.

The same people in this thread blaming remakes and marvel are also not going to see any of the other smaller but unique and quality films that come out in theaters. There was literally 1 marvel studios film that hit theaters this year.

Why would I pay >$30 for a subpar watching experience where there's annoying people all around, I can't stretch my legs, I can't bring in my own food, and I'm shoved an industry ad that blames me for seeking a better market option (the seven seas stores tend to have the same movies for less than 1/30th of the price)?

When a new cinema opened in my city back in december 2022, I got an unlimited movie pass. That allows me to see every movie I want, as often as I want. It costs 20 euros per month.

If you want to see a movie a few times a year, the cinema is expensive. Individual tickets can be up to 16 euros here, plus snacks and drinks.

But if you want to see ALL the movies, well, it’s surprisingly cheap by comparison. I really only need to see 2 movies per month to make the pass viable. But I’m not seeing 2 per month - I’m seeing at least two, three per week. I’ve done three movies back to back.

So the trick to casual movie going is: go see everything :D

I do miss movie theater popcorn but otherwise streaming at home all the way

True, with assigned seating and online sales I don't look at the movie board.

The sale is made before I enter the building, but the same is true of fast food these days - maybe they need to redefine "casual".

Maybe I'm weird but never in my life have I just gone to a theater and hoped there was something interesting enough showing to draw me in just from a title or maybe a poster in the lobby. I just can't imagine pre-allocating my time and money to such a venture on a whim with little to no idea of what I might be getting in to.

I just started going to the theaters again. It's been pretty fun. I'd still rather buy a blu-ray and watch it at home. I wanna go see Nosferatu when it comes out.

In 2019 a friend and I got subscriptions to Regal and began going to a movie a week. Most days we'd plan something, but sometimes we'd just show up and pick something. (We blindly picked Underwater, and what a great surprise. Also decided to see the Tom Hanks Mr. Rogers film and proceed to ugly cry all over myself.)

Then COVID.

The last movie I saw in theaters as a subscriber was Bad Boys for Life. I tried to go see Dune 1. I drove 30m, bought popcorn and a slushee, and waited... But the video file was corrupted. They said they had to redownload it before the next show, so they canceled the showing and gave everyone a free ticket. I never bothered using it. I just went home and watched it for free on HBO Max.

I love theaters, both as nostalgia and just to have a huge screen. But man, "paying extra to go out of your way" is a difficult sell.

I’ve been itching to see a movie in a theater recently but nothing that’s playing interests me.

Tbf i thought wicked was pretty great-

We're in an age of huge screens and sound systems at home.

Plus it seems we're also in an age of paying a months worth of streaming service for one person to see one movie.

It's no wonder the cinema is on its arse.

This is the same problem as the videogame industry - a handful of the biggest players are pumping too much money into each movie to be profitable. They are counting on a blockbuster franchise to expand on with a string out series of sequels that never achieve the same level of success as the first one.

The only difference between movies and videogames is indie game devs are able to show the market is still there but no one wants the product of big hype. Movies don't have that. There was a time when a streaming service would buy some indie movie but now each one is making their own movies and the potential for new, original ideas is stagnating.

Boutique theaters would probably exist for a while. I mean, watching Avatar on a laptop is not the same. Stage show isn't dead.

What did Hollywood and palls do at year 2008? Never gone movies after that.

Have things changed? No? So not going.

Put the subtitles on the screen! Why would anyone go watch a movie they can't hear? Tell people what the actors are saying. Theatres won't bother to compete with the home video experience of watching a movie with subtitles.

So many interesting movies are coming out straight from the box this month

I would very much prefer the theater experience but Hollywood hasn’t had a movie worth going.

Regal just closed the 13 screen theater closest to me, not sure what's going to happen to it now. :(

But given my last experience there was bad enough that I walked out and went somewhere else after waiting 15 minutes in a non-moving ticket line that they insisted on running through their concession counter... Yeah, nothing of value was lost.