Movie theaters are trying everything to bring audiences back — from pickleball to cocktail bars
Movie theaters are shaking things up to survive — here's how
They've had cocktails for years, that's nothing new. I don't buy them, because the only time I bought a beer in a movie theater, they charged me $12. That was pre-Covid. Its probably $18 now. How do they think that charging those predatory proces is going to entice people back to the movies?
With those predatory prices, I have no moral qualms with bringing in my own. I stop at Dollar Tree on the way to the theater, buy my snacks there (they have candy in noiseless movie boxes for $1.25 instead of $8), and sneak in those and a bottle of water. I've been doing that for many years, and nobody has ever said a thing. My son walks in with a tote bag full of groceries, and nobody ever stops him.
Have they lowered the price?
Are they kicking out people that are too disruptive?
Are they cleaning the floors so I don't feel like my shoes are getting glued to the floor with every step?
So all the things people have complained about are still there and a bunch of stuff no one wants is added to justify increasing the price are added. Good luck with that.
Anything except lowering prices, huh? Even just concession stands, we all know how cheap it actually costs to make popcorn and soda!
I'm okay with the prices. They're high, but compared to how high other things have gotten, I don't think it's so bad. I just need something good in a theater to watch!
I enjoy the theater experience, but I haven't gone in several months now because there is nothing to see. At least nothing that sparks my personal interest.
At one point in my life, I was going to the theater at least 2 times a month. I got the AMC pass because it made it cheaper. It was great! This was already at the time where I could buy a beer in the theater which was even better. There was just a plethora or good content.
Now all the content that I want to see is on a streaming service.
Popcorn is the only way they make money. Ticket revenue goes towards the film studios.
What do you suggest they do instead? Selling merch?
Is that really true? Could it be they spread this lie so people don’t boycott the concession stand completely?
Sorry, my comment wasn't directed only at theaters, but anyone in the film entertainment business. I was just using soda and popcorn as an example of jacking up the price of things that are dirt-cheap. If people can't afford to go to movies, and the same movie is losing money because no one sees them it seems like people don't think it's worth that price, no...?
There are only 2 things most people want:
Of course they’ll think of everything but.
See someone taking their phone out? Throw them out immediately also. Cannot stand those people
That means pickleball games and cocktails in the lobby, even bowling — all designed to get people to see the theaters as more than just a place to screen the latest flicks.
I like B&B theaters but holy fuck this is some dumb shit right here. I go to the movies to see a movie. I am not going to a theater to bowl or some shit. Maybe: make the movie experience better and people will come back to the movies to, ya know, see a good movie and not fucking play pickleball
Unpopular opinion, but I like watching trailers in the theater
Pretty sure it's the studios that make you show the previews with the movie
I think it depends on the distribution agreement. For a big-budget, major studio release you might see one or two trailers like that (featuring this card), but exhibitors can put whatever else they want in there as well. AMC is the absolute worst about this.
I agree with all but 3. I love watching the movie trailers and I always show up early (enough) such that I do not miss any
Im sick of the fucking ads, especially the ad for their theater I'm already fucking here. They can skip the trailers because they're all on YouTube before I ever see them in the theater ( its an outdated concept, when you saw the trailer first in the movies. )
Last PLAY THE MOVIE ON TIME. Fucking sick of going to the movies show supposed to start at 7pm, but freaking 30 to 45 minutes later because they just have to keep pumping out the fucking ads.
I think a lot of people are struggling economically, and movie theaters are kind of expensive. If labor had a bigger slice of the pie, more of them would probably spend it on movies.
I used to go to a theater that served food and drink right to your seat, and enforced silence from the crowd. It was pretty good. But that's also like $50 a go.
I don't have the energy outside of work to do shit, I would if I did, I would definitely do more stuff like going to the movies but the older people in my society hate me and think my generation is lazy and deserves to suffer like this.
: )
I might be more inclined to go to the cinema if the employees would ever actually do something about noisy children on their phones during the show. But even if we ignore them, we have to pay an arm and a leg for tickets and popcorn, then we have to sit through 20 minutes of commercials, and then instead of a real movie, it's just a bunch of boring ass CGI action sequences
I really wish the Drafthouse would expand nation wide no commercials and disturbing people all it takes is putting up a card and they are gone. Plus $5 movie tickets.
But movie theatres are no longer the only way to enjoy the latest films.
That’s what it offered before, if a movie was coming out, you had no choice to either go to theatre or wait like a few years until you could rent or buy the VHS/DVD.
Theatres need to offer something else now. IMO their best chance is to become “the third place” for teenagers. They can have free hang out areas with affordable snacks that you can also see a movie there later.
But we all know they won’t cause their main motive is money.
And yeah, if you only care about money, there isn’t much to be made anymore for offering a big screen in this digital world.
It's like a dream come true. When I was 7, I went to see Empire Strikes Back at a local theater in Sandusky Ohio, and as soon as I walked in and saw all the posters and smelled the popcorn and saw the theater lighting, I thought to myself "this would be absolutely perfect if only I could play pickleball." Ever since then, whenever I feel like playing pickleball, I go to my local movie theater. It's just astounding that there has not once been a pickleball court. But now the day has come. Finally we are getting something so obvious that it's a wonder it's taken so long for it to come into being. Pickleball in movie theaters. Because when I think of movie theaters, there's nothing I want more than to play pickleball.
The main draw of movie theatres was a better entertainment experience. A good movie on a large screen with excellent sound.
At my home I now have a 60" TV, surround sound speakers, comfortable couches and the ability to watch any movie/tv I want for free from pirate streaming sites. It's better than any movie theater in my opinion.
The problem, there's nothing I want to see. The vast majority of stuff produced due to the extreme consolidation in the film industry is absolutely trash. Lack of competition has led to film studios producing mediocre garbage in a never ending quest to make guaranteed money.
So my teenager uses the setup to play video games on.
This is my mini rant, but I hate Marvel movies because you cannot sit down and just watch one movie. You have to have seen the 37 most recent Marvel movies so you understand all the references that are otherwise never explained. For example, I recently watched Venom with my son. It was actually quite good. He wanted to see the second Venom movie. I looked up the name of the second movie and got it. After 10 minutes or so, I told him I think we must have accidentally gotten movie 3, because so much has obviously happened in the story since the last movie. We looked it up again, and nope, that was the second movie. I just needed to see every damn Marvel movie released between the first and the second. No more Marvel movies for me.
Oddly, Venom isn't a movie made by Marvel, so it doesn't tie into the MCU movies, or at least it didn't until a cameo in the last Spider-Man movie. Not sure what part of Venom 2 you are talking about since I think I only watched that once back when it first released.
I don't need fancy stuff, I just want good movies to see. I'd also love to see more shows get theatrical releases, at least for season finales. "Survival Sunday" for The Walking Dead was great: season 8's epic finale and the intro to a new era of Fear, all before it officially aired, and participants got a limited edition poster.
The Chosen has also been airing entire seasons in theaters, split into three parts, before it heads to Prime Video and then their free app. They also have a Christmas special with a special episode and musical performances of Christmas songs.
That sort of stuff is what I enjoy but I'm not going to the theater to see mediocre movies (which is basically all Hollywood is making these days).
Going to a the theater in 2025 has made me realize how addicted some people are to their phones and social media.
I have seen people sat in the row in front of me watching tiktok videos during the movie.
I wanted to go the movies this weekend but the movie I wanted to see is no longer at my local theater, I would need to drive 45 minutes to see it. It’s only been out for 2 weeks but I could go to one of three screens in the local theater still showing Captain America which I have no interest in. It wouldn’t bother me so much but this about the fifth time this has happened in less than a year.
