re: Movie theater attendance in 2014 lowest it's been in 20 years

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Water is wet? How does the movie industry fix this?

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I think people are getting a little out of control with the "movies suck now" nonsense.

The experience just sucks now.

- They're out pricing themselves compared to what you get out of it. HD TVs are the tits and make theater viewing less of an experience.

- The sheer volume of aholes in the theaters sitting on their phones or talking(bolded for my personal reason). Only the elite theaters will seriously penalize people (Alamo Draft House in Austin for instance). I greatly enjoyed seeing Hobbit at Canal Place. I'm probably done with AMC.

- Did I say HD TVs already? It should be mentioned twice, because every well reviewed movie can be rented 6 months later and watched on a crystal clear picture for nickels on the dollar.

There are plenty of good films that come out every year. In fact, I'd argue the sheer volume of quality actors in the Indie scene is borderline ridiculous. Very well made movies with no distribution median before are now accessible easily to the public.

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The wife check out at least one movie a month, but we only see movies at Alamo Draft House or IPIC.

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Things I've noticed about my movie habits that have changed in the last few years:

1) Unless it's something I absolutely want to see in the theater as soon as possible, I don't go anymore. It's not really worth the trouble or the cost. It may be that I'm getting older but crowds seem to be pretty damn insufferable at your run of the mill Friday night showings.

2) I've probably spent more visits at local indie theaters with reruns of classic movies I never got to see as an adult in it's original run in theaters or special showings/limited releases then I have any blockbusters at this point.

3) Netflix and other streaming outlets has really capitalized my entertainment time.

“Put out better summer movies.”

Yes. The industry hasn’t even tried the past year and won’t try this upcoming year to have “summer’ movies or holiday movies. Pathetic. Xmen and Apes were May movies and Captain was a fricking april movie. Guardians was an august movie when people are going back to school. Dumb dumb dumb.

“3. the types of crowd that typically goes to movies makes it miserable.”

This is a big issue, but not where I am. But if someone’s being loud, I get the fricking manager and get the people to shut the frick up.


“I think about it like this:

For a working adult, it's damn near impossible to go see the Hobbit mid-week. You probably don't get off until 5pm or so. If you want to exit the theater before 10, you have to go no later than 6:30. If you have any kind of commute, then that might leave you with 20 minutes or so to eat and get dressed.

There's just no way unless you're ok with sub-7 hours of sleep.

Then you HAVE to go on the weekend, which is the theater's bread and butter, but then it reinforces "the Event" idea. You have to plan. It's a half day. If you have kids....?

Movies have no longevity, they rely on big pushes, 2-3 of giant weekends and they quietly leave with no trace. Even a top grosser like Winter Soldier was irrelevant in 6 weeks”

I don’t even know where to begin. I’m sorry, but fricking no way would I agree with that. Huge dropoff in movie quality with that. Name any decent real movies under 100 minutes.

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avoid the TPOS, annoying teens, and gunmen that plague the theaters.

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You forgot the coughing guy, the one that sits behind you and coughs on you for 2 hours 15 minutes.

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4) More normal length (100 minutes max), low-key films. This coincides with number 3, but I think the idea that every movie is a 2+ hour EXTRAVAGANZA is also tiring. There's something special about a well constructed, 100 minute film that hits all the right buttons.

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I agree with your other points but especially this one. I was thinking about this a while back about how many movies I like that are like that are only 90mins long(100 mins works too though)and yeah it does seem like they really just don't do those kinds of movies anymore.

It's a shame cause I really admire those who can successfully put together a tightly constructed story in that short of time.

And I love those movies too cause you can sit there and binge watch them like three or four in a row sometimes.

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2. Home Theater Systems are far better viewing experience

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To an extent. I still enjoy seeing some movies on the big screen.

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3. the types of crowd that typically goes to movies makes it miserable

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THIS is my biggest gripe. The last few times I've been to a movie I've had to deal with the "just here to hang out" crowd. They don't shut up. I went to complain during Gone Girl and was told "they'll quit soon, it (the movie) should pick up soon." WTF?!

Which brings me to:

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4. Prices are ridiculous

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Honestly, if I can go see a good movie for $20 for 2 people, I don't mind paying. We can usually get out for under $40 with drinks/kern and tickets. That being said, what I am willing to pay is DRASTICALLY reduced when I'm dealing with assholes in the fricking theater. When you add managers that don't care you may as well count me out.

I go to a theatre probably 4 or 5 times a year to see a movie. There just aren't a lot of movies that come out that are good enough to go see really, 3 or 4 a year imo.

Last year I went and saw Interstellar, Gone Girl, Grand Budapest Hotel, and Birdman. Possibly one or two more that I don't remember off the top of my head.

Yep. There were a couple of times last year where I felt like going to see a movie but ended up not going cause there wasn't anything playing that I wanted to see.