Bad movie theater experience

[HappyHiker]

We seldom go to the movies since Netflix entered our lives, but yesterday, wanting to see The Help, we sallied forth. What an unpleasant experience. In your experience, have movie theaters morphed into this, or were we just unlucky in our choice of theaters?

--tortured by commercials and trailers. Our movie was to start at 12:45. We were in our seats at 12:40. Because of commercial after commercial and trailer after tailer, the movie did not start until 1:15. That's 35 minutes of being forced to watch what they wanted us to watch. I was seething when the movie finally started.

--blown away by refreshment prices. We'd just had lunch, so only wanted something to drink. Small bottles of water were $4.00 (the $.99 size found elsewhere). The smallest soft drinks were $4.25. We didn't get either...geez, four times the going rate just seemed quite excessive to us, but as I said, we're not frequent movie goers.

Are these prices and commercials typical at all movie theaters these days?

After this experience, we'll not return to that particular chain.

The movie was great, but getting to the movie through all the other stuff was not.

[puglogic]

HappyHiker, that's been my exact experience almost every time I've visited a theater in the past couple of years. Heavy emphasis on advertising (I don't mind previews....I think they're like "little movies"). Extremely expensive concessions, as you're a captive audience.

We get around it, if we really really want to see something in the theaters (perhaps once or twice a year):
--Go to a matinee, or wait until the film moves to the cheaper theaters, so you're paying much less to be marketed to :)
--Don't get there right on time. It's pointless....as you've seen, the first few minutes are almost always advertising and previews.
--Eat before we come, and use the theater drinking fountains for water if we need it.
--Choose times when it's not likely a lot of people will be there, as many peoples' general lack of "theater etiquette" can really ruin a film

We aren't as interested in mainstream films any more, so we don't experience this often. We get most of our movies now from the library for free (thank you YMOYL) and are happy to watch things a few months later. I survived not being able to see 127 Hours until now, for example, with no appreciable damage to my life (or limbs). :D

[goldensmom]

Sorry but that’s a typical movie experience. Did you mention ticket prices? Here a ticket is $9.50 evening, $8.50 matinee. A matinee for us, 1 large soda and large popcorn is $28.00, really, really not worth the money for any film but my husband likes the ‘date experience’ and the theater popcorn. I’d much rather wait a year and buy the dvd for $5.99 or less.

The commercials really bug me. The only solace for us is that my brother-in-law owns a local business and has an ad in the preview/commercials part so we anticipate seeing his 20’ head on the big screen. I’ve tried going in late but with a lifetime of always being on time or early it is difficult for me to be intentionally late.

A few years back, our local 1940’s style, no frills, not-enough-room-for-your-legs theater ticket prices were $3.00 with 2 for 1 coupons available everywhere. That summer we saw a movie a week. Got leg cramps but the price was right.

[redfox]

I have a friend who owns a movie theatre, and the profit center is the refreshment stand. The cost to rent first run movies for theatre owners means that their profit margin on tickets is under 3%. I imagine that's why the commercials too, as they are likely hefty profit. I like going to movies, and just tune out the commercials... but they are annoying for sure.

[iris lily]

While 30 minutes of trailers is bad, I don't mind up to 3 trailers. I also don't mind concession prices. The movie houses have got to make money to stay open. I love it now that they offer wine and while the wine is barely drinkable, it's not any more expensive than at a bar.

I support movie houses because there was a time in recent years here where this city had NO theater within the city limits. Now we've got a classy multiplex with small theater rooms that shows decent mainstream films and the occasional art house film as well as a specialty big screen house in a very cool renovated building.

Now if only filmmakers would make things I want to see. These days I am finding far more entertainment with tv shows on dvd than I am in the movie houses. Film selection just seems to be crap these days. The Help for instance. Sorry, won't see it, have no desire. I read the book and enjoyed it, but there's nothing to bring to the film for me.

Am desperately unhappy that Anne Hathaway has ruined yet another film, One Day. I like her in certain things and think she's not suited for other key roles sh'es been placed into. This film would have been one that I would go to see, but critics are panning it and I believe them.

[HappyHiker]

When we lived in NO CA, there were several refurbished Art Deco movie palaces that were such a pleasure to patronize---and seeing a first run movie in such beauteous surroundings was a pleasure--and it used to be rather affordable--especially for week-end matinees.

However!! Yesterday, paying the big bucks, while on a frugal budget--at a run-of-the-mill multiplex, and being tortured--yes!! tortured--for I loathe commercials and don't watch network TV for that very reason-- for 35 minutes (okay, 25 minutes of commercials and 10 minutes of trailers) was awful, terrible, painful--and put me in a foul mood so that when the movie finally came on, I was sulky and grumble-y.

Will not repeat the experience...it's DVD's or small art houses from now on--except my little town has no art houses...

The movie--The Help? I enjoyed it very much, maybe not as much as the book, and my husband, not having read the book, found it very engrossing. Fine acting, visuals, costuming, music.

[loosechickens]

We do movies sometimes.....always matinees, never get refreshments there (once I knew the calorie count of that popcorn, it never tasted good to me again), don't drink soft drinks anyway, so that's not a problem........around here, the matinees are $7.50 or so.......I'm not fond of the commercials, but since we don't see very many, some are quite entertaining, and it always seems like an interesting sociological experience to enter the "mass market world" for a bit, and we actually LIKE the trailers, because often they alert us to a movie that we would probably have missed hearing about.......

there are just so many things in life to get our knickers in a twist about that we don't waste any angst on movie commercials. The commercials are always BEFORE the trailers, so we can adjust arrival time to miss them if we want.

I know it must be annoying to sit through them for many, but movie theaters are often hanging on by the skin of their teeth, with competition from Netflix, etc.......we can't bring ourselves to buy their crap refreshments, but at least will watch the commercials in order to get there early enough to get our favorite, very much in the back, on the aisle seats........

We just went to see The Help, which was good, but I much preferred the book. I usually do, and can hardly think of a movie that came from a book where I didn't enjoy the book more.....guess I'm just more of a "print" person.......I like to imagine the way the characters look myself, as well as the surroundings, etc. although sometimes the accompanying music and landscapes create mood in a way that the book doesn't manage. Ah....I digress......

[The Storyteller]

Hate the commercials. I resent spending big bucks, then having to sit through commercials. I don't watch much tv mostly because of commercials, and that's free.

We take our own snacks. I feel no obligation to buy theirs if they are going to charge exorbitant prices.

[jania]

That was a lot of previews! I like going to the movies. I like the big, big screen and the darkness. If I watch a movie at home I am forever getting up and doing things and don't get the same enjoyment. Usually I see more off-beat or foreign films in the early afternoon so there's usually no crowd (recently saw The Help which while more mainstream still wasn't a full theatre). The theatre chain I mostly go to sells drink cups at the beginning of the year for under $5 and then I reuse the cup all year for $1 a serving.

I actually don't see many changes from when I was younger in the movie experience. There were always crowds and the food was always overpriced. Stadium seating has improved being able to see over someone's big head.

[iris lily]

I had to go to the huge suburban multi-plex to see the last Harry Potter film, offered there in IMAX 3-D. The theater blasts out sound at the beginning as though we are all deaf. Then they turn it down,don't know why. I hate that particular multi-plex but it's easy to get to and they do have all of the blockbuster which I occasionally watch.
I've decided that I have to see the next X-Men, starring, as it does, Scotsman Jame McAvoy and my long time favorite Kevin Bacon.

[HappyHiker]

From my point of view: I've paid good cash money to come see a movie..it's that simple. What do I get instead?? 25 minutes of commercials--that's not what I signed up for!! You, the theater owner, have sold me, your customer, to your advertisers, and you've also priced your refreshments at a 400% profit margin (a bottle of water for $4.00!!)....as a thinking, simple living person, I think you've broken the deal, fractured the covenant, and I don't wish to patronize your business any longer...your greed has lost me as a customer forever...

[heydude]

movie experiences for me have been better as of late because the downtown one does not offer 3D and mostly the downtown audience can be bad (using laser pointers on breasts, being loud, etc.)

the first ring suburbs i go to now and is a lot better. mostly, just what is bad is the occasionaly pop corn chomper, but they usually get their popcorn all gone within the first 20 mins. lol

i have noticed more "TV like" commercials but other than that, it is all okay.

i am loving horror movies in 3D

[daisy]

I don't mind a few movie previews before a movie starts, but I do resent having to sit through 30 minutes of Coke commercials and music videos before they even start the previews. I've seen a record 3 movies in theaters this year. The first two were at the local multiplex, which is very nice, but had the annoying commercials before the movie. I went to see The Help with a friend last week and we met at a small theater in a smaller town. There were a handful of previews, but no commercials! I told DH that we will be going there to see movies from now on.

[HappyHiker]

Good for you, Daisy, to support the local business that doesn't abuse its relationship with you, the customer. Unfortunately, all the theaters in my driveable time are owned by the same theater chain and I suspect all practice what that one does... but before writing them all off, to be fair, I will check with friends to see what their experiences have been with the other movie houses...and I suppose we can always arrive for the movie twenty minutes after its start time to avoid the commercials...

[iris lily]

I don't remember seeing any product commercials after stated start time. There are commercials running on the screen in some theaters while we all wait for the lights to dim, but after that--nope.

[daisy]

Iris lily wrote:

I don't remember seeing any product commercials after stated start time. There are commercials running on the screen in some theaters while we all wait for the lights to dim, but after that--nope.


At the big, nice theater here, the commercials begin at the stated show time and are followed by the previews. The actual movie begins 20 to 30 minutes later.

[Cypress]

I have an idea, I wonder if people would enjoy a modern day version of the theater experience in by-gone days. Before TV, the movies included news, short films, cartoons and the feature. I would wager more folks went to the movies before TV. Some films are best seen on a large screen with an audience. I watched the movie Amelie at the theater and later at home, it wasn't half as funny as in the theater. Would this idea be just as tedious as previews? I like cartoons and rarely watch any on TV at all. Sometimes I read comic strips. I just think it would give visual artists a medium to show their work. There are some inspired short films and cartoons worth a larger audience. The movie experience as described here seems excessively dollar oriented. Make a lot of bucks on folks. What about entertaining folks.

I wish movie houses would show again some of the films of Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Marx Brothers and the Beatles films. This is a short list but there are so many terrific films I'd love to see at a theater. Especially Keaton, he was a master at film making.

[HappyHiker]

I like your idea...reminds me of going to the movies as a kid--a short--Flash Gordon serial was one, sometimes a newsreel, cartoons, and one-two features...we'd be there all day and my parents would get a break from having three kids running amuck at home.

It's funny, I won't watch movies on network TV as I cannot take all the commercials, so I was rather taken aback to go to the movies and see 20 plus minutes of them...I was not a happy camper. And I used to love watching movies on the "big screen."

[JaneV2.0]

With rare exceptions (IMAX, certain special effects, films I want to support financially), I'd rather watch movies at home any time--even on a tiny screen. Dealing with high ticket prices, sticky feet, chatty patrons, too-loud (way, way too loud) audio, and now endless trailers and commercials adds up to an unpleasant experience for me. And that's at a lightly-attended matinee! Adding a crowded theater to the mix is completely out of the question.

[Rogar]

I go to the movies three or four times a year. I go to the matinee and make sure I eat before going and never buy food or drink. The smell of the movie popcorn is just too alluring otherwise. I don't like the long pre-movie time sink, but there is nothing like the big screen for certain movies.

I have no idea of the profit margins for theaters, but would suppose that Netflix and others have cut into the market. Maybe they need those previews and ads to stay in business?