AMC to start charging for where you sit.

[66BUFF 2565]

23 hours ago, PittsburghTiger said:

Are they going to have to pay an usher to come around and make sure people are in the “correct” seat?

[HamsterHookah 112]

I mentioned this on the Seinfeld thread, but one thing that stuck out to me when I binged the 9 seasons was how often and common "going to the movies" was a social outing and event for single, middle-class New Yorkers on a friday or saturday night in the 90's.

I'm not sure how accurate a representation of the 90's in Manhattan that was, but every time there were lines and full theatres. Growing up in suburb Texas I only sat in a full movie maybe once.

Edited February 8, 2023 by HamsterHookah

[wild_turkey 3177]

Like I said we don’t go to movies anymore with the exception of taking our young granddaughters to kids movies. I think we last went to a movie around 2014. It was another miserable experience with folks playing angry birds and doing FaceTime with their kids.

Theaters have changed a lot in the past 9 years.

The theater I mostly go to is an AMC theater and it’s great. Reserved seats, big recliners with plenty of elbow and leg room, great alcohol selection.

[HamsterHookah 112]

3 minutes ago, wild_turkey said:

Theaters have changed a lot in the past 9 years.

The theater I mostly go to is an AMC theater and it’s great. Reserved seats, big recliners with plenty of elbow and leg room, great alcohol selection.

It's interesting to hear people say "I don't go to AMC I only go to Alamo" as if there is a marked difference in the recent years.

I don't think there are any big megaplex (AMC, Cinemark, etc.) that are still a Popcorn-and-Soda-and-Mike&Ike, take a cloth seat theatre left. Maybe in food deserts there are still theatres like that, but for the most part all these places have bars, have leather recliners with the elbow room and a good menu with interesting food selection and full service to your seat. 

These places have all taken the Alamo or SMG model and adopted it. Their high margin and profit margins are probably all food and booze and these days, I would guess. Gone are the Batmobile arcade and claw crane machines.

[Gene Parmesan 4008]

2 hours ago, HamsterHookah said:

I mentioned this on the Seinfeld thread, but one thing that stuck out to me when I binged the 9 seasons was how often and common "going to the movies" was a social outing and event for single, middle-class New Yorkers on a friday or saturday night in the 90's.

I'm not sure how accurate a representation of the 90's in Manhattan that was, but every time there were lines and full theatres. Growing up in suburb Texas I only sat in a full movie maybe once.

I don't know about Manhattan, but I didn't have that experience at all in Texas in the 90s.  North Texas in the 90s pretty much all blockbuster movies were packed on the weekends.  If you tried to show up at 6:45 for a 7:00 showing of Independence Day or Jurassic Park they were for sure sold out until several weeks into their release.  We'd have to travel to bigger burbs that had the giant megaplex to see those movies.

[66BUFF 2565]

2 hours ago, HamsterHookah said:

I mentioned this on the Seinfeld thread, but one thing that stuck out to me when I binged the 9 seasons was how often and common "going to the movies" was a social outing and event for single, middle-class New Yorkers on a friday or saturday night in the 90's.

I'm not sure how accurate a representation of the 90's in Manhattan that was, but every time there were lines and full theatres. Growing up in suburb Texas I only sat in a full movie maybe once.

I don't think NBC wanted a real-life Manhattan cocaine fueled weekend on the show or, maybe Jerry and his group were just the lame ass people that never hit the clubs and bars.

[Grade of D as in David 13253]

17 minutes ago, 66BUFF said:

I don't think NBC wanted a real-life Manhattan cocaine fueled weekend on the show or, maybe Jerry and his group were just the lame ass people that never hit the clubs and bars.

I mean Kramer acted like he was high on coke the entire series.

[4th&Five 41573]

1 hour ago, 66BUFF said:

I don't think NBC wanted a real-life Manhattan cocaine fueled weekend on the show or, maybe Jerry and his group were just the lame ass people that never hit the clubs and bars.

[Beau Vine 54339]

2 hours ago, Grade of D as in David said:

I mean Kramer acted like he was high on coke the entire series.

[Vic Mackey 47101]

Movies are already coming to streaming much sooner than the past. We've been to one movie in the last 3 years. Used to go more often before Covid but never got back into to it. I'll only go if it's a movie that warrants the big screen and surround sound. Which isn't much. And it seems more and more people are done with the theaters. Fuck em and their prices.

[Neonmoon 38130]

I used to go to the Alamo regularly before Covid. Would have returned to same routine post Covid but moved to a city with no Alamo. I ain’t going to no damn AMC

[MissingInAction 25144]

I always pay for two seats at the aisle so I can spread out and not share an arm rest with some other asshole.

[The Hot Dog Buffet 1291]

I only go at odd times for shows that don't really need the big screen and surround sound, in hopes that I get the whole auditorium for me and my lady friend.

[Underdog 28762]

Theaters should start offering movies in Feel-Around. 

[4th&Five 41573]

54 minutes ago, MissingInAction said:

I always pay for two seats at the aisle so I can spread out and not share an arm rest with some other asshole.

Booked an aisle for a movie at S. Lamar Alamo last week and we get there and I’m up against a fucking wall so I had to crawl under the table to go piss. 

[MissingInAction 25144]

43 minutes ago, The Hot Dog Buffet said:

I only go at odd times for shows that don't really need the big screen and surround sound, in hopes that I get the whole auditorium for me and my lady friend.

Do you know the popcorn trick

[WBT 20649]

9 hours ago, HamsterHookah said:

I don't think there are any big megaplex (AMC, Cinemark, etc.) that are still a Popcorn-and-Soda-and-Mike&Ike, take a cloth seat theatre left.

The 14 screen AMC in my smallish town is still like that.  Tickets are still pretty cheap too - 5.79 for matinees and 7.49 at night.  I'm happy not to pay more for lie flat recliners and I find waiters walking around during the movie to be obnoxious.

[HamsterHookah 112]

Just now, WBT said:

The 14 screen AMC in my smallish town is still like that.  Tickets are still pretty cheap too - 5.79 for matinees and 7.49 at night.  I'm happy not to pay more for lie flat recliners and I find waiters walking around during the movie to be obnoxious.

Yea I assumed small town or poor part of town was still a thing, but that’s not most of us here.

[Deej 76875]

30 minutes ago, HamsterHookah said:

poor part of town

Did we stop checking paystubs to sign up for this place? It's really gone all to hell.

[Michael Knight 12989]

On 2/7/2023 at 10:18 AM, Gene Parmesan said:

The prices are already to a point where the added value of the movie experience isn't worth the costs.  At least for me.  Taking my family of 5 is easily a $100 between ticket/popcorn/soda.  I'll opt for the 20 buck in home rental every time. 

thank you for leaving your kids at home

[HamsterHookah 112]

Wow, people are really in their feelings about this:

Quote

 

On social media, some moviegoers called for a boycott of the chain. “Paying for closer seats at a concert or play makes sense but doing it at the movies is absolutely batshit,” tweeted Jessica Derschowitz, digital features director at Entertainment Weekly.

The actor Elijah Wood also blasted AMC: “The movie theater is and always has been a sacred democratic space for all and this new initiative by @AMCTheatres would essentially penalize people for lower income and reward for higher income,” he tweeted.

Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at the entertainment data firm Exhibitor Relations, predicts that the new directive will not help an industry still digging itself out of the Covid trenches. “Movie theaters are only now getting back to full swing after the pandemic and now the largest theater chain in the world wants to institute a class system in cinemas,” he told the Guardian. “It’s not a good look right now, or ever.”

 

 

Edited February 9, 2023 by HamsterHookah

[The Hot Dog Buffet 1291]

18 hours ago, MissingInAction said:

Do you know the popcorn trick

Sure do. But if you can get the whole theater to yourself, you don't need it. You actually CAN have your popcorn and eat it, too.

[Kennythetiger 9418]

On 2/7/2023 at 8:36 PM, Hermanator said:

Judging by the crowds at Cowboy games I don't think that's it. 

I think far fewer teens go to the movies with friends now than before. 

Now if we could just get rid of the olds. 

[Gene Parmesan 4008]

16 hours ago, Michael Knight said:

thank you for leaving your kids at home

With the movies I take my kids to, If you are in the theatre without kids, you should be on a watchlist.

[Texzilla58 4741]

Wow, people are really in their feelings about this:

 
On social media, some moviegoers called for a boycott of the chain. “Paying for closer seats at a concert or play makes sense but doing it at the movies is absolutely batshit,” tweeted Jessica Derschowitz, digital features director at Entertainment Weekly.
The actor Elijah Wood also blasted AMC: “The movie theater is and always has been a sacred democratic space for all and this new initiative by @AMCTheatres would essentially penalize people for lower income and reward for higher income,” he tweeted.
Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at the entertainment data firm Exhibitor Relations, predicts that the new directive will not help an industry still digging itself out of the Covid trenches. “Movie theaters are only now getting back to full swing after the pandemic and now the largest theater chain in the world wants to institute a class system in cinemas,” he told the Guardian. “It’s not a good look right now, or ever.”
 

 

Hey Elijah wood. Those theaters help pay your salary to enable you to fly in private jets and stay in fancy resorts so go fuck yourself and your democratic space. Jessica Dershowitz your content is behind a paywall you elitist cunt. go eat a bag of dicks. It’s a free market. The public will decide whether they like it or not, and amc will either keep it or kill it.

[MissingInAction 25144]

1 hour ago, Gene Parmesan said:

With the movies I take my kids to, If you are in the theatre without kids, you should be on a watchlist.

Hey! Maybe I want the full theater experience Puss n Boots has to offer. 

[Michael Knight 12989]

2 hours ago, MissingInAction said:

Hey! Maybe I want the full theater experience Puss n Boots has to offer. 

Funny enough Puss in Boots 2 is actually a good movie, compares favorably with Into the Spiderverse

[Hermanator 7127]

22 hours ago, WBT said:

The 14 screen AMC in my smallish town is still like that.  Tickets are still pretty cheap too - 5.79 for matinees and 7.49 at night.  I'm happy not to pay more for lie flat recliners and I find waiters walking around during the movie to be obnoxious.

Surprisingly McKinney still has a place like that right off highway 75. I prefer going there because it's $6/$7 tickets and I like the nostalgia feel of a movie theater the way it was when I was a kid. I'm not there to take a nap and I'm not a giant pussy that needs a recliner and faux leather to watch a movie

 

[MonkeyDoughnut 10336]

5 minutes ago, Hermanator said:

Surprisingly McKinney still has a place like that right off highway 75. I prefer going there because it's $6/$7 tickets and I like the nostalgia feel of a movie theater the way it was when I was a kid. I'm not there to take a nap and I'm not a giant pussy that needs a recliner and faux leather to watch a movie

 

There are still some drive-in theaters around so you don't have to be bothered by the whole indoor air conditioning thing either. 

[HiggyBaby 2545]

AMC sucks. Cinemark is where it’s at.

Also if I’m paying AMC a premium it better come with some damn perks.

[HamsterHookah 112]

5 hours ago, Michael Knight said:

Funny enough Puss in Boots 2 is actually a good movie, compares favorably with Into the Spiderverse

The first one was fantastic

[RiverwalkMiner 257]

On 2/8/2023 at 4:22 PM, MissingInAction said:

I always pay for two seats at the aisle so I can spread out and not share an arm rest with some other asshole.

Team Aisle here! 

[GoPokes83 2240]

If you think people talking or checking Facebook in the theater is annoying…

[henrygandorf 29194]

am i allowed to think this idea is stupid but not because it's classism or elitist or whatever the fuck?  they should've just done it and not told people.  i don't get notifications when milk goes up a quarter.  if people want to go to the movies, they'll pay what the tickets cost.  we've always paid more for movies out here, amc or otherwise.

also movies are not concerts or sporting events.  i can explain why, but i shouldn't have to.

[WBT 20649]

1 hour ago, GoPokes83 said:

If you think people talking or checking Facebook in the theater is annoying…

pretty sure that's a brothel?

[dcbc 14498]

On 2/7/2023 at 11:50 AM, tx 3 putt said:

 

 

opening night Maverick, 10pm feature - there was 12 of us there 

 

That shit was packed when we saw it.  I think we reserved seats for it at an AMC.  I don't recall if we paid a premium to do this. But it was nice to be able to show up at the last minute and not have to worry if we could sit together or would have dogshit seats.  That's the only movie I've bothered to go to since before the pandemic. 

[HamsterHookah 112]

3 hours ago, henrygandorf said:

am i allowed to think this idea is stupid but not because it's classism or elitist or whatever the fuck?  they should've just done it and not told people.  i don't get notifications when milk goes up a quarter.  if people want to go to the movies, they'll pay what the tickets cost.  we've always paid more for movies out here, amc or otherwise.

also movies are not concerts or sporting events.  i can explain why, but i shouldn't have to.

AMC, like most theatres that are not also bowling alleys and laser tag arcades, are struggling. I don’t begrudge their attempts to monetize whatever they can and make a press release for the good buzz and maybe to try and get that sweet memestonk buzz again. Probably the only chance they have in the long run.

[UpperWestside 6183]

I still pay for the monthly AMC pass which saves money because I sometimes go to a couple of movies a week when there is some interesting stuff out. 24 dollars is not bad. I just bring my own snack, but I usually buy a soda there. Some locations are far better than others here. The one at Lincoln Square on the UWS is really nice and so is the one going down to the LES here in the city. I tried Times Square tonight, but left early from the movie. It was actually a pretty good movie and the rare time that everyone at that location was quiet.

Edited February 12, 2023 by UpperWestside

[safe sex 11739]

2 hours ago, UpperWestside said:

I tried Times Square tonight, but left early from the movie. It was actually a pretty good movie and the rare time that everyone at that location was quiet.

What was the movie and why did you leave, if the experience was so nice?

[UpperWestside 6183]

26 minutes ago, safe sex said:

What was the movie and why did you leave, if the experience was so nice?

I was just tired and it was a three hour movie. It was called The Wandering Earth 2. I thought I could make it through, but not so much. I want to go back and see the 2nd half of it. The plot was really interesting. I wish they had access to better special effects, but other than that it was a good movie.