The end of movie theaters?

rodneyfaile

Sr Member
I remember video game arcades when I was a kid. I loved walking into the dimly lit rooms to check out what new wonders were being presented. It was a wonderful time.

You can still find a few arcades around, but for the most part, all that is left are a few odd machines in a place catering some kids birthday pizza party.

Will this be the fate of movie theaters as well?

More and more I see people waiting for movies to be released on DVD/Blu-ray. The price for a family to go see a movie is pretty steep. You can wait a month or so and own the movie instead. Some movies are even available to stream on sites like VUDU and Amazon before they are even in the theater.

I love the movie theatre atmosphere, the smell of the popcorn, the huge screen, the gasps of the other movie goers, but I have even found myself opting to stream a movie in the comfort of my own home as opposed to going down the street to my local theater.

What if more movies are offered via early release streaming? Would I go out to see Guardians of the Galaxy if I could just click a button on my PS3 and see it on my 60"? Certain movies demand the theatre experience. I will be at Episode VII for the midnight show, and dressed in some sort of Star Wars geek attire, but those types of movies are few and far between. Are there enough of them to keep theaters open?

Lately I see theaters showing everything from NFL games to Breaking Bad, with free admission, just in hopes of getting some concession sales. Many theaters serve full dinner menus with beer and wine. Is that the future, dinner with some movie playing in the background?

I can't imagine the dismay of not having a movie theater to go to, but I can see a future where the movie theatre scene is just like the video game arcade ... you have better options at home.
 
With big-budget movies bringing in half a billion dollars a pop, I don't see the end of movie theaters any time soon...
 
I agree,

I think the movie experience is a bit different than the arcade experience............I mean you can't really take a date to the arcade and expect to get a second date.
 
With big-budget movies bringing in half a billion dollars a pop, I don't see the end of movie theaters any time soon...

Movies are making big box office still, that is true, but what if they just cut the theaters out and went straight to VUDU or Amazon to distribute it? Would you take a date to the theatre for $12 each, plus food/drinks, or would you just have the date at your place and BUY the movie for $20? What if you had 4 kids and the admission/baby sitter was even more cost prohibitive?

As technology advances, more and more will take advantage of it.

I'm not saying theaters will disappear next year, but I can see a time when more consumers will want to stay home and watch, and also more efficient for the studios to distribute online.
 
Eventually i see them getting rid of theaters just because they'll get even more money off people streaming them or getting them pay per view, heck half the movies are on PPV before dvd within a month of the theater release. And as the theaters charge more and do little to control the savages that come watch movies and ruin it for others they'll lose business more and more. As far as i'm concerned the theater experience died in the late 90s.
 
I don't see theaters dying anytime soon. Th death of arcades was due to video game systems catching up to and ultimately surpassing the tech that was previously only available in the arcades. Once you could play those racing, fighting, twitch shooter and even dancing games at home, that was it for arcades.

But you can't simulate a massive theater screen in your own home. I do prefer sitting on my couch in front of my plasma and popping in a DVD/Blu-ray and watching something at home since I don't have to deal with crowds and the like... but there's something nice about going to the theaters, especially for summer blockbusters (I rarely go to the theaters for a comedy or drama). And not everyone has a nice setup in their living room with a massive HD TV and surround sound system (I'm pretty sure a majority of people don't even calibrate their TVs and just leave the picture on torch settings).

Plus, as mentioned before, the studios are making millions from movie theaters, so why would they give that up? By keeping the theaters and supplementing their income with streaming and DVD/Blu-ray sales so close together, they're making a mint.
 
If movie theater chains start to decline, there will always be theaters that show movies for a fun experience. It's why they have events where they show old movies, or theater drive ins. Even if people can get a new release online (which you can already), people would still go for nestalgia, family event, school trip, work event or a date. It's why people go see the Frankie Horror picture show even though they can pop in a DVD.

That said, I can't wait to watch movies same day at home for the same price as going to the theater and not $500
 
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It honestly doesn't matter one way or the other to me. I don't go to the theaters all that frequently, and if I do, i try to go weeks after release to get as small a crowd as possible. I like seeing films on a big screen, but honestly, it's not THAT different form my home theater experience...well, except for the fact that I've already paid for my food, I can drink what I like, pause the film to use the restroom, and I don't have to deal with anyone else's B.S.

All the theater offers is a bigger screen, really. Some films I enjoy seeing on the big screen, but honestly, the maiden voyage for my home theater was Avengers, which I hadn't seen in the theaters, and I didn't feel like I missed a single, solitary thing.
 
Maybe you "don't know what ya got till its gone." I would hate for theaters to become scarce relics, but I think that is where we are headed.

80" home screens that can stream new releases will be standard. Going to a movie theater will be like a trip to the museum or going to see a play.
 
I agree,

I think the movie experience is a bit different than the arcade experience............I mean you can't really take a date to the arcade and expect to get a second date.

Sure you can, if they're the right kind of person. I mean, you get someone who is fun loving and likes to let go and be a kid every once in a while, and you can get a second date. It's the super-serious "I am a grown up and therefore I must act like one" types that would likely balk at the idea of an arcade. Even then, you can still find those rare gemstones who don't realize how much fun they want to cut loose and have fun until they do so.
 
I don't know. 10 years ago there were 6 to 7 BIG theaters within 30 miles of me. We are down to one. The rest have closed
up and the buildings are rotting away. The One theater now attracts nothing but ghetto trash most of the day/night. The theater
experience is ruined every time we go. So, most of the time I wait for the DVD or if we can go early enough (11:00am-ish)
then there are only a few people in there. The prices are sky rocketing too. Thanks but no thanks.
 
The problem is that a decent setup with a full HD TV min. 40" + surround sound system will run you at least for 1K, much more if you want something closer to actual theatre experience. Having a home theatre room is a luxury, at least for folks living in the big cities. So while I can understand theatres closing in more rural areas, I don't thing the big theatres in the cities will shut down anytime soon. Not to mention that all of those streaming services you US citizens get are far far better than what us european have, regarding this we are far behind. And we still bring quite a lot of money to the box office I believe, so shutting our theatres down would be a big loss for the studios, and we would have to wait months before we could get the movies in PPV or rental on iTunes or whatever.
 
It's definitely not the end of movie theaters yet, but it's definitely reaching the end of decent movie theater crowds, which is another topic on this board.

I go to IMAX almost exclusively because it's so loud you can't hear people talk and people normally don't pay the extra premium if all they're going to do is gab and text.
 
Maybe you "don't know what ya got till its gone." I would hate for theaters to become scarce relics, but I think that is where we are headed.

80" home screens that can stream new releases will be standard. Going to a movie theater will be like a trip to the museum or going to see a play.

I know what's gone, but the point is it's already gone and has been gone for at least 10 years if not way more. Seeing a film in a theater is not "The theater experience" that it was when I was younger. Even in the late 90s and early 2000s, things were nowhere near as bad as they are now, as far as what happens in a movie theater. For me, the loss of the physical space where such an experience should, theoretically, be possible is not that big a deal if, practically speaking, it only occasionally works out. I know this, and so I don't bother going except in a handful of cases. I think in the last 5 years, I've gone to the theater, oh, eight times maybe? It's really just...nothing special for me anymore. Maybe theaters round your way are nicer, but where I am, it's really hit or miss. It can be fine, but it can also be crap. And frankly, at $10-12 a ticket, "fine" doesn't cut it. I'd rather just watch it at home where the ticket price is about the same as the price of a blu-ray or digital download.

I don't know. 10 years ago there were 6 to 7 BIG theaters within 30 miles of me. We are down to one. The rest have closed
up and the buildings are rotting away. The One theater now attracts nothing but ghetto trash most of the day/night. The theater
experience is ruined every time we go. So, most of the time I wait for the DVD or if we can go early enough (11:00am-ish)
then there are only a few people in there. The prices are sky rocketing too. Thanks but no thanks.

That's closer to my take. Here in Philly, there used to be far more theaters, but three of them within a 3 block radius closed down in the late 90s. One is supposedly being restored as an actual stage theater, one turned into a drug store, and I think the other is a baby supply store now. I almost never go to the burbs because...that'd require going to the burbs. So, that leaves maybe 2-3 big theaters in a reasonable area. Two big Regals, and one that was a Bridge Cinema de Luxe theater, but became...I dunno. Something else. That one's up by the universities. I hear it's a pain in the ass because of the kids who go there.

Again, why bother with this crap given ticket prices? I'd rather stay home.

The problem is that a decent setup with a full HD TV min. 40" + surround sound system will run you at least for 1K, much more if you want something closer to actual theatre experience. Having a home theatre room is a luxury, at least for folks living in the big cities. So while I can understand theatres closing in more rural areas, I don't thing the big theatres in the cities will shut down anytime soon. Not to mention that all of those streaming services you US citizens get are far far better than what us european have, regarding this we are far behind. And we still bring quite a lot of money to the box office I believe, so shutting our theatres down would be a big loss for the studios, and we would have to wait months before we could get the movies in PPV or rental on iTunes or whatever.

It's expensive, no question. The real issue isn't so much the raw expense, as much as it is having the cash on hand in the moment to do the upgrade. If you figure it as a long-term investment, figure out how often you go to the movies, how much you watch TV, how much you game, etc. it can actually be just as economical. The problem is you have to be able to pay for it up front (well, that or float the credit card interest). That's the really daunting aspect of it. That said, IF you can afford it, there's really no reason not to and keep going to the movies, otehr than "But they have an even BIGGER screen." I guess if audience shenanigans is worth it to you to see a big big big screen....

As for the theaters, I think that they'll stay open in a general sense, even as they dwindle in number. The really huge multiplexes are what will survive, but it'll be "lowest common denominator" film audiences. The annoying people who scream and text gab on the phone and whatever.
 
Theatres are not going anywhere anytime soon.

No way a home system can beat a good theatre
 
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Theatres are not going anywhere anytime soon.

Now way a home system can beat a good theatre

All other things being equal? Sure. But all other things AREN'T equal.


The visual and audio experience of a well ordered, well maintained theater indeed cannot be beaten by a home experience. However, when you factor in the extent of the conveniences of a home experience (do what you want when you want) vs. the extent of the INconveniences of the theater experience (annoying other people, high ticket price for a single viewing, dirty floors, overpriced food, can't drink alcohol in most places -- Alamo Draft House notwithstanding...), I find the home experience to be far, far preferable.
 
The theater experience can be great I am just not that interested in much of what is being released.

The biggest threat to movie theaters in my opinion is the content that is being played in them and the amount of money spent to put it there. I can see theaters becoming more scarce if the movie industry doesn't do something to attract the attention of a wider audience.
 
One day I actually calculated out the money loss risk of seeing a potentially bad movie in the theater. You have less of a loss buying a Blu-Ray movie blindly on day of release than paying for 2 tickets to see a movie in the theater. You used to be able to spend about $14 for 2 people on a new release evening show. The costs are so high now! Not to mention IMAX or 3D "upgrade" costs.
 
The theater experience can be great I am just not that interested in much of what is being released.

The biggest threat to movie theaters in my opinion is the content that is being played in them and the amount of money spent to put it there. I can see theaters becoming more scarce if the movie industry doesn't do something to attract the attention of a wider audience.

That's another big part of it. There just aren't that many films that, for me, REQUIRE me to see them in the theaters. Even ones where you'd think I really ought to see it in the theater, I find are absolutely delightful in my home theater. The Avengers, Watchmen, hell, even The Man with the Iron Fists, all were fun to watch at home. And I honestly didn't feel like I'd missed out on anything except stuff I'd rather avoid anyway. I liked seeing TDKR and STID in the theater, but honestly, I'd have been fine seeing either at home. I certainly didn't think that the theater added anything to the newest Oz film. The 3D sequences were cool, but ultimately didn't add THAT much to me. Dredd 3D is really the only film I THINK I should've seen in 3D, but I've yet to watch my 2D copy to make a decision between the two. It might be that perspective alone gets the job done, since the 3D elements were really only included in the drug sequences, which were trippy enough anyway.

One day I actually calculated out the money loss risk of seeing a potentially bad movie in the theater. You have less of a loss buying a Blu-Ray movie blindly on day of release than paying for 2 tickets to see a movie in the theater. You used to be able to spend about $14 for 2 people on a new release evening show. The costs are so high now! Not to mention IMAX or 3D "upgrade" costs.
 
I don't think they'll ever go away completely, but the commercial model for them may have to change. You can still find record stores if you know where to look, but they usually specialize in something like Vinyl or as a secondary marketplace (Amoeba music in SF, Berkeley, and LA fits this model). Some theater owners are pushing for a different experience. I've mentioned the Sundance theaters in a few threads here. They offer reserved seating, a wine bar, a restaurant in the lobby, and 21+ shows in the evenings. While obviously this won't be a successful model everywhere and for everyone (like families), I definitely think that it can be in urban areas especially. The Parkway theater in Oakland just reopened and they have a full service cafe, and couch seating (like literally a room full of couches and what not). It's a little off the wall, but definitely can be fun.

I think people are mostly tired of spending $20 on popcorn and oversized sodas. I understand that theaters make most of their profits from concessions, but instead of offering awful junk food like nachos and hotdogs, how about some variety?
 
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