2017 ticket sales lowest in 25 years???

I'm trying to think of what movies I saw in 2017 in the theater...

Guardians of the Galaxy 2
The Last Jedi

Um....

Pretty sure that's it.

I wanted to see Thor, but my wife and I couldn't get our schedules worked out for it. Oh well.
 
Yeah, the big deal stuff - Fury Road, Jedi, Blade Runner - I still go out to the theaters. But the smaller stuff like comedies and dramas, I do that at home on the big screen.
 
I'm not surprised. Hollywood's been out of ideas for a long time now, relying so heavily instead on sequels, reboots, and rebequels--not to mention an over mining of comic book stories. There hasn't been an all-time classic film since Gladiator, and The Shawshank Redemption, 17 and 23 years ago, respectively. When I was a kid in the 70s and 80s, there was an all-time classic film made almost every year!

The Wook
 
Honestly, I had a BLAST opening night of TLJ, but then I went to a Saturday matinee, and some ******* couple had their toddler who talked and ran in the aisles, and pretty much ruined the whole thing. So tickets for me, my two kids, snacks, gas, that's about 50 bucks. So I'm gonna gamble 50 bucks that my theater won't be full of neanderthals? That's a lot of money for me to risk on a so-so experience. I really wanted to see TLJ a third time, but at this point I may well just wait and buy the blu-ray.

So while I would love to see more movies in the theater, I'm not willing to shell out big bucks only to be annoyed by other people when I can spend 2-20 dollars on a rental or purchase and watch it in the comfort of my own home, on my giant tv, with my awesome sound system.
 
In my home town, a few years ago, we had a very terrible violent attack at one of our theaters, I know people around here are still alittle skeptical about going. And I know that incident hurt alot of theaters.
 
Saw BR2049 at a local IMAX theater last year. One of the best movie experiences I've had in a long time.
 
I found myself going to see more movies than in any year I can remember, but that was in part due to buying a membership at the local Picturehouse (they show a sort of mix of new/current movies, classics, cult, art movies, all sorts really). Only in part though, I did see more new movies than previous years, though they were fairly hit and miss even after being rather picky about what I went to see.

It's probably a bit of a strange statement, and I don't think it's a shaping factor for the public's viewing habits or anything like that; but it occurs to me that if I'm even vaguely interested in a title I'll actively avoid trailers like the plague, because you just have to nowadays unless you want to see the entire third act compressed into 2 or 3 minutes. That really sucks, and means relying primarily on word of mouth to see what's going to be worth seeing. The silver lining to that is more movie discussion, a subject I love, with close acquaintances, due to not being on social media and not setting much stock in often umm incentivised critical reviews.

All that said, the couple of hits among the misses were very very big hits. It had been a couple decades since I had to make room in my top 5 favourites.
 
I found myself going to see more movies than in any year I can remember, but that was in part due to buying a membership at the local Picturehouse (they show a sort of mix of new/current movies, classics, cult, art movies, all sorts really). Only in part though, I did see more new movies than previous years, though they were fairly hit and miss even after being rather picky about what I went to see.

It's probably a bit of a strange statement, and I don't think it's a shaping factor for the public's viewing habits or anything like that; but it occurs to me that if I'm even vaguely interested in a title I'll actively avoid trailers like the plague, because you just have to nowadays unless you want to see the entire third act compressed into 2 or 3 minutes. That really sucks, and means relying primarily on word of mouth to see what's going to be worth seeing. The silver lining to that is more movie discussion, a subject I love, with close acquaintances, due to not being on social media and not setting much stock in often umm incentivised critical reviews.

All that said, the couple of hits among the misses were very very big hits. It had been a couple decades since I had to make room in my top 5 favourites.

What were the couple of films that cracked your Top-5?
 
I recently joined up with MoviePass and have seen more movies this year, er...2017, than any other in a long time. And even then, it wasn't a lot. With what I pay for membership and with how many movies I can watch with it, it pretty much pays itself. I wish I had a cinema nearby like Augh but it's just the big chain theater here and it only shows the big stuff.

I can completely understand the reasoning why some wouldn't go to the theater, as cayman shen says, and the way things are going, I see the theaters as just being a stadium for big tentpole movies and that's it. Everything else will just come out on VOD and people can watch it at their own comfort. For me, I appreciate that but I also love the cinema and the experience it's able to provide. It's a shame that the reality of it is, is that it's dying. Even good small films on the big screen are just that more glamorous because it's on the big screen. And that, more than anything bums me out.

The big chain theater here has limited screens and even more limited seats ever since it was renovated. That means to recoup some money, the big films will play on more screens to fill the seats, leaving a few left to rotate the smaller ones. There were a number of films I wanted to see last year that I didn't get a chance to because they were only playing for a limited time before they were rotated out with something else that didn't interest me. There were some films that weren't even screened here because we couldn't get it because of "the numbers."
 
Last edited by a moderator:
What were the couple of films that cracked your Top-5?

2049 went in there both on favouritism and pure sheer merit. I saw it 3 times before I really realised I had done, and have probably watched it another 5 since it dropped on digital. I can't be sure if Blade of the Immortal cracked top 5 but, definitely 10. Both treatments of source material very dear to me, which were done respectfully and with love and heart.

Strange thing I just realised; it wasn't until looking over the poll here on the RPF that I realised how long ago movies I saw at the start of the year seem to be, it felt like a short year in many other regards to me.
 
Sales won't improve until they cheapen ticket prices. It was already a growing problem 20 years ago and they just keep on ignoring it. Sooner or later the industry is going to have to face this.
 
Sales won't improve until they cheapen ticket prices. It was already a growing problem 20 years ago and they just keep on ignoring it. Sooner or later the industry is going to have to face this.

Agree, for a family of 3 or 4, if it were just alittle cheaper. I would certainly go more.
 
Until one of our local theaters became a leather recliner theater I hated going to the theater. Ever since I started going there exclusively everyone else who attends is quiet and even if they did pull out their phone to text I won't see it.
I'll gladly pay extra for that experience. And since the wife has been on a diet there's no stopping at the snack bar for popcorn and sodas that cost more than the tickets.
Yet we are still selective on our movies. In 2017 I think we saw seven movies in the theater. That's actually a bit higher than normal for us as we have no problem waiting for home video release on quite a few movies that we feel won't suffer from the lack of theatrical experience.
 
I don't care about the experience unless it's something I really want to see. The only movies I've gone to for the last 20 years were SW movies. I'd rather enjoy it at home on a big TV.
 
i use to be in the movie theater once a week... i saw the last jedi dec 14, before that i havent been to the theater since the force awakens.
 
It would also help if they actually had movies that are worth seeing. As far as I'm concerned there were a very small handful of movies in the last year worth wasting your time going to see them that you couldn't wait a couple of months and see them in the comfort of your own home.
 
Even though I don't pay to see Movies in a Theatre, perks of knowing the Owner of the local one, the only movies I saw this year IN the Theatre were,

Kingsmen

Bladerunner 2049, saw it twice and did my part by actually paying the second time

The Last Jedi

It

John Wick-2

Nothing else i really cared for and it seems I am not alone judging by the BO reciepts
 
I've only seen 3 shows this year Dunkirk which was by far the best of the three at an IMAX.
Blade Runner 2049 which was stunning and did it's utmost to stay in vein of the original was perhaps a tad weak in story line with the miracle birth thing.
And last TLJ which was a complete and utter waste of time and money.
To be honest I'd rather wait and pay the entrance fee on a blu ray to watch at home.
 
Let's see, how many movies did I see in a theater this year? 0
How many in 2016: 0
2015: 0
2014: 0
2013: 0

In fact, the last movie I saw in a theater was the original Transformers movie in 2007. I buy tons of Blurays but I will never walk into a theater again.
 
This thread is more than 6 years old.

Your message may be considered spam for the following reasons:

  1. This thread hasn't been active in some time. A new post in this thread might not contribute constructively to this discussion after so long.
If you wish to reply despite these issues, check the box below before replying.
Be aware that malicious compliance may result in more severe penalties.
Back
Top