Movie theatre attendance hits 24 yr low

Hollywood is taking a beating.
The article states that the numbers are not exact.
They calculated by average ticket price so there is undoubtedly some give either way.

But anyways.
I think several factors are the cause.

1, netflix and redbox.
Why pay $20 each for the theatre experience when you can wait a few months and watch in your home.

2, the movies kinda suck now.
Reboots and sequels with no original ideas.

3, to much politics.
Everything has a message, environmental, feminist,or just plain divisive politics.


www.thewrap.com...

As usual, hollywood is expecting a big summer in 18.
Avenger will score big, solo will disapoint.
Just an opinion of course.

a reply to: Bluntone22

And torrents.
If there's a movie out, there's a pretty good chance that someone has already uploaded it to a torrent site.

Yeah.. £19 for single ticket. 28 advertisements. £4 for cup of watered down coke. And £7 for popcorn.

Putlocker anyone?

a reply to: Bluntone22

I thinks it's because the alt right is using bots to give movies bad reviews.

originally posted by: Macenroe82
a reply to: Bluntone22

And torrents.
If there's a movie out, there's a pretty good chance that someone has already uploaded it to a torrent site.

Yeah I forgot about those but I don't use them.

And media reviews are faked.
My last film was sandra bollox space movie. After so much hype from tv and newspapers we decided watch it at cinema for experience.

What a mistake it was..

I for one...... Simply have kids and not a lot of free time

But you're right, waiting for things to come out on Netflix and Redbox are better for parents, especially ones with younger kids, as they can just wait and rent the (not so kid appropriate) movies and watch at their own leisure.

Another YYYYUUUUUUGGGGGGGEEEEE thing (at least for me) is exactly what you stated, bluntone22: Politics.

We are constantly bombarded with politicized messages and biases form all angles; the last thing we need is our entertainment to be saturated in it as well. And if you're not watching something with an underlying (and overwhelming) undertone, you're watching the 16th reboot of Spiderman, or simply a remaster/revisioning of some older movie.

We need new ideas, less politics...... and less kids.

a reply to: dothedew

I've only got one teenager and your right.
We only have time for a movie on weekends,
Sometimes...

originally posted by: Pandaram
Yeah.. £19 for single ticket. 28 advertisements. £4 for cup of watered down coke. And £7 for popcorn.

Putlocker anyone?

But........ if the movie's only average there's all those cell phones going off to keep you awake through it

Forever I have thought your Avatar was Fox (David Duchovny?). Weird, but NOT MANDELA! Bad eyes maybe.
On topic, I think the Op has nailed every reason tickets have tanked. Way too many options rather than bending over at the box office for a movie that's probably going to suck.
I have wanted to see several that I missed and caught through other means and thought, "whew! Saved a few bucks on that one luckily".
Some of my favorites recently have been Indie films that had limited release or straight to other means.
a reply to: Grambler

And streaming sites. I used to download torrents but I kept getting hate mail from my ISPs.

Now there's only a few movies I go out to see. Godzilla, King Kong, star wars, aliens (boy was that last one painful to sit through, I fell asleep)

a reply to: Bluntone22

I've personally stopped going to movie theaters for many reasons:

1. The prices are too high. For my wife and I to go to a movie, it'll cost us upwards of around $30 between tickets and snacks. Yes, we need snacks to go to a theater, but we usually sneak them in, because there's no way I'm buying expensive movie theater crap.

2. Most movies aren't worth the price one must pay to see them in a theater. I haven't been excited to see a new movie in years, and the few that started to get me excited(such as the DC movies) shattered my excitement once I saw casting choices, scripts, and directors. Affleck/Eisenberg/Leto cast in their roles?? Slap the person that made those decisions.

3. We have home theater systems now with blu-ray and surround sound. What is the point of going to a theater anymore when you can just watch the things at home, where you can be in your pj's, smoke and drink to your hearts content, and not have to worry about loud, obnoxious people?? Well, unless those people are in your family. lol

The town I live in lost their movie theater a couple of years ago, but sometime in the past year they brought it back. Many people were making a big deal about it, but I kept tossing these things back at them. The most constant thing they kept telling me is that they enjoy the movie theater experience, and they want their kids to have that same magic they experienced when they were kids. The problem is, though, that prices are ridiculously high, and that "magic" isn't going to last much longer. I honestly don't understand how theaters are even still around.

I'm at the point where I feel they need to skip theaters, and make their first release a digital release. Hell, stream it from specific websites designed for new releases for a time before making it available to purchase and/or watch on regular streaming sites.

originally posted by: Macenroe82
a reply to: Bluntone22

And torrents.
If there's a movie out, there's a pretty good chance that someone has already uploaded it to a torrent site.

Torrents have had little real impact, as evidenced by record breaking billion dollar turnouts for films year after year after year despite over a decade of torrents.

Only certain people even hassle with them. CAM recordings suck. Early Screener releases are few and far between....

Now the streaming sites there might be an argument there...

Yet there's still been billion dollar films every year until....

POLITICS.

Now add in what we've seen with the NFL this season.

a reply to: Bluntone22




The last movie I saw was Phoenix Forgotten. That was a good movie to see at the theater as the sound was awesome.

There was only my son and myself there, a bit strange.

The price is ridiculous, and I bring my own snacks.

I predict within 10 years, movie theatres will be fewer and a more unique/nostalgic experience. I’m a millennial and grew up with the changes to theatres. I think there are a few reasons for their decline:

1. Comfort. Theatres are loud, uncomfortable, bad temps, etc. As awful as it sounds I (and my friends) are used to having things a certain way. Sitting for 2-3 hours for some drawn out movie is boring. It’s not interactive. Our local theatres have all installed reclining seats, moving seats, etc. but it’s too little too late.

2. Takes too long. To go to a theatre, wait in line (who waits in lines anymore?) get food, etc. is too slow. I could’ve been halfway through the movie watching online.

3. Driving/parking. Driving nowadays is taking your life in your own hands. Self-driving cars will help, but the theatres will be out of business by then.

4. Home technology. My home setup rivals the audio and visual quality of a theatre. The theatre has a bigger screen of course, but just sit closer to the screen at home. Lol.

5. Politics. This is less important to young people but it can distract from the story. The last Star Wars movie was painfully pro women and minorities to the point it took me out of the plot and made me think about the movie’s production.

6. Cost. This is actually the least important thing. A lot of people have more disposable income than you might think. But, it’s obviosuly cheaper to stay home.

Just my perspective.

My last time in a cinema was in 2000. Cast away with Tom Hanks. And only because i was invited.
Problem in cinemas is the people around you, that prevent you from sinking in the movie. They talk, they make noise with their food packages. They laugh everytime the regisseur of the movie thought that the people should laugh now. If it funny or not. And often, if something really funny happens, almost nobody laughs because almost nobody understood the joke.

I bet hey don´t even watch the movies anymore, because the need to self-expose to the web, via their spyPhones, without a break. As i guess, in 2000 nobody used "pocket-brains" for selfies and posting on whatsapp, facebook, twitter and co, this epidemic was created a bit later.

Then you can´t push the pause button, if you maybe need to visit the toilet. Or you can´t rewind, because you couldn´t hear what the actors said, because of the noise from your seat neighbours. You can´t smoke a spliff to relax, while watching the movie. You never can have it as comfortable as at home, in those cinema seats.

And then you should pay up to 20 Euros to not enjoy a single movie. Movies like Part 147 of whatever movie, the next superheroe movie, the next animation movie for kids, the next disney version of former good movies, the next whatever mainstream crap.

No, thanks, i stay at home, watch movies only with the people i want to watch movies with. My screen is big enough for movies, my soundsystem shakes the whole floor. The saved money can be used to cook something really, really, qualitatively good, mountains of it, to eat while watching the movie.

Btw, i watched a movie yesterday, that, as i guess, will never reach german cinemas.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
with Harry Woodles.... Woody Harrelson xD, Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell.
IMDB

Great movie, not such a CGI rubbish without any soul, not an at high speed produced part 345 of any crap movie. No epilepsy triggering fast cuts, not a shooting every 3 minutes, not an explosion every 3 minutes, not a car chase every 3 minutes. Even it might be too much "politics" for some viewers, but that is what i call a movie!

In all seriousness, I think all of the things mentioned by people have had an effect on movie going.

Something I would add is that I would be curious to see if movie views even at home have declined too.

I think that the advent of so much other tech like social media, youtube, video games, and other type things, that people have other entertainment options.

In addition to that, it seems like television series are being chosen more often. Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Walking dead, etc., are perhaps taking the place of movies. In the past, it seems like television shows rarely had the budget that these now do. Also in the past, you couldnt watch a tv show at your convenience, you had to wait until next week and be there at a certain time.

So I think the ability to watch a well produced series that could have over 40 or 50 hours of content at a moments notice for basically free in the comfort of your own home may have also hurt theatre attendance, and movie viewing in general.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Movie theatre attendance hits 24 yr low

The platform for distribution has changed but more films are being produced than ever before, in more locations by more producers.

The digital world has changed everything. Big screene TVs, Beautiful sound 4k....etc.
And production open to anyone with a camera, a laptop and a story to tell....Join us!!



www.statista.com...

As we speak, I'm livin the dream in this crazy biz...here. Writing and looking for ideas and working on established content.

abqstudios.com...

Only 1 of 4 large studios in New Mexico. Check out Louisiana, Georgia, Vancouver, NY all cranking out content.
And the film support system is an industry all unto itself.

Hollywood is now down to #6 where shows are made. But over all content is way up nationwide.

People will always crave their Bread and Circus and we will provide the product. Livin the Dream!!!

Union proud, Union Strong...and growing

www.iatse.net...

www.sagaftra.org...

originally posted by: oriondc
1. Comfort. Theatres are loud, uncomfortable, bad temps, etc. As awful as it sounds I (and my friends) are used to having things a certain way. Sitting for 2-3 hours for some drawn out movie is boring. It’s not interactive. Our local theatres have all installed reclining seats, moving seats, etc. but it’s too little too late.

4. Home technology. My home setup rivals the audio and visual quality of a theatre. The theatre has a bigger screen of course, but just sit closer to the screen at home. Lol.

6. Cost. This is actually the least important thing. A lot of people have more disposable income than you might think. But, it’s obviosuly cheaper to stay home.

These are the ones that make me not go to theaters. I haven't gone to a traditional theater for at least 15 years. I will go to my town's drive in theater. (yes they still exist) It is a great experience.

For me, comfort is one of the biggest. I want to be able to sit there in my pajamas and have my snack in the comfort of my recliner. No need to worry who spilled what on my seat and my feet don't stick to the floor. If I want to drink booze, no problem. If I need to go to the bathroom or need another drink I can just hit pause.

Cost is my next one. Tickets are too expensive for what you get out of the experience. I don't worry as much about the cost of the food. One thing I learned from the owner of the drive in is that the theater makes virtually nothing off the ticket sale. All their money comes from concession sales. So if you want your theater to stay in business, you have to buy your popcorn there.

My tech doesn't rival the theater, but it's good enough for my needs.

You mentioned disposable income, that really doesn't affect things like this. People will always find money for entertainment and luxuries. When someone loses a job, what's the first thing they start talking about cutting spending on? Usually it's food, gas, etc. It's not luxuries, it's the basics. If someone wants to go to the movies, they will find the money for it.

I do think politics is affecting things. I don't think that people want to politics in their entertainment. They want to get away from all that political crap. That's the reason that NFL viewership is down. I don't think the main reason is that the viewers are all super patriotic, I think it's because football was a way to escape from the politics. They could root for their team and rag on the opposing team's fans. No politics, not racism, no sexism, all good clean fun.

a reply to: olaru12

The article is about theatre attendance only.

When netflix makes shows like stranger things and then makes movies ad well its bound to hit attendance levels.

The old hollywood way is the one taking the biggest hit.