Movie theatre attendance hits 24 yr low

a reply to: Bluntone22

I think much of this has absolutely nothing to do with the film industry specifically, but far more to do with finances.

People are strapped for cash, they do not have stacks of money with which to go out to town, spend over an hours wages on the capacity to sit down in a theatre and watch a movie once.

That is what it costs where I live, about an hours wages, assuming you are lucky enough to be paid even halfway sensibly for what you do. Folk who are massive fans of film and related media, are finding it hard to afford to see the movies they want to see. If the price comes down so that it is a trifling affair to take oneself, and perhaps a date or ones family, to a film, rather than an expenditure which might push a person into the red, then perhaps the movie going public will spend more time in theatres.

But until either people are paid more (without the price of a ticket going up), or the price of a ticket moves downward, to a level familiar to movie goers of perhaps two decades ago, I do not see this changing overmuch. The smart money waits for a movie to come out on Blue Ray, then purchases a movie they can see again and again, for the price of a single cinema ticket.

originally posted by: Grambler
a reply to: Bluntone22

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

You mean Russians, right?

Do Hollywood still make movies? I thought it was all just, you know, resisting, or something?

a reply to: Bluntone22


Another thing that has turned me off of going to movie theaters is the 15 - 25 minutes of "previews and commercials" prior to the actual moving starting. If I want to watch commercials, I can just stay home and not have to pay to see them. The last movie that I went to (The Shape of Water) had 25 minutes of previews. I almost forgot what movie I had even come to see. Then when I saw this particular movie, I wished I hadn't.... Waste of time, wait for the movies to come out later in some form of digital format.

I think it is cost. The tickets and the gouging concession stand prices are absurd. It literally cost about $50 bucks for two people to see a movie between tickets and concessions (box of candy, popcorn, and drinks). Throw in eating out prior to and you could be talking more than $100 bucks.

Wife and I use to go during matinee times to save some money.

The other issue is technology and that movies are released so fast to on demand or DVD, why bother going to the movie theater when you can watch it at home on your 65 inch HD TV with surround sound? Some people have better movie accommodations at home than in theaters.

I used to love going to the movies as a teen (and making out in the back w/ the girlfriend), but I think those days are long gone.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Lets just go back to drive ins. Those were awesome 2 filcks , you can smoke , and fart, and fight with your wife.

I dont know why they went away.

a reply to: Bluntone22

I agree with you 110 percent if that's physically possible.

I loved The Dark Knight but even Stevie Wonder could see the patriot act allegory, and we all know the US military plays a part in Hollywood. I live in a town without a theater so I have to wait for Blu-rays and that would be cheaper than going the next town over and paying for tickets and buying snacks.

If there were more drive in theaters (remember those? Pepperidge farm remembers) then the box office might pick up, but time's are a changin'.

a reply to: notsure1

Well, if people were permitted to have altercations during the movie, rather than being knocked unconscious, bound and gagged for the remaining duration of the movie, then I can see why they may have fallen out of favour.

Some people should not even be allowed to consume snacks during a movie, because they cannot do so without ruining it for everyone else, leave alone have a screaming match with their partner while others try to enjoy the movie.

originally posted by: notsure1
a reply to: Bluntone22

Lets just go back to drive ins. Those were awesome 2 filcks , you can smoke , and fart, and fight with your wife.

I dont know why they went away.

I live within a half mile of a drive in theatre.
It's $5 per person.
Great for families.

Closed for the season of course.
They had to buy a $10k digital projector a couple years ago.

a reply to: Pandaram

Are you referring to "Gravity"? I generally dislike the movies but I liked that one...to each his/her own I guess.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Just to add, most of my friends have cocooned with home theatre systems. Buy a movie and invite friends over for a movie night. Theatres are too "public" and you never know whats around you.

It's cost. I agree with those above. Nothing to do with quality of movies (which is declining) or 'sjw messaging' (which is just utterly absurd). It's pure cost. Way too expensive to go to the cinema these days.

originally posted by: TonyS
a reply to: Bluntone22

Just to add, most of my friends have cocooned with home theatre systems. Buy a movie and invite friends over for a movie night. Theatres are too "public" and you never know whats around you.

That's a sad commentary on American culture! Fear of the "public"....

That deserves its own thread...

and possibility a TV documentary, or feature film....this is why Im on ATS. Thanks

a reply to: olaru12

It is a very real thing and it not anything new. In fact, based upon my friends reports, its getting worse. People are definitely "grouping" for safty's sake. The newest big trend is child abduction in public places and in broad daylight.

originally posted by: TonyS
a reply to: olaru12

It is a very real thing and it not anything new. In fact, based upon my friends reports, its getting worse. People are definitely "grouping" for safty's sake. The newest big trend is child abduction in public places and in broad daylight.

Thanks, my writing team is on it like a duck on a June bug....

We really like the "grouping" concept!! bigly!!

a reply to: olaru12

I don't think it's fear of the public.
It's more like the annoyance of the public.

They don't shut up.
They wear to much perfume and cologne.
They feed their kid a gallon of soda and he has to pee every 10 minutes.

I went to the last star wars and the fool sitting beside me laughed out loud at all the terrible jokes in the movie.

Yeah, it's annoyance.

a reply to: olaru12

Use search term "mother saves daughter", you get:
m.nydailynews.com...

expand the search term "from abduction""""""
thegrio.com...

www.kctv5.com...

originally posted by: TonyS
a reply to: olaru12

Use search term "mother saves daughter", you get:
m.nydailynews.com...

expand the search term "from abduction""""""
thegrio.com...

www.kctv5.com...

Whoa! Thanks for that additional material. Want screen credit? Pilot season is upon us...we can spin off that clip into a 23min episode.

Tag line..."Not today Mother ******"

TonyS, you have good writing skills. www.abovetopsecret.com...

Try this...join us!!

www.celtx.com...

a reply to: olaru12

Don't need a screen credit. Love the tag line.

The child abduction/trafficking problem is HUGE!

a reply to: Bluntone22

I have not been to a movie in like a year. I was going all the time in the summer, just because its so hot here in So Cali, you cant really be outside during the day when its 110. Lately there really has not been anything I had to see, although I really did want to see, Stephen Kings IT when it came out. It is on Blu Ray now. I have XB1X and it has a 4k bluray player, and a 60" 4ktv so I am going to buy the movie, and it will still be less than if my partner and I had seen it in the theater.


I am going to see Star Wars this weekend though, at City Walk, Universal. They have the biggest IMAX in the U.S. there, I want to see that in IMAX 3D. That is going to be fantastic. Movies like Star Wars, Gravity, movies with a lot of affects, are just better in the theater.

originally posted by: TonyS
a reply to: olaru12

Don't need a screen credit. Love the tag line.

The child abduction/trafficking problem is HUGE!

I know...I've already worked on a show with that theme.

www.imdb.com...