If they kicked people out for being obnoxious or being on their phones maybe the theatre would be a better time
Yeah, that’s my main reason for not going to the cinema. I like the atmosphere and I can afford it, but why would I spend so much money just to have the experience spoiled by a bunch of brats jumping around and being annoying.
It’s been 2 or more years since i went to a movie theater. Even then it was at most twice a year if that before. Movie theaters suck, too many commercials, too dirty, too expensive food, and the annoyance of audiences. At home i have a big projector, more comfortable movie chairs, and cheaper food i prepare, and no annoying audience members. What’s in it for me to return? The movies coming out these days are pretty boring, why not just stay home, watch movies there? Like the drive-in theater, this venue perhaps has seen it’s day and time to move on.
So long as my local theater has reserved seating, I’ll continue to show up 20 minutes late, skip all the actual TV commercials, and be just in time for the movie.
Maybe they should start with “what do audiences want” versus “how can we make more money”?
Only one of the interviewees said location. That would be key for me. If the theater was close by and integrated integrated into daily life, I’d probably go a lot more often. Instead, all of the theaters are way out on the edge of town, often in some grotty commercial area where the land is cheap enough for the obligatory huge parking lot. It’s a commitment to get there, as in, you intend to go to a movie and only to a movie, because there’s nothing else to do nearby. No dinner and a movie, no random matinee as a break from the office grind, no movie followed by hanging out with friends at the bar across the street. I might as well watch at home.
How about reasonable prices on snacks? Why is a 12oz can of soda $10? They’re literally just $1 from the vending machine next door. Ticket prices are pretty reasonable (though, on the rare occasion I go out, I almost always go to the cheaper matinee showings in the early afternoons), but the food prices are fucked.
