nachomc

iTrader: (7)

So far this year, I've seen two movies in theatres at two different theatres, in two different cities. Though the films were great, as was the company, the overall experience of going to a theatre just isn't worth it anymore.

Here were the problems.

1. The movie was $9.25. That's way too much money. It makes me feel old saying something like this, but I remember when movies were only $6.25, and this was just a few years ago. The rise in ticket prices seems as though it's far more than that of inflation, and looking around the theatre, I don't see any service upgrades. There's no guy in the bathroom to dry my hands, no red carpet on which I can walk and the theatres themselves are just as clean (or, rather, dirty) as they were back when the tickets were $6.25.

2. How much is that soda? That water? $4.00 for a water?! Holy ****! I'm past the days of sneaking taco bell in to the theatre, or wearing pants so baggy I can get a few bottles of soda in for me and friends and it's not that we can't afford to pay $4.00 for water. But when I can walk right up the street and buy the same water (or bigger) for 1/3 (or less) the cost, it pains me to pay that. I know I'm being ripped off and it's bs. Sodas, popcorn and candy are no different, they're all a rip.

3. Jack asses.
a. At the first movie we saw, a couple rows up was some kid and an older guy wearing a beret. The pair looked like some kind of "older brother" organization ad. Throughout the film, the kid would loudly clap at moments that none was needed, or yell things like "you go, girl!!!!". Now, I have no problem with telling some young kid, or the older person he's with to STFU, but my gf didn't want me to make a scene so I held back and had my movie (for which I paid $9.25) interrupted by some punk kid.

b. At the film tonight, we're about 1/4 of the way in, when some kid walks in. He walks to the front of the theatre, faces the crowd and yells "JORDAN!!!". He was looking for his friend, and, apparently, it was so important that he decided to interrupt the movie for EVERYONE to get him. What an inconsiderate piece of ****. And the sucky thing is, I could go down to the floor and slam him in to the wall and tell him to shut the **** up or I'll shut him the **** up, but then I interrupt the movie and am just as bad as him. In addition, I miss the film. The same issue (me missing more of the film) exists if I go out and get the managers attention. So I do nothing, because doing nothing benefits me more than beating this dumb kid. Then at the end of the film, we exit, and I see this kids friends jumping around like morons on some booster seats stacked outside. When did it become cool to be a ****ing idiot with no respect? I missed the memo I guess.

Given outrageously high costs at the ticket booth and even higher costs at the concession stand, and the fact that going to the theatre means you have to deal with dip****s who posess no sence of common courtesy, I'm wondering why not just stay in? At home we have a 46" widescreen with good quality sound, the fridge (usually fairly stocked) contains alcohol, soda, water and all manner of food, the bathroom is just a few feet away (and I can pause it when I go!), and I enjoy the choicest of seating - right on my big plushy couch - with no worries of catching lice from some dirty **** who sat there before me or some other wierd **** left before my arrival. OH, and the temperature is always JUST right.

In fact, I think I am just going to start staying home. I feel sorta bad for the theatres, but this is their own fault. They have signs posted everywhere asking you not to record movies or download them, yet they do nothing to give you any reason not to. I think I'll sign up with NetFlix and just start catching movies on their DVD release dates.

/rant

Aithien

iTrader: (3)

If you go AMC Mercado in Santa Clara down here in the Bay Area, you can bring your own food and drinks into the theater.

Ticket prices are $9 for adults, but bring ANY student ID you can find and you can get it for $8. As for the chaos, it's not as bad with this theater. I usually tend to watch my movies around 10-12am period as the number of teeny-boppers who have to call mom to get a ride home are much lower in numbers.

Littleboyblue

I have to agree with you completely. I cannot stand those young teenagers that think its funny to disrupt the film. If this was 40 yrs ago, I would teach those kids a lesson. Now if I touch them, their parents will probably sue me. Thanks California! Its also,so damn expensive to go the movies. If you bring a date, it will cost $20 for the tickets and another $10-$15 for the drinks and food. I would rather just watch the movie at home. For the same price as a ticket, I could buy the movie on dvd! There are only a select few that I will go see in the theatre (Spiderman 2).

sybir

iTrader: (45)

We'll get the new surround setup and it'll be better then the theater for real, dude.
What'd you think of the movie, besides harboring homicidal urges?
(not the best movie to have them at )

KurleeDaddeeWRX

iTrader: (26)

The last time I went to the movie theater was when I went to see Lord of the Rings #2 at Winchester Theaters when the Superbowl was on TV. The theater was almost empty. My girlfriend, her mom, and I had choice seats. We started watching the movie, and a Chinese family came into the theater. They had the entire theater to choose a seat to sit in. Where did the choose to sit? Right next to me. W T F? I had to listen to one of them interpretating English to Chinese for 3 fuqing hours. That is the last time I will EVER go to see a movie at the theater. Only until the last Star Wars comes out.

Kurlee Daddee
(THE ORIGINAL)

mexicanpizza

iTrader: (9)

ROFL that is my personal nightmare. bahahahhaha !!!!!!!111oneone

Nice post sonic....I agree completely!

dub2w

The worst is when you pay that kind of money for a movie like Van Helsing. Aweful movie

redrex

iTrader: (9)

You're absolutely right Matt, we are getting less for our money now when it comes to movie theatres. To try and avoid the crowded theatres and irritating people, I usually go late Sunday nights if I want to watch a movie w/ my wife. BTW, I do remember those days when movie tickets were just $6.25 ($4.00 for matinee!!!) I guess since the movies and actors are demanding more money, the movie theathres have no choice but to raise prices. Too bad the quality of movies coming out are going down for the most part.

-Soren

bluwrxwgn

iTrader: (3)

Never go to the Capitol 16 theaters on Capitol Expressway. It's the most ghetto movie theater in the area. I've only gone there cause friends wanted to go there cause it was closer to their houses. Well watching Freddy vs. Jason a group of kids come in half way during the movie and sit on the stairs next to me. They start talking and being loud, so finally I yelled at em STFU and they looked all freaked out and left. Then some other jackass was talking to his friend and I yelled at him too. I could careless. I went there to watch a movie, not listen to some jackass talk. And I picked my times to be yell at them. Right at a lull point in the movie.

odyss3y

iTrader: (1)

if youre unhappy, go to the customer service stand and get your $ back, or more free tickets (making your $9.00 movie a $4.50 movie). if they are rolling in the dough like we think they are, they will have no problem keeping a customer happy this way. just be able to cite examples of why the movie was ruined.

OneManArmy

iTrader: (7)

my solution....I am a huge fan of the drive ins man. I go to the drive ins in santa cruz pretty often.

Only risk you take at those is the fog. Last time I was there the fog rolled in hard and heavy and it sucked...but it was the second movie...so how much can you complain when you watch 2 movies for 6 bucks with your own food and drink. And if you so choose you can make out all you want and no one can say a damn thing...haaaaa.

I rarely go to the movies these days because I usually pay for everything so if I take my girl to the movies it cost me whatever we just ate for dinner so thats from $25-65 on average. Then the movies.....go to union city and with 2 tickets. One icee. one drink. maybe pop corn and you're out like $35 bucks. So I just spent $100 to get annoyed by some dumb *** kid kicking my seat or some stupid ghetto fool yapping through my whole movie and answering phone calls and eat an average meal. I'd rather take that $100 and not go to 3 movies and go stay in a hotel in monterey for a couple days on the water...which we did this spring. Or go to a bomb *** restaurant and watch movies at home...which do.

Beyond that most movies seats suck and I end up with a sore back at the end having to pee like no other.

I pick my movies like this.

Is seeing it on big screen necessary....in other words is the visual impact of the movie needing the surround and the big screen or can I sit at home on my couch and enjoy it just about as much.

Movies like "In America" or love movies...sappy movies...dramas. Usually don't need the big screen so I skip em.

if it's a movie like X men or Troy or a some crazy action/war movie that will benefit from the theater and I don't have to worry about crying and looking like a damn fool then I go to the theatres.

Other factor is the like factor. Does this movie have a risk of sucking. Is is something I've been waiting for. Like Spiderman. Pirates of the Caribean. stuff like that. Then I go.

otherwise I just rent it....which by the way is getting more and more rediculous. $5 a movie plus $5 a day for late fees> **** that.

I am about to get netfliks man. Blockbuster is a joke. They are a damn monopoly and they bend you over like every other monopoly.

En3D

iTrader: (12)

Mercado sucks. I avoid it at all cost and it is the closest theater to me. We go to the Mt. View one. Plus we only see movies that are "worth it" to see which is like 2 or 3 a year.

My wife and I use our student IDs from college (they are like 10 years old) and still work. and bring our food/water. The last time we went to the movies with friends they had a meal there and spent almost $30 for dogs, popcorn, candy and drinks. We were amazed.

shadowcat

Hmm, you give up WAY too easily.

I've done the following:

1) turned to the idiot teens and say "This ain't your living room, STFU." Of course, this only works if you can be intimidating.

2) go to manager, get him to kick out the teens, and get free tickets besides. Even though I miss part of the movie, I get free tickets, I can always get caught up on what I missed, AND the kids lose their money as they miss the movie. Revenge can be rewarding

3) go early (matinee prices, AND not a lot of kids).

4) go to better theatres with better clientelle (I have paid extra to have a better theatre-going experience).

Some movies are just meant for the big screen, and unless you have a DLP home theatre setup, or a 50" plasma, with theatre level surround sound, you miss out on a lot of the experience.

Food prices.. well, I always bring my own drinks or a snack. Why buy overpriced food when you can get it for cheap? Unless I'm fiending for nachos, about the only thing I buy is a drink, and only if I forget to bring my own. Otherwise, it's not important enough, and you can always eat before or after the movie.

... but hey, it's your money.

shadowcat

dub2w

It is all about the matinees. for movies like LOTR, nothing beats the theater experience. it is well worth $10 a head.

i always bring in my food and drink. true story... I was at a theater on Fillmore in SF watching that Migration flick. I had some beers, and no opener. After succesfully opening the first bottle with the seat, i couldnt open the second one for the life of me. a dude behind me, donning some fatty dreadlocks, taps me on shoulder and asks me if i need to open my "beverage" (think Samual L Jackson from Pulp Fiction). I say sure, hand him my beer, and he cracks it open with his teeth!! i look at my gf, shrug my shoulders (ok, not literally) and quaffed it down.

it was a memorable experience

Darwin

Who needs to sneak in food-water? you just carry it in. the low-wage drones working at the theater don't give a ****.

full-price novies are rediculous. I see 98% of my movies at matinee prices, and then only ones that really benefit from the big screen.