How Often Do You Go See A Movie In A Movie Theater?

Cafe Society
#1

That is the question.

We go almost every Friday (our mutual day off) and usually hit one of the earliest showings, about noon or so, when even the blockbuster films are not filled theaters. It has become sort of a tradition for us, which usually means come Oscar time, we have seen almost all of the nominees.

We are pretty open to seeing most major films. The reason I ask is that I am constantly amazed at the wide range of movie goers we see - young and old, male and female…we are beginning to notice the same people showing up as often as we do. And it seems like more and more people are going to the movies - maybe it has something to do with the economy and this is something that doesn’t cost a fortune and provides an excuse to get out once in awhile?

So, how often do you go see films at your local movie theater?
(And if the answer is “almost never”, do you rent them on DVD instead, or wait for cable, or just never watch films?)

#2

Not very often. Once or twice a year at best.

I see more films on planes than I do at the cinema.

#3

Not nearly as often as I would like. I go to the theater once a month at most, more often only every couple of months.

I would love to go much more frequently, but my schedule just doesn’t allow it. I much prefer watching movies in a theater rather than at home. At home, there are always a million distractions. In the theater, I can be completely absorbed into the movie.

#4

Somewhere between 6 and 10 times a year. I’d like to go more often, but my movie-going pal lives quite a ways away, and we only see each other once a month or so.

#5

About three or four times a year. Not from a lack of love for movies, financial constraints, or lack of good movies to see, but due to time constraints. I usually get to a theater on vacation, I get three to four weeks of vacation a year… voila.

Before I started school, I was seeing one or two movies a week in the local art theater, as well as a mainstream movie every couple of weeks. I’m hoping to get back to that, eventually-- I love seeing movies theatrically. The worst movie can be a great experience in a theater. (For a few years, I saw over 300 theatrical releases a year… not all quality, but a fun experience.) I watch a new DVD or two a week, so my consumption of films hasn’t changed much, but despite access to projectors, widescreens, HDTVs, and HD media in general, I still prefer theatrical projections.

#6

I’m not a fan of going to movie theaters. I go once a year, maybe. I’ll only go for a matinee, too. Haven’t been to a movie house after dark in many years. All the people just drive me nuts. (Either manners are getting worse or my tolerance is getting lower) While I do, indeed, enjoy the huge screen experience, it’s unfortunately not enough to outweigh the rest. I prefer to immerse myself into the movie at home, plus I am a total geek and love the DVD extra features and usually enjoy the director’s commentaries. I keep my Netflix account busy, I am not someone they make money on.

#7

I avoid it as much as I can. I think I’ve been to three movies this year so far. I had planned to see a few more, but when it came to it I couldn’t be bothered with the effort as too often I come away upset and irritated.

#8

Never again…

I am a huge appreciator of film, interested in it on a technical level, as well as a performance and entertainment level. There was a time when I could enjoy a good film with friends and then have a late meal and discuss the themes and symbolism all night. Movie going was a large part of my life.

I can no longer stand paying the amount of money that I have to pay so that I can baby-sit someone else’s children, or teach basic courses on civility, or assist someone in finding their cell phone power button in the dark.

The last film that I watched in the theater was No Country For Old Men. For the first 15 minutes there was someone standing by the entrance to the theater with the door open screaming into a cell phone. I finally got up and walked to the door and screamed in his ear to “shut the fuck up!” About thirty minutes later two men who appeared to be street bums wandered in with cans of beer, swigging from them and jawing back and forth at one another as if they were trying to be heard on the floor of The New York Stock Exchange. They wouldn’t shut up no matter how much you screamed at them and after thirty-five minutes, the police arrived (likely just prior to me killing the both of them).

I’ll probably make myself go to James Cameron’s Avatar next year, but other than that, it just isn’t worth it. I’ll wait until it comes out on DVD.

#9

Very rarely. So far this year I’ve gone three times, which is insanely much for me. I think I went once in 2007.

One was when we didn’t find enough players to play Magic, so we went to see the new Indiana Jones movie instead. Another was Dark Knight- no way was I waiting for that one. The third was - well, Dark Knight again. I had spent the day cleaning and wanted a reward, and the movie was just that fucking good.

I rent movies instead.

#10

I’ve seen five movies so far this year.

I have a three-year-old.

Those two facts are connected.

#11

I go about 50 to 60 times a year. I love going to the movies. I avoid the sessions that will be full of teens (although I see plenty of movies they don’t go to anyhow) and although I used to sit and silently fume when people were noisy, now I ask them to either stop or move away from me. So far so good. Since I even object to the sounds of people eating I mostly sit away from the mob who seem to favour the back of the theatre anyway.

#12

All the time, sometimes several times a week. Last year I saw over 150 movies in the theater. It helps that I live in a city where there is a lot of variety, I have no kids or dogs that tie me to home, I get a lot of free passes, I don’t mind paying for movies, since it’s quality (usually) entertainment for a fairly low price, my husband likes going out to the movies as much as I do, and I often see at least 2 and sometimes 3 or more each time I go. So far in the last monthish I’ve seen (all are paid for, unless otherwise noted):

IOUSA
Annie Hall (at a revival theater)
Death Race (sue me, I like Jason Statham and Joan Allen)
Pineapple Express
Transsiberian
Tropic Thunder (twice)
Baghead
American Teen
Sixty Six (free)
Bottle Shock
Vicky Christina Barcelona
Hamlet 2 (free)
Mamma Mia! (sing-a-long version)
Elegy
Traitor
Frozen River
I Served The King Of England
Burn After Reading (twice, one free, one paid)
Righteous Kill
Ghost Town (free)
Man On Wire
Choke (free, but I’ll pay to see it again)
The Pool

Tomorrow, if things work out, I’ll be seeing Lakeview Terrace and something else, not sure what (maybe The Dark Knight again, because I want to see it again before it leaves the theaters)

Wednesday I have a free pass to The Duchess and I’ll likely see something else after it’s over. Maybe Tropic Thunder for a 3rd time, or maybe The Women (I’m sure it’s crap, but I do like the actresses involved).

Next week I have planned:

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (free screening)
Appaloosa (free screening)

These are playing and I want to see them very badly, so I’ll probably go within the next week:

Towelhead
Hounddog
Tell No One
Trouble the Water

I kinda want to sorta see, but they’re way WAY down on the list of priorities:

Bangkok Dangerous
The House Bunny

Opening Friday, and I know I’ll go see (in the order I want to see them):
**
Miracle at St. Anna
Battle in Seattle
Nights in Rodanthe
Eagle Eye**

#13

I go with friends every Friday night, after dinners and shopping at Borders. Typically we’ll see popular movies. Occasionally I will also go with my mom or another friend on the weekend, although this was more frequent when I had a free movie pass. On non Fridays it’s more of either mom-flicks or indies.

#14

I saw 20 films in the cinema last year; this year there’s not nearly so much that seems appealing and I’ve only gone 6 times so far.
I’d go weekly, or even more frequently, if there were movies I wanted to see. Glancing through a list of upcoming releases, I don’t see very much for the rest of the year, although I admit I don’t know much about quite a few of them…

#15

Almost never; people are just too rude.

I watch them on DVD.

#16

Never. And that makes me sad.

The last couple times I’ve gone to the local theater, it was miserable. We have two theaters in town. One has been here since the 50s, but they remodeled it about 15 years ago and took it from being two screens to being about 5. They didn’t sufficiently soundproof between theaters, so you can hear the movie next door through the wall. They also put in chairs that are meant to recline. Most of them are broken, making it hard to find two comfortable chairs together.

The other theater is newer, and doesn’t have the sound/chair problem, but tends to have other problems. Last time I was there, the voice track kept cutting out of the film. Over and over and over, it happened. Finally halfway through we walked out - we were seeing half a movie, not the whole thing.

Previous to that we’d had other problems in the same theater. I can’t recall what it was right now, but it was bad enough that we’ve sworn off seeing movies in theaters in this town.

Were we in a larger place with better theaters, we’d go pretty often.

#17

Once a year, often less. The only two movies I’ve seen in theaters in the past three years are Borat (my choice) and some Spiderman movie that my then-girlfriend’s little daughter wanted to see.

#18

Never for a couple decades now. I hate theaters that much. I will wait to see it at home no matter what it is.

#19

It depends. Averaged out over the year, probably 20-25.

It depends on the season – I am way more interested in the movies that come out in fall and winter than I am in the summer blockbusters – and it depends who I’m socializing with a lot. One of my favorite “let’s go see a movie – what’s playing?” pals just broke up with his gf of three years, so I’m guessing that and the seasonal change mean that it’s going to be a good fall for it.

#20

I try to go every week, but some times there just isn’t anything worth my seven bucks.

I now work from home and due to other issues have been home since the beginning of June and I find that for my own emotional health it is good to get out of the house a few times a week, so I try to go to the movies once a week and do other interesting things.