To add, if they don’t tell you upfront about the surge pricing, but only tell you when you get to the theater to check in, that would be the first legitimately objectionable restriction. I’d be pretty annoyed. Hopefully you can see it in the app. Apparently you can bypass the whole thing if you pay quarterly/annually, but then you run the risk of moviepass dying before that contract is finished.
The one movie per day is a limit per calendar day, right? Not 24 hours? So you can see a movie at 9pm one day and then 6pm the next?
Per calendar day, yes.
Surge pricing has started, and unless it’s just how it’s being tested, it’s a complete lie from how it was described. The claim that surge pricing would be added only when movies hit a certain amount sold is bullshit, as all the big new releases and blockbusters were listed as peak pricing from noon-midnight nationwide, clearly it has nothing do with demand.
I’ve been a defender of them for a while and get great use from the service, but this is a shitty bait and switch move.
I think MoviePass may be on their last legs. It was great when it was a niche service for movie buffs for several years. But their decisions over the past 18 months or so have been inexplicable and frequently disastrous. I got my MoviePass card in 2014. It was great while it lasted.
Well, they’re clearly on their last legs. I’ve seen too many firms - and been a part of a few - that go into ‘innovation mode’ when things are approaching the end. They keep trying more and different things to try to find something to sustain them.
I don’t think it’ll work, mind. And I don’t think a buyout will occur. What would be the angle for a firm to buy them out? Their business model isn’t sustainable and the big chains are getting involved in developing their own similar product. Hell, I haven’t picked up MoviePass because the writing’s been on the wall for a while. But I might get Regal’s as 90% of my movie going - and I see a lot of movies - is at the local Regal about 10 miles away. It locks me into going to Regal but that’s not really a big issue. It’s not like we’re in the olden times where movies would only play at a specific chain. Regal, Cinemark, whatever…the movie I want to see will, with great confidence, be at Regal.
Now, could MoviePass try to make themselves the go-to for smaller chains and independents that can’t afford to develop their own app? Possibly so. But I don’t know that the market would sustain them as-is.
Has Regal announced a similar service? I hadn’t heard about that.
The surge pricing does not really affect us, as we almost always watch movies early in the afternoon. Still annoying to have to pay attention to. But what the hey, we’re still taking advantage of the service until MoviePass’ last gasp.
Maybe it would help their finances if they did not invest in stinkers like Gotti.
As an annual subscriber I’m immune to surge pricing - at least until my year is up and I resubscribe under new terms.
The good news is that I doubt they’ll be around by the time my year is up!
I just nudged over into “made my money back” territory on the pass, so it’s all gravy from here on out.
I dunno, their demise has been predicted for a long time now, but they keep on ticking.
Yes, the demise of MoviePass has been predicted for a long time and yet they’re like the Energizer Bunny. But, The Hollywood Reporter had an article last week about a filing the company made earlier this month in which it announced its intention to raise $1.2 billion (when the current market cap is only $47 million). The article says, “According to the filing, MoviePass will run a cash deficit of $45 million this month and ran one of $45 million last month, too, while the company has only $45.9 million in cash and money owed to it by merchants.” So at the present burn rate, the company will be out of cash by the end of this quarter.
Eh, if they go bust, they go bust. Meanwhile, we’ll be taking advantage of membership until such time.
I’m seeing complaints that if you change devices or have to reset your password, the app locks you out for 30 days.
Yes! Happened to us. It would not work on the wife’s phone, so she tried signing in on mine. A message appeared asking if she was sure she wanted to do that, because she would be locked into that device for the next 30 days. Said okay, otherwise no ticket. So we just used my phone for both, then after 30 days she switched back to her phone. It worked again, but a similar message.
So you’re not locked out of MoviePass for 30 days, just locked into whichever device you’re trying to use.
Yep. My biggest concern with the yearly subscription was not getting my money’s worth. I’ve crossed that line and now we’re into pure profit. They could go bust tomorrow and I wouldn’t be too upset. If they stick around through the new year I’ll be thrilled.
I already got back a year’s worth within the first month I started using the service in October! Since then I’ve gotten an additional $1,100+ worth (72 films) of savings! I wish now I signed up for the annual plan, as then the surge pricing wouldn’t affect me, but I’ll just either wait to see big releases or buy tickets in the morning. (The way they are implementing the “surge pricing” is still shitty though.)
Mrs. Cups and I signed up for A-List the day it came out and we’ve used it about 6 times each. It’s a super easy, no hassle way of seeing movies and it’s just as good as advertised.
Funnily enough, they stress that you need your ID when you come in for your ticket, but we’ve literally never been ID’d once. I think it’s because the usher can’t tell the difference between an A-list movie on my phone or just a regular ticket I bought on my phone.
Either way, it’s been no hassle and we’re loving it.
Our neighbor was offered the annual deal, but I guess the wife and I don’t rate that, as we’ve heard nada. 
I got the stub picture thing tonight, which annoys me. I figured high volume users would get it, since they were more likely to have abused the service. I barely see 2 movies a month, the odds of me abusing anything are pretty slim, so it’s just an unjustified hassle.
Whelp, this might just be it. Moviepass has filed with the SEC that there has been a service interruption due to lack of funds.
Last night around 5:30pm or so, all cards started being declined nationwide, and today the service is still down (with all showing of Mission Impossible 6 greyed out and unable to be purchased even if the check in worked.) E-ticketing theaters still work, but I would now be surprised if they last til Monday. I just bought an E-ticket for MI:6 tonight, it might well be my last Moviepass film.
My first movie was “American Made” and possibly my last might be MI:6! Tom Cruise seems to have bookended my Moviepass life.