On hating the movie theater industry

The BBQ Pit
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I live in (Location) Southern California, which should mean that I should be able to see any movie I damn well please that’s been released recently in a theater. In fact, there was a Super Saver nearby that showed second run films for a mere two dollars, as long as you didn’t mind the fact that it appeared to have been decorated by a blind man in a discotheque surplus warehouse.

But no. No more. The Super Saver’s closed, so now I have to pay the full $8.50 to see anything, even if it’s a film that’s so bad that everybody knows the director should be paying the audience to see it. They claim it’s because of waning interest, to which I respond with several choice cursewords because it’s always been at least halfway full every time I went there.

No problem, you’d think. There’s plenty of theaters around. And there are! But - and it’s a big but, and I cannot lie - they’ve all been bought by the same company. Regal, Edwards, and UA are now the same corporation, so they’re all going to show the same movies forever. It also probably means that they’re going to raise the prices (again) so that they all charge the same. That covers nearly every theater in a 10-mile radius from my house, and all the other, smaller ones show the same films for even more beacuse they have to compete with the fact that they’re not making the same money as the Megacorporation.

But still, there should be a good selection of movies, eh? Nope. A full two-page spread in the paper listing nearly every theater house in two counties in small print has about 15 different movies in it - all the latest releases plus reshowings of the Oscar winners.

Why am I ranting? Because if the theaters are going to show all the same movies, they might as well show good ones. Tonight my friend and I took my brother to see Death to Smoochy, because he hadn’t seen it. That was released, what, four weeks ago? The only theater within reason (a 30-screener, and thankfully not within the Megacorp) shows it all of twice a day. How many times does it show Clockstoppers? Eleven fricking times. Is there five times the demand for a warmed-over Ducktales episode as there is for Smoochy? If there is, I’m lead to Curly-style self abuse in frustration with the average moviegoer’s taste.

I need a hug, a stiff drink, and a bigger home DVD collection if this is the kind of thing that I’m going to expect from the movie industry. Not necessarily in that order.

Oh yeah, and this is my first Pit post. Hi.

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Sounds like a conspiracy. I like some of the stuff at those Lemmle’s (most likely misspelled).

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While I would never venture to guess what the average moviegoer’s taste is, I will say that there’s plenty of art-house corporations (oxymoron?) that show decent films.

I don’t know if you live near any of these. Check it out. http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/LosAngeles/LosAngeles_Frameset.htm
It ain’t cheap, but worth the effort.

…okay, okay, I fess up. I work for that corporation. Please don’t kill me! I still think the movies they show are more often than not worthwhile.

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We have a group locally called Flics which you can join on a yearly basis. Cost is $40 per year for 15 films. Granted, the films are picked for you but they are all fairly good stuff…a bit dated (2 to 3 years old) but still good stuff.

If I don’t like that, there’s AMC or TCM (I just subscribe to Basic cable). We also get Bravo if you like arty films. Failing that there’s a drug store nearby which rents DVD’s or VCR tapes for a buck-a-nite.

However, if you have to see it right now then I guess you’ll have to spend your 8.50 plus 14.00 for popcorn and 7.50 for a coke. :eek: :rolleyes:

I know it’s tuff, even the porno theatres have closed. :o

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A lot of this may have to do with the contracts the theater corporations sign with the distributors.
They must guarantee a certain number of screens.

MY rant is the companies that edit film run times so the movie house can squeeze in an extra show a day.