I enjoy going to the movies, and do once a month or so. I don’t like paying the higher prices though so I tend to go when before noon, when I can see a movie for $6, or after work when I can get in to some movie theaters for $8. I don’t feel most movies are worth the $12 or so it costs now to get in to see them.
SO and I love going to actual movie theaters to see movies.
We are lucky to be living in Las Vegas - many locals’ casinos have multiplex theaters and way cheaper prices if you go before 4:00 PM…and considering I have Fridays off, we usually go to an early showing of a new film about 1:00 PM on a Friday. Rarely is the theater even 1/3 full at that time of day on a Friday, even for opening day of blockbusters…and the theaters are all relatively new and quite comfortable with great sound systems and large screens.
We have a Regal card - and simply by swiping it every time we see a film or buy popcorn and drink, we get occasional little perks - a free movie ticket, free popcorn, free drink…so in the grand scheme of things, it is a cheap form of entertainment.
You might be surprised to know there are LOTS of older people at many of these “youth oriented” blockbusters at the first screenings of these films!
I would guess that in the last 10 years, we have not encountered a single rude or obnoxious movie goer at that time of day…the biggest snafu came a few years ago when the electricity went out and the theater emergency lights went on and, on the way out, they gave everybody a free ticket to come back to see any movie at any time.
That said, we haven’t been to a movie in about three weeks - stuff got in the way - but hope to start catching up soon.
I’ve not been there since it changed hands, but when it was the AMC Mainstreet, it was the most technically advanced theater I’ve ever been in - astonishing projection, great seats, 11 channel sound and…
…bass shakers under every seat.
I saw The Hurt Locker there.
Anyone who saw The Hurt Locker at home did not see the film I saw. The fully immerse surround sound coupled with the bass shakers brought me, as much as possible, into the world of the bomb disposal techs. I walked out of that theater stunned by a great movie, and I believe if everyone had the same experience I did, they would share my impression of the film.
I love going to the movies - especially for the big, effects-driven blockbuster types that are at their best on a giant screen with digital surround sound. (I go more for “fun”, than “good” in my movie choices.) I don’t know if I’ve just been lucky, or if I’m not the type to be easily distracted, but I don’t remember more than a handful of times where my movie-going experience has been marred by other patrons, and none of the annoyances ever remotely rose to the level of ruining my good time. And I don’t really think that $10-12 is an unreasonable price to pay.
To me going to “the show” would imply going to a play. But I still sometimes use that phrase. I guess it is a shorten version of “picture show”.
I love going to the movies. They are getting a bit pricey for me but I do love it.
I love going to the movies. I have a large TV but seeing movies on a big screen is preferred. I mean movies that are spectacles. Comedies and straight forward dramas I usually wait until Home Video but big movies I will see in a theater.
I almost always go in the morning or the early afternoon. I don’t want teh theater to be empty but I had big crowds so those times usually work perfect.
As an aside, I only see out of one eye so 3D is lost on me and I would be a very Sad Panda if that becomes the norm for movies in theaters (seems unlikely but thought I would mention it).
I love going to the movies, and always have. When I was single, I went to movies all the time, often on the spur of the moment.
Once I got married, I couldn’t do that. I only went to movies that my wife and I both wanted to see (or that ONE of us really wanted to see, and the other could tolerate). So, I went to far fewer moves (and far more romantic comedies) after getting married. Since having a kid, I see FAR fewer movies, and the ones I see tend to be animated.
I STILL love going when I get the chance. The complaints about ticket and food prices are very valid, but I still get a thrill from going.
I love the popcorn, the huge screen and the comfy seats. Really don’t care for the previews though.
When I was growing up popcorn and a soda were part and parcel of the movie going experience. You’ve got your big screen, an incredible sound system, a big dark cool room and your popcorn & soda pop. All of these things separated going to the movies from just watching a movie at home. The last time I thought about getting a soda and popcorn at the movies was in Dallas when I went to see The Watchman. I told myself I wasn’t going to look at the price when I got in line. Unfortunately I look up and figured out that the large popcorn and drink were going to cost me $13.50 plus tax. No thanks.
I don’t go to the movies very often but I still enjoy to go once in a while. I just saw Iron Man 3 last week. I go on weekdays and I cannot remember the last time I saw a movie on opening night. Tickets here only cost $5 each on a weekday.
I guess that, in addition to weekday attendance, “twilight” priced tickets and discount tickets from CostCo (2 AMC passes for $16.50, good any time), one last distinguishing feature of your “professional” moviegoer is the backpack with a small soft-sided cooler filled with drinks and snacks.*
My wife and I always each have a backpack, and we never get stopped.
- Yes, yes I know the thing about how theaters only make money on the concessions but all they offer is cheap, empty carbs, and are not on my diet.
I haven’t been to a movie theater for decades. Do they still use actual film, or are they all digital video projectors now?
Oh, man, I love previews. I could do without the 15-20 minutes of ads for the newest show on ABC Family or TBS or whatever, though.
Depends on the theater. In my town, the big multiplexes are mostly digital, but there are a few small theaters that still show movies on film. It’s one of those things you don’t really notice going from old to new, but it’s really noticeable when you go back to the older version. (Kind of like HDTV. You know, if you watch TV.)
The wife and I go almost every week, sometimes twice in one day. Our favorite theater here – the Scala, in Siam Square – is a big old-style cinema and still charges only 100 baht for tickets. That’s about 3-1/2 bucks American. But even the fancier modern places will top out at the equivalent of $7 or $8.