When did Christmas Day movies become "big"?

[TheFaerie]

@bordelond

When I was in high school and college (late 1980s), I had some friends that worked at movie theaters. They typically worked Christmas day, and it was always a busy evening.

All my life, I have known families that had a tradition of going to the movies on Christmas afternoon/evening. It was never tons and tons of people, but a significant amount nonetheless. Keep in mind that in some families, the big get-together is on Christmas Eve. Santa will come Christmas morning, but after that the day is totally free for some families.

This. I worked at a theater for several years and Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day were our busiest single days all year. Mobs of people from open to close. I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

[ThelmaLou]

I’ve often gone to the movies on Christmas Day, from the 1960s on. The theater was always packed to the walls. Maybe you’re just now finding out about it.

[Rhiannon8404]

We don’t do it, but it’s been something I know others have done for years. Funny, though, how no one seems to be outraged about all the poor theater workers who have to work on Christmas day.

[fiddlesticks]

One of the dullest Christmas Days ever for me was 1984 when I (10 years old) got dragged to see Places in the Heart at the downtown 1 screener with my family.

It’s something my family still does occasionally on Christmas. I saw The Wolf of Wall Street with my parents on its national release date back in 2013. It was no The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in terms of Christmas-Day wholesomeness.

[terentii]

@Dewey_Finn

Who the heck is Mr. Sally Barry?

An alias for Mr Salinqmind, one would assume. :dubious:

[NDP]

@terentii

The “hit-and-run” policy ensures that even crappy pictures will generate appreciable revenue by saturating the market with them. Word-of-mouth guarantees that attendance will plummet within days, and they’ll vanish forever (or wind up in the video bin at Walmart), so it’s best to get them out of the way ASAP while wringing every possible penny out of them.

The most notorious example of this I can think of was Belushi and Aykroyd’s Neighbors, released for Christmas back in 1981.

There have been many more since then because it’s a common practice. Usually the tip-off is when the studio doesn’t make the movie available for reviewers before the release date and/or it’s released during a “dump” month.

[Equipoise]

I’m at the theater today to see 2, maybe 3 movies* and the place is packed. I think most people are here to see Star Wars or Daddy’s Home (which is playing on 4 screens).

It’s odd, Concussion is playing here, I bought my ticket already, but it’s not one of the choices on the leaderboard over the box office. I asked the guy selling tickets if it was playing (as per IMDB Showtime listings) is and he said yes. I mentioned that it wasn’t listed on the board and he just shrugged.

• I’m also seeing Joy, and depending on how I feel later, might see Star Wars again.

[Siam_Sam]

It’s been awhile since I was in the US for Christmas – 1993 to be exact – but the cinemas always seemed busy on that day. Not every family likes to spend Christmas at home.

[obfusciatrist]

Gowing to movies on Christmas has pretty much been a thing my entire life (I’m 41). As kids we’d spend all day at my grandparents and then when that wound down early evening we’d go home to mom and she’d take us to a movie.

Same for Thanksgiving Day.

Movie theaters were the only thing open.