Can A Luxury Theater Get People To The Theater?
from the might-be-tough dept
We've talked for years about how the movie theater industry's real problem was that the movie-going experience was terrible. The prices went up and the actual experience kept getting worse and worse. That drove people to look for alternatives, such as home theater systems. A simple solution would be to make the experience better and convince movie goers that it was a fun social experience to go out to the movies, to be able to experience the movie in a way that was different from the home theater experience. Last week, we pointed out that some theaters were moving more towards things like IMAX screens, which is a start. However, rob wrote in to point out that a few firms have teamed up to build a series of "luxury theaters" around the country, targeting a higher class of movie-goer willing to spend more for a top notch experience. As Variety explains:Each complex will sport theaters featuring 40 reclining armchair seats with footrests, digital projection and the capability to screen 2-D and 3-D movies, as well as a lounge and bar serving cocktails and appetizers, a concierge service and valet parking. But the circuit will especially push its culinary offerings -- made-to-order meals like sushi and other theater-friendly foods from on-site chefs (a service button at each seat calls a waiter).That seems like a step in the right direction... other than the fact that the price is probably going to turn an awful lot of people off. It's $35 per movie ticket, and that doesn't include that special on-site chef food. While it definitely makes sense to charge more for tickets to such a theater, a $35 entrance fee, not including any food seems pretty steep. What's wrong with just making the regular theater experience better?
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Filed Under: luxury, movie theater, movies, social experience
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It seems like people who have the money to go to this theater already have the money to have a kick ass setup.
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People think expensive means good
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Please, an IMAX screening costs like $15... where does the extra 133% come from? Nice seats don't cost $20/person/time.
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in my city of STL
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Re: People think expensive means good
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If they kick out jerks sure
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Re:
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I do think there is a market for this...
However, mentioned in your post is something about making the "regular" experience better. I definitely think that's where it needs to start. And to be honest, if they just kept the theaters clean, I think that would make huge strides into improving the experience. No one likes to stick to the floor when they walk the aisles in a theater.
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alamo draft house
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Okay, I'll bite (1Apr08)
What, no blackjack and hookers?
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Bangkok is way ahead
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Theaters
Screw them.
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http://www.cinetopiatheaters.com/cinema/theaters.htm
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We have it in FL
You can reserve your seat either eat in the restaurant then go to the theatre, or bring your food in (no seat-side service, they thought it might disturb the viewers), it $20/seat.
Never actually tried it, though.
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Riff Raff
Also, the main problem with the movie going experience is that the cost doesn't begin or end with the ticket price. Exhibit A -> Take wife out to the movies.
Babysitter: $10 / hr = $20
Tickets: $10 / ticket = $20
Popcorn and 2 sodas = $10
So that's 50 bucks to go out and see a shitty movie. Maybe if something good were to emerge you could consider it, but I can't recall the last time that's happened...
People are being forclosed upon, and everyone is complaining about how expensive it is to fill their SUV with gasoline and we're supposed to pay $50 to go to the movies?
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Better Exerience
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Let's go out to dinner and see a movie....
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You wouldn't think twice about plopping down $75+ for a ticket to see 1 to 1.5 hours of the Foo Fighters, or $95 for kick ass seats at a hockey game, but you guys complain about a measly $35 for lazy-boy, waited on service to watch a movie with no screaming kids.
Just because movie theaters have lagged behind with how much they charge doesn't mean the entertainment isn't any less enjoyable (depending on the movie you go to that is).
Yes, this will probably exclude a certain amount of the movie-going public, but then again these Luxury Theaters are not replacing the normal ones, they are just adding another option.
Just my $0.02.
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Re: If they kick out jerks sure
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Luxury Theaters
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Re:
>down $75+ for a ticket to see 1 to 1.5
>hours of the Foo Fighters, or $95 for
>kick ass seats at a hockey game, but
>you guys complain about a measly $35 for
>lazy-boy, waited on service to watch a
>movie with no screaming kids.
I would - that's one of the reasons why I don't go to big-name concerts and sporting events.
There is a fundamental difference between a live performance and a movie, anyway.
- Jesse
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I heard an ad on the radio...
However, I've not heard the ad again, and cannot locate the place online, so I've not been able to check it out. If they do something like this, they better make certain they advertise it well enough to attract people.
EtG
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Ohhhhh yeahhhh!!!!!
Liquor in the front and poker in the rear...that way if the movie gets boring, I know there's options
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We have the same thing but cheaper.
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Re:
Am I right? ;-)
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Advertisements
I'm paying $10 to see a movie: I don't want to see the same BMW ad that was shown last night on TBS.
If the theater is going to get money from BMW to run TV commercials on every screen, then the theater should *reduce* the price of the ticket.
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Re: Re:
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Re: Advertisements
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Re: Re: Advertisements
That's the interesting thing about the economy these days, is it's completely different in Massachusetts, Florida, Texas, North Dakota, Ohio, California, etc...
While cinema model might work great in N. Dakota still, it's completely broken here. Property values make everything so damn expensive that the whole experience loses it's value. Meanwhile, the same plasma TV and Sound system cost me the exact same thing that it costs you (which in effect makes a TV cost half as much for me because I live in a place where everything costs double, but salaries are double as well). I bet the girl next door doesn't ask for $10 an hour to babysit either in ND.
Here, you spend $50 to listen to someone talk Spanish into their cell phone.
That being said, I'll probably go to see 21 some weeknight at 10PMish by myself, when the place is mostly empty...
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The Sundance Theater in San Francisco is FANCY!
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Common in Australia
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If you can actually get to a Star Class or Gold Class cinema without traveling for 2 - 3 or more hours then fine, but its still not exactly luxury.
They should make the standard experience more compelling.
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The real deal!
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http://arts.guardian.co.uk/theatre/news/story/0,,2266761,00.html
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Priced too high
Luxury theaters would be really nice but I'm not sure how much of an impact they could have, although I'm sure there are a lot of people in this world that would pay an extra $25 to see a movie in a theater with comfy chairs I'm not the kind of person that would want that, $25 extra is just too much.
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Luxury theatres - almost but not quite
In Japan, they have tons of high-end Karaoke bars/parlors. These have a bunch of comfortable private rooms of varying sizes complete with comfortable seating, a great sound system, and a waitress to bring food and drinks. You take a group of your friends there and everyone drinks, eats great food, and has a blast making fun of one another singing. It's pretty popular there.
I always thought theatres should look into this concept with modifications appropriate to movie display as a high end alternative to traditional theatres. My idea is, let a group of friends (or a couple) rent a private theatre room with comfy furniture, amazing screen, and brilliant audio system. Let them select any available feature film from a menu to be displayed on the wall-sized screen in their room. Have a waitress serve them dinner and drinks with a button on the wall to call her at any time. Let the customers start the movie whenever they want and stay as long as they want, depending on the type of reservations they made.
The advantages are, folks still get to go out to dinner and a movie and get away from the kids. They can completely control WHO is with them in their private theatre room. If they want to be loud and chatty during the movie, they can do it without disturbing others. They can also have total silence to completely enjoy the movie. They can have a romantic night out with the wife or they can have a fun night of drinks and food with good friends.
The key is that this type of experience becomes whatever they want it to be because they have full control over the attendees, the pace, the menu, and the schedule. Plus, splitting the cost of the room rental among a group of friends makes it less expensive than it sounds. How much you spend on drinks and food is up to you. Which movie you choose is also up to you. Digital movies make this customized experience a very real possibility now.
It's like a strange cross mutation between a bar, a small hotel operation, a movie theatre, and private booths at a nice restaurant. They could even let people have karaoke parties in the same rooms with words on the big screen and the sound system playing music. Or just have a private party there with your friends and music videos, sporting events, or concerts playing on the big screen. I know a lot of guys who would pay a lot to have a waitress serve them and their buddies beer and food while watching football on a wall-sized screen with theatre quality digital surround sound.
THAT would be the type of theatre which would get me going out to movies again and that would be worth more money to me. Otherwise, I will continue to prefer my big LCD flat panel and built-in digital surround sound at home. Because at home, I control the environment, the sound levels, the attendees, and the pace of the experience. I can grab a beer from the fridge or a bag of chips whenever I want and I only buy the movie once for less money than it costs my wife and I to go out to a movie at the theatre.
-Bill
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Hi
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Very good!
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