Shaking, Rumbling Movie Chair Puts You In The Driver's Seat

from the zero-to-sixty dept

Tue, Apr 7th 2009 4:39am — Dennis Yang

With 2009 showing very strong ticket sales, the movie industry seems to be doing a good job of giving people, who are perhaps looking for a bit of escapism, a reason to get out of their houses. Furthermore, IMAX and 3D continue to boost ticket sales and draw huge lines for movies like Monsters vs. Aliens. Fast & Furious rumbled onto the big screen this past weekend, generating $72.5 million in ticket sales in three days, already earning more than the previous installment of the series, The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift. At Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, movie-goers have yet another reason to check out the film on the big screen. The theater is equipped with 15 computerized movie seats that move, shake, tilt, and rumble to match the action on-screen. As a result, viewers are immersed more fully in the film, an experience not easily reproduced at home for which the Chinese (and one other theater in Arizona) are charging an extra $5 per ticket. We've said this many times before, but maybe the movie theaters are finally starting to understand the concept that it's the experience, not just the content, that gives people a reason to go out to see movies at the theaters.

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Filed Under: fast & furious, movies, reason to buy, theaters

22 Comments

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Weird Harold, 7 Apr 2009 @ 4:47am

I went to a movie the other day and it turned into a bad 80s disney thrill ride.

Yeah, that will get me in the door.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Apr 2009 @ 5:00am

Most People Do not Copy...
One of the things that seems to be overlooked in many of these posts is that the vast majority of copying done in the U.S. is done by a relatively small fraction of the population. By some estimates, less than half of all people even have the ability to access and copy a movie (the estimates vary, but when you include the need for a relatively new computer and access to a high speed internet connection, the numbers are less than 50% of all households).

Then there is the time it takes to access movies online. So-called "infinite goods" are not free because they do take time to find and download, and though some, particularly those without a family and a full-time job, have lots of time to download, others do not.

The bottom line: While it may cost a couple $30 to see a movie in a theater, that may be perceived as more cost-effective than downloading an incomplete, unfinished movie that someone illegally copied (and possibly committed some sort of trespass) to acquire.

With respect to Weird Harold's comment, which movie was that?
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WarOtter (profile), 7 Apr 2009 @ 5:15am

Re:
Yeah, but for normal people who might enjoy it, this is an experience that is nearly impossible to have at home, not something you can download. This isn't about making Weird Harold happy, since that is impossible, it is about adding value to the theater experience and giving people more reasons to not just download and watch it at home.

There is a theater in Ft. Myer's Beach that has 4 screens with about 30 seats apiece, some at tables and other with fold out trays. They serve food and drinks during the movie. It's a little disruptive, but the comfort offered by having extra space and legroom, and being able to get buffalo wings during the movie makes it worth it.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Apr 2009 @ 5:22am

sounds good but I am sure it will only be a matter of days before we hear of some patent claim around this 'rumble device'.
So it goes...
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Zaven, 7 Apr 2009 @ 5:27am

I'm going back to the argument of pirates being underserved customers. Back when I was a freshman in college I downloaded a few movies and I'm not afraid to admit it. You know why? I love movies and didn't have a car so how was I supposed to go see them. If the movie was any good, I usually bought it.
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Weirdness Herald, 7 Apr 2009 @ 5:39am

Re: Movie?
If it's good enough to keep trolls like Weird Harold way, it's good enough to get me there.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Apr 2009 @ 6:00am

Re:
Don't theme parks generate huge revenues? It seems like it's about $50+ to get in the door. If you can get a 2 hour ride for $15, I'd think a lot of people would be interested.

Geez man, you just hate everything that isn't the status quo. I know you are just trolling, but I do wish you'd at least come up with an argument every once in a while. Is there any innovation you support?
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Apr 2009 @ 6:11am

Re:
Obvious troll is obvious! Try to innovate the trolling process!
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Weird Harold, 7 Apr 2009 @ 6:20am

Re: Re:
It's not that I don't support innovation, I just don't fall for gimmicks and trickery, especially when it really isn't adding to the long term experience of seeing a movie.

Read the story,and you will see that the company providing the equipment is aiming at the home market. So this isn't even something that would be unique to theaters. Plus special motion tracks have to be created for each movie, which creates more costs. I am suspecting that $5 ain't covering what it costs to run a program like this, and with people already screaming that ticket prices are too high, well...
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Comboman, 7 Apr 2009 @ 7:12am

Sensurround?
Is anyone here old enough to remember Sensurround? This will last about as long.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Apr 2009 @ 7:15am

Re:
First off, you have feet. Second, any college town tends to have a pretty decent bus system. Not that I care that you dl'ed movies but just that your justification is stupid.
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John Doe, 7 Apr 2009 @ 7:26am

Re: Re: Re:
Long term experience of seeing a movie? Wow, I just go for the mindless entertainment. If I wanted a long term experience; I would find something more long term than 2 hours to do.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Apr 2009 @ 7:33am

Re: Re: Re:
Really, if you go to the company's website.. You'd know they've been selling to the home market for years. Personally.. I'm more interested in applications as an immersion tool for video games. Sure.. I don't see it having a massive amount of use in an FPS or a RTS.. but for a flight sim.. or a driving sim... its just about perfect. According to the material it creates about 2g's worth of force off a launch, or breaking, scenario. Not a lot.. but its enough to make the game even that much more realistic.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Apr 2009 @ 9:15am

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Like a wife
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kirillian (profile), 7 Apr 2009 @ 9:19am

Re: Re:
You're right...I know that I should have walked the 30 miles from my college town to the nearest city with a movie theater...gee...didn't think of that did you?
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TEA-Time, 7 Apr 2009 @ 9:22am

They're also doing the D-Box thing in Surprise, AZ.

http://www.azcentral.com/thingstodo/events/articles/2009/03/30/20090330movingtheater.html
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Phil, 7 Apr 2009 @ 9:22am

I live about 2 minutes from the theatre that offers this in Arizona and its pretty damn cool. Its actually $8 bucks on top of the regular price and the seats are reserved. Its not like a thrill ride in that they twist and turn a ton but just enough that you do notice it.
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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 7 Apr 2009 @ 9:54am

Re: WH
Jeebus, I'm agreeing with Harold again.

I don't want Smell-o-vision. I want a nice viewing experience. Have some ushers to police the audience, and don't let infants into the damn theater. Remember ushers? Probably not if your under thirty or so.
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hegemon13, 7 Apr 2009 @ 12:18pm

Re: Re: WH
If you have an AMC in your area, I suggest you check out Fork and Screen. I just went to one for the first time this weekend, and it totally transformed the moviegoing experience. Ushers/waiters, extremely comfortable seats, real, reasonably-priced food, no one under 18 in the audience, and Fat Tire on draft to accompany the movie. It doesn't get much better than that. That will truly bring people through the doors, and I will gladly pay the upcharge (which they give you back as a food/drink voucher, anyway) to see any movies possible that way.

Yes, I could cook and eat at home while I watched a movie, but I don't have the sound system, the 200-inch screen, or the seating to make it nearly as enjoyable. Plus, my wife won't bring me another Fat Tire when I push a button.
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ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 7 Apr 2009 @ 4:56pm

Re: Re: Re: WH
Nice idea, but it looks like it's only in KC so far, with one apparently coming to Atlanta.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Apr 2009 @ 5:47am

Re: Re: Re: WH
What! No 200-inch screen in your house? Poor, deprived person. On the other hand, crappy bit-torrent copies of movies look terrible on a 200-inch screen anyway. Blu-Ray looks AWESOME though.
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Kitchen island plans, 17 Dec 2010 @ 6:38pm

report
A web site about how to choose Poof chairs and Bean Bag chairs.
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