I wonder if I could make the most of this?

[trinityvixen]

$50/month, unlimited movie pass to movies still in theaters.

On the one hand, this would be nice for those times when you want to see something but not so much as to pay the highway robbery price of $13 a pop. But, then again, that's what matinees are for. Plus, even if you see four movies a month, that still only saves you $2 over the standard ticket price. You can get a better deal online with deal sites that let you buy Fandango money or AMC gift cards for something like 10% off of the price. There's also the issue that the theaters playing stuff I might make more of an effort to see, were I to have such a pass, would probably be independent theaters that wouldn't buy into this plan.

It boggles the mind that you'd have to see more movies than I do already to make the most of this pass. There have already been some summer weeks, notoriously the most jam-packed with lots of genre films I want to see, where I haven't wanted to see anything. (Bad Teacher? Are you kidding? Cars 2?) If even I cannot make the most of this pass, what hope do mere mortals have?

Comments

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

I suppose if you were the sort of person who liked to endlessly rewatch movies?

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

80/20 rule: 80% of your revenue comes from 20% of your customers. There are obviously movie equivalents to the guys who drink 48 beers a week.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I used to be that person--I saw Grosse Pointe Blank six times in the theater, and The Matrix twelve. I would never do that at today's prices. The sad thing is, but for the odd outing where I don't mind seeing a movie in the theater twice, I've gotten over wanting to do that. Perhaps it's my resolution at work, but I feel like I want new stuff when I go to the theater more than I want to see something I've seen, however much I've liked it, a second time. I saw Iron Man twice because it was so much fun (and, as my grandmother had died at the time, I needed that) and because good company was there to be had. But I don't know that I'd see anything I've seen recently twice, given the option.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

True. Thing is, though, that the people making the money for the theaters aren't the cinephiles but the people going to concession stands. I could see this pass, then, working one of two ways: either people who love the movies think the pass pays for itself and then they don't mind binging on expensive food at the theater OR they quickly tire of food prices and don't bother. Half the reason people buy food at theaters, I'm positive, is that it's part of the infrequent experience. People who go more often will probably eat there less, thus generating less revenue for the theaters.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

I also think it's because the lag time before DVD release is so much shorter. It used to be the movie would go out of theaters and a year later come out on DVD (VHS). Now it's barely left the theaters when it's out. So there's no longer the sense of "if I don't go back, I have to wait a whole year!"

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

A very good point, to be sure. We also have more ways of obtaining media from our own homes than ever before. It's a lot less pressing to see any movie when you can get thousands of them streamed to your TV in your house. Back when you had to go to Blockbuster, you might as well, given that you're making the trip anyway, go out for a movie. Not so much any more.

[ecmyers.livejournal.com]

Bad idea, when I can't even keep up with Netflix. And movie theaters are not as convenient to get to in Philly as they are in NYC. Matinees are the way to go!