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Author Topic: Stupid Showtimes (AKA You Suck: Outing bad showtime schedulers) Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 09-10-2008 06:24 PM                        Sorry Eric, wasn't trying to offend. Maybe call their management as a concerned patron and tell them?  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 09-11-2008 12:53 AM                        quote: Eric Hooper Movie theatres are a dying business model Hmm, I don't know about everyone else but we're having a great year. I'm at the Rocky Mountain Theatre Convention right now and not one person I've talked to is complaining about grosses -- except the occasional end-of-summer blahs which are a feature of every fall season. But overall, people are upbeat. It's mostly the media which keeps declaring this a dying industry, only to be proved wrong time and again.  |  IP: Logged Jesse Skeen Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1517 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Aug 2000 posted 09-11-2008 04:44 AM                     Those showtimes are even MORE retarded when you know that the Stonestown was originally a single screen that was twinned. So they're showing the SAME movie in both halves, when they could have just played one print in the original large auditorium.  |  IP: Logged Chad Souder Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 962 From: Waterloo, IA, USA Registered: Feb 2000 posted 09-11-2008 09:36 PM                     For Burn After Reading, I think those Regal show times are fine. In order to fit 5 times, like James said, you'd have to either expand operating hours or miss the 7:00 prime. This time of year, condensing operating hours (including payroll, utilities, etc.) can be key on budgets. Burn After Reading is projected to barely pass $10 mil for the weekend anyway, so its not like you need to maximize shows, especially matinees. Having a nice long break between shows can allow fewer staff to pull double or triple duty instead of having to have someone extra. Guests interested in a Coen bros. movie will adjust their schedule to available show times anyway. I'm with Joe; I'm not sure what the problem is.  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 09-13-2008 11:08 AM                        Jesse - you have the one week in perhaps two years that makes your point valid...the rest of the time the theater benefits from being able to show more than one movie. Chad - your argument falls short on the late shows. If operating hours were the concern, then you would see a schedule like 700 730 925 955 on the back end, not extending out until 1045 for no apparent reason. There is no reason why opening at 100, and last show at 1045, you can't get 7 show times in for this film. 100 320 540 810 1040 & 210 430 655 925 would be a good schedule. There's plenty of room to vary with that schedule. Justin - I'm not a believer in pre-defined "sets". I don't all of my customers hitting the box office and concession stand in a 30-minute window, then those employees having nothing to do for the rest of the time. You save more payroll by spreading out the show times. Example: 1 person could handle individual "rushes" of 20-30 people per film (during this time of year), but bunch 5 of them in 30 minutes, and now you need a second concession employee.  |  IP: Logged Mike Croaro Master Film Handler Posts: 394 From: Millbrae, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 09-14-2008 11:15 AM                     Hi Eric: Glad to see you back on the forum. I too noticed the weirdness of the UA Stonestown showtimes. They seem to show four shows regardless of movie length. What is most unusal thought are the late nigh shows. The last shows of the evening are almost always at 9:30 & 9:45. I suspect showstimes are being calculated by someone offsite who is unfamiliar with the theatres grossing capabilites. Mike  |  IP: Logged Michael McGovern Film Handler Posts: 57 From: New Britain, CT, USA Registered: May 2008 posted 09-15-2008 09:38 AM                    Just for reference, Regal showtimes are usually nopt the fault of the manager scheduling them. Corporate has a tendency to A. Mandate uniform showtimes company wide for major movies, and B. Micromanage your show schedule the rest of the time anywyas. There was a period where they had a policy of not allowing any film to start prior to 7:15pm, the logic being that 7:15 to 8:00 was the "Prime movie going time". It was quite ridiculous....  |  IP: Logged Geoff Jones Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 579 From: Broomfield, CO, USA Registered: Feb 2006 posted 09-15-2008 09:57 AM                        In an attempt to back up Jesse's point, here's a review of the Stonestown written by my brother, with a comment from his girlfriend: (Saw Little Miss Sunshine in the right auditorium spring 2006.) This theatre is terrible. I'll never go back to the Stonestown Twin. Because the auditorium was twinned (large auditorium split into two smaller ones) the chairs aren't pointing toward the center of the screen. You'd have to sit far to the right side to have a chair aimed near the center of the screen. Similarly, the current auditoriums are way too long and narrow. Sitting in the back, you be watching a movie a quarter mile away. This also makes the sound bad no matter where you sit. There is little to no bass, and the dialogue is inaudible. Submitted by: David Jones Comment by Jennifer: Attending a movie at UA Stonestown Twin was the worst movie going experience I have ever had. Aside from making no logical sense, having to crane my neck to see the screen was painful and uncomfortable. Apparently the theater used up all it's money dividing one theater into two and forgot about fixing the seats. Or they only care about selling more tickets to more movies rather than making their customers comfortable and able to actually enjoy the movie. I know that I will never under any circumstances attend another movie at that theater. (From my blog.) I myself have never been there... and I never will. Cheers, Geoff  |  IP: Logged Adam Martin I'm not even gonna point out the irony. Posts: 3686 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Nov 2000 posted 09-15-2008 03:12 PM                     Stonestown Twin at Cinematour I watched Bend it Like Beckham in that same auditorium ... out of the corner of my eye.  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 09-15-2008 07:02 PM                     Way back in the day I worked at the (Chain omitted) 8 Buena Park....It had four projection rooms, Screens 1,2,3 in one booth, 4,5 in another, both on the "balcony" level; screens 6 and 7 were on ground level, accessed through #6's entrance; and screen 8, a space barely big enough for the projector, console and platter (all Christie) and it shared the space with the sewage sump pump. The former manager, a nephew of a chain bigwig, was a smartass who wanted to see me fail, so he decided to schedule 7 of the 8 shows to start at 10:35pm. Company policy was to be written up for each show started more than 2 minutes early or three minutes late. Three write-ups in a shift or five in a week and you got the boot. He figured that I operated like he did, i.e. threading each show at start time, so there was no way I could get all seven on screen on time. What he was too dumb to figure out was that I always rethreaded as soon as a show ended, so if something happened on one screen during a start time I wouldn't be down on any others. So, as he stood in the center of the lobby at 10:30, staring at his watch, I casually went upstairs to booth 1, and at exactly 10:33 and 35 seconds, I ran from machine to machine slamming start buttons. (The seven machines were all but #7, it was back up at 10:15) So at precisely 10:35 and 45 seconds, all seven screens were on. After rechecking #6 for frame, focus, etc. I walked past the now-fuming manager standing in the middle of the lobby and told him "Next week schedule all 8 for 10:35, don't matter to me. " I continued on and checked the other screens. He was so pissed off he wouldn't talk to me for a week. Oh, and the bigwig sided with me and told the manager to quit being such an ass. When I was hired they had over 10 show breakdowns per week. After I got there and was allowed to retrain and get rid of the slackers on the booth staff, we went down to one breakdown or less per MONTH. Talking entire complex. Ahhh, the good old days.  |  IP: Logged Carl Martin Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1424 From: Oakland, CA, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 09-16-2008 03:31 AM                        at the naz 8 in fremont, which i presume to be an 8-plex, there are 9 movies playing on 7 screens, with 2 screens doubled up. all shows start at 4 and/or 8pm. someday i'll make it down there and check it out.  |  IP: Logged Mike Croaro Master Film Handler Posts: 394 From: Millbrae, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 09-16-2008 07:42 PM                     PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN BY ERIC HOOPER IN THIS THREAD REF STONESTOWN TWIN... More Regal retardness! Showtimes for Burn After Reading starting this Friday at the UA Stonestown Twin in San Francisco on both screens. Keep in mind the movie is only 1:36 long. Screen #1: 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:15 Screen #2: 1:30, 4:45, 8:00, 10:45" XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Update..... Just checked Fandango and going into the second week showtimes completely change. They dropped "Burn After Reading" to one screen at 1:15, 4:30, 7:30, 10:00. Now everybody who happens to look at Thursdays paper or the "sunday pink section"(thinking it runs Sunday to Sunday) arrives either early to the film or much worse late. Had the showtimes been changed to 1:30, 4:45, 7:00, 10:15, they would have retained much of the crowd coming to both shows after having read an old paper. People showing up early could walk the mall for 30 - 40 minutes. Make sense? Mike [ 11-15-2008, 05:12 PM: Message edited by: Mike Croaro ]  |  IP: Logged Poon Limpapun Film Handler Posts: 40 From: Pathumwhan Bangkok Thailand Registered: Nov 2007 posted 09-17-2008 07:09 PM                        If this isn't bad enough we have shows that goes like this today ====== Start Time: CINEMA 1 : 18:45 CINEMA 2 : 18:55 CINEMA 3 : 19:00 CINEMA 4 : 19:05 CINEMA 5 : 18:30 CINEMA 6 : 18:00 CINEMA 7 : 17:45 CINEMA 8 : 19:20 CINEMA 9 : 19:00 CINEMA 10 : 19:45 CINEMA 11 : 20:10 CINEMA 12 : 20:00 CINEMA 13 : 18:10 CINEMA 14 : 19:20 CINEMA 15 : 18:25 (our 900 seat house)  |  IP: Logged Mike Croaro Master Film Handler Posts: 394 From: Millbrae, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 11-11-2008 07:11 PM                     Hi Folks: Stange happenings in San Francisco at the Clay Theatre which is showing "I've Loved You So Much". Week #1 2:00, 5:00, 8:00 Week #2 1:40, 4:20, 7:00, 9:40 Week #3 3:30, 6:00, 8:30 Week #4 3:00, 5:45, 8:30 Everyone who happens to accidently read Thursday's paper (on Friday), or the Sunday "Pink section" (thinking it runs Sunday to Sunday) arrives at the wrong time Friday & Saturday. Mike [ 11-19-2008, 11:39 PM: Message edited by: Mike Croaro ]  |  IP: Logged Brian Woods Film Handler Posts: 32 From: Memphis, TN Registered: Dec 2005 posted 11-11-2008 07:48 PM                    I agree with Joe, you should call the theater if you have a valid complaint.....I think its petty to complain about a theater's showtimes unless its 3am and its the only showing of Zack and Mira Make a Porno..... I know with my theater chain, we make a the schedule that works for the amount of traffic that we get. If you back the movies back to back and you have no one watching or showing up, you are wasting money and wear and tear on the print/machines. If this theater is such a crappy theater, why are you spending so much time and concern on it? If you don't like it, let the theater management know or send in a comment card...But to spout stuff on this site that makes little sense is just plain dumb.  |  IP: Logged

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