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Topic: What's the latest theatre to close or open you have heard about? (part 2)
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Martin Brooks
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 900
From: Forest Hills, NY, USA
Registered: May 2002
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posted 02-25-2019 12:28 AM
I count 126 AMC Dolby (Dolby has a duplicate on their list), plus the El Capitan, which is not officially Dolby Cinema, but has "Dolby Vision".
Bobby: AMC has added 15 Dolby Cinemas in the last 6 months. And consumers don't care if there's a master list on AMC's site, even though we do (but only we do). They only care if there's a Dolby Cinema near them and each theater clearly states whether it has Dolby, IMAX or IMAX with Laser (or ETX). When did AMC ever "promise" anything?
The AMC Boston Common used to have a notation that Dolby Cinema was "Coming Soon", but now it doesn't. Same for the Livonia 20 in Livonia, MI. It is possible that they've done all their going to do for awhile (or forever) because AMC has been losing a ton of money for several years ($60 million in 2018 and $487 million in 2017, although they were profitable in 2015 and 2016) and they only average 92 tickets per day per screen (of any type), which is shockingly awful.
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Scott Jentsch
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1061
From: New Berlin, WI, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 03-23-2019 11:47 AM
Thanks for the updates, it's always good to get information from people with first-hand knowledge of the specifics!
The Studio Movie Grill - Sunset Walk located in the Sunset Walk at Margaritaville Resort Orlando in Kissimmee, Florida will open March 28, 2019.
The Pikes Theatre in Pikesville, Maryland has reopened as the Next Act Cinema at the Pikes. For a time, it was used as a diner.
The Emagine Monticello in Monticello, Minnesota celebrated a "grand re-opening" on Thursday, March 21, 2019, with new amenities, including axe-throwing.
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Martin Brooks
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 900
From: Forest Hills, NY, USA
Registered: May 2002
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posted 03-25-2019 01:11 AM
quote: Bobby Henderson
The one in Colorado Springs is a tad bit on the small side. Just 10 rows of seats, 259 seats total. But they are recliners, so I guess that's something. Still, it's kind of a low seat count for dual laser projection and Dolby Atmos sound.
That's actually typical for the Dolby Vision theaters in NYC. I don't know if row/seat counts are higher anywhere else.
The Dolby Vision screens in NYC are:
AMC Lincoln Square: 289 seats (9 rows downstairs, 4 rows balcony).
AMC Empire 25: 221 seats (10 rows)
AMC 34th Street: 125 seats (8 rows)
AMC Magic Johnson: 112 seats (8 rows)
(Seat counts don't include wheelchair spaces, but do include wheelchair companion seats).
The first three aren't small theaters (I haven't been to the Magic Johnson) - they all have large screens. Lounge seating just takes up so much room. That 289 seat Dolby Vision screen at the Lincoln Square used to be 787 seats before they installed lounge seating.
Either theatre owners are getting this wrong or these low seat counts reflect where the industry is unfortunately at. In 2018, the average AMC screen only saw 92 patrons per day. Not per show...per day!
I do miss the days of seeing a movie with a thousand other people, especially a popcorn movie. There was a level of anticipation, excitement and reaction with an audience that large that you just don't get today. I saw Star Wars over six months after it opened at the Loews Astor Plaza and it was still a pretty much sold out crowd of about 1500. (The reason I know I saw it at least six months after it opened is because I saw it after I saw Close Encounters...)
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Geoff Jones
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 579
From: Broomfield, CO, USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 03-25-2019 12:27 PM
quote: Martin Brooks
I do miss the days of seeing a movie with a thousand other people, especially a popcorn movie.
Me too. I still get this occassionally in the big Cine Capri auditorium at Harkins Northfield.
quote: Martin Brooks
Lounge seating just takes up so much room.
Yes, and it also means that there are fewer seats in the sweet spot.
Not only that, but the layout of many (most?) stadium theaters runs a big wide "entrance row" right across the center of the theater, where the best seats should be.
I took my eleven-year-old daughter to see Captive State at the AMC Flatirons on Saturday. I liked the movie, but it does have some problems, starting with the fact that it's a bit hard to follow. Fortunately, I was able to explain things to my daughter without disrupting anyone because we were the only two people in the auditorium.
quote: Mike Blakesley
When you have a plex with 25 auditoriums, with each one running four or five shows a day, you're going to have a high ratio of available seats to the number of butts in those seats on many days.
Part of the problem is that only 7 different movies are playing in those 25 auditoriums. They would sell more tickets if they screened more lesser-known movies and more classics.
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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."
Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 03-25-2019 06:18 PM
quote: Martin Brooks
That's actually typical for the Dolby Vision theaters in NYC. I don't know if row/seat counts are higher anywhere else.
I double checked my seat count for the Dolby Cinema screen at the Chapel Hills Mall 13 theater in Colorado Springs. I think I missed a row when adding the total of seat numbers. The theater has 289 seats. It's still 10 rows of seats, with most of the rows having around 30 seats each. I should point out I haven't seen a movie on tihs particular Dolby Cinema screen yet. The last movie I watched at that theater was Deepwater Horizon, but that was on the theater's "Big D" screen, a hold-over from the Carmike days. The Big D screen apparently isn't there anymore. I'm wondering if they remodeled that house into a Dolby Cinema screen. The Big D house definitely had more than 300-ish seats, but those were standard size seats. The screen was pretty big though.
The Village on the Parkway 9 in Addison, TX (North Dallas area) has a Dolby Cinema screen with 294 seats. Also with 10 rows of seats. One funny thing with AMC's seating charts: there is no "Row I" -probably for the obvious reason that people can confuse the "I" for a numeral 1.
The Dolby Cinema screen at the AMC Quail Springs Mall 24 in Oklahoma City (Edmond actually) has 11 rows of seats, but only 202 seats total in the auditorium.
Seat counts for a Dolby Cinema screen of only 125 seats or less, even in NYC with its high ticket prices, is pretty ridiculous. Our local AMC IMAX with Xenon screen has 559 seats across 18 rows. Obviously they're standard size seats. The screen is acceptably big for a premium priced house.
quote: Martin Brooks
I do miss the days of seeing a movie with a thousand other people, especially a popcorn movie. There was a level of anticipation, excitement and reaction with an audience that large that you just don't get today. I saw Star Wars over six months after it opened at the Loews Astor Plaza and it was still a pretty much sold out crowd of about 1500.
Yeah, I miss 1000+ seat theaters like the Astor Plaza, although I went to the Ziegfeld more often even though it didn't have quite as many seats as the Astor Plaza (still over 1000 seats though). I really miss the Northpark 1-2 in Dallas, especially the #1 house.
quote:
Me too. I still get this occasionally in the big Cine Capri auditorium at Harkins Northfield.
The Cine Capri theater there in Denver is pretty big. The one in the Bricktown part of Oklahoma City is roughly the same size. Both were originally film-based theaters. We visited a more recent Cine Capri build in Southlake, TX (near DFW airport) and watched Deadpool 2 there. That Cine Capri auditorium was substantially smaller. Now Harkins is building these "Cine 1" theaters, featuring recliners, but also smaller auditorium foot prints too.
quote: Geoff Jones
Part of the problem is that only 7 different movies are playing in those 25 auditoriums. They would sell more tickets if they screened more lesser-known movies and more classics.
Well, maybe or maybe not. I think it's really difficult to market movies effectively these days. Newspaper advertising used to work really well. But the Internet has killed circulation and the ad prices in many newspapers is too ridiculous for many theaters to be able to publish printed showtimes. Everything has gone to the web now.
Some of it's also the old "you can lead a horse to water but cannot make him drink" thing. Too many people just don't care to put forth any effort to search out movies that's aren't a big studio, high profile release. Far too often when a local theater manages to book an art house movie or even something that has won a bunch of awards it winds up playing to a lot of empty seats. I've personally watched a lot of indie type movies where there was less than half a dozen people in the auditorium. Some of this is market specific though. I'm sure the situation would be better in bigger, more affluent cities.
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Geoff Jones
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 579
From: Broomfield, CO, USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 03-25-2019 07:24 PM
quote: Geoff Jones
Part of the problem is that only 7 different movies are playing in those 25 auditoriums. They would sell more tickets if they screened more lesser-known movies and more classics.
quote: Bobby Henderson
Well, maybe or maybe not. I think it's really difficult to market movies effectively these days. Newspaper advertising used to work really well. But the Internet has killed circulation and the ad prices in many newspapers is too ridiculous for many theaters to be able to publish printed showtimes. Everything has gone to the web now.
Some of it's also the old "you can lead a horse to water but cannot make him drink" thing. Too many people just don't care to put forth any effort to search out movies that's aren't a big studio, high profile release. Far too often when a local theater manages to book an art house movie or even something that has won a bunch of awards it winds up playing to a lot of empty seats. I've personally watched a lot of indie type movies where there was less than half a dozen people in the auditorium. Some of this is market specific though. I'm sure the situation would be better in bigger, more affluent cities.
As far as revivals go, whenever I attend one, I peek into other auditoriums to see how they are doing. Without fail, the classic film has a larger crowd than any current blockbuster.
You can even see this data from the comfort of your home for theaters with reserved seating. Just click to see what seats are available.*
Harkins Arvada is showing Blazing Saddles tomorrow night at 7pm. As of right now, they have sold 39 tickets to Blazing Saddles and NINE tickets to all other movies on 13 other screens (for showtimes starting during the 6, 7, or 8 o'clock hours).
Blazing Saddles is a fan favorite, but maybe not something that really warrants a "big screen" experience. Harkins doesn't do much to promote these showings, and each one is only screened once. If you have other commitments on Tuesday at 7pm, you're s.o.l.
This tells me that there is a demand that isn't being met. It's money left on the table. And it may not be viable in all markets, but it isn't just metro Denver. I've occasionally looked up theaters in other areas and seen the same thing.
As for art house films, I would imagine that it would take some effort to build up a customer base, but sheesh, if the average AMC saw 92 patrons per day in 2018, you'd think they would try something different.
*You do have to pay attention to the fact that many auditoriums have seats that are blocked off/ not for sale (usually in the back corners), and make sure not to count those.
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