This is topic General Cinema and money problems in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Frank Rapisardi (Member # 435) on 09-19-2000, 04:50 PM:
Just saw this tonight on WHDH t.v Boston. Sept19th General Cinema is on the verge of bankruptcy.They claim it's caused by poor attendance! I was wondering;what would happen if ticket prices were cut in half? Could that make things any better? Poor pictures don't help either.But maybe,just maybe it would help.------------------
Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 09-19-2000, 05:19 PM:
I think it would help, but not as much as is needed. Simply to pay for itself, attendance would need to DOUBLE which is NOT going to happen. People whine and complain that $6.75 is too much to pay to see a movie here, but wouldn't hesitate to spend $20 or more at a bar. Let's face it, a movie is still cheap entertainment.
Posted by Sean M. Grimes (Member # 445) on 09-19-2000, 11:53 PM:
Ahh but what about over expansion? I do not know the state of GCC in terms of over expansion, but if the areas where they are building are all ready built to serve the movie audience then cut rate pricing is the way to drive the competition out and offer a wide range of product at rationally placed showtimes instead of packing in as many ill-logically placed shows as possible. Even though my theater company has five over ten plexs in the central region of the area they are well spaced and serve to different audiences. ahhh I am ranting. Over building will lead to bankruptcy. Not shitty product 
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 09-20-2000, 07:11 AM:
I don't think GCC overexpanded. In Chicago they tore down one major location and then errected a new plex. I think the big problem is that areas have become over-screened due to other chains comming in for a piece of the action. Most ended up finding out that there was only enough action for one or two at best. Not three or four. Cities also gave them attractive deals in some cases to lure them in. Eventually it meant allot of incomming tax dollars to these citys. This may still happen in some cases but surely not in all. Cities will now be faced with many abandoned buildings instead.
Mark
Posted by Sean M. Grimes (Member # 445) on 09-20-2000, 05:02 PM:
Ya know Mark, I couldnt agree with you statement more. Some people (AMC, UA) overbuild in monoply controlled areas while others do over screen. I mean just look at the problems caused by Cinema National in the eightys. Anti-trust laws are there for a reason.
Posted by Kevin Crawford (Member # 469) on 09-21-2000, 04:41 PM:
It is possible that GCC is jumping on the bandwagon just to dump a bunch of crappy theatres. They don't want to be out west any more, maybe this is an easier way to get out leases.
Posted by Charles Lubner (Member # 157) on 09-21-2000, 09:02 PM:
In Milwaukee, GCC operates one 18 plex theatre inside a mall. They just announced Tuesday that their 2 premium theatres would be closing. Although Marcus has a near monopoly on Milwaukee and most of Wisconsin, the GCC theatre took the most of the customers at my theatre, the Northtown. I can't tell you how happy I was to read the headline "Mayfair theatre operator considers bankruptcy". I cut out the article and pasted it onto matboard, and showed it to all my staff. What a great morale booster!!