Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Optimum Rewards / Clearview Cinemas Free Movies

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Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 03-25-2010, 03:47 PM:

Clearview Cinemas, a regional circuit in the New York/New Jersey metro area, is owned by cable tv company Cablevision. Cablevision customers who have tv/internet/phone though Cablevision get into all Clearview Cinemas for free every Tuesday. It is one of there biggest incentives for having all three services.

I've been wondering, how do they reconcile this with the various distributors?

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 03-25-2010, 03:53 PM:

Assuming they keep track of everyone who shows up, they probably have to pay a percapita based on their highest ticket price. Obviously, they are hoping to move some concessions.

Any idea how the customers are supposed to prove they have the services?

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 03-25-2010, 03:59 PM:

Cablevision customers with all three services are given a plastic card with a magnetic stripe that the Clearview cashier runs though a card reader computer interface to make sure it is still valid. They then punch a ticket for the requested film.

Other than the free Tuesdays, there is normally a 30% discount on ticket prices for these customers. It's actually a good deal for Cablevision customers, although I consistently have had poor presentation experiences at their theatres.

Posted by John Joseph Fink (Member # 3619) on 03-26-2010, 04:02 PM:

Clearview is one of the most inconsistent theaters, they bought out all the mom and pop operators and smaller chains in Northern New Jersey, a few sites they run are fine aside from sound bleeding in from other theaters (they cheaply remolded a few like Cinema 12 and didn't think to address the issue of sound traveling from the theater next door). Meanwhile, Mitchell - the Clairidge in Montclair sees all types of odd keystoning and just awful projection in theaters 4 and 6, I don't blame the projectionists (and have been told by staff "sorry there's nothing we can do to fix this" - the solution I suppose might be digital) for crappy construction and port window placement in a building never intended to be a multiplex.

As for free movie night I assume it works the way AMC Gold tickets do, they assign a certain value to the service and split that with the studio. For example AMC considers their AMC Gold Tickets (often the corporate tickets, Regal does this as well), as $7.50 - a base price negotiated with the studio for a first run engagement I assume.

There's a smaller regional chain I won't name that sells a season pass for their theaters on their website for $300 - I assume they consider the use of the pass equivalent to the base price they can sell a ticket for when reporting this to the studio? Is that correct, you think?

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 03-28-2010, 02:08 PM:

>For example AMC considers their AMC Gold Tickets as $7.50

AMC sells their GOLD and SILVER tickets. Today, I can buy GOLD tickets for $8 and SILVER for $6.50 online from at least one third party vendor. I have to assume that the vendor buys them from AMC in large quantities at an even larger discount, but still, AMC is not giving them away. They are most likely making enough money to cover the studio rental and probably a small profit. Clearview is letting qualified Cablevision customers in for free.

As too Clearview, I live a few minutes from Clearview Kinnelon NJ, and every show I have seen there has been an example of Presentation Done Wrong. I may start a separate thread on my experiences as a Clearview customer, to hopefully shame them into improving things. My experience at Shutter Island was the worst presentation I have experienced in a theatre since the 1970's.

Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 03-29-2010, 10:57 AM:

Mitchell,

I encourage you to leave your comments in a forum that all can see, which will apply more public pressure:

http://www.bigscreen.com/Marquee.php?theater=328&view=comments

The more educated people become about issues, the less they will put up with poor presentations and the more they will demand higher quality service for their dollar.