Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Why are most multi-screen theatres named with the number of screens?

This is topic Why are most multi-screen theatres named with the number of screens? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 05-18-2006, 09:40 PM:

I mean really, why does anybody need to know how many screens there are? As long as the movie you want to see is playing at a time convenient for you what's the difference if there are 3 or 300 other shows playing around the building?

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 05-18-2006, 10:05 PM:

When multiplex theatres were first being built (unfortunately some were multiplexed by poorly dividing well-designed larger auditoriums), including the number of screens in the name was likely used to let the consumer know they had additonal choices of films in what used to be a single-screen situation. For a while, during the "megaplex" craze, there seemed to be a numbers game to see which circuit could build and advertise the most number of screens on a given site, sometimes without regard to the quality of the viewing experience, especially on the smaller screens.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-18-2006, 10:16 PM:

I think there's a correlation between bragging about screen count and penis size. Whatever number is larger, the better. Nevermind that somewhere along the line that number no longer denotes "inches" but rather "centimeters" or mere "milimeters." I've seen 30-plex sites with screening rooms as tiny as some living rooms, where 20 of the screens in the site could fit on the footprint of a traditional 8-plex.

Yes, it does not matter in the slightest who has the most screens. What matters above all is who has the BEST screens. I can watch only one movie at one time on one screen. So that quality thing is really the only relevant thing -at least from the customer's point of view.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-19-2006, 01:41 AM:

So I guess the best name for a cinema would be "Movieplex 25 Best Screens."

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 05-19-2006, 07:29 AM:

I see on http://www.moviewatcher.com/ that AMC has seen fit to re-name the Uptown in DC to the "Uptown 1." [Eek!]

In keeping with this trend, I think that Mike should re-name his theatre to "Roxy 1."

Posted by Keith Peticolas (Member # 971) on 05-19-2006, 08:11 AM:

Back in the 1970's the best theater in my home town was called the "Video" twin. It grew up one day and became the "Video" 4. Always thought that was a really dumb a**ed name for a movie theater.

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 05-19-2006, 11:25 AM:

The corporate name conjurers lack the originality to do anything better. Same goes for the auditorium decorators. Maybe they could try honesty with something like "The Ordinary 24", or "Average Theatres for Average People", "The Dumpy Cinemas 12"

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-19-2006, 12:44 PM:

quote: Keith Peticolas
Back in the 1970's the best theater in my home town was called the "Video" twin. It grew up one day and became the "Video" 4. Always thought that was a really dumb a**ed name for a movie theater.

Lawton had a theater called the "Video Triple." Carmike operated it through much of its life. The place closed in the late 1990s and now a hardware store is using the building.

Posted by John McConnel (Member # 2000) on 05-19-2006, 08:14 PM:

Video Independent Theatres, a modest-sized circuit headquartered in Oklahoma City, started using the name Video on their new theatres in the 1970s, which was late in its life. Most were two-screens, but a few were one and three-screen.

Video was started in the teens as Griffith Theatres. It evolved into Video Independent Theatres in 1949, and was absorbed by Martin Theatres in 1982. Martin subsequently became Carmike Cinemas. Griffith/Video were tough operators, and were the dominant circuit in Oklahoma for many years.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-19-2006, 09:20 PM:

quote: Scott Norwood
In keeping with this trend, I think that Mike should re-name his theatre to "Roxy 1."

The address labels we get from TDS (New Line's promo company) already call us that, so we're partway there already! [Wink]

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 05-19-2006, 10:23 PM:

National Amusements officially named their multiplex in Davenport, Iowa "Showcase Cinemas 53".

It's named this because it's on 53rd St.

It has 18 screens.

Somebody at NA has a sense of humor.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 05-20-2006, 01:28 AM:

It has been thought by the corporate big boys for a couple of decades that multiple auditoriums, digital sound and stadium seating will cause the movie going public to flock to their cinemas. The truth of the matter is that good product, good service and reasonable prices will build business. I'm all for the technological advances our industry has made but I'd rather offer the public a good film with mono sound on a sloped floor in a single screen house than some of the digitalized garbage that's come out in the last few years. If we'd get back to making good product instead of offering the public only CGI special effects and digital sound on our multiple screens (which really only draw techno-geeks anyway) we could all smile on the way to the bank.

Posted by Chris Unwin (Member # 3792) on 05-22-2006, 03:51 AM:

Typical big business b.s. bigger is always better,etc.
We have a chain up here in canada called Famous Players. Their motto is: Big Screen
Big sound
Bid Difference!
YA....OK! How bout big dump. These places are so poorly run. The screen is floor to ceiling and wall to wall, therefore the image is stretched so bad it looks like a really cheap video projector image. Almost always out of focus. The real projectionists are long gone and when you finaly find someone to tell them the focus is really off half of them don't even know what your talking about!! One manager I talked to remembered me from a different theatre and asked me if I could come up to the booth as she had NO IDEA what I was talking about or how to fix it! (yes...I did go up....I felt bad for her.) Give me a Single screen mom & pop theatre ANY DAY over the Big Dump 20 plex. By the way famous players.....The Drive-in down the road has a screen more than DOUBLE the size of your biggest screen. They also still have a REAL projectionist and the presentation is Beautiful.

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 05-22-2006, 08:32 AM:

Robert: Much money has been spent in this industry to "lure the public." My personal concern is that a lot of this money has been spent to "fool ourselves." IMO multiple auditoriums (beyond that needed for booking requirements) and rocking chair seats fall into that area. Assuming that the seat is serviceable and clean, who really cares? As stated above, I can only see one auditorium at a time.

Wouldn't all concerned be better off to have fewer, better screens? Louis

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 05-22-2006, 11:42 AM:

The number of auditoriums is one of the various options open to a customer. We could name our theatres after other options we offer; for instance, the number of different popcorn sizes/combos. We are the Irvine Spectrum 3 now. [Razz]

Of course, that in no way distinguishes us from any other theatre.

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 05-22-2006, 04:16 PM:

The footprint for our theater would probably equate to about one stadium auditorium. Perhaps that's why a lot of first-timers are surprised to see five auditoriums stacked about two floors. Despite this, people from the suburbs still ask why we haven't converted to stadium. I guess they didn't notice the porthole three feet above their heads as they leave. Sometimes they grasp the size of the building, but as how big our screens are. I usually respond with "average of thirty feet wide, in focus, and scratch-free", just to put things into perspective. [Roll Eyes]

Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 05-22-2006, 09:16 PM:

I think AMC started the numbering thing when they started building their little shoebox theatres in the 70's. Every theatre around here just had a single name (even those with more than one screen) until AMC opened the Westerville 6 and the Eastland Plaza 6.