This is topic STAR WARS The Force Awakens getting great reviews in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-16-2015, 04:34 PM:
Rotten Tomatoes gave STAR WARS The Force Awakens a 94% favorable rating and Brian Truitt of USA TODAY gave it a four star review. On top of that, many after the world premiere showing said it was great and lives up to the tradition of the original trilogy. With All of these great reviews,the film now awaits the general public's reaction to the film and I am confident everyone will feel the same way. With the critIcal acclaim and expected favorable reaction to the movie,STAR WARS The Force Awakens could become the highest grossing film topping AVATAR.
I will wait a couple of weeks before seeing it and when I do, I will see it in IMAX 3D and I hope the converted 3D will be great and it results in making people once again flocking to see the movie in that format like AVATAR did
-Claude
Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 7758) on 12-16-2015, 08:16 PM:
Claude, I noticed earlier that the best reviewer at RogerEbert.com was on tap for this one, Matt Zoller Seitz, and he gave it 3.5 out of 4 stars.
I, however, didn't read much of the review because I don't want to know too much!
Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 12-17-2015, 01:16 AM:
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-17-2015, 03:25 PM:
STAR WARS The Force Awakens was just added to the lists of "Best Film of The Year" nomination by the American Film Institute along with SPOTLIGHT, MADS MAX FURY ROAD, CAROL, THE BIG SHORT BRIDGE OF SPIES, INSIDE OUT, THE MARTIAN, ROOM and STRAIGHT OUT OF COMPTON.
Along with all the technical Academy Award nomination the Star Wars film is assured of getting, THE FORCE AWAKENS also has a good chance of being nominated for a Best Picture Oscar based on the great reviews the movie has received.
-Claude
Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 12-17-2015, 04:20 PM:
While Star Wars: The Force Awakens does have an impressive Rotten Tomatoes, Tomato Meter score (95%), that score doesn't really get into whether the positive reviews are saying the movie is freaking great or if it's just a reasonably decent movie. That's the weakness with the Tomato Meter.
The movie has an 81 score at Metacritic.
I haven't read too deep into any of the reviews (don't need any spoilers). But I'm under the impression this new Star Wars movie is trending in a fairly standard 3-star zone.
As far as Oscar-potential goes I wouldn't expect it to do more than win a few technical awards. And even there I think Mad Max: Fury Road was likely a bigger accomplishment, given all the practical non-CGI effects in that movie.
It's worth noting J.J. Abrams' two Star Trek installments earned very good Rotten Tomato scores. 95% for the first movie and 87% for the "into darkness" sequel. Lots of Star Trek fans hated the shit out of both movies for the liberties Abrams took with the material. He toilet-flush the Star Trek canon in the first movie and had the second one turn The Wrath of Khan into a trivial bullshit joke.
The only way to tell if the new Star Wars movie is really any good is to see it yourself (and give the Mouse House some of your money).
Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 12-17-2015, 04:43 PM:
For entertaining reading up to the preview shows, follow the #StarWarsTheForceAwakens Twitter hashtag for hundreds of absurdly fake spoilers, followed by hundreds of Star Wars core nerds replies that say "You're not funny."
Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 12-17-2015, 06:14 PM:
quote: Bobby Henderson
While Star Wars: The Force Awakens does have an impressive Rotten Tomatoes, Tomato Meter score (95%), that score doesn't really get into whether the positive reviews are saying the movie is freaking great or if it's just a reasonably decent movie. That's the weakness with the Tomato Meter.
This is a very good point. Star Wars is currently at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes with an average score of 8.2. By comparison, Inside Out was 98% with an average score of 9.0. By this metric, I think the 94% for Star Wars definitely represents people truly liking the movie.
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-17-2015, 06:29 PM:
quote: Bobby Henderson
see it yourself (and give the Mouse House some of your money).
You say that like it's a bad thing.
quote: Justin Hamaker
I think the 94% for Star Wars definitely represents people truly liking the movie.
That sound you hear is thousands of theater owners breathing a sigh of relief.
Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 12-18-2015, 12:10 AM:
Well I don't know what Carmike Theaters Policy is in other states about wearing masks/costumes to the theater; but ours(SHILOH 14) seems to be saying "Wear what you Brung" All the
tickets were soldout clear up to the 10:30pm showing and I'm sure there gone now. There going to run the Movie back to back for 31hrs. Some of these Die Hard STARWARS Fan's were at the theater at 6:00AM to wait in line. About 20 degrees above zero. Some of these Fans would risk Pnenomonia to get those first tickets. This Guy thinks he'll get a Discount coming like this...Think again Pal, this is Carmike ![[puke]](graemlins/puke.gif)
Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 12-18-2015, 01:31 AM:
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-18-2015, 08:45 PM:
Really weird here -- our first night crowd last night was about as expected for a big Thursday opening, but tonight we are only about 1/3 full. I don't know what's happened. I'm thinking of a few factors:
- There are high school basketball games tonight
- People are waiting for our matinee tomorrow
- There is a high school wrestling tournament going on
- People think we're sold out
- A lot of people are at Christmas parties
- People didn't buy advance tickets, but think they needed to buy advance tickets
- People are waiting for family members to arrive home for the holidays
- People are hoping to avoid the opening weekend mob
All of which could lead up to us getting unexpectedly slammed one of these nights. I guess we'll just need to be ready whenever it happens.
At least I HOPE it happens! Or it's going to be a very long holiday season around here.
Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 12-18-2015, 09:11 PM:
Similar thing here Mike. We're plenty busy, but not sold out busy. I'm sure many of those factors come into play.
Posted by James Wyrembelski (Member # 9037) on 12-20-2015, 09:53 PM:
Im not sure how the weekend played out. I went Friday night after Thursdays opening thinking it may be futile but what else am i doing? I went to the 9:30 show and there were maybe 30 people, and perhaps double that for the first show at 7. Last time I went to this particular theater they just about sold out of 400 seats for avengers. I was shocked to see this opening night on Star Wars. But many people I know said there was no way they were going to attempt going on opening weekend and were going to wait for the crowds to die down. Sounds like a lot of people had that plan...
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 12-20-2015, 10:33 PM:
Yeah when everyone was talking ticket pre-sales and whatnot I was like "Screw this, I'm not gonna even get close to a theater for at least 2 or 3 weeks after it releases." A lot of people might be thinking similar thoughts just due to the excessive hype. Saw it Friday night at 10:30 and the auditorium was maybe 2/3 full at most. Small auditorium in 2D. I can't even imagine seeing this movie in 3D (as in, it would be inferior in 3D).
Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 12-20-2015, 10:57 PM:
Well just heard off AP- Box office: 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' opens to record $238M for cosmic $517M global launch...
Some reviews : If you don't want to see them then look no Farther ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Ray•about an hour ago
Star Wars the Force Awakens is only a remake of the original Star Wars movie rewritten. The Star Wars bar scene, the death star “planet” on steroids, the father vs son conflict were directly taken from the original movie or fourth installment in the franchise. This movie didn’t give you anything new. Positives, the visual effects were state of the art. Acting…OK. Negatives, Script…horrible, very little originality. Wait for the DVD. On second thought buy the bootleg. I didn’t hate the movie I just didn’t like it as much as I wanted to and I’m a Star Wars fan.
mike* about an hour ago
Saying a movie set any record is bogus, Prices have skyrocketed since any really good movie has been made and there are millions of more seats available worldwide and the worlds population has gone from 4 Billion to 7.5 billion in 30 years. No comparison can be made this way.
mary* about an hour ago
Not worth the 14.00 Ticket. Only winners here were the actors The Audience Got Spamed again. What a crappy Script, And who the hell the Giant Hologram dude and when did the 1st eners show up.
jerry* about an hour ago
How much is that in real worth terms. When you can charge $20 for an adult ticket vs. the $1.75 of the 70's
Mike•about 2 hours ago
So, wait...The Single Day total includes Thursday and Friday. That's two days. It's bad enough that they don't adjust Box Office records according to inflation and upcharges (like 3-D). Now, they're just coming up with whatever formulas they want as they go along.
Look, the thing can be measured by asses-in-seats and still impress everyone. But, that's got nothing to do with quality. Why do they keep on insisting I should care about some rich corporation's money?
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-20-2015, 11:21 PM:
So Steve, why do you always want to dump all over everything?
The reason they think people care about the dollar figures is simple: People DO care about the dollar figures. It's interesting.
Bottom line - The movie is doing good business and getting great reviews.
This guy:
quote: Steve Matz
How much is that in real worth terms. When you can charge $20 for an adult ticket vs. the $1.75 of the 70's
...is an idiot. You are getting FAR more for your money now than you did in the '70s. Way more screens, way better sound, movies get out to more locations faster, more comfortable seats, etc. If we suddenly went back to the way things were in the '70s, there would be an outcry of anguish that would fill the galaxy and beyond. Also MOST tickets don't cost $20 today. The average is still around $8.
For the record, we had a bigger crowd here tonight (Sunday) than we had on any of the first 3 nights, in fact we had double the crowd tonight than what we had Friday. So I'm sure a LOT of people are thinking everything's sold out, and/or they're waiting for the "crowds to die down."
Either way - the movie is getting fine word of mouth and virtually everyone I'm running into on the street is telling me they want to come see it. We've already had multiple people come and see it twice, and one guy has been here 3 of the 4 nights so far and says he's coming back to see it more times.
So while I still think week 4 will be a dead zone around here, it's going to play fine thru the holidays.
There's always gotta be nay-sayers I guess.
Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 12-21-2015, 01:11 AM:
I'm not Dumping on anybody, I just Copied and pasted what the first few people said about the Movie.....Don't put me down as saying Quote Steve Matz.... I haven't said SHIT about the Movie!
Get your facts straight before Accusing People!
Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 7758) on 12-21-2015, 01:28 AM:
Steve, since the quotations you posted are predominantly negative, and I've yet to encounter a single individual with a negative opinion of it, I'm just curious where you found these quotes. As a point of interest.
Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-21-2015, 05:13 AM:
I dunno...I think if today's people saw theatres of the '70s (not built in the 70s but survived into the 70s)...they'd like them for their LARGE SIZE, balconies...etc. I'll take a good Art Deco theatre over a "modern" theatre any day. There is more to a theatre than just the electric seats though those can be a nice addition. Most of the cinemas today are just uninspired boxes.
Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 12-21-2015, 11:48 AM:
It was on AOL's Main Site Sunday evening with that Headline about what the Film did here and Worldwide. Those were just some early comments, I'm sure there were 100's of other later comments giving Positive Reviews. I just happen to come on the Story as it was posted, so only a few comments were posted.
I could care less whether People liked or disliked the Film. My only Bitch is why does it have to cost me almost 20 Bucks to see a 3D Film that's not even in a True IMAX THEATER !
BTW: What Steve Guttag just posted is SPOT ON ! ![[thumbsup]](graemlins/thumbsup.gif)
Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 12-21-2015, 01:41 PM:
Customer standing in "Star Wars" line mistakenly waiting to get into "Creed" says to the others in line without realizing what line he's in:
"Who wants to watch a movie about a bunch of Space Wizards with laser Swords anyways?"
Everyone else in the line your in there bud.........
(But now I can't get the line he said out of my head!)
Posted by James Wyrembelski (Member # 9037) on 12-21-2015, 02:14 PM:
1.75 in todays money is about 7 dollars....not too far off the mark for the average price now....
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 12-21-2015, 03:06 PM:
quote: Steve Matz
Ray•about an hour ago
mike* about an hour ago
mary* about an hour ago
jerry* about an hour ago
Mike• about 2 hours ago
Who are these people and why should anyone on the planet care what they have to say? They're nobody. They don't even have last names or credentials. One of them actually recommends pirating the movie.
Posted by Bill Brandenstein (Member # 7758) on 12-21-2015, 03:14 PM:
quote: Steve Matz
It was on AOL's Main Site Sunday evening ...Those were just some early comments.
Thank you, Steve. I tend to agree with you on the $$ and Steve G on the generic venue issues.
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-21-2015, 05:19 PM:
quote:
I could care less whether People liked or disliked the Film. My only Bitch is why does it have to cost me almost 20 Bucks to see a 3D Film that's not even in a True IMAX THEATER !
Well Steve since gas in Billings is under $2 now, maybe you could drive over here and watch it for $7.75 and come out ahead.
Or maybe $5.25, depending on if you're over 65 or not.
We won't even pretend to be an Imax. And we have better popcorn.
Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 12-21-2015, 06:50 PM:
I might just do that Mike; Gas for Exxon Plus was $1.95 so even at a 100+ miles to Forsyth I'm still saving Money...Besides the Atmosphere of a Single Screen Movie House is much more pleasant than Multiplexes ! ![[beer]](graemlins/beer.gif)
Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 12-22-2015, 05:10 AM:
Steve...I'd hold out for the Curtain!
Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 12-22-2015, 08:12 AM:
Unbleached?
Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 12-22-2015, 09:17 AM:
There is now all this press hype about how many hundreds of millions of dollars any movie made over its opening weekend. The media doesn't even bother to report how much a movie made at the end of its theatrical run anymore. It's only about opening weekend. The media's attention span is that short, and they think the public's attention span is that short too.
The funny thing is the $100 million, $200 million or even $500 million opening weekend tallies mean very little. How many tickets were sold!? Specifically how many people watched the damned movie!? The media and movie industry NEVER report that because it wouldn't be very impressive against bona fide blockbusters of decades past and might bring attention to how much more it costs to go to the movies now.
quote: Mike Blakesley
You are getting FAR more for your money now than you did in the '70s. Way more screens, way better sound, movies get out to more locations faster, more comfortable seats, etc. If we suddenly went back to the way things were in the '70s, there would be an outcry of anguish that would fill the galaxy and beyond. Also MOST tickets don't cost $20 today. The average is still around $8.
Not around here, and this isn't even the big city. Ticket averages could only dip anywhere near $8 by including every discount available at theaters and equally weighing small town theater ticket prices against bigger city theaters that have far more customer traffic. Most people are going to first run theaters and paying evening adult ticket prices. Standard evening ticket prices at our new Carmike theater go over $11 per ticket when you include the sales tax, add $3 for 3D, $4 for IMAX and $7 for IMAX 3D.
Most tickets may not be costing $20 per ticket, but movies like the new Star Wars sequel are indeed getting a huge chunk of their earnings from those kinds of high priced tickets. Here in Lawton it does indeed cost nearly $20 per ticket to watch the new Star Wars movie in IMAX 3D, $17.50 plus 8.75% sales tax. Order them from Fandango and the price will be over $19. The IMAX house in that new theater has, by far, the highest seating capacity in the complex.
quote: Steve Guttag
I dunno...I think if today's people saw theatres of the '70s (not built in the 70s but survived into the 70s)...they'd like them for their LARGE SIZE, balconies...etc. I'll take a good Art Deco theatre over a "modern" theatre any day. There is more to a theatre than just the electric seats though those can be a nice addition. Most of the cinemas today are just uninspired boxes.
Yeah, uninspiried boxes with what looks like a giant TV screen. If the customer pays out the wazoo for a "premium" experience chances are he'll be watching a 'scope aspect ratio movie letter-boxed on a screen lacking masking and curtains, just like the HDTV set in the living room at home.
But why shouldn't commercial movie theaters go with common width screens? The serious compromises in the design of the d-cinema playback and projection hardware all but dictate a glorified TV screen approach.
Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 12-22-2015, 10:26 AM:
quote: Bobby Henderson
The media doesn't even bother to report how much a movie made at the end of its theatrical run anymore.
Of course, Hollywood Bookkeeping being what it is "made" is a slippery term. As we know from the Coming To America case, a movie can "cost" $30million, "gross" $300million and never "make" money.
Yeah, reporting grosses is meaningless, but it is quick and easy and makes everyone feel like an insider. Much like reporting that other meaningless number, the Daily Dow Jones Average.
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-22-2015, 11:58 AM:
quote: Bobby Henderson
Not around here, and this isn't even the big city. Ticket averages could only dip anywhere near $8 by including every discount available at theaters and equally weighing small town theater ticket prices against bigger city theaters that have far more customer traffic.
Uh....that is why I used the word AVERAGE. According to NATO the nationwide AVERAGE price was $8.14 last year. I think it's around $8.60 so far this year, thanks mostly to our "friends" at Imax.
Also even though more people live in big cities, not everybody does. Why shouldn't you have to "equally weigh small town theater ticket prices against bigger city theaters?" Everybody is seeing the same movies, after all. Why shouldn't smaller towns get to figure into the average?
Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 12-22-2015, 02:11 PM:
Small town theaters don't draw nearly as many customers as bigger city multiplex theaters.
To me, that $8 average looks like NATO is using a crude, vague Location A versus Location B formula, comparing what the two theaters are charging for ticket prices and averaging only from that. I don't think they're factoring the issue Location B might have 100 times the customer traffic of Location A yet is charging quite a lot more for tickets than Location A. NATO may not even be adjusting their average for how many people watch matinee shows versus how many pay full price for evening shows.
That very example can play out right here in my region. Someone could see Star Wars in digital 3D at the Liberty Theater in Carnegie, OK for just $6. But that's a little theater in a little town an hour's drive from Lawton. It's not drawing anywhere near as many people as the new Carmike theater on Lawton's west side.
Even in the new Carmike things are going to skew in favor of the IMAX-branded house rather than the standard priced auditoriums charging between $4 and $7 less for the same show. The IMAX house has a lot more seats than the other auditoriums and is getting the most favored show times. Customers have to carefully and deliberately pick one of the smaller houses to see the movie, especially if they're wanting to avoid 3D.
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-22-2015, 02:27 PM:
In the big picture when you're talking about an average, nobody gives a crap about any of that qualifying stuff.
What are they supposed to do, put out a whole list of different averages based on different sized cities or different-formatted theaters or different-aged theaters?
An average is just that, an AVERAGE. It doesn't make a bit of difference whether some places draw more than others. Anybody knows that a small town is going to be below the average and a big town will be higher.
At the end of the day it's just a number for the industry to use in the media, that's all.
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-22-2015, 03:09 PM:
Getting back on topic, I am now at a Sam's Club snack bar downstairs enjoying a hot dog /drink and waiting for the 12:30 pm showing of STAR WARS The Force Awakens in 3D at the Regal Pearl Highland Theatre in their largest house that seats about 600 and has a nice wide scope screen. Unfortunately, it does not have Atmos. I had planned to see SWTFA at the Dole Cannery in IMAX but their 3D shows at 4:00 in the afternoon is too late and hard to fit into my schedule. I was not planning to see the movie so soon after it had opened but I do not think I will have any problem getting a good. seat especially when 3D showings are not too popular compared to 2D. Based on the reviews and favorable comments
here snd elsewhere I am now very eager to see the movie and I will post my
comments after I see it
-Claude
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-22-2015, 08:17 PM:
I just saw STAR WARS The Force Awakens and as expected, the movie was great! All the three movies in the original trilogy were equally good and this one fits right in. The presentation in house 12 at Regal's Pearl Highland was perfect with a very nice film like image and the 3D was fantastic as well as the sound with s lot of deep LFE from the theatre's sub woofers. I rate SWTFA four out of four stars.
-Claude
Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 12-23-2015, 11:35 AM:
quote: Mike Blakesley
In the big picture when you're talking about an average, nobody gives a crap about any of that qualifying stuff.
If nobody gives a crap about the "qualifying stuff" then the reporting of those stats, in big headlines, is just another example of the media insulting the intelligence of the general public. Dollar grosses, averages, etc. are pretty worthless without the qualifying stuff.
Here's a stat I would find impressive: "100 million people went to theaters to see Star Wars." That kind of stat would be impressive in any decade and not be subject to things like ticket price inflation.
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-23-2015, 12:42 PM:
My comment about the "qualifiers" was a response to you stating that "smaller places" shouldn't be included in the average price, because (you think) it makes the price seem artificially low. That's why I said "in the big picture."
Of course all the individual stats are important but NOT when you're computing an average. If you want to break it down further that's fine, but an average is an average. You HAVE to include all the variables in the picture if you want to get an accurate average.
If you were applying your logic to ticket sales numbers, then the media might say the average theater had (for example) 1000 people seeing the movie over the weekend, but you would say the number should be closer to 5000 because the "small" places shouldn't be counted into the average because they don't get the same amount of traffic as the "big" places.
Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 12-23-2015, 01:52 PM:
I never said the small theaters should not be counted. They should be counted, but with the price affecting the average according to their number of tickets sold versus other theaters.
If theater A sells 1000 tickets at $6 a piece and theater B sells 10000 tickets at $18 a piece there is no way that average ticket price is going to be $12. But that's how I suspect NATO is pushing things.
IMAX says $48 million of Star Wars opening weekend revenue came from its screens, $30.1 million of it in the US on 391 screens. That seems pretty impressive until those dollar values are divided by the ticket prices, most of which included additional 3D surcharges. Our local Carmike's IMAX screen had no 2D shows of Star Wars and only one of the three standard priced screens showing the movie was running it in 2D. Using a $15 per ticket value (which is on the low side), a little over 3 million tickets may have been sold opening weekend. The actual number may be fewer than that.
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-23-2015, 03:35 PM:
quote: Bobby Henderson
I never said the small theaters should not be counted. They should be counted, but with the price affecting the average according to their number of tickets sold versus other theaters.
Well then, like I said, it's not an industry average anymore. It's got a lot of qualfiers attached when makes it confusing. Confusing isn't good when you're dealing in small sound bites.
quote: Bobby Henderson
If theater A sells 1000 tickets at $6 a piece and theater B sells 10000 tickets at $18 a piece there is no way that average ticket price is going to be $12. But that's how I suspect NATO is pushing things.
Nope. They just take ALL the tickets reported sold and ALL the money reported and divide the money by the tickets. It's as simple as that. In the example you gave, the average would be $16.91 per ticket.
We might as well quit debating this because it's pointless anyway. They SHOULD report the number of butts in seats, but the dollars are a much bigger number, thus more exciting.
Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 12-23-2015, 08:18 PM:
No matter how you look at it; This Film is going to make an Absurd amount of Money just on it's theater run. Then the Blu-ray will follow and that will start out at $22.00 or higher. It just pisses me off that a large Chain like CARMIKE acts like there giving you the best of everything. Refill your Popcorn Bucket and will give a theater size Candy for 2 dollars. I can walk across the Street and buy the same thing at the Dollar tree for a Buck. If they weren't going to install a true IMAX Facility then they don't need to be charging the same amount per person as a legitimate IMAX Facility. I'm done with both Carmike Theaters in this Town. After you get Hosed enough times; you almost start asking the employees there if that Price includes the Vasoline also... ![[thumbsdown]](graemlins/thumbsdown.gif)
![[fu]](graemlins/fu.gif)
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-23-2015, 08:46 PM:
See that's what I mean about you dumping on everything.
The Carmike "Imax" IS a true Imax -- Imax has changed the definition of what an Imax is. It used to be a premium experience with a five-stories-tall screen -- now it's just a little larger screen and dual projectors. But Carmike didn't do that, Imax did when they started whoring out their brand. Can't blame Carmike for wanting to jump on that train.
As for the prices ... you should know the difference in economics between whatever is across the street, and a movie theater. Theaters HAVE to have higher prices in order to make enough profits. Even here, it's about 3x as much for a 32oz soda as it is at the convenience store. It's just a fact of life. No amount of complaining is ever going to change it.
Posted by James Wyrembelski (Member # 9037) on 12-24-2015, 01:50 AM:
I always laugh when people bring that up
I serve beer all day....the same six pack they could get for 5-6 dollars costs 16.50 at the bar....they could easily go next door to the convenience store and get an average domestic six pack for about 10.00 less and go home....yet they still come in and pay it. in the service industry you pay for service and availability....not necessarily the item itself...
Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 12-24-2015, 02:51 AM:
Gee Mike since you seem to think your the Big Wheel up here, do we need your permission to say anything Negative about anything. Your the one just awhile back calling it LIEMAX. Now your saying it's OK. Ask people that saw real IMAX Presentations and see what there opinion is when they have to pay the same price for what there showing now !
Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 12-24-2015, 09:19 AM:
I've seen some small "Lie-MAX" auditoriums, but that one in Billings is setting a new standard for tiny. Unfortunately that tiny size doesn't extend to the ticket price. It's roughly the same price as the new IMAX screen here in Lawton, and that theater is at least a respectable size. I'd be pretty pissed off if I paid top dollar for the IMAX Experience and then walked into a room to see a screen that small. I'd probably walk right back out of the theater and get a refund.
As for concessions prices, they've always been high. It's common knowledge the snack counter is really what helps keep the doors open and light bill paid at the theater. It is worth noting over the past five years snack counter prices have gotten a bit ridiculous around here. $7 or $8 for a large drink? Really?
quote: James Wyrembelski
I serve beer all day....the same six pack they could get for 5-6 dollars costs 16.50 at the bar....they could easily go next door to the convenience store and get an average domestic six pack for about 10.00 less and go home....yet they still come in and pay it.
For most bars the price of admission is worked into those drink prices. Bars do have to compete with each other on pricing and even do additional things to keep a crowd interested in the place. I've seen plenty of bars and night clubs here in Lawton go bust very quickly by assuming they could charge whatever they wanted on drinks or even a cover charge. If you're lucky enough to be running a hang-out that's drawing attractive women then you'll have more freedom to charge more for drinks and even tack on a cover charge.
quote: Mike Blakesley
Nope. They just take ALL the tickets reported sold and ALL the money reported and divide the money by the tickets. It's as simple as that. In the example you gave, the average would be $16.91 per ticket.
I have my doubts. I think NATO is putting in every ingredient it can find to skew that average ticket price number as low as it can -kind of like how the government's inflation figures are reported deliberately excluding fuel and food costs, things that consume a big portion of "little people" pay checks.
quote: Mike Blakesley
We might as well quit debating this because it's pointless anyway. They SHOULD report the number of butts in seats, but the dollars are a much bigger number, thus more exciting.
The media only thinks the dollar figures are exciting. It's not exciting to me at all. I'm not getting any of that money. It's nothing for a movie to gross $100 million now. That can be done with less than 10 million tickets sold, or only 6 million tickets if we're talking IMAX pricing. A movie can be a financial failure while grossing $100 million or $200 million. We're living in a time now where some companies have posted over $10 billion in profits in just one quarter. Some petroleum companies were doing that before the industry hit its current bust cycle. Exxon-Mobil has a market capitalization of nearly $400 billion. Apple is currently worth over $700 billion. And I'm supposed to be impressed by some raw dollar figure on how much a movie made -and it's just in the hundreds of millions?
Dollar grosses like $100 million were impressive back when it was dirt cheap to go to the movies. When I was a kid living in Yuma, AZ all four in my family could pay $2 for the car load to see a movie at the drive-in theater. That was the age where Jaws crossed the $100 million mark. That was damned impressive.
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-24-2015, 03:44 PM:
quote: Steve Matz
Gee Mike since you seem to think your the Big Wheel up here, do we need your permission to say anything Negative about anything. Your the one just awhile back calling it LIEMAX. Now your saying it's OK.
I didn't say it was OK, I just said it is what it is. Just like when Coke changed their formula, it wasn't the same Coke but it was still Coke.
I never said it was good -- I said Imax was whoring out their brand and I haven't backed off from that. It's still Liemax.
You can post all the negative comments you want, but when you are constantly posting stuff like:
quote: Steve Matz
After you get Hosed enough times; you almost start asking the employees there if that Price includes the Vasoline also...
it just gets a little old. (That's just my own opinion, I'm not in charge of anything around here.) Carmike isn't doing anything that any other big chain isn't doing. And they keep saying that the Billings theater is one of their better performers. Of course that's mostly because they're the only game in town.
quote: Bobby Henderson
I have my doubts. I think NATO is putting in every ingredient it can find to skew that average ticket price number as low as it can
I highly doubt that. The average number isn't even generated by NATO -- it's done by an independent accounting firm. NATO doesn't receive the data from the theaters, the accounting firm gets it directly. Of course they are including discount theaters and small places because (like I have said before) it's an AVERAGE PRICE based on all of domestic exhibition. I guess if you don't want to believe that, it's your privilege.
quote: Bobby Henderson
The media only thinks the dollar figures are exciting. It's not exciting to me at all.
Just because you don't find something exciting, doesn't mean the rest of the world feels the same way. I frequently have people saying things like "I heard this movie did $150 million!" and you can tell they like those kinds of info bits. People like it when something that they like does well. It's human nature.
quote: Bobby Henderson
Unfortunately that tiny size doesn't extend to the ticket price.
That's because the cost of the projection and sound equipment is fairly close to the same across these kinds of retro-fit installations. If they had an 80 foot screen instead of the 50, or whatever, they'd probably still use a similar projector (or one that costs about the same $) and sound system.
Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 12-24-2015, 04:07 PM:
Claude, any ATMOS houses in your area?
If so, please check out SW:Force in Atmos. You won't be disappointed.
We have two houses with ATMOS and that made the movie with one in 3D..which the 3D version is quite good in itself.
Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 12-24-2015, 04:28 PM:
quote: Mike Blakesley
you should know the difference in economics between whatever is across the street, and a movie theater. Theaters HAVE to have higher prices in order to make enough profits. Even here, it's about 3x as much for a 32oz soda as it is at the convenience store.
I've all but given up trying to explain this. The general public just doesn't care to hear that the price of something is more than just the finished product put in front of you. They don't care about the cost of electricity to make the ice. Rent for storage space for the cups, lids, straws, and syrup. Insurance for the facility. Electricity for the show.
All they see is the cup of soda or box of Red Vines and want to compare that to the convenience store down the road.
quote: Steve Matz
After you get Hosed enough times; you almost start asking the employees there if that Price includes the Vasoline also
You spend money the first time and feel disappointed, it's fair to say you got 'hosed'. But if you go back after that, you are making a choice. Even if you feel the product was not worth the price of admission, you still purchased your ticket with full knowledge of what to expect. Complaining to employees is completely pointless since they have ZERO influence or control over prices.
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-24-2015, 04:28 PM:
Yes, Monte. we have one Atmos equipped theatre in Honolulu and it is Reading International's (Consolidated) Ward Centre 16 in the large screen Titan XC house and I have been there only twice. As much as I would like to see my movies with the best picture and sound such as 70mm and Dolby Atmos, I totally dislike this house for two reasons, First their luxury leather seats are very uncomfortable and their reserved seating is a joke when they do not ask me where I want to sit and choose to place me way on the side when there were plenty good seats in the centre in a house that was only a quarter full The first time I went there was to check the house when it opened to see a 3D movie and the the picture was VERY DARK!!!!! The 2nd time was for a STAR TREK movie In 3D and Atmos and I was not impressed.
-Claude
Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 12-24-2015, 04:50 PM:
quote: Mike Blakesley
Just because you don't find something exciting, doesn't mean the rest of the world feels the same way. I frequently have people saying things like "I heard this movie did $150 million!" and you can tell they like those kinds of info bits. People like it when something that they like does well. It's human nature.
The United States does rank 27th in the world in math. ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
quote: Mike Blakesley
That's because the cost of the projection and sound equipment is fairly close to the same across these kinds of retro-fit installations. If they had an 80 foot screen instead of the 50, or whatever, they'd probably still use a similar projector (or one that costs about the same $) and sound system.
When it comes to IMAX people expect BIG. They expect a screen and auditorium with a significantly larger than usual scale. I can certainly appreciate dual projectors, particularly for 3D. But that's really a waste to use on a modest sized multiplex screen.
Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 12-24-2015, 05:42 PM:
As I had mentioned earlier, I planned to see the new STAR WARS movie a few weeks after it had opened because I thought all the shows during opening week was going to be crowded. I now realize this is not like the old days when big movies played at only one theatre or only a few houses. When TITANIC played in Honolulu during it's first run many years ago, it was only in one house, the Waikiki #3 and a weekday matinee weeks after opening was still selling out and I was lucky to get a seat. STAR WARS The Force Awakens is now playing everywhere and multiplexes here has as many as three houses playing the movie in their complex. From the less than two hundred people in a 600 seat theatre I saw SWTFA, the other day in 3D, I am sure theatres will scale back the number of house playing the movie next week and when that happens, shows should be more crowded than opening week.
-Claude
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