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This topic comprises 4 pages: 1 2 3 4
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Topic: Reasons Moviegoers choose theatres
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Don Bruechert
Mmmmmmmmm, bird!
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Posts: 340
From: Manitowoc, WI, USA
Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 05-31-2003 04:32 PM
Because we have taken a single screen theater and converted it into a six-plex, we have 4 houses on the main floor, one is a small climb of about 6 stairs plus the "stadium", and the other is way up at the top in the original balcony. Customers know that rarely will we bring in a movie that is higher than the main floor during its first 2 weeks, and "hot" movies will be in one of the 3 houses with digital sound. As the movie ages, however, it is moved into some of the more basic houses, or "up the tower" as we like to refer to it - giving the customers an incentive to watch it one of the first 2 weeks it is playing, or risk climbing 5 or 6 flights of stairs to see it in the nosebleed auditorium. We have had customers call and ask if a movie was up there or not, and I recall as a customer always bitching when I had to go see a movie up there. That is the one auditorium where we don't bitch at customers who have their feet on the seats, as the rows are so close together there is no legroom. My preferred posture in that room is to put my feet on the armrests of the seat in front of me - that is almost perfect alignment and very comfortable.
So I would think customers would be concerned with their overall comfort and inconvenince as well. Everywhere you go someone is going to bitch about the concession prices, so that doesn't really matter much!
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Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."
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Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 05-31-2003 05:03 PM
The Marcus Theatres survey doesn't mean squat. And if anything most of the respondents are just checking off items they know little to nothing about (such as "wide" wall to wall screens, aspect ratios, sound quality, projection quality, etc. etc. etc.).
The Wallace Theaters Cache 8 theater in my town is a clear illustration to the laziness of many movie customers. I firmly believe many people visit theaters based on whatever house is closest. That's it.
I feel like filling my pickup bed with small printed leaflets and dumping them in the Cache 8 parking lot. The leaftlets would say, "if you pay money to watch a movie in this place, you are a moron."
Of course, not all the fault goes to the movie-goers. A big chunk of the blame deserves to be directed back at the executives in charge of the movie theater chains. Their marketing is SHIT.
Why do I say that? Because they're doing next to nothing in pointing out the pathetic shortcomings of rival movie theaters. The Carmike 8 in my town could accurately claim they're the best theater in the state. They certainly could do so based on their sound and projection quality (better than anything I can find in Oklahoma City or Tulsa). However, Carmike is not going to place ads and twist arms of branch offices bookers and stuff like that to benefit the place. Why? Because Carmike has its own share of very terrible quality theaters. All the circuits do. They're all guilty in cost-cutting away every bit of quality they can out of the most important part of their product: show quality.
Well, the circuits might spend some bucks up front on hardware for a new theater. But they are CHEAPSKATES when it comes to good staffing and routine maintenance. A theater manager who is a film fan might care to make noise to get whatever he needs for his house. But many of the employees in so many plexi are just there to punch in and punch out.
In all, I think the situation would be more positive if customers were not so RECKLESS on where they spend their money. If they were a little more educated to film-going and more responsible with their dollars a great many of the pig sty dumps out there would be forced to close. Right now I just see the damned things staying open until the building literally falls down.
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Mark J. Marshall
Film God
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Posts: 3188
From: New Castle, DE, USA
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 06-02-2003 08:29 PM
As long as we're sharing stories on what WE look for in theaters, how's this....
Being a die hard Star Wars fan, and someone keenly aware of a quality presentation, when Episode I was about to come out, I took off from work... (ready for this?) ...for TWO WEEKS STRAIGHT. My goal, to find a THX certified theater that was installing Dolby's EX, and that had a projection staff that cared about the presentation. (I was not working at a theater at that time.) Now, in this market, you can count the total THX auditoriums on one hand, so I was prepared to go to NYC or anywhere I had to to find the right theater. And I had two weeks to do it.
First I tried a local major chain 24 plex that was relatively new at the time (those in the Philly area know where I mean). I went to see the Matrix in their biggest theater figuring that would be a good test. But there was a horrible echo in that auditorium! I moved around to different spots in the theater, but it was everywhere. I don't know if that was ever "fixed" or not because I never went back.
Eventually I stumbled onto the GCC Plymouth Meeting 12. It was a brand new theater, only a couple of months old, stadium seating, all the digital formats, two THX certified auditoriums, and yes they were installing EX in the two THX houses for Star Wars. The projectionist there, a guy named Joe Tommassello (who currently lurks here... Hi Joe!), took me into the booth and showed me around as they were separating the surrounds. Joe seemed extremely dedicated, and was just as excited as I was about the opening. It was settled. I pitched my tent, and that's where I saw it.
The funny thing was that all the people who made fun of me taking off for two weeks suddenly wanted me to get tickets for them too!
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