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The Billings Gazette had this article on their Facebook page today:
And that's all there is. In a classic example of stupidity, AMC isn't telling WHY the theater is closed, or how long they expect it to be closed. Rumors are now running rampant all over the internet -- the health inspector shut them down, they are out of everything, they have no staff, their internet doesn't work. No way to know if any of this is true.
Then there are the Facebook comments on the article. Here is a representative sample from over 175 comments in the past couple hours since the article went up:
Screenshot 2024-12-02 174533.png
So this is the moviegoing environment in AMC Theaters??
Into this stew, let's stir in this quote, which came in an email today from NATO:
^ ^ ^
THIS RIGHT HERE is our problem as an industry. The industry at large, and NATO, thinks everything is hunky dory, where here we have just one example of one of the biggest exhibition companies providing a crap experience. This is not in some backwater town. This is the largest multiplex in the biggest city in Montana. I mean it's not LA, but it's still a good sized market.
We were overwhelmed last weekend too. But I knew it was going to happen, so we staffed up, ordered extra suppllies, had everyone come in to work early, and worked our butts off...and had the best weekend we've had in about five years. We had absolutely zero complaints from anyone.
If NATO really wants to help the industry, they would copy this post, send it to whatever movers and shakers there are at AMC, and insist something is done about nonsense like this. Just crowing in the media about how you're going to repaint the walls is not enough.
A note on the website for AMC Classic Shiloh 14 at Shiloh Crossing announced that the theater currently is not open.
"We apologize for the inconvenience, but this theatre is temporarily closed. Please continue to check back here for updates," the website states.
Shiloh 14 is Billings' largest multiplex and the holiday season tends to be the busiest for movie theaters outside of summer. In fact, this past Thanksgiving weekend broke box office records with the release of "Moana 2." Previously, 2019's "Frozen II" was the most lucrative Thanksgiving weekend.
Still, the Magic City has plenty of screens open for moviegoers. AMC Classic 10 Billings, next to Rimrock Mall, is running on normal hours. And Art House Cinema & Pub, with its newly remodeled theaters and new restaurant, and the Babcock Theatre just around the corner, are operating at full throttle.
"We apologize for the inconvenience, but this theatre is temporarily closed. Please continue to check back here for updates," the website states.
Shiloh 14 is Billings' largest multiplex and the holiday season tends to be the busiest for movie theaters outside of summer. In fact, this past Thanksgiving weekend broke box office records with the release of "Moana 2." Previously, 2019's "Frozen II" was the most lucrative Thanksgiving weekend.
Still, the Magic City has plenty of screens open for moviegoers. AMC Classic 10 Billings, next to Rimrock Mall, is running on normal hours. And Art House Cinema & Pub, with its newly remodeled theaters and new restaurant, and the Babcock Theatre just around the corner, are operating at full throttle.
Then there are the Facebook comments on the article. Here is a representative sample from over 175 comments in the past couple hours since the article went up:
Screenshot 2024-12-02 174533.png
So this is the moviegoing environment in AMC Theaters??
Into this stew, let's stir in this quote, which came in an email today from NATO:
There is a lot of support in Hollywood for theatrical exhibition. At the same time, also perhaps not surprisingly, I heard skepticism about our industry... Paramount chief Brian Robbins was asked in an interview what one thing he would change about exhibition and he replied, “…I just wish that experience was more amazing than it is. That is their product. Our product is the movie. We sweat blood to make the movies. I wish theaters were a better experience.”
This type of cynicism is not new, nor surprising, but it reflects an uninformed and myopic view of the exhibition business held by some in Hollywood. That is why the work you do every day, to re-invest in your theatres and to create the best possible experience for fans of all ages is so critical. That is why we work to highlight the re-investment and innovation taking place in theatres around the world each day.
This type of cynicism is not new, nor surprising, but it reflects an uninformed and myopic view of the exhibition business held by some in Hollywood. That is why the work you do every day, to re-invest in your theatres and to create the best possible experience for fans of all ages is so critical. That is why we work to highlight the re-investment and innovation taking place in theatres around the world each day.
THIS RIGHT HERE is our problem as an industry. The industry at large, and NATO, thinks everything is hunky dory, where here we have just one example of one of the biggest exhibition companies providing a crap experience. This is not in some backwater town. This is the largest multiplex in the biggest city in Montana. I mean it's not LA, but it's still a good sized market.
We were overwhelmed last weekend too. But I knew it was going to happen, so we staffed up, ordered extra suppllies, had everyone come in to work early, and worked our butts off...and had the best weekend we've had in about five years. We had absolutely zero complaints from anyone.
If NATO really wants to help the industry, they would copy this post, send it to whatever movers and shakers there are at AMC, and insist something is done about nonsense like this. Just crowing in the media about how you're going to repaint the walls is not enough.
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