When was the last time you went to the theater to watch a movie?

[Brainiac]

Just over a week ago. Took the kids to see Jurassic Park 3D. Mighty expensive though. I kept the glasses because I paid for them (I have a 3D TV).

Some movies are just meant to be viewed on the big screen.

Brainiac

[KBeee]

I got fed up watching films in threatres when I heard people complaining about all the "farting and belching and masturbating" etc.
If they don't like that kind of thing, they shouldn't have sat next to me

[netmask56]

Last night to see 'Oblivion' even tho' I don't really like TomCat, however it turned out to be quite a good action SciFi with a sufficiently convoluted plot to keep my interest and he gave a good performance. I would have liked have seen Matt Bomer of White Collar in the part or even better Benedict Cumberbatch in the part.

[neomaine]

I generally don't go to a standard theatre any more preferring instead to go to an IMAX when movies come out that warrant that immersive experience. I'd even drive 250 miles round trip for some. Now that we've got one within 45 mins, things are pretty sweet. Yes, more expensive but I'd rather spend a little more less often for a better showing then a little less more often for a lesser showing.

Note: Saw The Hobbit first at an IMAX and then again at a standard theatre. Still a great movie either way, just a better experience in IMAX.

Note2: Thanks for the review on Oblivion. Looked like a good movie but yah, TommyBoy - yuk ... kinda made me think twice. Guess I'll give it a go!

[Constant Gardener]

Saw "Oblivion" last week with my family; we'll probably go to the 2D version of Star Trek this week.

Nothing else in the queue.

[Cornucopia]

See it in 3D. I saw it last week. For most of it, the 3D is worth it. I'm going to see Ironman3 3D right now...

Scott

<edit>dammit! Sold out. Went to Great Gatsby instead. Now only 2D at theatres, unfortunately, and you can tell that movie was made with 3D in mind. I WILL be buying the 3DBD of that one.

[yoda313]

See it in 3D. I saw it last week. For most of it, the 3D is worth it

REally? I saw it last week in 2d. I agree the ending would be great in 3d. I don't know about the rest of it though. I don't think I'll be seeing it again until its on bluray though (and I don't have a 3dtv so I probably won't be seeing it in 3d for the forseeable future).

[Cornucopia]

Come on, you don't want to see Alice Eve undressed in 3D?!!! JK

The 3D varies throughout, but overall is worth it (even though it is a conversion job).

Scott

<edit>We just got an IMAX 3D in our town last week, so I expect I'll try Ironman3D again there on the weekend...

[oldfart13]

I go almost every week in the summer. Always something new. Movie theater is a 5 minute walk from my house and admission is cheap, as little as $4.70 for first run movies. What's not to like?

[darkknight145]

When they were affordable!!!!

[dfisher052]

Tonight...saw the new Star Trek. Even though I have a 40" flat screen and an excelent surround sound system, as a former theater owner I still like to see a good action film on the big screen.

[netmask56]

Last night at the local 12-plex to see The Great Gatsby in 3D

[Seeker47]

IF there is any validity to this asinine BULLSHIT

http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/movie-theater-ticket-prices-could-reach-150-says-155727572.html

my formerly-significant-but-lately-tremendously-dwindling ticket purchases will slide to ZERO.

I'm not in their number, but for a whole lot of people the major '08-and-after Recession never really led to any recovery. (And don't for a moment imagine that this is our last recession.) Movies -- most particularly in theaters -- are hardly a commodity that people truly need.

It's elementary, Jack. Raise prices on a carton of eggs to 30 bucks, and be amazed (?) at how readily and easily millions of people forswear omelets, scrambleds, and Egg McMuffins !

[mail2tom]

Tonight to see "Man of Steel."

[Sartori]

Yesterday to see "Man of Steel" , bloody marvellous , worth every penny .

[dfisher052]

tonite, also to see "Man of Steel".

[oldfart13]

Movie theatre is a 5 minute walk from my house. Went to Man if Steel opening night, late show (10PM) and then again with friends the next day. First run movies can be as little as $4.70 where I live, so it's pretty cheap to go if you don't buy concessions...

[Seeker47]

Movie theatre is a 5 minute walk from my house. Went to Man if Steel opening night, late show (10PM) and then again with friends the next day. First run movies can be as little as $4.70 where I live, so it's pretty cheap to go if you don't buy concessions...

That's a whole different ballgame than you find in the States (in most locales I'm familiar with) these days. Count yourself lucky. I see a lot of first-run tickets going in the $15. - $20. range, in the major metros. For most families, that gets to be prohibitive, even before you add in the allied costs. Free parking ? Ha ! -- not in L.A. ! (Some matinees may dip down to $9. or $10. Or you might be able to save -- with restrictions regarding the first couple weeks of a run -- by using certain tickets bought in advance at Costco, or with something like the occasional Groupon deal.)

The bottom line is that -- even for a longtime film fan -- in recent years I find very few films that I think a) must be seen in a theater, and b) are worth a $10. ticket price, let alone twice that.

Here's something else that is probably related. For the last several years, when I have gone to a theater, it has been rare to find it more than half full, and often much less so than that. Sometimes just a handful of patrons. Doesn't seem to matter what time of day, or what sort of movie. Anyone else noticing that ? (But maybe exclude summer or holiday periods, which are bound to have better results.) This renders highly suspect the boxoffice figures that are often touted. Dollar amounts may have kept trending higher, because of much higher ticket prices, but in terms of historical numbers of tickets sold per year, those figures actually suck. Other causes are often mentioned quite legitimately -- obnoxious behavior by other patrons that ruins the experience, crying infants that parents never should have brought to the theater, etc. -- but ticket prices have to figure in here prominently as well.

[Legendsk]

If 35 years is a few years, then it's been a few years. That film was so poor, my wife walked out in the middle of it and sat in the lobby until it was over and I came out. At the high price (even then) I wasn't going to give up until I had seen all of it.

If you balance the experience of outrageous ticket prices, big screen and big audio (so loud it hurts my ears) with the convenience of not having to leave home, my comfortable recliner, an infinite range of available food (for 1% cost of theater food), other viewers are not farting, belching, changing dirty diapers, talking, walking in front of me every 30 seconds and sticky seats and floors - the theater loses.

I got to go to a live performance of "The King and I" by Yul Brynner a couple of months before he passed away. The scenery was wonderful, the actors performances were brilliant, the music beautiful and we had great seats in front row balcony. Hanging about 10 feet out straight in front of us was a 20 foot cube of speakers. The sound was simply a roar that made my shirt flap in the breeze. It was too painful and I had to give up and go stand next to the door at the rear of the theater.

I went to a live performance by Chet Atkins and had seats about 5 rows back in the center of the theater. When the musicians began to play, the sound was so loud I had to hold my hands over my ears. About 5 minutes into the performance, Chet got up, went backstage for a couple of minutes, the sound went down to a reasonable level and he came back out and continued the rest of a great performance.

Now I have learned that all producers apparently believe that if the sound level isn't at least 120db their target market won't like it. I have also learned to always take a selection of 20, 30, and 33 db ear plugs with me. Now I just adjust the sound to a comfortable reasonable level and it's great. (Plus that pretty well takes care of the farting, belching, etc.)

[ranchhand]

I only go to the movies that require large screen and pro sound for the full effect; even on my 40" TV with theater sound The Avengers isn't like in the Cineplex. I always wait one full week or two before going to see the movie, and now that I'm retired (yahoo!) I can go Monday at the 1PM show. Maybe 10 people in the whole theater, no kids kicking the back of the chair, some idiot drinking the last of his Pepsi with the ice rattling back and forth, another kid texting her buddies, etc. Just me and Iron Man.
The chick flicks, etc. can be rented later. So I only take in 3-4 movies a year. But I really enjoy the ones I do see.

[Baldrick]

Yesterday....and tonight, Man of Steel. 135sek = $20 plus $2 for 3d glasses.

[enim]

Just yesterday, Man of Steel.
I can not escape discounted demands and ended up spending more than eighty bucks! Sometimes, not sometimes but more often I fail to divert some demands...anyway it is fun. Nothing worths really more than HuGs and KiSSes from beloved.

[HemLok]

The last movie I can remember seeing in the theatre is "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers". So, it's been over a decade.

[gadgetguy]

Today. Finally got around to seeing the new pseudo-Star Trek. As I expected, long on action, short on story, and much of what story there was borrowed too much from earlier in the franchise. I'm not sorry I went, and I'll buy the DVD when it comes out, but I can't get excited about the next one, if they decide to do another. I guess that depends on box office receipts and I haven't been paying attention so I don't know.

[Seeker47]

Good point, Baldrick. I had forgotten to mention the prevalent scam that adds $3. - $5. per ticket for the dubious or unnecessary 3D. Often, this is a lab conversion, after the fact. (As with "Wrath of the Titans" and many others.) Adds nothing of value, helps lighten your wallet further.

I doubt we'll be seeing many titles that were well designed for the medium by a true artist (as with Scorcese, for "Hugo"), from the ground up. Otherwise, it's just the return of an old gimmick, an eyestrain-inducer, and a waste of money.

[yoda313]

The theater I go to has tickets at 5.00 for before 12 noon shows. THough of course 3d is more. But it goes to 7.50 after that and I think its 10 for anything after 6 or 7 at night.

The theater I go to is probably almost fifteen years old now. It was one of the first in our area to have the stadium seating (you know the rising seats like a stadium, obviously).

I don't remember when it first opened but I do know I saw Phantom Menace there as I remember waiting in line for tickets outside at the place and it was fairly new then. So it has been around since at least then ('99 was it for Menace?).

[Marco33]

"Revenge of the Sith" (2005)

Ditto.

[Brad]

other viewers are not farting, belching, changing dirty diapers, talking, walking in front of me every 30 seconds

Kansas sounds like a hellhole...

[handyguy]

Life of Pi, cause I wished to see the new captioning thingy.

[dfisher052]

Tonight to see "The Lone Ranger".