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So it seems like a few people would at least like to have the option to go to a theater and choose a screening where there is no wait staff. That's a good idea and can accom all types of movie patrons.
Give me exact roll time on days i don't wish to see the endless trailers for up and coming movies.
I agree with Monoslob about the waiters and clinking glasses being a distraction.
So it seems like a few people would at least like to have the option to go to a theater and choose a screening where there is no wait staff. That's a good idea and can accom all types of movie patrons.
The Alamo is testing reserved seating. After working there for 4 years about 8 years ago I never have any desire to go though.
So from an idea/environment perspective - how would a drive-in type theater that is grand/classic sound? So maybe the drive-in part is just food (think Sonic type feel with better food where you can pull your car up and order good food at good prices before your movie and kind of soak up a cool environment) and then you walk into the grand theater where it's just concessions (maybe beer and wine too) that you buy in the lobby?
I'd like two separate arm rests per chair. Battling for arm rest position blows.
Haha, I was thinking that the other day. I think the little things go a long way.
One thing I hate is having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the movie. I think it'd be helpful to have sliding doors under every seat so you could go #1 or #2 without having to get up. Be kind of weird to sit down and pee for us manly men but I think I'd rather do this than miss part of a great movie.
I once cried about not having two separate arm rests. Then I met a man with no arms.
His name was Bob.
He didn't have legs either.
should be ing standard tbh.
I wouldn't have to cry about arm rests if I sat next to Bob every time.
The thing I like about food service in the theaters is that I'd much prefer to have decent food for the same price. I went to a regular theater and bought 2 soft drinks and a popcorn and it was $18. For about that same price, you can get 2 entrees from a full service theater (like a grilled chicken wrap and a pasta dish) and actually have a meal for that price.
Canal Place is nice, but I prefer the Prytania. It doesn't have the amenities of the former, but still attracts a fairly civilized crowd just based on its location and the fact it's not a multiplex. That said, I still end up going to Metairie most of the time for better start time and selection, despite the fact that both Elmwood and Clearview suck ass. Especially Clearview, which I think only gets my business because I can make a movie part of a Target trip or errand running.http://www.thetheatres.com/
This theater in New Orleans has a few of the things that I've read that you guys want:
-You buy an assigned seat, and a waiter will show you to your seat.
-You will be waited on at your seat, with a full food, snack and alcoholic beverage menu
-The seats are large, leather, and comfortable, and they have a button to push if you need something, and a waiter will come take your order.
-You must be 18 to attend this theater, so if you want to get away from all of the loud kids and tweens, you get a better audience here
drawbacks of this theater:
- small screens, no IMAX
- limited movie selection
I guess? Maybe? But I can't see a theater doing that -- if its selling point is a full menu and wait staff, that's what everyone is going to want.
I agree with a lot of what mono's saying, here.
Movie theaters seem to be changing their approach in response to the fact people are replacing the idea of going to the movies with having a home theater system. Just watching the movie isn't a big enough draw anymore, and getting ahead means transforming the movie experience into a social activity. And that can be fun at times. Especially when it's a cult movie or a revival.
But I'm one of those for whom watching a movie in a theater has never been a social exercise. I love going with other movie nerd friends, of course, which usually leads to lunch/dinner/drinks/whatever afterwards and lots of conversation about the movie we just watched. Which is very social. But the movie watching itself is all about the movie. Additionally, I also often go to the movies by myself. Either planned, because I'm not willing to wait around for friends to find the time to watch a movie I care about more than they do, or on a whim, because I just so happen to be near a theater with a few hours to kill. For me, the ability to watch a movie on a giant screen with a crappy Icee or some like that is a satisfactory use of $20 and a few hours, in and of itself. I don't need or particularly want anything on top of that. And in an ideal world, movie theaters would realize they can't compete with the people who are looking to recreate and/or replace a movie experience that allows them to pause for conversation or a kitchen run and instead market themselves to people like me: people who just want to watch a (well projected) movie in relative comfort and not surrounded by assholes.
But theaters are never going to do that, and audiences are never going to stop being assholes, so for the time being I've just adjusted when I go to the movies. Weekday, first screening, when everything is empty.
You could call it the "movie purist" room - no wait staff, ultra strict and have kind of a culture around that (make it fun, joke about it, but really offer that experience that you are mono are talking about).
yeah...but it gets old having to feed him his popcorn
I guess I don't understand the point of having a separate room for what should, in my opinion, be the standard movie going experience. Especially not if it came with a higher ticket price.
No higher prices - but it's not the standard movie going experience. It's about being able to offer something for everyone (because there are people that really like food service during the movie).
I guess I look at it like the smoking/non-smoking areas in places. Some people like to smoke and don't mind - other's don't want to be around it. If you have a place where you can go and get full service and don't mind that experience, but also have a place where people say "I like going here, because they give me the option to see the film without the distractions I don't like for the same price and everyone attending that show knows the movie rules", I don't see what's so strange I guess.
I have seen people smoking in restaurants once in the last 5 years, and that was in Galveston.
Lee - this is another interesting topic. As someone who worked for a theater, what didn't you like? What did you like?
I get what you're saying, offer a different type of theater to suit everyone's tastes, whether they're movie purists like CF or myself, or re s who want to bring their loud annoying kids to movies, or a full service type theater for ppl who want to eat good food, etc.
Probably a big factor would be the economics of it. Could a theater like that really make money with a variety of difference moviegoing experiences?
I hate going to movies and the sound if out of sync, the center channel is muffled, or all you can hear is center channel and little to no surround.
If I'm going to pay high movie prices, I expect the audio to sound like its supposed to sound! I hate having to get up in the middle of the movie to let the theater know the sound went off track, or keeps going in and out.
There should be some sort of button on your seat, or in each theater that you can press to alert the theater the sound is jacked instead of having to go track someone down.
But I can already see this being abused by some punk kids.
People are assholes, but they are bigger assholes when you deliver to them in a theater. I liked being able to see movies for free, and I made some great friends working there but I was glad as to leave. I made all my raises in the first two years, and was capped at $10.50 unless I wanted to sign a contract to be a salaried manager starting at 30k and work a minimum of 55 hours a week. It pretty much sucked, except I was the lead bartender and got a full comp. The managers made a habit of undercutting their servers on complaint issues and giving customers whatever they wanted if they made a scene. They treat the employees as expendable and the service shows it. For some reason they also grade their pricing based on surrounding fine dining establishments, which they are assuredly not. They do do some really, really cool events but I don't understand how a lot of people can afford to go there regularly. Once they started franchising they brought in upper management from Johnny Carino's, Rudy's etc and just turned it into a soulless franchise. Keep Austin Weird indeed.
I really, really doubt it. They make most of their money on popcorn.
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