Image Credit: Ghislain & Marie David de Lossy/Taxi/Getty ImagesYeah, you. I see plenty, thanks. But according to the AP, moviegoers are heading to theaters in record numbers this year — record lows, that is. Only 552 million tickets were sold this summer, the worst turnout since 2005. Which means that while box office receipts bigger than ever, more regular folks are taking a pass on movie night. But why?
Looks like we’ve got two likely culprits: First, there are those pricey 3-D tickets that can easily turn a night out with the family into a $60-plus splurge. Not many people had a problem plunking down the extra cash for eye-popping spectacles like Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, but duds like Piranha 3D and Step Up 3D proved that not every movie can squeeze extra profit from an extra dimension.
And then there are the movies themselves. Sure, Toy Story 3 made us cry, Inception blew our minds, and Eclipse got the Twilight series’ best reviews so far. But then there was MacGruber and Jonah Hex, Marmaduke and Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore — all movies that got a C or below from our critics here at EW and also failed to connect commercially with moviegoers. Even seeming shoe-ins like Sex and the City 2 and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice fell short of lofty box office expectations as the public decided to spend their paychecks outside of the multiplex.
Just out of curiosity: If you saw fewer movies this summer, was it because of the price or the product? Let’s see a show of hands:
Read more:
Summer movie profits up, butts in movie seats down
Bedbugs
Hah. Sad but true.
The Bed Bugs don’t suck as much as the movies they are making.
EXACTLY.
1. Innapropriate behavior from the rest of the viewing audience.
2. High ticket prices, and concessions, ($2.50 for less than two ounces of gummy bears)!
3. Redbox is way more convinient, even better than netflix. I spend about six dollars a month watching the movies I want to watch rather than paying 30 bucks a month for a subscription that I’m not using every day.
My netflix account costs $9 for one DVD at a time and streaming movies too. It doesn’t cost $30 a month.
Seriously! For $9 a month I watch unlimited movies streaming on my computer and I get access to shows on Starz as soon as they air. That’s in addition to the DVDs I get in the mail. No brainer!
Netflix is the best. Only downside is they don’t get all new releases immediately, but the Starz access is great. SPARTACUS was worth it on its own, also the epic PILLARS OF THE EARTH is well worth a look.
I agree completely! With netflix and Redbox, I only go to the movies if there is something I’ve been really waiting for. (ie Harry Potter) all of the other stuff I am more than happy to watch in my own living room where I can hit pause and grab a drink, rather than missing half of the movie and wasting 20 bucks.
cause the movies are not worth seeing and some that are never make it to the city I live in.. so have to wait till they play in the library.
You make a great point – distribution is the problem. If you don’t live in a big city, you just don’t get the full variety of what’s out there – especially “indie” and “art house” movies. I live in a small town in massachusetts. We have three local cinemas all showing the same mainstream movies. I had to travel 30 miles to see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
I’m much more comfortable in my own home theater than in a packed theater with a bunch of inconsiderate viewers.
Why don’t you just go to a matinee not on opening weekend when it’s not so busy? That’s what I do. Problem solved.
I go first thing on Saturday and it’s empty and cheap.
I also hate my apartment and don’t enjoy watching movies there. Going out is so much more fun!
Mel-
Exactly. Around here, you can get a $5 ticket (and a fairly empty theatre since it’s relatively early) if you catch any showing that starts before noon. Obviously, this doesn’t work for everyone, but I think people can be a little more creative with their moviegoing beyond the “Friday/Saturday night” trips.
For me, the biggest reason has been the fact that so many of this summer’s movies look like they stink on ice.
“Problem solved” unless your matinees are filled with screaming kids like mine are. And I’m referring to the R-rated films; I can’t imagine what the g-crowd must be like!
@J – This is shockingly true. I just went to see Pirhana 3D on Saturday (5pm showing) and when the lights came up and everyone filed out, I could not believe how many of them looked like they were under 12, and that so many of them were there with parents! The couple behind us had a kid with them that could not have been more than 7. I’m not big on sheltering your kids too much, but seriously – that just seems wrong. The violence in this movie is so over the top that it’s funny to an adult who gets it, but if I had been 7 when I watched it, I would have been crying on the floor.
Where do you live that matinee movies are $5? The cheapest price anywhere near me is $6 for a matinee, and unfortunately that is at a small theater which can only play 3 movies at a time. I’d give my left arm for a second-run theater somewhere close that would show movies cheaply for a month or so after they’re done in the Googleplexes.
Matinees here cost $9. Its $12 for regular price. There is a $3 second run theater that is pretty much the only theater we go to.
Matinee here before 1 is only $4
I have to agree with you there. I have a very comfortable home, and a nice home theater, but when a do see a movie it is not at a prime time ever. I want there to be very few people annoying me when I go.
Andre’s home theater smells like farts.
Totally. I was thinking the same thing.
And smelly feet.
I’m like this too. I can’t stand paying the money to see a movie and then hearing people talking, laughing at inappropriate times, kids talking or yelling, people eating loudly, moving around, etc. I go to showings as early in the day as possible on weekdays. The viewing experience is cheaper and MUCH better!
I live on LI ‘n on Tuesdays its only $6 for senior citizens. The BEST part is I’m 56- they never check ID which they TOLD me on the phone.
So I saw Inception and TS3 which I loved- usually I’m not crazy about crowded theatres ‘n TS3 was pretty full- but guess what? I wouldn’t have had it any other way- the kids laughed ‘n the “adults wiped away a tear or two (guilty!) and the shared experience just added to the pleasure.
I also saw Other Guys and Expendables- pretty good not grate.
BUT I WILL NEVER SEE THE LATEST DREW BARRYMORE DRECK THAT SHE MADE W HER DRIP LATEST BOYFRIEND OR ANYTHING W J ANISTON FLIPPING HER HAIR AND HAS A PASSING LAME COMMENT FOR A TITLE!!!!
In other words- its the movies that suck!!!
We went to go see Inception this summer and that’s it. I did take the kids to the $3 Theater to see How to Train Your Dragon. When Toy Story 3 arrives in the cheap theater we may take them to that too. For $9 a month Netflix is better entertainment for your buck.
there haven’t been any movies i’d pay to see…we have appletv & can pretty much watch anything we want anytime we want-’nuff said.
It’s too expensive – the tickets themselves for the most part aren’t too bad – but then you factor in concessions and/or a quick bite to eat before the movie, and the most expensive part of the evening: a babysitter – we’re talking about $100 for Hubby and I to see a movie in a theater that we can buy in a few months for $20 and see as many times as we like.
Or could pick up for $1 at the RedBox.
We’ve recently started doing the Redbox thing – pretty convenient. I think I’m the only person in the world who doesn’t have a Netflix account, too…
You said it. We love going to the cinema, but there are very few movies worth $50 (babysitter + two tickets). Couldn’t possibly add in dinner. We saw Inception, and loved it; it was worth what we paid for a fun evening out. Mistakenly saw Scott Pilgrim and realized we were WAY too old and wished we’d stayed home. We take the kids to every matinee we can, but forget evening shows.
Add my vote to this. Love going to the movies. The hubby and I used to take off a little early on Friday and spend hours in the theatre until after midnight. But Winona’s right–babysitter, movie tickets, $5 bottles of water–we can’t afford to do it often. Now, once every other month, we drag the kids to a family member and go to the Saturday matinee. No snacks, no lunch, and we have to hurry back to pick up the kids.
As a kid and teen I went to the movies almost every weekend. The matinees were $2 or $3 plus we had $1 shows for second run movies. Now I can’t afford it. We went a couple of weeks ago and the matinee was $8. The high prices have made us become more selective on our choices. Now when we see a movie ad we go “does it look like it’s $11 worthy or should we wait for the DVD”. Nine times out of ten we wait for the movies. I used to see about 40 movies in theatre each year now I’m lucky if I see 10.
Not to mention 3D surcharges, when they apply.
why bother with a babysitter? just bring your screaming two year old to the R rated movies like everyone else does.
I stopped going to the movies regularly because, in general, audience members just do not know how to behave in a movie theatre these days. (i.e. coming in really late, talking during the film, texting/checking their phones, kicking seats, smacking food as loud as can be, etc.)
THANK YOU!!
Bingo!
I’ve stopped going because of the behavior of the audience members. I’m a young adult and I know how to turn OFF my cell phone and not talk during the movie. Unfortunately, it seems not many others my age (and younger/older) can perform the same courtesies. It COMPLETELY ruins the movie experience for me. I’d rather wait and lose myself in the quiet adventure at home where it is actually quiet. It saddens me that it has come to this but I simply cannot put up with it anymore! Matinees are worse – mothers/housewives crowd goodgrief!
Yes thanks for stepping up and calmly commenting on the decline in public behaviors. Really, if I wanted to hear someone clipping their nails or hear people talking bs on the phone or …wait maybe this is why the volume is so high that my ears leak in theatres;… so people will not lose it and smack the chipchompers next to them. The many costs are a deterrent, money, body functions, and possible assault charges. Plus at home you can rewatch the wtf moments again.
…bringing in bags of McDonald’s food and noisily eating it as if they are at the restaurant…talking all during the movie…these days it is more the people that make movie-going unpleasant.
That’s allowed?
The smell of McDonalds is actually an air freshner compared to what the smell in some movie theatres are, like people who never wash and then the whole theatre smells like dirty feet
As a young person, I am embarrassed the rest of my demographic behaves like this. I HATE it. Between the noise and the outrageous prices my local theater charges it just isnt worth it.
I know! That’s why young kids should NEVER be brought into all R-rated films. As a teen, my parents took me to Up in the Air, and the adults were quiet, mature, and courteous. Thank goodness for this.
As for other films (ex. New Moon) teenagers should not hoot or yell out inappropriate comments.
Exactly. I can watch for almost free at home, rather than paying big bucks to listen to rude people who think they’re in their own living rooms. I did go with friends to see Star Trek opening night though, and that was really fun.
Ditto. I’ll still go to the movies, but try to pick times when the theatre won’t be as busy. The lack of cell phone etiquette drives me nuts. Plus, this summer’s crop of blockbusters has been bad. Why waste your money on a stinker, watching it surrounded by jacka$$es texting and/or gossiping with their friends?
YEP! Jeff hit the nail on the head. Why in the h*ll someone would spend all that money to watch a movie and then spend the majority of the time texting and not paying attention is beyond me.
DING DING DING! We have a winner. When you have people bringing their screaming babies to the midnight showing of crime thrillers and teens entering in packs and talking and texting and coming and going through the whole movie and oldsters chatting (What did they say? Who’s that? I don’t know what’s going on!) and the theater is filthy and they show a half hour of previews before the movie starts… Why would I go to the movies? I can get them all a few months later on DVD and watch them in the privacy of my own home.
I don’t go because of your damn kids texting and talking and being a general pain in the butt.
I don’t have anyone to go with… I hate going to the movies alone.
What’s the big deal? It’s not like you go to the movies to talk to someone.
Exactly! And it’s actually nice to go to the movies by yourself.
And you don’t have to compromise and go see something you’re not interested in seeing.
What’s the deal with…
Although I have no problem going to movies alone, some people just aren’t comfortable doing that. Maybe she just wants someone with whom to discuss the movie afterwards.
I agree. I will go once or twice a year to a matinee by myself, but I would go way more often if I had someone to go with on a regular basis. My friends are all married with kids – they either cancel when you do have plans or they only go with each other for date night. It’s too much of a bother to even ask them anymore; I just wait for netflix.
you should try that website they keep psoting on EW
Jersey Jeff, I laughed so hard just now!
LOL!
I LOVE going to movies by myself! Movies in a theatre are a solo experience anyway, if you are being polite, quiet, and respectful of other moviegoers. When I need time to myself a movie is one of my first choices! The cost can be a deterrent though, even for matinees.
This depends on the type of movie. If it was something like Inception or Salt (which I went to see alone), I would want someone with me. When I saw The Ghost Writer at home yesterday, it actually would have been nice for someone to watch it with me. When it’s something like Date Night or New Moon, I would like to watch it alone. When it’s something like Juno, I especially want to watch it alone. I watch sad movies alone because people my age (teenagers) make stupid fake crying sounds worthy of a bitch slap.
mostly because the cost of seeing the movie and paying a babysitter is not worth it when you can wait a few months and see it on DVD at home. I reserve movies out for only the very special, like Avatar that should be seen in the theater, or Harry Potter that I just can’t wait the extra months for.
Glad you get a babysitter. When i saw Predators, yes PREDATORS, a mother and crying chiled were boo’d and hiss’d out of the theater. The audience cheered when they left, only to feel akward when 3 more todlers (under 4) were ushered out by the husband and older kids…GET A BABYSITTER OR DON’T GO!
LOL!!
I don’t have so much money so I prefer to download from the internet. Renting is also expensive, when you have a kid and a women that doesn’t have a salary.
Between the $11 tickets and the $10 for a small popcorn/drink, it makes it a pricey night for just myself! Even if I split costs with another person (they get tickets, I get food or vice versa), you’re still out $20+. Then if the movie turns out to be bad? Oy vey.
With a two-year-old, it takes a lot of effort to get to the movies. Since most of the movies released today look terrible, I’m not usually interested in putting forth the effort to go. The last three movies that I saw in the theater were “The Hurt Locker” (Best Picture Winner), “Crazy Heart” (Best Actor Winner), and “Inception” (likely Best Picture nominee). The message to Hollywood should be that better movies = bigger audiences. Attendance is going to suffer if the offerings from studios are garbage. Forget the big-budget SFX spectacles, those are boring. Tell good stories with good acting and people will start to come back.
You haven’t seen Toy Story 3 yet? You need to see it! That is, if you’re able to.
Because I hate having people texting and talking during the movies.
The fact that there weren’t as many movies that I wanted to see, is really secondary.
I used to go to 2-3 movies a week, now I barely go to 2 a month, movies have gotten less interesting while quality TV is a compelling reason to stay home. I can see mediocre movies on dvd a few onths after they are in the theaters so I don’t feel the need to spend $ for admission and outrageously priced refreshments. I recently chose to see Inception for a second time, rather than spend $ on C-rated rom-coms
Because for the cost of 2 tickets – ($13×2=$26), I could have had a nice dinner somewhere.
A nice dinner for one, right? Because $26 doesn’t even pay for my husband and I at the neighborhood pub.
That sort of depends on where you live, I think.
I got sick of parents bringing their toddlers to R-rated movies and not caring that it was inappropriate and rude to the other patrons. Too many obnoxious people talking or texting. I just wait for the movie to show up on Netflix and watch it from the comfort of my own home. I can take all the bathroom breaks I need and I don’t have to worry about someone’s little rugrat bothering me.
Spot on! I agree about the R-rated movie/toddlers thing. I get so preoccupied by how angry I am that there’s a 5-year-old in something like “Watchmen” that I find it hard to enjoy the movie.
Agreed big time. The worst example of this is when a saw an adult woman bring her 5 to 10 year old girls to see “Saw 4″. I was more disturbed by this than the movie itself. It almost borders on child abuse.
we saw a dad bring his two sons under 8 to A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. the title alone should have clued him in; we actually thought perhaps he was in the wrong theater as shrek 3 was next door. but no, he stayed, through the sex scenes and bullets through the head and all.
i don’t like going to the movies because it makes me uncomfortable to share my space with a guy like that.
For me it was the 3-4 year-old at Silence of the Lambs.
For me? The five-year-old running up and down the aisles at Sin City.
I totally agree! The last time we went to the theater, three couples brought infants, complete with strollers and diaper bags! That, plus other patrons talking, texting, and smacking us in the head when they constantly moved in and out of the row behind us was the last straw! We’ve found the only way to have a decent movie theater experience is to buy tickets at a Cobb Theater CineBistro where the age limit is 21. But the cost of tickets, food and beverage is outrageous! So we wait until the DVD is available from Netflix and have a much more pleasant experience at home.
Yep. I don’t need to pay lots of money to be irritated. I can be home and happy for practically free.
Once I took my then six year old and nine year old to see the opening night of 3D of one of the Harry Potter movies. After being completely quiet for an hour, my six year old said quietly, “This isn’t too scary.” That’s it, that’s all he said for the entire movie. But when he said it, five people around us snorted and shushed him like he’d been chattering all night! They were waiting to pounce. Get a grip, people. Kids will go to certain movies. You don’t own the theatre.
Neither do you or your kids.
@Carrie: And WHAT exactly is point you’re trying to make? I don’t mind people making quick, short comments. It’s blabbermouths I’m concerned about.