Here's how we save movie theaters!
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2024
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The usher thing is so real. I had the WORST theater experience of my life a few months ago while watching godzilla x kong a group of people came in late, were talking at full colume the whole time and taking pictures with the flashes on just to leave a whole 30 minutes before the movie even ended. Just insane behavior we really do need ushers. With bats.
‘Movie Bouncers’ would have been a good, early aughts big studio comedy
write it!
I was often my own movie bouncer haha! I had zero problem telling people to STFU rather than letting them ruin the movie for me. My elementary education degree helped me somewhat with that skill my language was just sometimes different in the theater. I would also tell the workers and make it clear they need to DO their job. When I was a kid, you could very much get hushed and kicked out if you were being two loud.
Will say, as someone who worked at one of the early expansion Alamo's outside of Texas, Alamo has always treated their staff like trash. Shout out to the employees unionizing though, glad they're getting their due
To be fair, all corporations do. Amazon, Tesla, all the big game companies...
@sathrielsatanson666 not saying they don't, but to this day, Alamo is the only job where working an 8 hour shift cost me money.
Servers were required to pay out portion to buss and kitchen staff, which I support, except they based it on sales and not actual tips. So if we had a big group order a ton and not tip, we'd still have to pay out, so there were nights where I'd end up losing 10-20 bucks for the whole evening. Friends who worked in the kitchen and bar areas had their own horror stories, so ya, it was maybe the worst "restaurant" gig I ever worked
@@HoboBrute damn, sounds absymal ☹️
Man their chips and queso is pretty solid tho. But yea you gotta take care of your employees
One of my Movies Theatres has Tot matinees. They are supposed to be for parents with toddles who might need to walk around or cry during a movie but in my experience, it’s mostly been ppl would wanna talk and hang out while a movie plays. They don’t turn the lights all the way down and they make sure it’s not super loud. The existence of Tot screening means all the other showing are zero noise tolerance showing.
Oh that's awesome! Hope that takes off!
Also bring back crying rooms!
Alamo Drafthouse is doing essentially that.
Tuesday showings prior to 2pm are both lax on rules and a reduced price.
As previously mentioned, that means strict enforcement otherwise.
That does seem to be the perfect answer to the problem Nando posited at the end. I don't go often to the movies but when I do it is kinda weird to me to go with someone and not comment anything so yeah, why not have sessions which are more okay with talking?
My local one have tots, dementia friendly screenings, autism friendly screenings etc which I think is honestly fantastic. Having family and loved ones with autism I think it is great to have accessible screenings like that
Former theater manager here, definitely have a few thoughts!
1) LOVED THE VIDEO! Thank you for bringing the subject to light.
2) On the topic of Ushers: I can't speak for every theater, but at my theater we tried very hard to have an employee (Usher) monitor each movie for a few minutes at a time. The problem for us starts with payment. We were fortunate enough to pay more than the minimum wage, but for every time we raise the wage, our prices went up. On top of that, almost all theaters are capped at how many employees they are allowed to schedule because of payroll and overhead bonuses. So on one hand, we would love to schedule more Ushers to just monitor auditoriums! On the other hand, we almost never have the time or manpower because of either scheduling OR because we have to clean auditoriums. And when you have a theater with recliners, you gotta wipe every seat down, sweep under the legs, clean the cup holders... all before the next show starts.
3) We absolutely need longer theatrical windows. I nearly jumped for joy (pun intended) when they announced Inside Out 2 would have a MINIMUM of 100 day in theaters. I was ECSTATIC! We need more movies to stay in theaters LONGER.
4) Also, don't forget it is illegal to video/take photos of a movie! Some theaters still have the $500 bounty reward to reporting those people!
Look at Elemental, not a huge hit at first, but stuck around much longer than expected and made much more money
@@WRPLpodcaststill a financial flop for Disney, given how expensive it was… and still on the low end for Pixar.
Family movies like Elemental can leg out more easily… but what about other genres that flame out faster?… and, as soft as Elemental was, it still did well enough to hang on to screens. What about movies that lose their screens within a couple of weeks?
I’d love to see theaters get reinvented. Better screens, better seats, better overall experience. Maybe free or lower priced food. I agree about ushers. I remember when I was a kid, we had them, so I don’t know what happened to that. Probably theaters cutting costs.
Most of this stuff has happened. Seats are better, by a bunch.
Better overall experience, exactly. Movie theaters weren't in the movie business. They were in the experience business. Going to the movies was about the experience. These days, TVs and home sound systems are just as good if not better than a theater, so you get the same experience at home for a fraction of the cost. Barbie and Oppenheimer were incredible movies, but they didn't do well in the box office because they were good movies. They did well because the "Barbenheimer" double feature experience is what brought people out.
Movies aren't necessarily getting worse. You look at movies from the mid 90s that were well received in theaters are just as "good" as say "Dial of Destiny" or "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire". But why would we pay 20 bucks to experience something we can do at home for 5?
Movie theaters want to survive? You need to make it worthwhile. Make it an experience again, not just a movie.
Distributors have been asking for more and more money, we need more mid budget movies that don't have to pack rooms for the theater to turn a profit
The problem with the price of concessions is that is where movie theaters make most of their money. During the first 2 weeks of a movies run most of the money from tickets goes to the studio. And movie theaters are really expensive to run.
Hi there! Theater Operations Manager here! If you think we can give away food, you’re crazy.
For the whole beginning of ATSV (the vulture fight), a bunch a hooligans were saying “smash” or “what’s going on” before we complained and they left before we got an employee
What's going on is so funny lmao
Having worked for my local Regal for seven years, I can attest to and agree with ALL of this.
“Oh, it’s the internet’s fault, attention spans are too short now”
*Jenny Nicholson lights the world on fire with a 4 hour video*
people under the age of 18 aren't watching a 4 hour documentary
@@ViggieSmallssi did LOL
Well, I know you jest but it's apples and oranges.
First one, and that is a big one, Jenny's videos are free so that is first big hurdle for movies.
Second, the tickets were helluva expensive to this Star Wars hotel . But I am sure that even if the video did not perform so well Jenny would still be fine because of Patreon . But one or two big movies flopping could bankrupt a movie studio with the cost of movies skyrocketing.
Third, ease of access. Yes, Jenny video is 4 hours but you can watch it whenever, split it into hundred parts or invent a cancer cure while you watching it. Not so with movies: you need to find time, travel to the cinema, sometimes very far if you are in a smaller city and those 2-3 hours you can't really do anything else.
So there.
@@sathrielsatanson666 That isn't really the argument parents are making when they that their kids would rather watch a CZcams video over a movie. 8 year olds aren't paying and don't schedule. Also movies at home exist. A disinterest in movies is an entirely separate issue.
And how much of that 4 hour video are you paying full attention to, or are you playing it in the background while you do other stuff
As someone who learned how to interact with people through movies (autism) I try to get out to the theatre as much as I can. I’ve been 4 times and for every movie but argyle (because no one else was there) people have talked and repeated the jokes (fall guy), been on their phone to text and take pictures mid movie (dune) and even climb over seats and make a huge scene instead of just asking people to move their feet in a little (furiosa). And that was at 3 different theatres. Ushers are a necessity at this point, because if I’m getting over movie theatres most people are.
This is why I make sure to always go to watch a movie in theatre after it's been around for *weeks* - the session will be basically empty 🙏... As another autistic fella, it's such a relief!!! I saw "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes" on its last day of showing on my city - there was only 1 couple (totally chill) and myself haha. Paradise
At the opening night of aqua man 2 the woman next to me gave her kid an ipad and headphones and the kid (about 11) just watched CZcams the entire time and then halfway through she answers a phone call and tried to tell someone where they were in the theater before she stood up and screamed hey we are over here to who was presumably her husband who then came up to the seats and sat with them and I was the only person in the theater who reacted in any way even though it was packed
Yeah, it’s sad when the whole audience sits there and just accepts the bad behavior, thus encouraging more of it.
And thus putting more stress on us “citizen ushers.”
It's not even about talking on the phone, many times people pull out their phones they are on 100 percent brightness. That's worse for me
Even low brightness takes me out of the movie if it’s in my field of view.
Such jerks.
As a teenager, I know a few kids my age with just overall poor etiquette (not all just a few). I think ushers would demotivate poor manners in theaters. Great vid Nando!!
As someone who is a zillennial, I’ve had to DRAG my friends who are younger than me to movie theater. Actually had friends shocked I still go. This is bad sadly. They don’t want to go for a few reasons from what I’ve noticed. They don’t like how loud it is (the people and the theater audio), THIS IS A BIG ONE EVERY SINGLE PERSON IVE BROUGHT SAYS THIS. I’ve had a few instances of people coming with me with noise cancelling headphones to muffle the sound. And people want subtitles. As hearing difficulties become super more commonly discussed, even people who don’t have hearing difficulties, the younger generation likes them including me. My partner is deaf in one ear and hoh in the other meaning we cannot go because he will not be able to watch. I think these aspects get commonly overlooked how much people actually want them. I’ve been super passionate about movie theaters for my entire life so seeing my generation and younger slowly phase it out makes me..really sad. I definitely agree on your suggestions, I think as the modern era adapts movie theaters need to adapt with it
The volume is a problem. It really needs to be set under any threshold that's going to cause damage, and I'm not convinced it always is
Yeah, theaters often mistake loud sound for good sound… or they fear that if they turn down the volume, you’ll notice just how bad their sound system is.
Sorry.
The best we can do is Morbius 2.
On Monday, I went to the movies and there was someone who checked their phone seven times, a crying baby, and tons of frat-type boys continually whispering and giggling. Movie theater etiquette has gone down the drain since we all spent a year in quarantine watching movies in our house….
The point you make about the crazies who make noise in theaters because they don't care is exactly why you don't confront people who play loud music in NYC subways. Those people are looking to pick a fight and without any authority figures around, they feel emboldened. You bet that the moment a cop steps into the car, they turn their music off immediately. I bet people who talk in theaters would do the same if an usher occasionally came by to walk up and down the stairs.
Mm. We'll see. I feel like there seems to be a discussion around policing these past few years and not in a pro- kinda way.(Not getting into the politics of it, just an observation) I don't think theaters would use ushers because they fear the problem patron or patrons would go full Karen or Chad and threaten to sue and theaters won't want that. And pity the employee who has to do that job.
@@nancykerrigan Yep. If ushers keep going overboard with theater protection, it'll just end up with lawsuits and bad press. It'll look like a police state.
@@nancykerrigan Less the politics of "policing" (good) and more surrounding "police officers" (not good)
A couple summers ago I went to a movie in the afternoon and none of the staff even noticed they never turned the lights off in our theater. Like 10 minutes into the movie someone got up and I guess let them know and that’s when they finally turned them off. I think that’s just evidence no staff are watching you once you go into the theater…
There’s been a couple instances at my local theater where the lights don’t go off when the movie starts and it takes like 15 minutes before someone corrects it. Definitely bring the ushers back.
This is too real
Or there’s one light that stays on the whole time… or they leave the door open, so ambient light and noise spills into your movie. I’ve often had to get up and shut the door during the movie…
Nando’s best point is that we the moviegoers have to become the ushers… and who wants that added stress and distraction when trying to watch a movie?
Could not agree more about ushers. There should be a certain level of decorum in a shared experience like this
The way some "theater lovers" talk about the experience of going to the movies sounds like an experience not worth saving lol
Yeah, if you're talking about shitty etiquette, then yeah, I'm on board with that.
I live in Turkey. In 2021, a movie ticket was about 10 TL, and I used to go to the cinema very often. However, now it costs 215 TL, and as a film student, I haven't been to the theater even once this year. I know the situation in the US is not as bad as it is here, but still, people have to be more selective these days. We don't have the money to experiment. Also, we already have ushers here, but I don't know if they're not doing their jobs or something, because people are still on their phones throughout showings and it drives me mad. I do agree with the release window thing tho.
EDIT: I also just remembered that we have a law in Turkey that forbids streaming services to release movies until at least 6 months have passed since the theatrical release. So that's a plus...
I had the idea that theatres should have like hangout rooms, for if you want to talk about the movie with the other people from your showing. Seems like a decent idea for creating more social spaces, and it would add a layer to the theatre experience that you don't have at home. They already have those party rooms no one uses.
when I saw fall guy with my wife there was an entire row of ppl talking just regular. no whispering, no shushes. just full on convos as of they were in there own living room. and thennnn to go to the bathroom they took out there phone flashlights 😂😂 it was so insane I wouldn't even think to do that
Kids have never seen an actual flashlight, so for them it's second nature to use a phone when it's dark. I always forget, and double check the locations of flashlight during a storm even though my phone is in my pocket.
@@fluxrider 17 years ago account? OP's talking about phone flashlights, and those can be blindingly bright.
I feel like this is coming from an area where movie theaters aren't dead, just dying. Out in the smaller towns theaters are full dead. Less than 5 people per showing. And the reason why is 100% ticket price.
Well, if they can find a model that works, they'll come back. If demand is brought back, someone will eventually supply it.
I’m not sure the people at my local theatre even clean it. I suggested it to the person at the ticket counter after sitting in a particularly disgusting theatre and they just gave me a defeated look and went back to their phone.
Okay I must butt in on the "theater etiquette" thing; I have seen movies in multiple theaters in four states post COVID, and have had no etiquette issues, whether it's a massive blockbuster like the Dune movies, The Batman, Barbie, or the Tenet re-release, or smaller films like The Sound Of Freedom or Civil War. We're talking big theaters, small theaters, IMAX in the city and holes in the wall in the middle of the cornfields. Maybe it's the showtimes I pick, but even the normal Saturday night showings I've been to have been perfectly fine. It boggles my mind when people complain about this because that experience is just so foreign to me.
I’ve had exactly the same. All of my cinema (I’m English sorry for my prose) experiences have been great. However... that doesn’t invalidate the lesser experiences people have had. Not saying that’s what you’re doing, just reinforcing that these bad experiences are indeed real.
My nuttiest theatre experience was during the climax of infinity war (you know… the blip. A silent and tense scene), a baby was crying/screaming and the parent wouldn’t leave the room (which, as a parent of a toddler - is crazy) and people were yelling “get the baby out of here!” And then after many minutes, they finally did. And then half the theater cheered. And then… I mean, that was most of the length of one of the highest tension points of 10 years worth of a cinematic universe, gone 🙃
Ushers sounds like a good idea lol
That's vile, imagine watching one of the biggest scenes in movie history, hell, a huge twist from a movie that was built up for 10 years with a sequel the next year, only to hear a baby wailing and a stubborn parent not taking it out.
To save theaters all movies must be Venom or in the Venom Cinematic Universe
I do not know if this is sarcasm or actually real because Venom movies do have that mainstream appeal XD It just depends if that mainstream appeal can fight against THE ROUGH ECONOMY -3-"
I can't wait for the Venom/Knives Out crossover.
@@heroicgangster9981I am sure it is bearing in mind Morbius and Madame Web (i know it was not technically in Venomverse, don't @ me).
@@sathrielsatanson666it is satire but I didn’t even know those movies aren’t in the same universe 😂
@@Thabosefoloshia yeah, trying to make sense of SPUM is a fool's errand 🤣
I don’t know about the bouncer solution but what you described as the problem is correct for me. When I went out to the movies I never had a good time.
People pulling out their phones, talking etc…
Why would anyone spend so much money to have a bad time.
I did like your idea of showing when the movie will go to streaming. If it was 1 year later I think that’d be about right.
See the thing about the usher idea is that America is stupid they’re gonna put cops in theaters instead (hell they already did for joker)
As a movie theater manager I can confirm that sucked ass
They didn't put cops in Joker to be ushers. They did it because of Aurora.
Well given what happened at that one theater when Dark Knight Rises happened, I don't blame them?
I think you hit it on the nail with theatre management. Up here in Canada the experience seems to be getting worse. When my wife and I went to see Black Panther 2 there was this family with kids who did not seem to care about watching the movie. Ultimately, my wife no longer wants to see movies in theatre and I always try to go weeks after, at which point it sometimes it’s only showing on more expensive screens.
I think the movie theater experience might be a big reason why a lot of Americans won't go see any of the new movies. In my country (the Netherlands) the amount of people that go to the movie theaters is almost on the same level als before covid. We don't have the same problems as American movie theaters, the air is clean and people are silent. So I think if American theaters would solve their problems people would probably go more to the cinema.
In my local area in England, I've never seen any of these atmosphere issues in my life and often, theatres are packed full, and the people are silent, besides the occasional chuckle.
Yeah, that might be the case. I don't go to the cinema more than a couple of times a year but have never encountered such a terrible movie public.
It does seem to be a problem mostly with American theaters, I'm in Canada and while our theaters are kinda crap in terms of snacks and seats I've not had any crazy experiences like that. I don't go quite as much as I used to at one time in my life but still pretty frequently. The worst I've seen this year has been a couple people chatting (quietly, but they were right behind me) for like 10mins during an Alien anniversary screening.
I hear ya.weirdly for me, I passed on Godzilla minus 1 in the theaters at the time expecting to see it a few weeks later like everything else. But then I find out the two GodIlla franchises can't compete, so I have had to wait forever to see it on Netflix. I saw GodIlla vs King Kong ( the latest one) streamed before Minus 1 became available. I do plan to see the up and coming big ones you mentioned here in the theater.
I’ve been done with movie theaters before Covid. They have always been shitty. I would gladly pay 100$ to watch tent pool movies from home. I haven’t seen a movie at the theater in over 2 and a half years. It’s not worth the hassle. Poor service, over priced crap food, and dumb customers not there for the movie but to film themselves on their camera.
Every theater needs a designated Alan Richtson
What if Roadhouse 2 is a movie theater bouncer?
I agree that is bad for theaters to have the movies on streaming two weeks later, but as someone who doesn't live in the US, and the theaters here have a very small selection of movies (mostly big studio movies), I like that I don't have to wait six months to watch independent movies that don't get a theatrical release here. As someone who likes to talk about movies online, if I get to watch them four, five, six months later, by the time I enter the chat no one's talking about it anymore.
Maybe its just the way i was raised (going to see a movie in theaters was something we did at least once a month, but often more if there was a lot of good stuff coming out) but i consistently go to movie theaters even now im on my own. A couple of things ive noticed is that when i go to an imax movie people seem to be better behaved, and i believe this is because of the higher buy in, you only get the people who really care about the movie. Even schlocky stuff like godzilla x kong had a perfectly polite audience. Also more filmy movies have better audiences imo for the same reason. Earlier screenings seem to generally be better, no drunk people (generally) and less rowdy teens, though there is a higher kid risk depending on the movie. I acknowledge ive maybe just gotten lucky but I havent gotten too many crazy instances of bad behavior, so maybe some of those things i tend to do might help the individual movie goer.
If I am not looking forward to seeing a movie in the theater, I will NOT go to the movies! I already live in a very expensive NYC AND pay for DisneyPlus, AppleTV+, Netflix, HBO Max & Amazon Prime! At approximately $20-$30 per ticket, I might as well wait for the movie to become available (at one of the many subscriptions I pay for) in a few months!
Streaming subscriptions are too expensive.
YYAAAAA great video I go to a movie a week and I haven’t had horrible experiences( I’m a big dude and tell people to shut up) you had some wonderful things to say and I would love more people to hear it. I think point number 3 was your best. I was at that abq theater during the shooting that you flashed around minute 12
I was an employee at the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar in Austin Texas from 2015 to the pandemic, I then started working part time at the same Alamo about 6 months ago and I can confirm that over the course of these past 9 years the quality of life as an employee of this company has definitely taken a huge dip.
Why is that? Is it under staffing?
This spring semester I attended 15 of 16 films for the "Climate Fiction" series at the Gene Siskel Film Center. This is a class with two profs and two TAs. There might be 35-55 students who attend regularly, plus members of the public, many of whom attend multiple films in the series.
Even with this very "serious about films" group, there was one film where there was a verbal fight that almost went physical. What transpired was in the dark, so I'm not sure how it started, but that was weird.
Also, for one of the films, an older guy 50s or 60s with his date was in my row and on his phone during the movie. He was keeping his phone low, so it was less annoying to those behind him. But, being in my row, it was annoying.
Having attended various theaters in the Chicago area... the Gene Siskel Film Center was the least likely to be a problem prior to covid. But now, even the Gene Siskel Film Center has problems. So, the social norms have changed and for the worse.
I go at weird times to movies at my old theatre when its just me and my friends, we just crack jokes when its like that but stay quiet when there are others. When I went to watch the Fnaf movie I got real annoyed about how many kids were just recording the movie and leaving their flash on. Aside from that though movie have been pretty fun to go see still. An usher would be nice though.
The worst thing I ever did was watch into the spiderverse at the same time as annoying teenagers
I was at The Last Voyage of the Demeter and some guy was sitting behind me, eating a goddamn bag of Ruffles. Like, dude. I get that concessions are expensive. We all smuggle stuff in. But potato chips?? And then you sit there and play with the bag in your hands for the whole third act? WHAT??
My local theatre sells chips at the concession stand.
Shame on any theater that sells noisy food (aside from popcorn).
And, it’s 2024. You’d think someone would have invented “quiet packaging” by now.
@brandononbrand Most theatres have tiered stadium seating and luxury loungers now so you're not really close enough to other people for their packaging to be disruptive.
@@elketerbentzadik YMMV, but I see at least one movie a week. Most theaters have stadium seating, but not spaced-out luxury loungers… if the movie is packed or if anyone is in your vicinity, you definitely hear the packaging… feels like it echoes…
Of course, it’s worse with a quieter movie… you may not notice it so much during Bad Boys 4 lol
@@brandononbrand My movie theater also sells potato chips (and I personally prefer them over popcorn), but I always ask for an extra popcorn bag and fill them in, so there is no noise because of the chips packaging. It works quite well.
I 100% agree that movie theaters need ushers. When I went to see Across the Spider-Verse last summer there was this group of teenagers who constantly made fart noises the whole time and another person watching the movie had to shush them halfway through, which only kept them quiet until the last 20 minutes when they started doing it again. I remember a few years ago there was an online trend where people would wear suits and ties to see Minions 2 which somehow later on included obnoxiously cheering at the movie like it was Avengers: Endgame or something and there were videos online of movie theater employees scolding the whole room and sometimes kicking everyone out even if they weren't causing problems. That was the last time in recent memory that I've heard of movie theaters cracking down on people being disruptive during a movie, and it was because it was an internet trend. All you need is one person in the back of the room to look for phone screens and listen for people making noises outside of natural reactions to what's happening on the screen like screams or laughs. All it takes is for one jerk who isn't following the rules to ruin the entire experience for everybody.
Well said. It just takes one person to ruin it for everyone. Literally anyone could be that guy. Smh.
Thanks for talking about how covid is 1 of the reasons people don't go to movie theaters anymore. I know most ppl act as if it's gone or no big deal. But for older ppl or ppl with certain health problems, it's still a big concern. also, YES, so sick of ppl saying YOU HAVE TO GO SUPPORT MOVIE THEATERS, THEY ARE DYING. Trying to make me feel guilty is not gonna help.
As someone who has worked in a movie theater recently, I agree with everything you have said, especially the bouncers. One time a person brought a sword to a Demon Slayer showing. A sword. I have personally been threatened before by people while I was working by a patron.
Went to go see a movie with the fam and after doing self checkout kiosk (all there was) and seeing bad seating left and the seeing $80 before snacks, and watching a crew of rowdy kids pop in we just turned around and left. Got ice cream and got a VoD movie at home.
Loved the video Nando, keep doing what you do
One thing people can do is to tell cinema staff about bad experiences - not complaining at the overworked person manning the front desk, but asking them to pass on the fact there was a problem - just so that there's a record and something that a branch manager can use as an argument for why corporate needs to spend some money to make money...
When and where do you do that?… Most of the time when I have a bad experience to report, no one is at the front desk.
The few times they are, they don’t listen, don’t log, and just issue a useless free pass.
YMMV, but that’s my experience trying to escalate these issues up the chain.
@@brandononbrand I'm in the UK, and reasonably familiar with the staff at my local cinema, so my experience may not generalise. You do need to have someone who's interested in pushing for some sort of change in order to get anywhere.
My movie theater has security on weekends or opening night of blockbusters! I feel safe & secure!
Here in the UK we have one of the ‘multi-functional’ workers pop into the screen sporadically to check that no one is recording the movie, but they never shush people, chastise people or do anything about the noise people are making, the kids running around or the bright lights from phones.
When I watched Mission Impossible - on the weekend it came out, in a screen with 9 other people - there was an older lady reading a Kindle, set to the brightest setting. Watching Elemental there was one kid who ran around and around the screen, screaming from before the trailers started right up until the end of the movie.
So, I am 100% up for a cinema bouncer. Whether there’s one permanently in every screen, or one that just floats from screen to screen, just someone who will kick people out when they are disruptive.
And, filtration is so important. COVID is still a thing, there are also other viruses and the next covid, but also how often are these cinemas cleaned - I mean properly cleaned - without proper filtration, the bacteria that is growing on every surface is a problem.
I am also, fully on board for a 365 day gap between the day of release and a streaming release. Especially with studios taking a lower cut of the takings.
I think the best point you brought up is forcing longer waits between theater release and streaming release. At the end of the day this is an issue of convenience. No matter how cushy and luxury a theater experience is it will always be LESS convenient than watching at home. So limiting streaming releases heavily seems like the only viable way to get more people in theaters.
I love our local drive in. It's cheap, I can bring in my own food. I don't have to be in close proximity to other people. If I make noise no one else has to deal with it.
Me and a friend saw Batman v Superman and talked through the whole film, no one was annoyed because they couldn't hear us.
The only issues are headlights and your car battery so much better.
I'd love to go see a movie in the theaters again; unfortunately, the cost is too high these days. It's not the ticket prices but now I have to hire a babysitter if my wife and I want to go out for a movie and that is what makes everything so expensive.
This is one of my favorite videos you have ever made very cool
On the subject of movie theaters being expensive, I go to Marcus theaters because they're literally the only theater in town, and they've been jacking up prices and getting rid of ways for their customers to save money.
They changed $5 Tuesdays to value Tuesdays, where the base cost of most tickets is $6, and it costs more if it was ultrascreen or superscreen, the theaters with way bigger screens and way more seats.
They used to have a similar deal for students and school faculty members on Thursdays. They first added that it can’t be for a movie that just premiered, then cut down the size of the free popcorn, then recently axed the whole thing.
Finally theyre getting rid of their movie flex subscription, which was a good deal if you wanted to go to the movies more than once a month
Maybe short intermissions for some of the longer movies like Oppenheimer could help. That why people aren’t spending the last 30 minutes trying to hold it in
When I watched Endgame for the first time in theaters there were 2 dudes who screamed, “Yeah Spider-Man!,” when he first came back. It was cool.
Having worked as a movie theater bouncer, I agree with all of these things! 👍
During a showing of Porco Rosso last year a guy literally took a phone call in the middle of the movie. He didn't step out, just sat right there in his seat chatting away shamelessly. That kind of behavior should get you taken out back by bouncers. High quality air filtration would be great too.
Nando, thank you for doing this video. You approach the situation as a fan of movies. Too often discussion of anything public in US society is tainted by the media amplifying industry shills. (In this case this would be spokespeople for studios and theaters.) You have begun a discussion that centers the audience perspective.
that mattel spinoff sarcasm tangent at 2:04 is nando finally realizing somebody in hollywood is watching his video. nando is testing to see if their AI video summary generator can understand nuance. well played
The beginning of my movie theater downfall was Dragon Ball Z Resurrection 'F' where a group of teens or 20somethin's were yelling the theme song, and then yellling "kamehameha" along with Goku. My social security checks grew three sizes that day.
(I was also 19 myself but I was not there for them)
I had to scold a group of teenagers during a screening of Madame Web... they moved to the front row (the premium reclining seats) once the movie started and it was obvious no one was going to stop them so they were in everyone's eyeline. I didn't mind that so much but they all took out their phones two minutes in (maybe they were googling 'spider research amazon') and when they learned all they could of that they decided to take selfies to mark the special memory of seeing a strong female led superhero film, surely the first in a series of many outings featuring Cassie, Anya, Julia and Mattie. This led me to shout from my seat 'put the phones away'. Which they did. But then overcome by the excitement of the layered storytelling soon one of them proceeded to take their phone out and shine their phone torch at the screen in a show of approval for the films nuanced characterisation. Which initiated my second, louder, ''put the phone away.' In retrospect it wasn't really any detriment to my enjoyment of the movie, and I don't like raising my voice in the cinema, so if anyone reading this was at that screening, I apologise.
This makes feel so blessed to have a local independent theater with only a few people in each viewing. Im also lucly that my local theater is next to a retirement home so, the viewing rooms are at least alway half elderly people.
When I saw Infinity War there was a guy sitting a few rows ahead of me, packed theater, who was obviously drunk and began loudly commenting the SECOND that the movie started. I shouted "hey could you not talk during the movie" and thank god he shut up (in fact I think he left). But that interaction made me WIDLY anxious like yeah I don't know how this guy is going to react, but this is maybe the biggest movie of my lifetime and I don't want it to be ruined. When I saw Wakanda Forever there were a group of people, sober but just talking obnoxiously loudly behind me. I politely asked them to be quiet, and they just kept talking. So I left. Management was great, comped my ticket AND gave me a free ticket for a later show, but shit like that makes me dread going to the theater. I shouldn't have to go spend money just to wonder if I'm gonna get into a fight or worry that my time out is going to be ruined. If theaters started being more vigilant with disruptive guests I would be 100% more likely to attend.
I know I'm going to Venom The Last Dance. Though I got to admit the prices for theater food is rough if you don't have a discount. And standard prices for tickets is not something I can pay for without saving up for the occasion. Theaters are an occasion, not something I can casually go to when I feel like it once per week anymore.
I went to see Boy and the Heron in Japan and I gotta say the audience sooo much better than theaters here, everyone was so respectful and quiet. They all stayed through the entire credits silent! So I wonder if it’s just American audiences
I’ve been to concerts and such where they made us lock up our phones in a magnetic pouch. I’d be happy if theaters implemented this
Former theater worker here. Companies cut costs as much as possible to survive. It's not feasible to have dedicated ushers when you can have cheap 16yos that do multipurpose jobs (working booth, cash, garbage) just pop in every now and then. They made us do random theater checks, which did help a lot with noise and phones, but some people are smart and just turn it off as soon as some poor irritated person goes to get one of us.
The biggest problem to focus on is definitely the VOD issue.
talking during movies, omg. i went to extended fellowship of the ring on Saturday and there were these teens maintaining a whispered conversation the entire time. three and a half hours. also to your point about not getting into it with someone who would take a bite of your big mac, some dude started playing something on speaker phone during fall guy last month and i just moved to another part of the room because yeah. the kind of guy who would violate the social contract like that is not someone who would react well to being confronted. also air filters yessssssss. the immediate release on vod didn't really bother me until dune 2 because i was willing to see that one in real imax and they just left my money on the table.
Theaters asking for government cheese to install air filters seems doable. The problem is... schools and lots of other types of buildings (hospitals!) should have air filters and the US commitment to pretending things are fine stops government from dealing with reality.
I feel like a good chunk of the worst theater experiences would be prevented by not allowing toddlers into the theater, all the worst times I've had or heard about where with toddlers. It sounds like the best ratio of easy to implement/improvement to the experience
I recently went to alamo and it was specifically for people who might need to talk or get up. There were less restrictions on talking and the lights were a bit higher. It was still fairly quiet, but I think that's a better option than having quiet movies because instead of implying that it's Ok to talk in all the others it reinforces that it isn't.
A while ago I would've been against ushers, but my worst movie theater experience was when these kids were on their phones the whole time scrolling and were talking, but then one of their phones rang and they answered it- TO YELL AT THEIR MOM NOT TO CALL THEM DURING A MOVIE. the ensuing argument went on way longer than it shouldve. (i nearly lost it)
I'd also say ads before movies are getting ridiculous. It's not a few trailers, there's just literal commercials before movies start where the actual movie doesn't start until 40+ minutes after the advertised start time. So a 2 or 3 hour movie actually has you in the theater for 3-4 hours instead so going to the movies takes up a huge chunk of your day now.
I kid you not, when I went to see A Quiet Place, there was a guy in front of us take pictures and video on his phone, talking to himself about what was happening like an 80 year old grandpa trying to figure out whats happening, and explaining to everyone him why he was taking pictures/video (his sister is too scared to see it, he wants to prove it'll be okay).
Like you said, reacting to a horror movie is fine. But this was the COMPLETELY SILENT beginning, no horror yet. It was insane. (My cousin got a worker because they'd actually do something with him taking pictures, who he explained why again, again during a totally silent part, and she threatened to take him out if he didn't stop. It was insane)
I also think that the lounger chairs should lock before the movie starts. There can be a little message saying to get into position, because when I went to see Dune, I decided to swear off the luxury lounger theaters because after the first 30 min or so, there was the little motor sound of someone adjusting their chair or completely putting it up/down because of leaving for more snacks/bathroom and coming back probably every 3-5 minutes. I thought I was gonna lose my mind. Like we're at the end, super intense fight when Paul has been stabbed and you can't wait 2 minutes for action to pick back up before moving your chair?! You have to move it NOW?!
Dan Murrell made a good video discussing the same topic. One thing I would add to improve theaters is that there should be security checks to prevent any gun violence or other violence from taking place. Also, make certain days of the week a Discount Day where tickets cost less than usual (and even some food items could cost less too), that’ll definitely bring more customers.
Definitely agree on VOD/streaming release window, but I am not sure it will really drive me to theatres. In fact, none of these three are likely to increase my likelihood of going, but I am a special case as it's a big time-consuming trip for me (I might spend twice as much time on the road to and from the theatre than watching it, maybe even a higher ratio if it a shorter film), which also adds expense. I do have less of a tolerance for more crowded places than I used to, and I am not eager to go to a packed theatre, I want some space (no, special theatre seating is not an option at the nearest spot, and the next one is more than twice the distance). That said, I wouldn't hate the other two recommendations.
I think the problem with a lot of the flops has to do with marketing and how the films doesn't stand out, compared to something like Oppenheimer and Barbie. Audiences want something new and aesthetically Furiosa looks IDENTICAL to Fury Road (understandably so) and even the titles are very similar with "Furiosa" and "Fury Road". Same thing with The Fall Guy, kinda has the same aesthetic and title to Free Guy and also shares the title with the video game "Fall Guys". With audiences just glancing over these films, it's hard to differentiate. The Zone of Interest, which is a very niche but UNIQUE film, made 50,000,000USD globally.
And studios releasing films like Immaculate and The First Omen right after each other doesn't do anyone any favours. And has anyone seen the posters for The First Omen and Monkey Man, which were released on the same day? They are literally IDENTICAL.
My local cinema got done in recently for rat droppings in the popcorn machines and grime in the ice cream freezers 😭
Oh my, I can't imagine going to a movie in a language that I cannot understand to have someone simultaneously interpret it to me. Wild 😂
In NH and ME we have Smittys and it's a movie theater that's also a bar and grill
I'm also from NH. I can't even remember the last time I went to a regular movie theater that wasn't a Chunky's eat-in theater or the drive-in. It feels chiller! By nature fewer or more spread out audiences.
💯 agree! This would bring me back to the movies. 🍿
I think it’s also hard price wise because people who love movies with kids can’t afford baby sitters, so if they want to see a movie they have to bring their kids and then there are just different expectations for kids vs adults. More kid friendly showings where kids are expected to hang out or chat, or even like.. social style ones for groups of teens and adults who want to go and make fun of Madame web or whatever would be good. But they’d have to start enforcing the no phone, no noise, no talking rules in the other showings
I actually work at Regal and I wanna say a couple things:
1. Thank you for the appreciation for people who work at theatres. A lot of my co-workers are genuinely cool people and they can only have a bad attitude because of the work conditions, like shitty costumers or minimal pay. I do think if we were to incorporate these three things, we'd overall be much happier lol.
2. The air filter thing I %1,000,000 agree is a problem. Sometimes, when I go in to clean a theatre, it smells awful and the team leads have said it's because "Some people just don't shower" and while I think (unfortunately) that can be true, there's gotta be a better way we can handle this, better air filters would be so beneficial.
3. I usually work as an Usher and as of now, my theatre has 14 auditoriums and two ushers MAX, but usually just one (cuz that's all they can afford I suppose), so we are tasked to do hourly checks on each theatre, just making sure no one's causing trouble or have their phones on, etc. Confrontation's tough cuz A: I'm not that physically imposing and B: I'm like you were I wanna give people a chance to realize what they're doing, like whenever they check their phones (that's the worst bit). As of right now, we have one security guy who does the same theatre checks we do, so yeah, Bouncers/more Ushers would be great.
As for the last thing, I think that'd be amazing! Like you said, it is tricky and (this is just me thinking) it feels like we need THAT to work in order for everything else to fall into place. IDK if it's the same experience in other theatres, but I can TELL when they're cutting costs, especially when we run low on trash bags, or have to cut someone's hours cuz they just can't afford it. Maybe it's just my theatre and it's not nearly as bad as everywhere else, but if we wanna make these conditions better, I feel like keeping the movies for a longer period of time has to be the first one to work.
Biggest issue I have with my local theater is
A.) the classic movie theater menu is horrible and expensive… I think this could be better mitigated by simply buying out a place like Sonic or something to use that’s quick,easy,and scratches that snack food want from most consumers
B.) people around me ruining the movie with their inconsiderate acts. This honestly is solvable by bringing back a modernized drive in theater… (think like top golf but for movies) cause chances are if you’re going with a group or family they’re gonna respect your time/money you are using/paying to see the movie and you’ll know exactly the company whose with you.
We also need intermissions/intervals. Let people take a piss break during a 2.5 hour movie. Take a moment to sell merch and food /drink. Its a win for the audience and the theatre. Everyone I know wants this. I dont get why they dont do it.
Great ideas actually.
Thankfully, my local Regal had an entire makeover months after the initial covid wave. They reopened with “better air filtration”, those fancy new theaters with the projectors on each side, 4DX and an IMAX room. The RPX room returned, but EVERY room now had new comfortable seating. They also added a bar!
All of it seemed great and I had a blast visiting with my Regal pass… but… after last year, something happened. I think I started to realize that most of the movies I went to were just average? Comic book / Action movies are one guilty pleasure of mine, but rarely did I walk out of ankther showing feeling content, like say I would after an MCU movie. It was just… barely serviceable.
So, I cancelled my pass and haven’t looked back. Doesn’t help that both MCU and DC are on a break right now. Something that I think we all needed, BUT let me say this here and now. I am Totally ready for next year because it’s hella packed with blockbusters and I’m definitely ready to hop back on the pass.
i live in texas and im so blessed to have a santikos/casa blanca theater near me. The best theater and I love going to the movies.
I'd like to make a small suggestion to add to your plan to save theaters. I feel like if theaters are going to survive then the business model has to become a little more dynamic. Yes films will bring in a majority of revenue, but if you expanded to other fun, unique group events/experiences that would go hard with access to a huge theater screen. Imagine on a wed/thur nights you set aside 2-4 blocks of 1-hr theater time to host a 24-player game of Halo infinite on the big screen with it divided up into sections like 4 player Goldeneye back in the day. Not a competition, not a tournament, just playing for fun for fun sake like we all used to as kids. I wonder if you could even do a 20+ player version of mario kart on the big screen, that'd go hard.
But yeah, I know I'd spend $20 to do that. Bonus point is it'd draw attention back to the business and create a buzz around it. Sure they might only go for that game night for a few weeks, but then when the itch to see a movie in theaters hits them your spot is going to be the first place they think of now.
missed a lot of quantumania because this couple was full on screaming at each other, they left mid movie, idk what happened in the meantime, but police were closing down the mall when i was walking out
Thank you Nando for making this video I lost faith in enjoying the movie theater a long time ago. Sometimes it's okay but I only go if my wife and kids want to go but I rarely want to myself.
Got dragged to the little mermaid remake, and god there were these group of five in the front filming tiktoks and actually shouting, and no one did anything. At all. They just kept filming until they were done.
For me I've become so desensitised to promotion because of the endless onslaught of TVspots, ads, 'hot ones' style viral press clips. I just don't care anymore. Even if I'm told when a movie is out, because I'm bombarded constantly online I just don't take any notice of when the actual movie is out. In some cases its even stopped me wanting to see a movie because I'm sick of seeing clips of it online in the marketing
Attendance at all venues that have people show up (like live stage performances and political events) is down since the covid restrictions were lifted. So, declining movie attendance should be seen in the context of:
1. Attendance is down for everything
2. Streaming services are a problem
3. Advertising is tougher now
4. The trend was against movies pre-covid, so there was a vulnerability.
(I haven't checked this last one, but I suspect that a deeper analysis will show that people were getting away from movies as entertainment for reasons not fully understood.)
Every teenager turns into MST3K when they set foot in my local theater.....
Im not rich by western standards, but I have a large couch in a private space and my TV screen is large and nice. Not quite state of the art. But it's nice enough compared to the big screen in a theater. I can eat my own food and drink and smoke what I want to. The theaters in my city have moved to inaccessible areas. It's more convenient and comfortable to watch from home.