And those damn kids won't stay off your lawn.

Jezezus dude. Nothing on there except the one year and cell phones is annoying.

That's because it wasn't ALL annoying. The recliners were amazing! The post was more about how times have changed from my lens, not to highlight everything bad.

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

You can do that at the theaters we go to. Hell, some of them even have wait service that delivers it to your table.

I go to the theater, on average, about once per week. I generally go to matinee shows early on Saturday or Sunday to avoid some of the crowd issues like excessive cell phones use, tons of kids at movies that aren't really appropriate for kids, etc.

The biggest change I've noticed over the past few years is the increase in ads and trailers before a movie starts. You can count on 20-30 minutes of ads and trailers between the advertised start time, and when the movie itself actually starts. There are more trailers, and they're longer, and you'll get at least 2 or 3 commercials. Not so long ago (within the past 10 years or so), you needed to be seated within about 10mins from the advertised start time, or you might miss the start of the movie.

Some theaters have assigned seats, or recliners, or bigger food or smaller food, or more "gourmet" options, etc, but that all varies from theater to theater.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

Welcome to 1985.
My entire movie-going life that's what show time means - when the previews start.


Again, was the last movie you went to was the initial run of Gone With the Wind?
With film projectors, before the feature, local companies would advertise on slide projectors in the theatres for the last few decades
Now with digital projectors, cineplex companies and studios can pump out a lot of commercials that can be just dragged and dropped into the projectors


Reclining seat backs were a big deal when theatres went from a flat floor to stadiums in the 90s...

I haven't been to a theater in probably 7-8 years. The movies come to dvd/cable so quickly now, I figure why bother.

My entire movie-going life that's what show time means - when the previews start
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I'm surprised your parents let you on the internet during school hours long enough to post this. Then again, it is winter break.


Again, was the last movie you went to was the initial run of Gone With the Wind?
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I remember taking kids to see the Star Wars prequels. They advertised the movie start time then, not the preview start time. I don't remember commercials, but they were a possibility. (I would have taken you too, though I suspect you weren't alive or had a JarJar fetish. Then I'd have been the guy bringing an inappropriately young kid to a movie theater.) I guess marketing gimmics dictate that they can trick audiences into seeing the previews by not telling you when the movie actually starts and advertising the preview start time. More eyes on the money makers.

Reclining seat backs were a big deal when theatres went from a flat floor to stadiums in the 90s.
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And they're still a big deal now. Except I'm not talking about airplane quality reclining, but full-blown recliners. It likely doesn't make a difference to you since your legs haven't grown enough to reach the end of a regular chair. For us adults, even though we have the capability of putting our feet firmly on the floor while seated, it's nice to have our legs propped up once in a while.

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

What is with all of the young kids at non-age appropriate movies?

I went with another mom friend to see Wonder Woman and ended up seated next to two kids the same age as the ones we left home. Who proceeded to cry and freak out (while mom completely ignored them) at least reinforcing our decision to leave ours home- but putting a damper on mom’s night out. It was a PG-13 movie. When did they start letting 7 year olds in to those? It was an after dinner time too. It was a fairly grizzly movie with themes about developing nerve gas and lots of death. IMO no 7 yo needs to be processing the realities of war like that.

I am old but I remember not being able to see movies because of the rating.

None of the ratings have any effect of law in most States. Nothing legally prevents a theater from letting anyone in that they choose. R rating is supposed to require an adult accompanying a child under 17, and NC-17 is supposed to prohibit anyone under 17 from seeing a film, but the system is entirely voluntary. I do think theaters used to adhere to the ratings system more when I was young, but also, more parents are willing to take their kids to movies with PG-13 or R ratings than when I was a kid. At least where I grew up, an R rating meant you weren't seeing the movie unless you were maybe 15 or 16, because parents just didn't take kids to those movies. Now, it's different. For awhile, maybe still in effect, some theaters even offered cards parents could buy that gave permission for their kids to buy tickets for R rated movies without their parent present.

Weirdly enough, the standard for what constitutes a PG-13 rating or R rating has become more and more forgiving (allowing more violence, nudity, language, etc) and simultaneously, we don't seem to limit kids from seeing those movies as much.

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Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

But you said you'd rather watch a movie at home. There are some that NEED to be seen in a theater

There are some that NEED to be seen in a theater
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Whereas I understand the sentiment here, there are very few movies that I NEED to see in a theater. Most of them, I barely need to see at home if ever. Perhaps if I find that theater that Mike mentioned that served booze...

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

A lot of theaters serve booze and some movies like Rogue One need to be seen in IMAX 3D

Haven't been it at least 15 years.

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I'll be what I am
A solitary man

2 words: Alamo Drafthouse

Strict no talking/texting/phones (they will throw you out). Unless it's a kid movie, no kids under 6 allowed (over 6 has to be accompanied by adult). Assigned seats. Food and beverages delivered to your seat (though they did take my favorite salad off the menu). Recliners in the front row (though it's a little close to the screen, but they are comfy).

Alamo is the greatest possible movie watching experience. Not just for what you mention, but also for the fact that they generally carry more limited-run movies than other theaters. Our local Alamo Drafthouse closed ~8 months ago, because the landlord did a dick move, cut their lease off, and put an AMC in. Turns out that the landlord owns a stake in AMC, but failed to realize that Alamo's draw was the experience, not the location, as the location isn't exactly the most convenient (downtown, limited convenient parking). Our local theater chain is now my go-to and just installed giant, super comfortable recliners & improved sound, but I'll always wish it was Alamo.

The whole preview thing annoys the crap out of me. It's getting longer and longer before the actual movie starts. I end up grumbling about it and that annoys my wife. As a result I rarely go.

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Don

Tri-ing to have fun. Anything else is just a bonus!

Sure, 'talky' movies like most date flicks or Woody Allen genre don't need a big screen, but the last time I did go to a proper theater was for BR 2049 and I damn sure chose that specifically to see the big-ass cityscape effects on the largest possible screen (+deepest possible sound). That, and the recliners nowadays tip the scale to being worthwhile for the 1 or 2 major effects movies per year (something like Jurassic Park back in the day is another obvious reference point).

As for the other irritants, in no particular order...

Lengthy previews: Agree, but here I'll still whip out my phone for a last-minute check of messages, tomorrow's weather, or whatever before turning it off for the next 2-3 hours.

Unsuitably young kids: Go to a later show, especially on a weeknight if you can. Families generally don't plan to be out late on school nights (obviously Xmas vacation muddies this some, but if you have working parents & day care-age kids it may still apply). Whether it's content-appropriate or not for a younger child I try not to care (usually not difficult) since it's not my kid, as long as they're quiet (see above).

Large popcorn serving not large enough: Just eat before the show. That shit is nasty anyway, and as noted previously it just makes you thirsty, which if you drink enough to alleviate THAT, then bladder control becomes a compound problem, which brings us to...

Film duration exceeds bladder capacity: I definitely am afflicted w/ a small bladder so I hear ya. I love me an adult beverage or 3, but these factors are obviously at odds w/ one another. In my state, however, the magic answer is pot edibles: 1 or 2 servings and you get to space out from the rest of the world and immerse yourself in the movie even moreso, and they're typically good for right around 2 hours anyway (helps to maybe do a test run or 2 on the serving size at home so you don't get too stupid and overdo it).

As I said, the +/- only weighs in favor of going out to the theater once or twice per year, but for something I'm interested in seeing where I expect to get blown away by larger-than-life visual effects, even my big-ass home media center just ain't the same. Beer in hand and bathroom breaks are certainly nice, but size definitely matters more in some cases.

Been in a theater in Vancouver that allows burgers and fries. Annoying like hell! It stinks and I would like to listen to the movie and not to the slurping and munching chomping of the guy close to me.

I hadn't been in a while. Local theater here now has a bar w/ alcoholic beverages. So now I can be drunken dad while the kid watches Coco. My kid asked why I needed to go to the bathroom more than she did.

Oddly enough, while I applaud the whole Alamo Drafthouse concept, I actually find those food/drink serving theaters to be a pretty annoying experience. You have the waiters running around filling orders and people paying their bills and you have lots of people chowing down noisily with a host of smelly food and moving around eating, etc...

All of it breaks my immersion into the movie, which sucks. A regular theater, for me, is a better movie experience.

.

My wife always insists we leave well in advance we are 10 min early so we don't miss the beginning of the movie. Then I get to watch all the previews. Sigh.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

Last weekend I went to a screening of Die Hard in an old retro theatre. Aside from a decent sound system and new reclining seats, that space is a step back into the 1950's. I loved it. No fancy bells and whistles, and since it is a privately-owned cinema then we were not subjected to 30 minutes worth of ads, just a couple of previews. Their popcorn was 100% better than the crap they serve at Cineplex, although just as expensive.

Probably to mess with people's heads, the washrooms which used to be designated for men and women are now both labeled as unisex. A progressive move which cuts down on the line-ups at the end of the evening.

I like the old retro theaters, used to have a great one near where I lived that showed movies on the second run for much less than the megaplex cinemas charged and was also within walking distance. Most of the movies I go to see now are kids ones with my daughter, I usually doze off in those reclining seats.

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"You can never win or lose if you don't run the race." - Richard Butler

Get to the movie about 1 to 3 times a yr. Either a small old local theater $5 tickets lg popcorn is like $3 and $5 for Large Popcorn, and pop. Old style, old seats, but fun. Or as today we go to the Phenoix theater, Leather recliners with 3.5" armrests wide seats, $6.50 for a matinee but a large pop and popcorn will set you back $11.

Saw Star Wars there, great sound. An attendant came to the front of the theater before it started, reviewed exit locations, where the bathroom where, Said there were about 10 min before the movie started if you want to go refill or get concessions you had time, and if you had any other needs to see worker in the black and red shirts (it was well done and surprising).

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

Rochester has a theatre?

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

Rochester has a theatre?
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Not that I'm aware of. Rochester does have suburbs. And those suburbs mainly contain malls, which have a theater addendum.

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

The best change is assigned seating, whoever made this a thing at movie theaters I would like to give a hug. Buy tickets online show up 15 minutes late and just sit in your seat and watch.

Stop, you’re killing me!

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

I detest assigned seating and will avoid it when possible. I need the freedom to move around when that guy with the bronchial cough and post-nasal drip sits his ass directly behind me.

Yeah, not a fan of assigned seating either.

Of course I don't go to crowded shows so getting a good seat is not a problem.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.