AMC Theaters Unlikely to Survive the Movie Theater Shut Down

[sdp]

The current model has been horrible, hope theaters die and something that makes sense for the 2020s takes over.

[ranger_scout]

Originally Posted by sdp

The current model has been horrible, hope theaters die and something that makes sense for the 2020s takes over.

My best friends & I live miles away from each other. The theaters have always been more convenient places to meet at than our houses.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by sdp

The current model has been horrible, hope theaters die and something that makes sense for the 2020s takes over.

I think that evolution already began about ten years ago as traditional theaters like AMC have been dying a slow death for years. They get propped up for another round with seasonal injections from big releases and spillover from other sold out theaters, but they've been trending down against brew 'n views from free market choice for a long time.

If I had to guess the theaters that will be left standing will be the mom and pop brew 'n views that have custom rooms, attractions and food. A rare turn of events where smaller entrepreneurs might surpass a corporate chain, but I'm all for it. Especially in the case of a place like AMC.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by ranger_scout

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/31/2a...be9c500b05.gif

AMC Theatres Could Run Out of Cash by the End of 2020, Early 2021

Of course. Why wouldn't they? Studios have completely abandoned them and nobody is helping them out.

[sdp]

Yes, theaters have been dying for years, stuff like 3D movies, VIP etc have inflated prices of the box office but ticket numbers have been down for a long time now.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/12/disn...-consumer.html
Disney is focusing on streaming for their future, cinemas will continue to be a niche product but I think that will also make them more special. I hope they come up with cool things to make it worhtwhile. Cheaper pricing, choose your own movie, a better experience, rent a whole room for a few friends, adapt, play whatever you want on their even your home made movies, I don't know.

The best part of COVID 19 is it accelerated the death of many dying industries and instigated the adoptance of new technologies.

[CyberCubed]

I won't miss theaters.We're living in the digital age. Why do I have to go out to a crowded theater with screaming kids and noisy people commenting next to you on the film when you can watch from the quiet secluded area of your own home? Not to mention you can pause the movie if you have to go to the bathroom instead of holding it in or missing something if you have to run out to the bathroom.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I won't miss theaters.We're living in the digital age. Why do I have to go out to a crowded theater with screaming kids and noisy people commenting next to you on the film when you can watch from the quiet secluded area of your own home? Not to mention you can pause the movie if you have to go to the bathroom instead of holding it in or missing something if you have to run out to the bathroom.

You mean to tell me you have a 30-foot screen in your NY apartment?

Watching Interstellar on a 72" flatscreen TV just does not compare.

[sdp]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

You mean to tell me you have a 30-foot screen in your NY apartment?

If he has a VR headset then yes he can re-create that.

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

You mean to tell me you have a 30-foot screen in your NY apartment?

Watching Interstellar on a 72" flatscreen TV just does not compare.

Nerds and shut-ins apparently don't give a sh*t about stuff like that. Their preferred choice of movie-viewing experience is directly connected to how easily it allows them to avoid people. So of course they'd cheerlead for a bunch of things to shut down and tons of people to lose their jobs while in the long run providing an objectively worse and less-fun experience for everyone. What matters is that they get to watch stuff on the toilet at 1.5 speed or hit the pause button to go drunkenly masturbate.

Truly, a future worth aiming for.

[sdp]

Here were the tendencies before the pandemic started:

Spoiler:

Movie theaters will continue to exist in one way or another but the traditional cinema experience has outlasted its appeal for the majority of consumers. Boomers can yell at clouds tho.

[ranger_scout]

Chapek said Disney wants to “make sure we continue to give” consumers the option of watching films in theaters. “But at the same time, there’s a lot of consumers that want to experience movies in the safety, comfort, and convenience of their own home,” he said.

https://www.indiewire.com/2020/10/di...st-1234592280/

Still:



Then there's this.

AMC Entertainment May File For Bankruptcy For Real As Reopening Stalls

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by sdp

Here were the tendencies before the pandemic started:

Spoiler:

https://www.whitehutchinson.com/imag...90226img30.png
https://i.imgur.com/YbKItNq.png

Movie theaters will continue to exist in one way or another but the traditional cinema experience has outlasted its appeal for the majority of consumers. Boomers can yell at clouds tho.

The man comes through with a visual aid to what I said in #23! Bam! My man!

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

You mean to tell me you have a 30-foot screen in your NY apartment?

Watching Interstellar on a 72" flatscreen TV just does not compare.

Sure it does - if the room is in proper proportion to the selected T.V. size. And the truth is that while I'm a movie nerd and love the theater, I've never seen a theater screen as well calibrated and finely detailed as my T.V. at home. There's always a translation error in the theater - a sizing issue that removes some fine detail, a brightness calibration issue, an expensive sound system that has no effect in the theater for some reason. Now if theaters widely did their job and kept their **** calibrated then it would be different. But they don't do it. They just pump out showings for the cash grab without pride in their art. And blanket statement or not I'd say that's like... seriously man, like 99% of theaters out there.

[ranger_scout]

This might be its only saving grace right now.

Could Universal-AMC’s Early VOD Deal End Up Helping Struggling Theaters?

[IMJ]

Actually it would be one helluva power play if AMC abandoned theaters and suddenly came out as some kind of absolute game changer streaming service.....
That's what I would propose if I were on the board there.

[Andrew NDB]

If I was AMC I would completely liquidate all assets and build a bunch of mask-making and hand sanitizer factories. For all the fear virtue people. That's where the only money is now -- selling people back their own fear.

[Wildcat]

I'm just curious. I don't know how often you normally go to the theater but if they were operating as normal with release dates unchanged were you gonna go see all these movies during all this?

I've mentioned I hardly go to the theater. It has to be something I absolutely need to see. Like I said I don't mind wearing masks but having to be extra careful just for a movie is not worth it imo.

I mean aside from the risk of getting sick its just too much work and defeats the purpose of enjoying a movie is what I'm saying.

I would not have gone to see Sonic under this situation or Ghostbusters.

[Andrew NDB]

I'd go to the theaters weekly, bi-weekly. Longer if no good movies playing.

No problem going to the theater now. I'm willing to trust that the theaters are taking reasonable measures to be "safe." Now, I'm aware not everyone would do this... what I'm suggesting is that when a movie comes out, some combination of maybe exclusive release in the theaters that are open now for 3 weeks (incenticizing reopenings), THEN on week 4 the Mulan VOD model. Everybody wins.

[Allio]

cancelled my A-List so I'm not missing much.

[Wildcat]

AndrewNDB,

Quicker VOD release would be a good way to ease things back to normal but like you said not all studios want to do that because it probably does lose some profit. $20 for a temporary rental is a lot. In theaters people are mostly paying for the novelty of a giant screen and the experience. Movies already hit home release faster than they used to.

I appreciate the extra measures businesses are taking but let’s be realistic about this part. Nobody can keep up this level sanitation 100% of the time. Too many people and things to account for and some don’t care to be begin with. Even when things are normal many public places do not get the attention they need. Public restrooms especially.

Stuff like theaters where people often leave junk and massive theme parks would need an army of sanitation people following everyone around. It’s just not humanly possible to meet this level of demand for these kinds of places.

At most I’d say it’s probably 50% effective. Which is good and should continue but not enough to return to normal activity.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Wildcat

Quicker VOD release would be a good way to ease things back to normal but like you said not all studios want to do that because it probably does lose some profit. $20 for a temporary rental is a lot.

Not "some profit." There really isn't anything to suggest that the Mulan model was even profitable at all. As soon as a movie is released digitally (whether it is VOD, Netflix, CBS On Demand)... an hour later it is on every pirating torrent site out there. I'd be surprised if Mulan made even 15% of what it would have made if it came out in theaters in February.

What I'm saying is that at least if there's some exclusivity with the theaters for a while, there's the money to be had. Before going VOD where many good people will pay the $20 or whatever to rent or "own" it.... but many more will not. They will be on Piratebay.

Public restrooms

Well. I may not be afraid of the virus... but I'm not stupid, either. I'll make sure I can hold it. And maybe not get the jumbo pop for a while.

Stuff like theaters where people often leave junk and massive theme parks would need an army of sanitation people following everyone around. It’s just not humanly possible to meet this level of demand for these kinds of places.

Of course it is. And it's happening everyday in theaters. Maybe it takes them an hour to clean a theater between showings instead of 30 minutes... so what?

Also, total number of cases of COVID stemming from theaters? 0. Not even 1.