Why do we glorify the rise in movie ticket prices with these games?

[cool8man]

$19 to buy one ticket to see Avengers in IMAX in NY.

Why are we impressed by record breaking profits at the box office? From the hype-inducing news coverage of these records to BoxOfficeMojo showdown comparisons to these summer movie games we continually celebrate these records. Why are we celebrating what is hurting consumers and excluding many from enjoying the cinema? Can you imagine celebrating record profits for Exxon Mobil just because the price of gas has increased over the years?

All I see is more people being ripped off than ever before in history, more families being cut off from entertainment. $20 to own a new movie in HD I think is fair, but $20 to see a movie once by yourself is unfortunate; especially for low income families that are struggling today.

[tokenuser]

Originally Posted by cool8man

$19 to buy one ticket to see Avengers in IMAX in NY.

Why are we impressed by record breaking profits at the box office? From the hype-inducing news coverage of these records to BoxOfficeMojo showdown comparisons to these summer movie games we continually celebrate these records. Why are we celebrating what is hurting consumers and excluding many from enjoying the cinema? Can you imagine celebrating record profits for Exxon Mobil just because the price of gas has increased over the years?

Umm. Yeah. I can see that. Have you seen the Forbes 500 list from this week? That is a celebration of record profits based on oil prices increasing (which had the flow on effect of raising gas prices - but that is a different story). If you were a share holder, you would be celebrating.

Now back to the movie analogy ...

Will Avengers 2 be made?? Absolutely. Why? Box office numbers.
Will another John Carter movie be made (and he was a character in a number of novels so it is possible)?? No. Why? Box office numbers.
Both John Carter and Avengers came out of the same studio. A success with Avengers helps mitigate the loss from Carter. The studio survives to make another movie, and doesn't go bankrupt like MGM did - which stopped production of the newest Bond movie. So, umm yeah. The games are important.

Its not all about ticket prices either - its the number of screens a film was shown on. If the IMAX screen showings were profitable, it might encourage more directors to use native 3D instead of post production.

Yes. Its all games and popularity contests. You could have chosen not to play. You didn't. If there is a problem. You are as big a part of it as the studios running the game.

You'll get over it.

[cool8man]

They would make an Avengers sequel even if the box office for the first weekend was $60 million less. I'm not buying that a movie has to make $207M first weekend in order to get a sequel.

My local theater raised it's prices $3 over the preceding week to take advantage of the film. So they're taking advantage of people at an opportunistic moment to raise ticket prices. All that gets reported is the big headline that Avengers broke all the records, but it's not mentioned how they achieved that goal.

I also don't buy that these big numbers represent a huge increase in "popularity." I believe fewer people are going to the movies than in the past despite the movies making more money. We pretend like it is just popularity that is fueling these records.


If you're a share holder in one of these movie studios then I get why you care and are celebrating the profits. But it's the entertainment news media that reports on these numbers, not the financial papers. It's regular everyday people who talk about the financial success of film with awe, not the investors who are actually profiting from it.

[tokenuser]

It doesn't happen in a vacuum.
Profiteering by local theaters stinks, but you could have chosen NOT to see the movie.
By participating through seeing the movie, you are part of the problem.
So, don't go to see the movie on the big screen.
Movie theatre shuts down.
One less place to go see the movie (any movie).
That'll show them for playing games with the ticket numbers.

[stubadub]

Prices were not raised in my area, I paid $50 to see all 6 Marvel Studios movies in a marathon the Thursday before release and then $35 for 5 of us to see a matinee on Sunday and all showings for the day sold out at a non-Drafthouse theater (which is very uncommon).

It made 207 million dollars because people were willing to collectively spend 207 million dollars over 3 days to see it, and many of us were willing to spend enough to see it multiple times in that time span. I'm sure someone will convert the numbers to compare ticket sales and we will see that this is still one of the best attended movies for an opening weekend.

Ticket prices in most areas I've seen in Texas and Louisiana are $10 or less for standard 2D showings. When I was seeing movies in 1993 that price was $6. That seems like a reasonable increase over a nearly 20 year span.

I want to see the Avengers breaking records because I loved the film and want to see more movies like it. I do have a dog in the hunt. I want the studio to look at this and say "Trusting the decisions of Joss Whedon was the best thing we could have done." I will always be happy when anything I like does well financially, regardless of the form of media. That's how I get more of the things I like.

[johnnysix]

Originally Posted by cool8man

$19 to buy one ticket to see Avengers in IMAX in NY.

Why are we impressed by record breaking profits at the box office? From the hype-inducing news coverage of these records to BoxOfficeMojo showdown comparisons to these summer movie games we continually celebrate these records. Why are we celebrating what is hurting consumers and excluding many from enjoying the cinema? Can you imagine celebrating record profits for Exxon Mobil just because the price of gas has increased over the years?

All I see is more people being ripped off than ever before in history, more families being cut off from entertainment. $20 to own a new movie in HD I think is fair, but $20 to see a movie once by yourself is unfortunate; especially for low income families that are struggling today.

I agree with you. We pay about AUD$20 per ticket for a movie in 3D with a pair of glasses in Australia now, and that's not even Sydney or Melbourne prices.

I know it's a fun predictive game to the guys and they always explain their picks in terms of rating, screens and release date, but I also think that celebrating the box office takings of a movie is kind of stupid (unless you're an investor). Do good movies always make money? No. To the studios, our dollar is but a simple math equation away from their pockets.

[wideawakewesley]

Consider how much you would pay to see a sporting event, concert, play or other form of entertainment (outside of your home) for 2hrs+ and it compares quite favourably. Fortunately I can pay £14.99 a month to see as many movies in the cinema as I like, but I wouldn't begrudge paying $20 for an IMAX showing.

Prices are set by what the market is willing to pay. Currently, we're willing to pay $20 for an IMAX ticket. The minute we're not, prices should fall or other incentives will be offered to entice us back.

[stubadub]

Originally Posted by wideawakewesley

Prices are set by what the market is willing to pay. Currently, we're willing to pay $20 for an IMAX ticket. The minute we're not, prices should fall or other incentives will be offered to entice us back.

I've seen multiple theaters in the Austin area close since I moved here in 2006. The experience was pretty much a standard theater experience at the standard prices. They would have big crowds for big movies during opening weekend but it obviously wasn't enough to keep the theater profitable.

Meanwhile the Drafthouse offers a pre-show that usually relates to the film you are about to see (Iron Man cartoon clips and talk show appearances rather than commercials), good food and alcohol, a viewing free from talking and texting, and tons of special events. I've tried to go into a film that isn't doing well during a weeknight two weeks after release and had trouble getting a good seat because it was so full. Offer something worth attending and people will show up and spend the money.

[jtv]

None of Avengers was filmed in IMAX, why would you pay $8 or $9 more to see it in IMAX?

[stubadub]

Originally Posted by jtv

None of Avengers was filmed in IMAX, why would you pay $8 or $9 more to see it in IMAX?

They have a few of those fake IMAX jr screens here, which are even less worth it from the screen size part of the equation, but damn if those sound systems aren't the best thing I've ever heard in a theater. I could see paying extra money for the sound alone.