Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Would You Pay $35 for a Movie Ticket?

Variety reports that Village Roadshow is developing "Gold Class Cinemas" with $35 ticket prices. The first two theatres will open in suburbs of Seattle & Chicago this fall.

Idea is that plushing up the current moviegoing experience will encourage auds that typically stay home to watch movies via their pricey home theaters to venture out again.

Yes, moviegoers who care about a quality presentation are turning more and more to home theaters, and that cinemas need to do something to "plush up" the moviegoing experience if they want to survive.

However, Village Roadshow seems to be clueless about what that means.

Each complex will sport theaters featuring 40 reclining armchair seats with footrests, digital projection and the capability to screen 2-D and 3-D movies, as well as a lounge and bar serving cocktails and appetizers, a concierge service and valet parking.

Village Roadshow's site proudly brags about their "smaller more private and intimate cinemas."

Tiny auditoriums.... cocktails and appetizers.... digital projection... I ALREADY HAVE ALL OF THESE THINGS IN MY HOME THEATER. How exactly are you going to lure me out of my house if you aren't providing something more?

Interestingly, the comments posted on the Variety article complain that most movies coming out of Hollywood aren't worth $35.

I actually would pay $35 to attend a theatre with a truly big screen, if the ushers threw out disruptive talkers, if the show was preceeded by quiet music and a curtain instead of screen ads, and if they showed classic blockbusters when the current releases were lousy.

How much would you pay for that?

1 comment:

David Jones said...

I wouldn't pay $35 unless it was an epic presentation - think Imax - and a movie I really wanted to see.

That could be a movie that I anticipate I'll really like - like the Dark Knight - or a movie I really like but haven't seen in a while - like Raiders of the Lost Ark.