Thought You Should See This

December 30, 2011

2011 reportedly had the lowest movie-going audiences since 1995. In I’ll Tell You Why Movie Revenue is Dropping, Roger Ebert breaks it down in words of one syllable. Turns out, the reasons are pretty simple: tickets are too expensive; there are feasible alternatives to watching a film at decent size and quality elsewhere; and the experience is all too-often marred by cell-phone users or those who see the theater as an extension of their living room, meaning they can chat busily throughout a film. Then there’s the rip-off at the concession stands. As Ebert writes:

It’s an open secret that the actual cost of soft drinks and popcorn is very low. To justify their inflated prices, theaters serve portions that are grotesquely oversized, and no longer offer what used to be a “small popcorn.” Today’s bucket of popcorn would feed a thoroughbred.

I’m used to the cinemas in New York City, most of which provide perfect examples of Ebert’s concerns. I remember the experience being rather more civilized in Los Angeles, but movie executives who can get back to understanding why people actually stump up cash to come and watch movies on the big screen – what experience they’re actually looking for – would surely tap into a real advantage and maybe even reverse or stem those terrible business figures.

[Story via Tom Weaver. Photo of popcorn by PunkJr.]

12:10pm | URL: https://tmblr.co/ZLv7dxD-_SeT
(View comments)

(Notes: 19)