Posted on 04/30/2020 6:54:34 AM PDT by BBQToadRibs
AMC, the US’s largest cinema chain, has said it will refuse to show movies released by Hollywood studio Universal. The latter had just declared it would continue to release films simultaneously via cinemas and streaming, after the coronavirus pandemic restrictions are lifted.
AMC’s move came in a letter from its CEO Adam Aron to Universal chair Donna Langley, published in Deadline, in which he wrote: “We want to be absolutely clear … AMC believes that with this proposed action to go to the home and theatres simultaneously, Universal is breaking the business model and dealings between our two companies.”
Aron added: “Universal’s unilateral actions and intentions have left us with no choice. Therefore, effectively immediately AMC will no longer play any Universal movies in any of our theatres in the United States, Europe or the Middle East.”
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
I wouldn't mind some old school drive in theaters popping up though!
Broken business model, COVID-19 just 1 more nail in the coffin. days of the neighborhood movie theater are definitely numbered.
AMC is a China owned business.
I used to love going to theaters, but modern electronics and terrible social behaviors say to stay home and enjoy the movies.
Its a substitute but not the same as seeing a great film on the big screen. We are a social species. With a few exceptions, people need to interact with others socially as much as we need food and water for healthy living. Sequestered at home in the living room is not a long term solution. This pandemic freakout has unfortunately changed our lives for the worse, even once we are up and running again.
Been a bad few weeks for models.
Agreed. Not only to stop giving your money that funds many actors’ repulsive behaviour and politics, but I could no longer stand being deafened by the previews and the main show itself.
For the most part, I gave up on the majority of people along time ago.
But where else can you buy a Coke and bag of popcorn for only $14.00?
How so? Once we are up an running again, and the social distancing and other restrictions end, how would we be worse than before?
Yes, they are. I believe China has made a YUuuuuuuge mistake in this investment. It will not payoff for them in the long run. Too bad, such a shame. NOT.
The previews were a breaking point for me. TV commercials were played 30 minutes before the movie and 15 minutes after the movie start times. I am surprised they did’t interrupt the movie to play even more commercials.
The second breaking point was the people and their constant looking at their cell phones. All I would see were seas of cell phone screens.
The cost was the final factor. $50 for two tickets and some popcorn.
Forget it. My last movie was probably 5 years ago.
People go to the movies with people they want to see the movie with, not to see the movie with the general public.
That doesn’t change when they are sitting in the basement with great picture and sound.
No driving. Less expensive. Fewer dopes kicking your seats or texting during the movie.
The few times I've gone to IMAX it has been ok, but seems over-hyped to me. I probably won't go back. I'll never bother going back to a "regular" theater either. I would go to the recliner/beer theater. I'd also go to a drive in just for the nostalgia factor. A warm summer night, lawn chairs in the back of the pickup parked backward... Those were fun nights. Otherwise, I'll just stay home and pick what I want from a streaming service, viewing on my 65" Samsung and running the audio out through my stereo. The nice thing about home is the drinks & snacks are exactly what I want and it can be paused for an intermission anytime.
“But where else can you buy a Coke and bag of popcorn for only $14.00?”
My last trip to the theater cost me $54. Two tickets, coke, popcorn, and Red Vines. $54. No thanks. Got nothing but commercials for 45 minutes, a stinky old lady doused in perfume, loud kids running up and down the stairs, cell phone screens all over the place, an idiot holding constant cell phone conversations (he was the recipient of my personal attention), and a rain storm to walk back to my truck.
Won’t be doing that ever again.
Don’t really have a dog in this fight, as I don’t go to movies at the theater hardly anymore. But this sort of strikes me as bad timing for AMC. They will be hard-pressed to get people to come back to the theater once the restrictions ease up. Limiting their movie selections isn’t going to help them.
The list of examples will be too long...but this movie house example is just one of many. If AMC goes under because the business model doesnt work, I know I will miss the bi-weekly or monthly outing with my wife to see a movie. Myself and wife, her more than me, dont want to be holed up inside the house we spend most of our lives in. We can still see the movie on a big screen at home, but its not like going to the theater on Sunday after church and then having a dinner out.
A short list of others - concerts, sports events, walking into a restaurant without reservations and expecting to be seated etc. While you and I wont think much of going to these, many are going to avoid them, and the organizers are going to have liability issues to face which will cause many to just not host the events...its just going to be a mess for a very long time.
Its a substitute but not the same as seeing a great film on the big screen.”
I must agree, I have made a very good home theater with great 7.1 surround and I don’t have to deal with the rude talkers etc, but it doesn’t match a real theater especially IMAX-Real 3D. Unfortunately most movies are SJW crap.
That is OK. I quit going to the overpriced movie theaters long ago and will not support Hollywood anyway. I wish they would go the way of the buggy whip and reinvent good books to read.
So you go to the movie not to interact with other patrons, but you interact with people in the process. You deal with the ticket purchase, or getting popcorn (if you can afford it), the activity of putting gas in the car, getting ice cream for the kids afterwards. Your kids see those interactions and thats how they learn to deal with people in their own lives. Like I said, we are a social species. How we interact with others in many ways determines our success in life. Locked up in the basement doesnt help people learn those social skills.
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