Posted on 05/21/2010 3:39:06 AM PDT by SkyPilot
For the first time, a major Hollywood film will hit the $20 threshold at the box office, as movie-theater owners test the public's ability to absorb ever higher ticket prices.
Several theaters will charge $20 per adult ticket to IMAX showings of the animated 3-D family film "Shrek Forever After," the fourth "Shrek" installment from DreamWorks Animation. The theaters include the AMC theater in Manhattan's Kips Bay neighborhood, AMC Loews 34, AMC Loews Lincoln Square and AMC Empire 42nd Street.
The increases weren't officially announced, but were reflected in prices posted Wednesday on movie-ticketing Web sites such as Fandango.com and tracked by BTIG LLC media analyst Richard Greenfield.
"With the state of the economy remaining questionable, we worry pricing is simply moving up too quickly," cautioned Mr. Greenfield in a research blog post, adding that he was especially concerned about how quickly children's ticket prices are increasing. "The danger is scaring consumers away from the movie theaters."
This weekend's price increase come less than eight weeks after theater operators instituted some of the steepest hikes in a decade. Those increases in late March—in some cases of as much as 26%—varied theater to theater and focused on 3-D and IMAX showings of another DreamWorks Animation title, "How to Train Your Dragon." The same AMC theater in Manhattan charged $19.50 for an IMAX showing of "Dragon."
The $20 ticket may prove to be a psychological barrier too steep for some moviegoers to overcome, but the industry appears ready to take the risk, especially in the wake of a string of 3-D blockbusters, from "Avatar" to "Alice in Wonderland." 3-D movies accounted for the vast majority of last year's 10% jump in domestic box-office sales.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
You and I both know the answer.
Hollywood is by and large über-liberal, and gives money hand over fist to Democrats.
One the movie stars I used to like to watch was Tom Cruise, until I discovered that:
1. He is nuts
2. He plays exactly the same person (his jerk self) in every movie he makes
I find this all very interesting, as I can't imagine the abject arrogance an industry must have to price a couple hours of entertainment at so high a price during a recession when so many people are either unemployed or underemployed.
It will really be interesting to see what kind of turnout occurs in this nation for 20-dollar flicks.
LOL, same here I have 2 free tickets going on six months without using them.
Enjoyed the movie; if not the smell. Haven't been back since...
You’ll be surprised how many really conservative ideas there are in this movie.
I don't think it is abject arrogance. It is the free market telling them that $15 tickets are OK. So it is reasonable for them to try $20 tickets. If that does not work, they will be told so quickly by the ticket sales. If it does work, the prices will adjust upward. If it does not work and they still adjust prices upward they will be punished with lower profits in the next few quarters.
Remember, the arrogance you see from Hollywood types is largely because they are smarter than us and know how to run our lives better than we benighted types. But when it comes to money, they are still students of the free market they profess to despise. They will use the free market to make a lot of money because building concentration camps costs a lot, doncha know.
But really, it's NOT good for them to do this --- I predict that most of the American public will agree that only very very very few select movies are worth $20 to view on the big screen.
Hollywood will have a hard time in attempting to entice back the large numbers of casual movie goers who'll simply not 'bite.' LOL
And plenty of people will simply stop following movie reviews because they have NO itention of paying that type of ticket price.
Promoting ILL WILL during a major recession is a stupid business move. But noone ever claimed that Hollyweird was particularly enamored with the public, LOL
I wonder if Obama is concerned that performers make “too much” money. He attacks other businesses, but is silent when it comes to professional athletes and actors/actresses?
Silent...because that's the 'bread and circus' aspect of this Administration.
O.K., I don’t want to hear anyone complaining about the high ticket prices at the theater. We capitalist must gladly pay those prices to support the Hollywood Socialists like Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Matt Damon, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Penn and all the other Commie scum floating out of Hollywood to try and help Obama and Pelosi destroy this nation.
Hollywood needs your help. With an economic crisis looming, they have to maintain their lifestyles of the rich and famous. Come on folks, ante up.
If I could afford to open a business, a drive-in would be one I would consider, just because the 2 drive-ins here stay packed. People will bring their lawn chairs and a small grill or picnic basket, make a night of it. If you decide to watch both movies, the cost is $18 a carload. For a family of 5 that is a huge savings! Recently the owner said that he can’t show Disney movies until they have been out for a month, but most will wait just to save the cost of a ticket in theater. You don’t have to listen to the people around you, just your radio that transmits the sound. It’s not as good as the surround sound in the theater, but who really cares>? :)
Just for the heck of it I went and checked the local theater. Prime time ticket for Shrek in 3-D is $13. About $5 more than a standard ticket in a normal theater.
Looks like the $20 tickets are just in NYC (for now). I guess things are a lot more expensive there, than here in God’s country. My sister and girls are going to New York next week, but are skipping the Empire State Building, since she said they charge $35 (IIRC) to ride the elevator to the observation deck. A $20 movie seems like a bargain, in comparison... lol
I go to movies frequently. I remember paying $3.50 for tickets in high school, when I made $3.25 minimum wage. Now minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, and tickets are $8.50. Movie ticket prices seem to just stay ahead of minimum wage.
Fletcher J
I love drive-ins, but it’s a poor business model. Since it has to be dark, the outdoor theatre can basically only show movie or a double feature per day. And that second movie is starting really late, for families... And you can only operate during warm weather.
During the same business day, the local multiplex will have been able to show the same movie a dozen times, and perhaps had 100+ showings in all.
That being said, we have two drive-ins fairly close, and we try to go once or twice a summer. We love it.
Fletcher J
Ironic - fifty years ago, the movies were far, far better than now, and yet the price of a ticket was thirty-five cents; now, the movies stink, and yet imbeciles pay twenty bucks to get it.
Sign of the times.
The last film I saw in a theater was "Son of the Sheik".....and I enjoyed both the movie and the organ music.
Leni
With 42 inches of LCD wonder and 500 watts of 5.1 Surround in me living room...you'd have a tough time getting me into a theater at any price.
An excellent, 1926 feature; so, I’m assuming, then, that you’re in the general neighborhood of a hundred years old, and that you paid a nickel for admission, eh?
Leni
There's always been a high ratio of watchable to unwatchable movies. But now you have the added bonus of offhand filthy language assaulting you even in movies where they are entirely unwarranted. Movies are now degraded and unwatchable whereas before they were merely unwatchable. You didn't feel the need to take a shower after watching them.
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