I will say this as a cheer-you-up attempt: Once your youngest child reaches a certain age, a lot of the restrictive facets of being a parent slowly disappear, and going to the movies, even long ones, doesn't seem like something so impossible. Hang in there :)
This is reminding me of a conversation I had with my husband when our kids were both under seven:
"We haven't been to the movies in eight years."
"That's not true! I saw Frozen, and you saw The Lego Movie."
It does eventually get to a fun point where you can take your kids to the movies and they won't sing loudly to the screen or do anything that gets you thrown out, not that my kids ever did that. ;) We did stop going to the movies though, because of covid and cost. Only recently have we returned as a family and it's because of the emergence of cheap revival theaters -- theaters where we can see old movies on the big screen for under ten dollars. We saw The Lost Boys, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc. I'm curious how this deal factors into your data. There used to be one or two theaters that did this, but now the theater in the mall is doing it too, just to stay afloat, and it really brings in Gen X/Millennial families with Gen Z/Gen Alpha kids.
Thanks for the coda about families. Though not ideal, crucially you can start and stop a VOD (finish within 48 hours!) and of course start and stop streaming movies. Watching at home is ideal esp when the TVs are so much better than in the VHS days.
i still like going to the movies, and have been to 4 or 5 this year so far (once a film minor, always a film minor)
Really great article - thanks for crunching the numbers!
I’ve recently been making more of a conscious effort to get back into the cinema. I’ve always had issues with other people being distracting (misophonia!), so a home release is just better for my overall enjoyment. But I feel like I’ve been missing out on the big screen, great audio, and early buzz of going to see a newly released film - so I’ve been booking at quieter times and it’s been ‘bearable’!
I don’t know what the experience is like in the US, but I’ve found some pretty tired looking spaces, very few staff around (even at peak times) and exorbitant refreshment prices in the UK. I’ve been to all the major chains and there’s not much variation. Everyman is the stand out for good customer service - but the screens are smaller, and the sofa style seats aren’t that comfortable. And you’re paying around £20 for that, which isn’t exactly cheap. Don’t get me started on the chains which have 5 different price points in the same room.
So it makes me wonder if the environment and service could be better - and it’s something I’ve previously written about myself. Surely some of these spaces deserve a refurb after all this time? Couldn’t it be more ‘special’? Cinema advertising often talks about escaping to another world, but the liminal zones are boring and uninspiring. I don’t really want to end up with everything being designed for Instagram but curating lobbies and corridors that are a little more interesting might be nice.
I know research suggests Gen Z are the driving force of cinema now (I’ve seen it in my own work) but it would be great to see people of all ages heading back to theatres.
Great and objective summary. Love the Line : Perhaps theatrical audiences aren't merely customers to be monetized, but early evangelists. Tell the Marketers at the Studios.
I will say this as a cheer-you-up attempt: Once your youngest child reaches a certain age, a lot of the restrictive facets of being a parent slowly disappear, and going to the movies, even long ones, doesn't seem like something so impossible. Hang in there :)
This is reminding me of a conversation I had with my husband when our kids were both under seven:
"We haven't been to the movies in eight years."
"That's not true! I saw Frozen, and you saw The Lego Movie."
It does eventually get to a fun point where you can take your kids to the movies and they won't sing loudly to the screen or do anything that gets you thrown out, not that my kids ever did that. ;) We did stop going to the movies though, because of covid and cost. Only recently have we returned as a family and it's because of the emergence of cheap revival theaters -- theaters where we can see old movies on the big screen for under ten dollars. We saw The Lost Boys, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc. I'm curious how this deal factors into your data. There used to be one or two theaters that did this, but now the theater in the mall is doing it too, just to stay afloat, and it really brings in Gen X/Millennial families with Gen Z/Gen Alpha kids.
Thanks for the coda about families. Though not ideal, crucially you can start and stop a VOD (finish within 48 hours!) and of course start and stop streaming movies. Watching at home is ideal esp when the TVs are so much better than in the VHS days.
i still like going to the movies, and have been to 4 or 5 this year so far (once a film minor, always a film minor)
Really great article - thanks for crunching the numbers!
I’ve recently been making more of a conscious effort to get back into the cinema. I’ve always had issues with other people being distracting (misophonia!), so a home release is just better for my overall enjoyment. But I feel like I’ve been missing out on the big screen, great audio, and early buzz of going to see a newly released film - so I’ve been booking at quieter times and it’s been ‘bearable’!
I don’t know what the experience is like in the US, but I’ve found some pretty tired looking spaces, very few staff around (even at peak times) and exorbitant refreshment prices in the UK. I’ve been to all the major chains and there’s not much variation. Everyman is the stand out for good customer service - but the screens are smaller, and the sofa style seats aren’t that comfortable. And you’re paying around £20 for that, which isn’t exactly cheap. Don’t get me started on the chains which have 5 different price points in the same room.
So it makes me wonder if the environment and service could be better - and it’s something I’ve previously written about myself. Surely some of these spaces deserve a refurb after all this time? Couldn’t it be more ‘special’? Cinema advertising often talks about escaping to another world, but the liminal zones are boring and uninspiring. I don’t really want to end up with everything being designed for Instagram but curating lobbies and corridors that are a little more interesting might be nice.
I know research suggests Gen Z are the driving force of cinema now (I’ve seen it in my own work) but it would be great to see people of all ages heading back to theatres.
The advent of the greater than 90 minute movie, my use of Flomax and Covid has driven me out of theaters, probably forever…
The advent of the greater than 90 minute movie, my use of Flomax and Covid has driven me out of theaters, probable forever…
Great and objective summary. Love the Line : Perhaps theatrical audiences aren't merely customers to be monetized, but early evangelists. Tell the Marketers at the Studios.