I went to the movies today for the first time since Nov 2019- Disappointing - Can't say I plan to

[tulipsandroses]

return anytime soon.

The last movie I saw at the movie theater before the pandemic was The Joker. Like many people, I have gotten used to streaming movies at home. Going to the movies today was, well underwhelming. I enjoyed spending time with my sister and niece. But the movie experience just did not seem the same. Unless its a big blockbuster movie like a Marvel movie, or a movie my niece wants to see so that we can spend time out of the house together, I don't think I will be an avid movie goer anymore.

Certainly did not miss the overpriced snacks either! I had to tell my sister and niece what happened when they went to the rest room. Staying home and streaming movies, I can pause the movie if I have to go the bathroom. LOL!

The movie was OK. Not great. We went to see Cruella. When I am streaming at home. I can switch to something else if I don't like that film. Its hard to just walk out of a movie you paid 10 bucks to see plus pricy snacks.

[YoshidaYui]

1. If you have Disney Plus

You can not only catch up on Star Wars but jump into the Marvel Universe as well, and watch shows like LOKI ... or Star Wars: Bad Batch!

[rownesheck]

11. I love the first episode

of Loki! So good! Marvel keeps killing it with these limited series!

[tulipsandroses]

17. I have Disney Plus, and HBO Max and of course Netflix and Prime

I love that HBO Max has new releases that are in the theater, that I don't have to pay an extra price for. I watched Mulan and Soul on Disney Plus. I was an avid movie goer before the pandemic. The pandemic has turned me into a streaming fan, I don't enjoy streaming concerts - much prefer live shows so looking forward to the return of outdoor concerts.

[SarcasticSatyr]

2. I can't even remember the last movie I saw at the theater ...

but it was way before the pandemic.

[Prof. Toru Tanaka]

6. Last theater movie my spouse and I attended was "42".

It was a weekday daytime matinee so the audience was mostly older folks like us and the price was reasonable.

Great movie and RIP Chadwick Boseman

[SarcasticSatyr]

7. I just remembered ..

the last movie I saw in the theater was Gravity, 8 years ago ...

[Old Crank]

3. Been a while for me

Been once in 8 years. Just got tired of the whole thing. To get a decent seat you need to arrive early enough to watch 45 minutes of commercials. Sound way to loud. Movies you pay too much for are the length of a 2 hour tv show. Over priced not very good snacks. The people. Predictably of plot lines. Just not much there any more for me.

[Amaryllis]

25. The sound is WAY louder than it used to be! i got to where I always took earplugs with me...

and could still hear the dialogue just fine

[Buckeye_Democrat]

4. I haven't went to a movie theater since 2012.

The prices are too high for me, overall, for what I get in return.

I won a movie theater gift card during a trivia contest in late-Summer or Fall 2012, or I probably wouldn't have went to a theater even then. The gift card had a pretty big balance on it, so it felt like a waste if it wasn't used.

I remember using it to see these movies, maybe even some more that I can't recall now.
Lincoln
Argo
Skyfall
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Zero Dark Thirty
Seven Psychpaths

[not fooled]

5. $10 tickets?

It's even worse many places-- $15 and up.

Not worth it either way for the usual mediocre fare.

[Demovictory9]

8. Cruella getting 97% rottentomato score from audience

Trailer looks just ok

[luvs2sing]

9. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Hubster likes going to the movies. I’ve hated it for about thirty years now for all the same reasons mentioned here. Last movie we saw in a theatre was Hidden Figures, I think. No..it was the Downton Abbey movie. We average about one movie a year.

I’m hopeful he has made the switch to streaming since the pandemic. 🤞🏻

[Croney]

10. We had the opposite experience.

We saw Nomadland in our neighborhood gem of a theater the first day it reopened last month. It was glorious to walk in there (masked) and see a movie like old times! We were so glad they were able to survive. They'd stayed open for popcorn and snacks with curbside pickup, but we'd never bought any that way.

I want to see Cruella and In the Heights. We'll go once a week if we can.

[appalachiablue]

20. Sounds like a great time, I want to see

'Nomadland,' watched the trailer.

[MuseRider]

12. Last movie without a mask

was Frozen2 for my birthday movie at the newer theater here that blew snow in our faces and rattled the chairs etc. It was fun. December 2019

Since then a friend rented a theater and about 20 of us were invited to attend a really really good movie that I cannot remember the name of. Maybe June of 2020.

Once something gets here that seems worth the money we will go. (DUNE?) I hope it is better for us that it was for you. I loved going to movies but again, I do love seeing them at home with cheaper and better snacks and the ability to just turn it off. Is this good or bad?

[Baitball Blogger]

13. We went to see the Quiet Place II.

So glad we did! Totally different level of suspense than what I would get watching from the Living Room or from the laptop. Aside from the attendant who was sitting down to watch the movie, we were the only ones in the theater. And you could see evidence of hard times, because they had three rows cordon off due to roof leaks.

[RestoreAmerica2020]

14. Lin Manuel Miranda's In The Heights, a Westside storyline is just out- and damn I'm tired of streami

..the isolation, restrictions of the pandemic has been constraining and I'm looking forward to big screen theatres once again.

Damn just want to get out of the house..so I'll let you know how it goes. If I go during the week, a matinee plus senior discount, plus bring my own snacks ..cost should be about $5 for ticket--less people, so distancing will be ok. Wait--and with temperatures reaching 100° this week would be nice to sit in cool room for a couple of hours sounds enticing. Ok. I'm off to my first movie since onset of pandemic. Aye--wish me luck. I'm a little anxious to be out in public spaces, but I'm fully vaccinated so it's time to get out there. Que no? Right? [ Official In the Heights trailer @link]

https://www.google.com/search?q=in+the+heights&oq=in+the+&aqs=chrome.0.0i131i355i433j46i131i433j0i131i433j69i57j69i60.13049j0j4&client=ms-android-verizon&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:6cf1a1c4,vid:U0CL-ZSuCrQ,st:0

[TexasBushwhacker]

15. FYI on snack prices

That's the primary source of income for movie theaters, unfortunately. In the first 2 weeks of a films release, which is when most people go see highly anticipated films, the distributers get 90% of the ticket price. As streaming has become more popular, especially for non-blockbuster films, it only drives up ticket and snack prices. But the theater has to stay open every day, 365 days a year.

I used to be an assistant manager at a movie theater. I wish people were more willing to see non-blockbuster films in theaters. I still enjoy being in a big darkened theater with a great sound system, even for smaller films.

[appalachiablue]

19. For many years I've loved going to the

movies and theater for plays, ballet, dance, music and other performances.

The decline of some live entertainment began with movies, then TV, VCR. Circuses went extinct; PBS did a great program about this several years ago.

The last films I saw out, 2008-2013 were '12 Years A Slave'; the movie about J. Assange, Depp as Dillinger, others.

The silence in the auditorium was deafening, the emptiness almost spooky the last few times. What a shame, getting out of the house for entertainment is fun and healthy.

But with tech and pandemics the end is likely here. And 'drive ins' have tried a comeback.

There's big, interesting world out there; films and live performances are part of it.

[TexasBushwhacker]

21. And while movie tickets and snacks are pricey

they're a bargain compared to most other forms of live entertainment and you can usually park for free. You get 2 hours of entertainment and snacks for about $20 a person.

Want to go to a baseball game? The absolute cheapest tickets I've seen are $20 and you'll have to pay for parking. Basketball is higher and football is higher still. Go to a concert? Prepare to shell out $20 to $30 for a local act (those are Houston prices) and $80+ for big concerts.

[appalachiablue]

22. Ticket prices are out of sight I know,

for sports events, large concerts. Way too costly for regular folks to enjoy, maybe that's part of it.

Griping about costs of food and snacks at movies and other venues and how people are 'more comfortable at home' reminds me of the same said about dining at restaurants.

You're going out for the 'event'- to get out of the rut for some enjoyment. Of course it costs more than what you'd have at home-- the facility, utilities, staff, etc.

Several years ago I read about a $1,000 price for a ticket to see the popular play, 'Hamilton' in NYC-- for a regular seat, not a special event performance.

I couldn't believe it, but a Seattle friend who recently saw the play on a special trip to NY said that's right, the way prices are going now.

I'm all for supporting actors and the arts, but rising costs are stupifying. But it's reflective of everthing I suppose-- housing costs keep rising, airfares, and more.
______
Live theater we saw in NY & DC, esp. 80s, 90s was nothing close to this, not even for a special 'opening,' of a musical or opera peformance at the Kennedy Ctr or Met.

[TexasBushwhacker]

23. The internet and scalping killed affordable ticket prices

The thing is, I doubt that even half of that $1000 ticket price is going to the actors, the producers and the venue. The professional scalpers buy them at face value and mark them up to whatever the market will bear. I realize that's capitalism, but it's also ripping off the creators.

I read that the Foo Fighters are playing a start up gig for their 26th anniversary tour (because the 25th was cancelled due to COVID-19). It's in a tiny venue in California. Tickets are $26 and non-transferable. One ticket per person and you have to show proof of COVID vaccination to get in.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

16. We may go to see the Lin Manuel Miranda film this weekend

[pressbox69]

18. I predicted the end

of movie going way back when Beta and VCR's came out. The virus seems to be sounding the final death knell. I can't get into streaming but that's what the industry is pushing. I have a huge collection of DVD's. They say the bootleg DVD's that you can purchase at the local bar are much improved since the days when you could see patrons walking in front of the screen.

[TexasBushwhacker]

24. Gosh, you were only 40 years off!

Contrary to popular belief, cable TV and VCRs INCREASED the interest in movies and domestic box office went up dramatically.

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/

Until COVID-19 in 2020 caused theaters to close their doors, domestic box office went up more or less every year - 850% over 40 years.

[pressbox69]

26. I predicted the end.

I didn't predict how long it would take.