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August 21, 2005
Monkfish and fresh Whoppers, please
We're no fans of today's movie-going experience (as we've said here and here). From an insulting overabundance of pre-movie advertising, to the stereotypical surly concession worker and a patronizing selection of films, it seems we're not alone amidst a third-consecutive year of declining attendance.
Some entrepreneurial-minded smaller theater operators in Florida are trying to innovate their way out of this mess, a solution that's surely generating waves of word of mouth, as described by this New York Times story:
Moviegoers by the hundreds were keeping the valet parkers busy, pulling into the porte-cochere beneath the enormous chandelier-style lamps. Entering the capacious lobby, some of them dropped off their small children in a supervised playroom and proceeded to a vast concession stand for a quick meal of pizza or popcorn shrimp before the show.
Others, who had arrived early for their screening of, say, "Wedding Crashers" of "The Dukes of Hazzard" -- their reserved-seat tickets, ordered online and printed out at home, in hand -- entered through a separate door. They paid $18 -- twice the regular ticket price (though it included free popcorn and valet service) -- and took an escalator upstairs to the bar and restaurant, where the monkfish was excellent and no one under 21 was allowed.
Those who didn't want a whole dinner, or arrived too late for a sit-down meal, lined up at the special concession stand, where the menu included shrimp cocktail and sushi and half bottles of white zinfandel and pinot noir. As it got close to curtain time, they took their food and drink into one of the adjoining six theater balconies, all with plush wide seats and small tables with sunken cup holders. During the film, the most irritating sound was the clink of ice in real glasses.
Compared to the stale Whoppers I had Friday night while seeing "Wedding Crashers," this sounds like an experience well worth talking about.
Other blogs that reference Monkfish and fresh Whoppers, please:
» A new way to experience movies in theaters from BlogSpy.NET
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Two anecdotes related to this topic.
1. My favorite place to view a movie in Asheville near where I live is Asheville Pizza and Brewery. Not only do they have outstanding micro-brews (one of six Asheville micro-breweries) and fantastic pizza and other delectibles, but they also have a real theater where they show second run features for two bucks, and between shows show the local news and sports. The only disconcerting thing is the yell of a name when a food order is done. So, for less that what it costs to go to a first run theater in the evening, you can get a pizza and brew and watch a movie for about ten bucks a person. Not bad. I wish there were more.
2. At our house, we only get over the air broadcast television, no cable, no satellite. For the past year, I've been working three days a week out of town, and have been provided a house that has satellite TV, a VHS and a DVD player. What I spend most of viewing time watching is TCM and AMC, watching old movies in the comfort of a nice couch, with my snacks and refreshment. This is the competition that movie theaters have, and they aren't catching up with the experience.
Ed you hit the nail on the head with your comments regarding watching the movie inthe comfort of your own home. Hollywood and the big movie rental chains may as well count the days until they are completely digital.
In the near future individuals will have a completely digital experience at home and every movie will be available on-demand. Furthermore, you will be able to purchase the movie (not a DVD or tape) immediately after you watch it. You will merely download it to your hard drive, so you can watch it whenever you want in the comfort of your home. "First run" movies, I believe, will become a thing of the past. The trick for Hollywood is to develop a pirate-proof system.
