September 9, 2008
Who's going to the movies?
When is the last time that you stepped foot in a movie theater? Despite the economy and higher prices for movie tickets, frequent moviegoers apparently don’t plan to cut back on trips to the theater this year. According to a summertime report by market research firm, the NPD Group, 80 percent of people will go to the movies the same amount or more often than they did last year.
Of those consumers surveyed, 48 percent said they enjoy going to the movies because of the “movie-theater experience,” such as the large screen and sound systems. But the top reason that many like the movie theater is because it’s a social experience that they can enjoy with friends and family.
Still, those who plan to scale back their movie theater trips this year believe that there is a dearth of good film choices, and they’re unwilling to spend time and money at the theater, according to the NPD report.
In the last year, I have rented movies more often than going to the theater, but that’s mainly due to time constraints. What about you? Have your movie viewing methods changed in the last year?
Comments
[September 9, 2008 10:45 AM]
Amy Hanek : →http://www.houseonthegladehill.blogspot.comThanks to my kids and their need to see the latest flicks we haven't cut back much at all in this respect.
I usually make sure that the movie we're seeing is worth the big screen. If I can get the same satisfaction from a rental, then why chuck out the big bucks?
Of course, I used to work in a movie theater and still find any theater experience to be a magical one. Fresh popcorn, carpet lined walls and surround sound are all worth the price, most of the time.
[September 9, 2008 11:08 AM]
Other JohnOur habits are about the same. We stopped going to the theaters when it became a $35 event for 2 people to go. We generally stick with netFlix and homemade popcorn now, it's just a whole lot less expensive. Even though we have to wait a few months to see new eleases, it costs us maybe $5 to get the movie, make popcorn, and have a soda while we watch. That adds up for us, since we typically like to watch about a movie a week. While the savings of $30 per movie may not seem like much, it adds up to $1560 a year that we save by watching at home...which is more than enough to buy a nice flat panel TV and sound system for a home theater, and we'll still save that amount every year afterward.
[September 9, 2008 12:13 PM]
Heather FroeschlNo my habits haven't changed. If I think it looks good I'll go for it. Some can wait for pay per view and some can wait for free tv viewing years down the road. Scary movies are best in the theater while I could do a comedy at home. I think the splurge to get lost in a movie experience is worth it now and then. The concessions kill me but certain theaters offered a refillable bucket this year and that is worth toting it around with us. In the worsening economy, we might go a little less frequently, but maybe the movies that come out will be that much better to entice us with.
[September 9, 2008 12:46 PM]
RigbyWith a youg child we do go see a good amount of the kids' movies at theaters.
Other than that, my wife and I generally only go to movies we think are "must see" on the big screen, which amounts to a handful of movies a year.
We do most of our movie viewing via Netflix as well.
The ever rising cost of the tickets and food at a theater are a big factor.
Also, the last few times we've gone to one of the large theaters here in Roanoke, I've been kinda put off by the people who work there who seem put off by me even showing up to ask for a drink and popcorn.
I do enjoy the experience of going to the theater to watch a movie, but - Netflix is a great option and theaters are only getting more expensive.
Plus (I hesitate to add this for fear of sounding like an old curmudgeon) having several experiences of people who work at the theater act like you're wasting their time by even showing up to buy popcorn can be a putoff,too.
[September 9, 2008 1:16 PM]
DiOur movie habits changed when we stopped dating and got married. But it's not a money issue with us, it's just easier to watch a movie at home what with being tall and theatres having uncomfortable seats, noisy customers, sticky floors, etc. Flat screen at home is just a lot friendlier experience. We definitely ARE old curmudgeons... LOL
[September 9, 2008 2:15 PM]
GregWe still go to the movies about the same amount. Maybe a little more now that my little one has turned 5.
I agree with Amy though. We make sure the movie is worth seing or appears worth seeing on the big screen. Of course this does not apply to children's movies like the Chipmunks, Shrek, Ice Age, Space Chimps, etc. etc.
[September 9, 2008 3:05 PM]
Roanoke RnRMy habits haven't changed, Hollywood has. If they came out with better movies I'd go more often.
[September 9, 2008 4:41 PM]
AmandaWe have actually been going to more movies this year. Now, I don't know if that is because of the selection or just to kill a Sunday afternoon. There have been some decent ones out there that I like: Sex and the City, The Dark Knight, etc. We are usually pretty choosy although we did see guilty pleasures like You Don't Mess With the Zohan and Pineapple Express.
[September 9, 2008 10:32 PM]
SusanI have no plans to curtail going to the movies. There are discount passes available at the credit unions for some theatres, which saves a considerable amount. My favorite theatre is the Grandin because of the ambiance. I recently went to see a movie called Vicky Christina Barcelona during matinee in mid-week and it was very inexpensive. Unfortunately, there were only four individuals in there. I think people sometimes tend to forget about the Grandin. I do not buy the popcorn, other snacks, and drinks at any movies because that can become very expensive.
[September 10, 2008 12:00 PM]
AmyWe still go to the movies, tho not as often. We try to make it a point to go to a matinee at Salem Valley 8 cuz it seems to be a bit cheaper. We dont have cable at home so we do watch a lot of DVDs, most of which we get from the library if we dont buy them ourselves, just to save us money here and there.
The last time we did see a movie out, we ended up buying the TUB of popcorn that allows you to bring back the tub for the rest of year to get popcorn cheaper.
I miss the days of the $1 theater, making a trip to the drugstore to get candy to smuggle in. :)
[September 10, 2008 12:11 PM]
DennisWe VERY rarely go to the theater anyway, so no changes for us. We went through one spell five or six years ago where we were going to see everything that looked good to us. That lasted a couple of months or so and we've probably only been once or twice since then. I get my "rental" movies from the library for free. I do have to wait a while for new releases, but keep plenty of movies in the cue. So I most always have something to watch.
[September 10, 2008 2:30 PM]
CameronThis is random, but the new El Rodeo, on 460, opened yesterday. I noticed it on the way home from work yesterday.
[September 11, 2008 10:06 PM]
JennySusan,
What kinds of discount movie passes do you receive from the credit unions? I know that several different businesses locally give out discount passes. I didn't realize they were available through credit unions.
[September 11, 2008 10:09 PM]
JennyThanks, Cameron, for the heads up on the new El Rodeo opening. It sounds like it was able to open earlier than announced. If you eat there, let me know what you think of it.