Author Topic: Never Again!  (Read 2728 times)

CatamaranSailor

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Never Again!
« on: July 25, 2016, 08:24:32 AM »
So, this past weekend, my wife and youngest were off doing their own thing. I decide to spring for movie tickets and take my older son to the new Star Trek. Now, the last time I actually went to a movie theater was in 2009 (Avatar) and I remember being annoyed back then at the commercials, but at least they tried to dress up the adds as "trivia" and "sneak peaks" and all that nonsense.

OMFG! Not this time. We arrive about 15 minutes early for what is supposed to be a 4:30 start time. Commercial after commercial after commercial....all at about 120 decibels, all inane and just non stop. Just when you think the movie is about to start...NOPE...another@#$@$@! commercial for Coca Cola. I literally felt like those new recruits at Paris Island with the drill instructors screaming in their faces, only instead of "Drop and give me 50!" it was "Buy this fucking Coke!! Now!!"

I know people have complained for years about high ticket prices, high concession prices, and most of us probably don't actually waste money at the movie theaters to begin with. But Jesus, I will never put myself through that again. At one point I was literally covering my ears and humming like Eddie Murphy in "Beverly Hills Cop" much to the chagrin of my kiddo.

Thanks for the rant.

MrStash2000

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Re: Never Again!
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2016, 10:15:41 AM »
How was the movie?

Cellista

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Re: Never Again!
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2016, 10:39:34 AM »
I'm with you.  I haven't been to the movies since 2013. 

GuitarStv

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Re: Never Again!
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2016, 11:12:20 AM »
Volume is the reason I don't go to movies any more.

The last time that I went to a movie theater I think was to watch 300. . . and they had the volume up ridiculously loud.  Loud enough that I put in my -30dB earplugs that I use on loud jam sessions.  I had no problems hearing every sound in the movie with the plugs in.  Fuuuuuuuck that.

My living room is more comfortable, I don't have to deal with cell phones blinking or people walking in front of me, and I can eat a delicious meal while watching a show.  All while keeping the volume at a reasonable level.

RangerOne

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Re: Never Again!
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2016, 01:52:00 PM »
Going to movies has pushed more in the direction of a very indulgent experience so it kind of flies in the face of what most want here. From the sound of your experience you went to a crappy theater. For the crazy price of tickets higher end theaters have started to pop up which offer many new features that make the experience much less painful. Such as smaller high quality screens, higher quality less overpowering sound (nothing worse than theater sound that hurts your ears and distorts which is common in crappy chain theaters), assigned setting so you don't have to sit through advert crap, and smaller theaters with a layout that makes all seats enjoyable.

Movies and food have only gotten dramatically more overpriced but food is always optional.

arebelspy

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Re: Never Again!
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2016, 01:55:14 AM »
We see a movie in theaters every two years or so.

The last one we saw was STAR WARS (The Force Awakens) because, well, see my screen name.

I think the last one before that was Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and before that The Fighter (2010), and both those were as a social event with other people.

Movies can be fun, but they're just not worth it 95% of the time.  For us at least.  I do get that some people enjoy them quite a bit, and if that was their splurge/hobby to blow $40/mo on a movie a week (say 4 tickets x $10/ticket), I'm okay with that (probably equivalent to eating out twice).
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Metric Mouse

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Re: Never Again!
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2016, 05:00:25 AM »
Going to movies has pushed more in the direction of a very indulgent experience so it kind of flies in the face of what most want here. From the sound of your experience you went to a crappy theater. For the crazy price of tickets higher end theaters have started to pop up which offer many new features that make the experience much less painful. Such as smaller high quality screens, higher quality less overpowering sound (nothing worse than theater sound that hurts your ears and distorts which is common in crappy chain theaters), assigned setting so you don't have to sit through advert crap, and smaller theaters with a layout that makes all seats enjoyable.

Movies and food have only gotten dramatically more overpriced but food is always optional.

Not a big theater person either, but it's a nice treat every once and awhile. If the scotch selection was better at the theater we go to, I might go more often.  It's been recently renovated, and many of the halls are smaller and more comfortable, especially if you wait a week or two after the 'big' new release is replaced by something else on the main screens. Not nearly as packed.

But popcorn is not optional. Even for $5 for a large, I'm still getting it.

ptobest

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Re: Never Again!
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2016, 12:01:01 AM »
I don't go to the movies often, but when I do, I prefer to try to go after it has been out awhile so not too many other people will be in the theatre - meaning I can arrive late enough to miss the commercials (but still early enough to see the previews, which I enjoy) and still get a decent seat. I do want to see the new Star Trek, but it'll be a few weeks at least before I'm willing to attempt it!

2Cent

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Re: Never Again!
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2016, 01:11:07 AM »
Coming early is just asking for it. You should go to a place where you can reserve a seat and then come in at the last minute. I really hate the previews nowadays though. Instead of the basic premise, they summarize the entire story and only leave the final scene open, which is predictable anyway.

acroy

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Re: Never Again!
« Reply #9 on: July 27, 2016, 07:15:19 AM »
I take the Offsprings (whoops, Mini-mustaches) to a matinee every now and then. It's an event, and it costs $4/head (free under 4yr irrc). It's fun.
Theaters have different sound system setups. Luckily the one near us plays at reasonable levels. We kinda enjoy the previews and ads, the same way we enjoy looking at a car wreck or watching a show about people spending $150k on a treehouse. Hard to believe people do it, and hard to look away.

Stachey

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Re: Never Again!
« Reply #10 on: July 30, 2016, 01:55:28 PM »
I totally agree.  I went to a movie last week.  The volume of the commercials was INSANE and they would never end.
It's getting to the point they should just let everyone in for free and make all their revenue from the crap food sales and the shitty commercials.