We've had some discussions here about new theaters, old theaters, good movies, and bad movies...the one common theme is that people just don't seem to be going to the movies quite as much as they used to...

What's your reason for not going to the films? Too expensive? Not enough worth watching? Home theater alternatives? Or do you go as much or more than ever?

I'll kick off the discussion with my own ten cents about why I don't go to the theater as much as I used to:

Content.

Considering what few movies I've attended in the theater are presaged with teasers from movies that are seemingly chronically targeted for the teenage adolescent bathroom/sex joke crowd, the gangsta rap crowd, the environicks hysteria crowd, or the goth/horror crowd, it is pretty clear to me that the current movie studios don't WANT my money. That's fine; it's their prerogative to make movies they think will make money.

There's been more than one occasion I've been interested in a movie on a Friday night, but looking in the paper or driving by the theater, there's not one offering among the 16 or 24 (or however many) screens that appeals to me or I deem suitable for my kids.

Considering that I believe a trip to the movies to be a treat at $8 or $9 a whack, combined with $3 and up popcorn and such, making either a date night for me and the wife to be every bit of a $30 proposition (excluding dinner out), I see no point in spending that money capriciously. For a familiy trip that starts to approach $60 (with two kids), that trip becomes even more special, and the movie had better be correspondingly good. The way I see it, they're not even making the kinds of movies I want to see. I'm just not in their demographic.

-SoonerDave

Yeah, it is so pricey especially since we have monthly costs for Hollywood Video MVP in our entertainment budget ..

Why pay $50 for our family to see a movie that will be out shortly. But, I'll admit to doing it.. sometimes there is just something I want to see on a big screen and the kids are dying to go as well.. I'm thinking Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean, King Kong - big movies like that - we try to hit the matinees though but, all the big action movies, we enjoy on the big screen.

For everything else, I hit the dollar movies or wait for the DVD.

My pet peeves in movies:

Someone sitting behind me perpetually opening the cellophane wrapper on the never ending packaging for two hours.

Other has to be a cell phone... get this, I've had people actually make calls during the movie and carry on a conversation!

Crying babies in a Rated R adult movie or any movie for that matter

Sticky floors

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i still see the big releases in the theatres... while my setup comes close, you can't recreate the feeling you get on the big screen. home theatre is my main reason for not going out to the movies more often. -M

I don't see a lot of movies, but it really isn't due to the quality of the theater. I think it has more to do with time and money. I'm a pretty busy guy and free time is often hard to come by. But when free time is available, I find it extremely hard to urge myself to spend $8.50 to go see a movie. That's just a lot of moohlah! I enjoy going to the dollar movies and watching second run movies though. In fact, I think my wife and I are going to Northpark tonight to see a movie of her choice.

I don't like the crap shoot of movies these days. Maybe if they came with a money back guarantee that the production company had to cover (like a mail in rebate).

If I'm convinced a movie is really good, then often you can't beat the big screen experience.

Besides bad movies, I hate how others act in public. From ringing phones to talking I have a short fuse in the theatre. That's why I prefer mornings if i do go. I haven't been on a weekend night in years.

We now do the home theatre thing most of the time with TIVO'd movies and Blockbuster (online).

i can't believe that when i went to see saw 3, there was a family who actually brought their 5-7 year old kids. i mean, if you've seen this movie, you'll agree... WTF!? it's one thing to let your kids see a R rated movie not to mention a horror flick... saw 3?

I do, but not often. I'm pickier about the titles I watch. My home theater, which includes a 50" plasma and a a 400-DVD carousel 3/4 full, Netflix, and High Def OTA provide a lot of in-home entertainment: it takes a lot to get me out.

The Internet helps me to be properly picky: I use it to review releases (Yahoo User ratings, like this one for "Apocalypto" and the indispensible MRQE ) although I realize the limits of basing everything on reviews. Years ago I nearly passed-up "Sixth Sense" because of luke-warm professional and user reviews, and it was one of the best movies I'd seen in a long time. So instinct plays a part... I stopped going to Bond movies years ago, after watching one that finally seemed to strangle the last bit of style and smoothness out of the series: Connery's Bond was completely obliterated. The other day I went to see "Casino Royale" and was very impressed: "Old School" is what came to mind... not only was it a generally successful attempt to return to the greatness of the originals, it was also stunningly beautiful, and deserved to be seen on the big screen. I followed my instincts on that one, and took a look at the reviews, and everything seemed to suggest a green light.

Politics have also steered me away from modern movies. I just can't stand the politicization of much of modern Hollywood's output.

So I do catch the occasional movie in a theater, but not nearly as many as I used to. I suspect that, as time goes by, and I'm able to get more good quality, high resolution Satellite programming (imagine TCM at 1080i) I'll be progressively dis-interested in watching movies in theaters. In my 20s I'd confront situations like that, if they were extreme enough. I'm more cowardly, (or perhaps wiser) these days, so I just grit my teeth.

Oh yeah, one more reason to stay home: people. During "Casino Royale" the idiots in the row behind me continuously dipped into a bag of chips that they smuggled in to the theater: it sounded like they were wrapping Christmas presents. Finally, in the second half of the movie, they finished them off, but then one of them must have been disturbed by the peacefulness, because he began clicking and tapping his cowboy boots on the concrete like he was tap dancing. In my 20s I'd confront situations like that, if they were extreme enough. These days I'm cowardly (or perhaps wiser?) about such things.

Um... All of the above reasons and MORE!!!

*People with their annoying wrappers

*20 somethings who have made it trendy to put their feet on the backs of EVERY seat...therefore, the whole row shakes b/c someone keeps taking their feet on and off the chair(s)

*Any baby or young child brought into the movie (ESPECIALLY AN 'R')!?!?!?

*Teens who come into the movie, don't give a rats to begin with, and procede to light up their phones with texts THROUGHOUT the movie.

*Talkers

*Loud Whisperers

*The People who come in after the movie starts and can't find a seat b/c it's dark, it's full, and they are too rude to come early.

*Smelly People with bad Hygene

I do go to the movies. I usually see about 55-60 movies a year at the theatre.

I do too..... maybe not as many as that.. but I LIKE to go to the movies.. I want to go see Eragon

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