Honestly, if AMC is looking to charge more for certain showtimes, it might be better to institute zero tolerance showtimes for phones for talking that type of thing. I would definitely pay more for a showing that I know won’t have the usual distractions, particularly for movies that I really wanna focus on and I’m really hyped for.
@@saji.2874 - yeah, that starts to get into "I don't get paid enough for this" levels of responsibility and stress. Like, literally: you'd have to hire someone whose explicit job is to confront entitled middle-class a-holes and tell them that they have to change their behavior, and possibly get into physical altercations with some rare few. Who is gonna do that for minimum wage?
Interestingly, here in the UK, the main theater chain Odeon (owned by AMC) has had “premier seats” forever where they charge extra for the best few rows and have slightly more legroom. However, all that happens is no one pays for them and everyone sits in them once the movie is starting
Yep, that's how we do it here. No one is desperate enough to pay extra for seats that aren't being bought. It will always be empty and people will move to those empty seats.
@@aznthy Yeah only way they could enforce is if they paid to have ushers sit in during the movie like they used to but that would cost way more than they gain from the up charge
@@aznthy yep, and not to mention: right now, unless every AMC installs new seats in the middle, the middle seats don't offer extra leg room, cleaner experience, reclining options, or anything extra besides optimal viewing angle.
YES! Thank you, Dan! I have an AMC within 10 minutes of my house and the moment they introduce this dumb plan in my market is the moment I start driving farther to attend theaters that aren't making these asinine decisions.
As someone with A-List and who already mostly sits in the back corner since theaters reopened during the pandemic so I am further from people, my only problem with the new pricing is it might push more people to sit near me in the back corners. However, I agree that this sounds like a really stupid plan. I work for a different failing company in a struggling industry and it seems the trend is that if your company is struggling in a struggling industry the solution is not to provide a better product and better value to attract more customers. It's to create policies that make things harder and worse for the customers and employees. WB, Netflix, Twitter, AMC, and the company I work for all seem to be going with this strategy.
This has been the growing trend with every industry. Corporations have finally figured out that they can make more money by gauging the Top 5% than by providing the same affordable experience for everyone.
@@TruthSeekr2662 Yeah that was also my thought. This will only matter for the busy screenings otherwise people will just buy the side seats and sit in the middle anyway. Unless they start having people in the theaters to police seating positions. I'm sure they still won't do anything to stop people from talking though.
Barring the film starts to experiencing a major collapse at the box office, Puss in Boots: The Last will not only surpass Sing 2 ($162,790,990) to become the second highest grossing animated movie since theaters reopened; Minions: The Rise of Gru is currently #1 ($369,695,210); but will also soon pass Black Adam ($168,152,111) to become the tenth highest grossing film of 2022 domestically.
I have A-List, but the big problem with this new system is I constantly have people stealing my seat at big-budget movies. Like if you take your seats only 5 minutes after trailers start. You're screwed because the whole theater is mixed up. For some reason, people can't grasp the concept of assigned seating. At least at my theaters. Usually, I just end up sitting in the free seat next to me (half the time it's not worth the effort of getting them to move). However, if you're actually paying extra, people are just going to exploit this even more. This is just going to encourage people to steal seats that they didn't actually buy.
People do grasp the concept, they just steal your seats anyway. Personally, I'm now old enough that I can just kick people out of my seat. I'm not going to sit somewhere else because a) I paid for my good seats and b) taking that other seat will now inconvenience someone else. So yeah, if you don't move I'm calling someone to throw you out.
@@uXses Sometimes I have to do that, but I really hate doing it. It’s just very awkward. Also, I’m in my mid 20’s so I’m pretty sure I’m “old enough”. I just hate confrontation and try to avoid it when I can.
@@uXses went to the movies recently with my family (4 people) and guy in his 60s was in the middle of our seats. When I asked him to move, he gestured around and said "look, there's so many available seats!". The irony of this idiot telling US to sit somewhere else because there's so many seats.... Fortunately he moved. So many idiots out there. :D
Thanks for bringing this up. I go to a theater (not an AMC) where they deliver food to your seat, which is a great luxury. The problem is, if someone is in your seat and you don't want to go through the hassle of verbally fighting them to move, then you gotta show the server your ticket to prove that you get the food and not the person that stole your seat. And that process can end up involving a flashlight and talking which just interrupts the movie for everyone. People stealing other people's seats is already a big problem that may get bigger.
@@geowiz9436you wise to do so because they don’t check for guns and some people don’t mind fighting you over something small. I avoid places that do this. Someone try to do what this man said he do but the problem is everybody in their wrong sits and I mess. If they will want to do this to insure sadly they need a worker to direct everybody to their seats before the movie starts. People not as cool headed as they use to be I wouldn’t risk it. Go to the movies on Monday at 11 am so no one it hardly there and have a good time.
AMC’s decision isn’t just a bad idea, I think it’s the move of a company that’s letting out a final gasp before drowning. They must be doing worse than they’re letting on (which is already bad).
I am originally from India and I remember they also have movie seat prices similar to the Play theaters. Cheapest - Stalls, Mid - Balcony, Most Expensive - Dress Circle. I was very happy when I moved to the US that the seat prices are the same and I am rewarded for with good seats if I plan properly and buy early.
@@ProuvaireJean really? I thought I remembered him appearing in one of Dan's videos once or twice. Ah, well...either way, if anyone can find a way around legal clauses, trademark laws, and internet firewalls, Scoops can!
This is going to sound backhanded, but please believe that coming from someone of my generation, it's not...THIS FEELS LIKE A REAL SHOW. Huge fan of the channel. Thanks for always delivering!
I just lost my Regal theater to closing and so seeing this news of AMC not only doesn't shock me but annoys me so deeply since AMC makes the worst business decisions... My Regal was my second home basically and I will miss IMAX after seeing Ant-Man as the last film in that theater.
Take it yours was one of the 30 they closed? The Ithaca NY one was closed. People in that market now have a lovely drive to Syracuse or possibly Binghamton to go to the movies.
I can't tell you how much I'm waiting for this show every week. You're making my day each time I watch it. And today was one of the best. LOVE those Pitch Meeting references, on spot for this nonsense plan 😂
*COULD NOT* agree more with you Dan in regards to this AMC seat bullshit. But you bringing Pitch Meeting into this really made the whole thing worth it 😂😂😂 Love ya Ryan
Fortunately I have A-List. Like 21 dollars a month. I intentionally fit it into my budget because I really love leaving my house to escape through a film. I love DOLBY, so I love that it’s no extra cost and you still get other perks. 3 movies a week. I think it’s a great deal. Especially for this year with ALL these blockbusters coming out
As a business I would completely understand them altering prices for high-demand seats--say like Friday and Saturday showings. But when a theater is near empty because it's a Wednesday it makes ZERO economic sense to raise prices for any reason. There's a reason that the discount day each week at AMC and Marcus etc. is well sold on tickets whilst the rest of the weekdays are a ghost town. And are they expecting AMC workers to police those dead days where a person might buy a "value" seat and then as the show is starting and there's no one in there they move to a more "preferred sightline" ?? And before someone jumps in on theft or whatever, every concert, every sporting event, that aren't sold out as the event goes on people filter downwards closer to the action. They may not be able to get into some completely separate level, but there's no way workers are going to want to try policing this from one row to the next. All AMC is doing here is putting downward pressure on the desire to buy a ticket in the first place. It's like they don't get simple supply and demand.
I'm glad I don't go to AMC theaters and now I will continue to avoid them. I am a person who meticulously spends effort when reserving seats. Bad seats can spoil any movie. PS I love the "Pitch Meeting" references! Lol
The world is turning me into a senior citizen waaaaaaaaaaaay before my time… movies at 11 am (during the week when I can) and dinners at 5. I am sick, sick, sick of all the over charging, the jerks in parking lots, in the auditorium, in lines and all around. Movies in LA are already almost $20… so thank you AMC for making my streaming subscriptions seem more reasonable. I’ll wear a red dress to your funeral. 😁
The fact that that more tickets were sold for the #2 grossing film than the #1 grossing film spotlights why Admissions, aka butts in seats, should be how film popularity should be measured. Or comparing $, adjusting for inflation is absolutely necessary. Thank you Dan, for doing just that.
This AMC pricing structure already exists in my local cinema (Vue) in London, they charge 3 different ticket prices depending on where you sit even though all the seats are physically the same! It's a rip off :(
When I saw the AMC news, I knew we would get a great Dan Rant...and I was not disappointed. The Ryan George references were just the icing on the cake.
Great video as always!! I am really worried about the future of movie theaters. I pray that they figure out what customers really want if they want us to show up.
In the UK, have have premium seats at the best seats in the cinemas across all the three big cinema chains - Odeon (owned by AamC, Cineworld (which owns Regal) and Vue. But it is more than jusy seat position. The seat themselves are normally more comfortable with higher back and next support and more space for the legs
Melinda Dillon was also in my favorite episode of the 80s version of The Twilight Zone, "A Little Peace and Quiet", directed by Wes Craven. (Second favorite is Bruce Willis in "Shatterday", written by Harlan Ellison, also directed by Wes Craven!)
Also very funny to see this AMC news the same week "80 for Brady" made it to number 2 by offering discount pricing. I remember in the 90s when theaters would practically give away tickets because they made the real money on concessions.
Vue Cinemas have already implemented a similar thing. The first few rows are £7.99, the middle is £8.99 and the back few are £9.99. It's very bad. It used to be £5 for every seat :(
In Germany different prices for different rows are common since multiplexes came here in the 90s (usually 2-3 categories). The better seats offer additional perks like wider seats, more legroom, double armrests, leather instead of fabric.
those seats remind me of what Showcase Cinemas (UK) did about 20 odd years ago. Seats at the back were more expensive, but the seats themselves were exactly the same as all the other seats. They no longer do it, but now you can book seats (online) in advance, im honestly shocked it has returned, its easy to see that those seats are booked first.
Like to see AMC try and enforce this seating chart when they don't even notice people literally screaming in the middle of the theater. Not to mention that most showings aren't going to have a full house and if there is an open seat in the middle but the staff actually forces people to sit on the sides cuz that is where their ticket is; it's gonna lead to some problems and most likely huge consumer discontent.
In Germany you also get charged for different seats. It usually depends on the row you sit in. In the beginning (like 20 years ago) it was only 2 different categories, but now there often times for categories, including one with premium seats.
This pricing model really does feel like AMC have thrown in the towel when it comes to sustaining their business and are in "lets gauge as much as we can, while we can" mode.
In South Korea, CGV theater chain used to have different prices for seats in three levels (economy, standard, prime), which was controversial. Standard level being the regular ticket price. There was a 1000 won difference between each level, so roughly a dollar difference. It started in March 2016, but stopped in October 2020. Now at most CGV theaters, it's only the first two rows that offer 1000 won discount. Same with Lotte Cinema chain's 1000 won discount of the first row seats. There hasn't been any controversy from this, and even with this offer, people still tend to choose the regular priced seats anyway.
About the Indian film- Hindi film distinction, just in case someone is looking for the difference in the comments section- here you go. India has many languages spoken across the country- so movies are made in many languages in their respective film industries. They are all still "Indian movies" Some films (especially after Bahubali series since 2015) are Voice Dubbed into multiple languages - main ones being Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and recently Kannada to be able to reach more audience. How much movies made in each of the languages can be tracked seperately. The distribution between languages depend on many factors including, but not limited to the language the movie is originally filmed in. So, Pathaan(filmed in Hindi, dubbed into Telugu/Tamil) is leading in the Hindi language gross(While Bahubali 2 - filmed in Telugu, dubbed into Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam - I believe is the fastest overall) (If i had to give an analogy,. Avatar and Endgame were both dubbed into multiple languages across the globe. One of them probably grossed more in the dubbed versions (most impactful would likely be Chinese dub played in the Chinese market) If we presume for this example's sake that Avatar's gross in 'English language' alone is lesser than that of English only gross of Endgame, the highest grossing "English language" film will be different from the highest grossing "film" or "American film".
@23:07 - PREACH! #1 thing that makes it so I will only go to the theater if there is a must-watch-on-massive-screen is that I can't stand having to have all the phones randomly lighting up, people talking, etc etc. WTF would i want to go to the trouble of going to the theater, fighting for parking, paying more than it will cost to own the movie for two of us just to be annoyed by the handful of idiots that always seem to be at the show I go to? We don't have theaters like the Alamo Drafthouse sadly.
How would AMC keep people from sitting in seats that they didn't pay for? Only during peak times like the weekend would theatres be crowded enough to make certain most people remained in their paid for seat.
I thought of Pitch Meeting, but also that grim cartoon: "Yes the cinematic experience got destroyed. But for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders."
Happy to hear you do a Riseborough deep dive may I also suggest to watch and review some of her films which will hopefully explain why people were supporting her (Possesor, Mandy, Never Let Me Go)
As far as Avatar 2 vs TGM I think it would be surprising if TGM doesn't stay ahead. Looking at day-to-day it's consistently higher now on weekends and had been better mid-week for a while. Also weeks 8-15 for Top Gun Maverick were consistently really low, to the point where it grew on a couple weekends and never went past about a 20% drop. Over those 8 weekends it averaged a 10% drop each week so it would be pretty miraculous for Avatar 2 to match that, even with it's really great hold.
Hey Dan, LOVE your work! Been following you since your Screen Junkies days and subscribed to this channel as soon as you announced it. I feel like we generally see eye to eye on most things you discuss here, but I'm going to have to disagree with your take on this AMC news. I feel like your playing both sides in a sense: you were snide about the comparison to seating at things like concerts and said no one tries to persuade you on your opinion of a movie based on where you sit, but you also readily admitted that some seats in the auditorium are definitely better than others. As you said, the industry, especially the exhibition side, is hurting. This means that price increases are inevitable: supply and demand. I appreciate that they're not doing a blanket increase on ALL ticket prices, but are rather increasing prices on the BEST tickets. This _does_ provide flexibility on the priorities of the customer vis a vis optimizing experience vs optimizing budget for the evening out. As someone who can only afford to go the the movies every three months or so who also loves the optimized viewing experience, I'd be willing to pay an extra $1 or $1.50 for a seat near the center of the auditorium. (I'm not sure what the difference in prices will be, but if it's more than that, then I can always go for the cheaper seats.) I also really like how they are using this to further incentivize their subscription model; Price increases always suck, but I feel like this is all generally good business in unideal circumstances. Genuinely a little taken aback by how this upset you and the degree to which it did. Regardless, I'm obviously still a big fan. Keep up the great work :)
Smart move to sell 80 for Brady tickets at discount! In canada, Cineplex charges higher prices for seat / theater upgrades, and an online ticketing surcharge. But within the same theater - it's the same price for the same seats.
In Germany it is common that ticket prices are tiered. In the closest cinema around here (quite small with 3 screens) it is 7,50€ (row 1-4, Parkett), 8,50€ (row 5-12, Sperrsitz) and 9,00€ (13++, Loge). On Mondays it is 6€ for all seats. (+ additional costs for some movies (disney, long runtime) of 0,30-3€) - so I dont see a problem with that decision in general.
Definitely recommend Physical 100. It's so refreshing to watch a show where people lose and say: "I take full responsibility for my loss. It was an honor to participate."
How is AMC going to enforce this? If they aren't increasing security and staff per theater then what's to stop someone from buying a cheaper ticket then just sitting wherever they want (as usual)?
Thanks to AMC's Sightline policy, I decided to shop around my local theaters. I found a place that is no only closer and cheaper than AMC, but its annual membership offer is superior to AMC Stubs A-List. The downside is the local theater has few screening rooms and doesn't get international movies like AMC. Therefore, I cannot completely give up on going to AMC. However, I will be able to save a lot of time, effort, gasoline, and money by seeing the major Hollywood blockbusters locally. When I do visit an AMC, then it will only be matinee or $5 Tuesdays.
A number of UK cinema chains including Vue Cinemas already do a similar thing with theirs being cheapest seats down the front rows, medium cost in middle rows and most expensive for the back rows.
AMC over here making it even less likely for people to go out to movie theaters.... Is it not enough that people are already waiting a couple months to see it on streaming?🙄😒 Also with pre-selecting seats it was already rewarding people who could afford to plan/buy tickets ahead of time. Like you said Dan, we don't need movie theaters to be more classist.
Its almost like they dont want people to show up at theater, they keep rolling now new ideas, most of which keep people away and they wonder WHY the business is slowly dying
Greed has set in and is rotting the entertainment market from the inside out. Everyone has forgotten that you get your revenue up by ENTICING potential customers, not by squeezing current clientele.
Movie theater industry: Let's find a way to bring more people back to the theaters away from streaming during the worst financial recession by charging people extra for the same seats. The consumers: smh
Here in Colombia the largest theater chain (called Cinecolombia) pretty much implemented that model from the get go. Every theater has 2 types of seats, General and Preferential. The latter being the last 3 to 5 rows in each theater with bigger more comfortable chairs. The prices are higher depending on the day of the week and the time of the screening and of course they apply certain types of discounts to the "loyal" customers. It's mildly shocking finding out that's not how things work in the USA since I was sure this model was based on something you guys had originally thought of. All of that being said, AMC is making a huge mistake since tickets in the states are already at very very high prices. Here, you can watch a film for a dollar in a lot of theaters, and they're pretty good theaters. The most expensive ones will charge the equivalent to 6 dollars. Hopefully they will watch videos like this and understand the mistake they're making.
well here in india its a normal thing to pay different for different seats. it starts low for seats closer to the screen and gets pricey as you go up. also seats gets better in comfort with price
Ever since you were able to pick your seat I’m surprised they didn’t implement higher prices for certain seats. In my opinion, what would make more sense is if you signup for their membership program you get priority seats.
I think that is what they are trying to do indirectly since A-List members will not be affected by this. So, that will probably be their pitch to avoid higher prices. This move just makes them more hateful.
So I live here in Iowa, 95% of the time the Theater is empty except for me and a friend. And now they want me to pay MORE for that seat in a completely empty theater!! I'll just go to Brew Flix..
My brothers and I have been watching Physical 100. It's a pretty awesome show! Also, they seem to drop 2 episodes a week which helps keep me wanting more.
To be fair you pay for ticket prices to shows based on the seat location. If the sightline charge is $0.50-$1.50 I would say it’s understandable but anything more than that will definitely cost them customers
Our biggest movie theater chain in Sweden has charged extra for the good seats for years, but they're wider, have more leg room and you can adjust the back for even more comfort and it's most often the entirety of two rows in the middle. I choose those seats because most of the time you'll avoid the teenage crowd.
@@benba8342 yes, since 2017, but bigger seats costing more has been a thing for much longer. They've changed their attitude towards bringing in candy from other stores, so now they "force" you to buy what you want to eat at the theater. Not sure how hard they enforce that rule, I'm pretty sure people are bringing/smuggling in just as much stuff as they used to.
They should have just left the prime center seats at todays price and discounted all the others accordingly. Better to have more seats sold than none. Did they not do that?
In India, differential pricing for tickets is the norm. Though pricing is not based on middle vs aisle, but on the rows and how far seats are from the screen (and the highest priced seats are sometimes more comfortable with recliners).. so this doesn’t feel as egregious to me
No lie, as soon as the AMC news came out, my first thought was incredulous rage, but my second thought was "I can't wait to see Dan Murrell's response to this idiocy."
I'm interested to hear your thoughts about The Chosen's presence in theaters. Especially in the context of what the future might hold for movie theaters if more shows use them for big releases like The Chosen has been doing
I think the theatres should come up with a yearly plan like a mega ticket where you could buy an access to say 10 movies at discounted price of say 150-200 dollars. A yearly catalogue which shows the release schedule. So people know which movies are releasing. There could be an online poll which asks people which old movie they would watch in theatres again. Like for e.g. Titanic is re-releasing for its 25th anniversary. That's a good choice.
When I was a kid, you could pay 5 bucks to get in, another 5 for popcorn and a drink. When it became a big money activity, I stopped going (early 2000's).
Why would I want to pay more money for a seat when I have no idea what kind of disruptive people would be around me? Last time I went to the theater, somebody was facetiming at full brightness full volume directly in front of me. That was a from a "preferred sightline" seat. Positioning of seat doesn't matter nearly as much as the unruly unpredictable behavior of people around you. Spending more money on a seat won't matter when you can't enjoy the film anyway.
I have a bit of a difference in opinion than most on this one! I actually think this is a reasonable upcharge and it makes sense. I ALWAYS go for those middle seats. We all know that those middle seats are the BEST seats in the house. I know this is factually true because every time I preorder my tix, I physically see the middle ones are first to go in the selection. If that's the case, those seats should be reserved for who wants them the most. What I mean by that is, we are already paying an average of $12-$15 a ticket ($20 for PLF Screens), so if you can afford that, $2 should not make or break you. If you say, 'ah $2 isn't worth the middle seats, i'll just go with the ones on the side', that's perfectly fine because that gives the person who would be willing to pay the extra $2 a chance to grab the middle seats. So yeah the $2 is giving AMC more profits, but I also look at it as the $2 is giving the opportunity for those who honestly want the middle seats more bad than others, a fighting chance. Especially with blockbusters that fill up quick.
Love the Pitch Meeting shout out to the logic of this AMC plan! “So what you’re saying is we’re going to charge people more to have the normal seats they’ve always been able to have as part of an industry that is still very fragile coming out of a global pandemic?” “I’m going to need you to get all the way off my back about this, ok?”
The AMC thing led me to saying something truly terrible. “If we sit in the premium seats do we get to throw peanuts at the peasant seats” now I don’t want to throw anything in a theater other than a spoon, but this did make me think that’s what this will cause. Using a movie theaters to separate people by how much they can afford, well they do that with houses, cars and schools, why not ruin theaters with it too.
Honestly, if AMC is looking to charge more for certain showtimes, it might be better to institute zero tolerance showtimes for phones for talking that type of thing. I would definitely pay more for a showing that I know won’t have the usual distractions, particularly for movies that I really wanna focus on and I’m really hyped for.
That makes way too much sense and would be too appealing for AMC to actually implement it
@@DanMurrellMovies 😂
That would require a level of staffing they wouldn’t want to implement.
as someone who works at a movie theater, the employees who have to enforce it def won’t care enough
@@saji.2874 - yeah, that starts to get into "I don't get paid enough for this" levels of responsibility and stress. Like, literally: you'd have to hire someone whose explicit job is to confront entitled middle-class a-holes and tell them that they have to change their behavior, and possibly get into physical altercations with some rare few.
Who is gonna do that for minimum wage?
Nothing like adding class warfare to the subconscious when wanting to just go to the movies. A+ idea AMC.
Bourgeoisie box office
Interestingly, here in the UK, the main theater chain Odeon (owned by AMC) has had “premier seats” forever where they charge extra for the best few rows and have slightly more legroom. However, all that happens is no one pays for them and everyone sits in them once the movie is starting
Yep, that's how we do it here. No one is desperate enough to pay extra for seats that aren't being bought. It will always be empty and people will move to those empty seats.
@@aznthy Yeah only way they could enforce is if they paid to have ushers sit in during the movie like they used to but that would cost way more than they gain from the up charge
@@aznthy yep, and not to mention: right now, unless every AMC installs new seats in the middle, the middle seats don't offer extra leg room, cleaner experience, reclining options, or anything extra besides optimal viewing angle.
Vue also has a seating plan, although I mostly use Cineworld which doesn't charge extra for certain seats.
Yeah VUE has VIP seats too which is the same thing. I've never really thought of it since you do legitimately get better seats
YES! Thank you, Dan! I have an AMC within 10 minutes of my house and the moment they introduce this dumb plan in my market is the moment I start driving farther to attend theaters that aren't making these asinine decisions.
As someone with A-List and who already mostly sits in the back corner since theaters reopened during the pandemic so I am further from people, my only problem with the new pricing is it might push more people to sit near me in the back corners.
However, I agree that this sounds like a really stupid plan. I work for a different failing company in a struggling industry and it seems the trend is that if your company is struggling in a struggling industry the solution is not to provide a better product and better value to attract more customers. It's to create policies that make things harder and worse for the customers and employees. WB, Netflix, Twitter, AMC, and the company I work for all seem to be going with this strategy.
This has been the growing trend with every industry. Corporations have finally figured out that they can make more money by gauging the Top 5% than by providing the same affordable experience for everyone.
@@TruthSeekr2662 Yeah that was also my thought. This will only matter for the busy screenings otherwise people will just buy the side seats and sit in the middle anyway. Unless they start having people in the theaters to police seating positions. I'm sure they still won't do anything to stop people from talking though.
Barring the film starts to experiencing a major collapse at the box office, Puss in Boots: The Last will not only surpass Sing 2 ($162,790,990) to become the second highest grossing animated movie since theaters reopened; Minions: The Rise of Gru is currently #1 ($369,695,210); but will also soon pass Black Adam ($168,152,111) to become the tenth highest grossing film of 2022 domestically.
Liked for Puss in Boots II
Deserved, I say
I'm going to re-watch Puss in Boots at the theaters for the Academy Awards push!
I have A-List, but the big problem with this new system is I constantly have people stealing my seat at big-budget movies. Like if you take your seats only 5 minutes after trailers start. You're screwed because the whole theater is mixed up. For some reason, people can't grasp the concept of assigned seating. At least at my theaters. Usually, I just end up sitting in the free seat next to me (half the time it's not worth the effort of getting them to move). However, if you're actually paying extra, people are just going to exploit this even more. This is just going to encourage people to steal seats that they didn't actually buy.
People do grasp the concept, they just steal your seats anyway. Personally, I'm now old enough that I can just kick people out of my seat. I'm not going to sit somewhere else because a) I paid for my good seats and b) taking that other seat will now inconvenience someone else. So yeah, if you don't move I'm calling someone to throw you out.
@@uXses Sometimes I have to do that, but I really hate doing it. It’s just very awkward. Also, I’m in my mid 20’s so I’m pretty sure I’m “old enough”. I just hate confrontation and try to avoid it when I can.
@@uXses went to the movies recently with my family (4 people) and guy in his 60s was in the middle of our seats. When I asked him to move, he gestured around and said "look, there's so many available seats!". The irony of this idiot telling US to sit somewhere else because there's so many seats.... Fortunately he moved. So many idiots out there. :D
Thanks for bringing this up. I go to a theater (not an AMC) where they deliver food to your seat, which is a great luxury. The problem is, if someone is in your seat and you don't want to go through the hassle of verbally fighting them to move, then you gotta show the server your ticket to prove that you get the food and not the person that stole your seat. And that process can end up involving a flashlight and talking which just interrupts the movie for everyone. People stealing other people's seats is already a big problem that may get bigger.
@@geowiz9436you wise to do so because they don’t check for guns and some people don’t mind fighting you over something small. I avoid places that do this. Someone try to do what this man said he do but the problem is everybody in their wrong sits and I mess. If they will want to do this to insure sadly they need a worker to direct everybody to their seats before the movie starts. People not as cool headed as they use to be I wouldn’t risk it. Go to the movies on Monday at 11 am so no one it hardly there and have a good time.
AMC’s decision isn’t just a bad idea, I think it’s the move of a company that’s letting out a final gasp before drowning.
They must be doing worse than they’re letting on (which is already bad).
I was told they were saved by stonks. Somebody call Reddit!
@@DanMurrellMovies you could say they raised the ticket prices….. to the moon 🚀🌙
I am originally from India and I remember they also have movie seat prices similar to the Play theaters. Cheapest - Stalls, Mid - Balcony, Most Expensive - Dress Circle. I was very happy when I moved to the US that the seat prices are the same and I am rewarded for with good seats if I plan properly and buy early.
Thanks for all the shout-outs for Pitch Meeting and @RyanGeorge!! Two of my favorite UA-cam personalities.....hope you two collaborate sometime soon!
The best team up -- Producer Guy, Screen Writer Guy, Box Office Guy, and Scoops McGee.
@@brentage5000 Scoops is owned by Fandom so it's unlikely he'll make an appearance unless a deal can be worked out.
@@brentage5000ow about the “first guy who ever thought of…” guy and his dog?
Shouting out great content creators is super easy, barely an inconvenience
@@ProuvaireJean really? I thought I remembered him appearing in one of Dan's videos once or twice. Ah, well...either way, if anyone can find a way around legal clauses, trademark laws, and internet firewalls, Scoops can!
This is going to sound backhanded, but please believe that coming from someone of my generation, it's not...THIS FEELS LIKE A REAL SHOW. Huge fan of the channel. Thanks for always delivering!
I just lost my Regal theater to closing and so seeing this news of AMC not only doesn't shock me but annoys me so deeply since AMC makes the worst business decisions...
My Regal was my second home basically and I will miss IMAX after seeing Ant-Man as the last film in that theater.
Take it yours was one of the 30 they closed? The Ithaca NY one was closed. People in that market now have a lovely drive to Syracuse or possibly Binghamton to go to the movies.
@@charvolth without giving anything away yes within the last year or so my location was one of them
I can't tell you how much I'm waiting for this show every week. You're making my day each time I watch it. And today was one of the best. LOVE those Pitch Meeting references, on spot for this nonsense plan 😂
Me: How hard would it be to put Pitch Meeting references in your videos
Dan: Super Easy, barely an inconvenience
Me: Wow wow wow wow, WOW
We are finally dropping Avatar this weekend and I’m so happy to be done with it. Staff is as well.
And this is why I love my local independent theater. They keep doing things the old-school way while still providing a great experience.
You help me get through the hard weeks Dan! Thanks for the smiles and upbeat attitude
*COULD NOT* agree more with you Dan in regards to this AMC seat bullshit. But you bringing Pitch Meeting into this really made the whole thing worth it 😂😂😂 Love ya Ryan
That reference to pitch meeting was tight!
Fortunately I have A-List. Like 21 dollars a month. I intentionally fit it into my budget because I really love leaving my house to escape through a film. I love DOLBY, so I love that it’s no extra cost and you still get other perks. 3 movies a week. I think it’s a great deal. Especially for this year with ALL these blockbusters coming out
As a business I would completely understand them altering prices for high-demand seats--say like Friday and Saturday showings. But when a theater is near empty because it's a Wednesday it makes ZERO economic sense to raise prices for any reason. There's a reason that the discount day each week at AMC and Marcus etc. is well sold on tickets whilst the rest of the weekdays are a ghost town.
And are they expecting AMC workers to police those dead days where a person might buy a "value" seat and then as the show is starting and there's no one in there they move to a more "preferred sightline" ?? And before someone jumps in on theft or whatever, every concert, every sporting event, that aren't sold out as the event goes on people filter downwards closer to the action. They may not be able to get into some completely separate level, but there's no way workers are going to want to try policing this from one row to the next.
All AMC is doing here is putting downward pressure on the desire to buy a ticket in the first place. It's like they don't get simple supply and demand.
loved that "trademark, Ryan George" lol!
I'm glad I don't go to AMC theaters and now I will continue to avoid them. I am a person who meticulously spends effort when reserving seats. Bad seats can spoil any movie.
PS I love the "Pitch Meeting" references! Lol
The world is turning me into a senior citizen waaaaaaaaaaaay before my time… movies at 11 am (during the week when I can) and dinners at 5. I am sick, sick, sick of all the over charging, the jerks in parking lots, in the auditorium, in lines and all around. Movies in LA are already almost $20… so thank you AMC for making my streaming subscriptions seem more reasonable. I’ll wear a red dress to your funeral. 😁
The fact that that more tickets were sold for the #2 grossing film than the #1 grossing film spotlights why Admissions, aka butts in seats, should be how film popularity should be measured. Or comparing $, adjusting for inflation is absolutely necessary. Thank you Dan, for doing just that.
This AMC pricing structure already exists in my local cinema (Vue) in London, they charge 3 different ticket prices depending on where you sit even though all the seats are physically the same! It's a rip off :(
Dan making a Pitch Meeting reference - yeah, that made me chuckle :D
When I saw the AMC news, I knew we would get a great Dan Rant...and I was not disappointed. The Ryan George references were just the icing on the cake.
Great video as always!! I am really worried about the future of movie theaters. I pray that they figure out what customers really want if they want us to show up.
In the UK, have have premium seats at the best seats in the cinemas across all the three big cinema chains - Odeon (owned by AamC, Cineworld (which owns Regal) and Vue. But it is more than jusy seat position. The seat themselves are normally more comfortable with higher back and next support and more space for the legs
Melinda Dillon was also in my favorite episode of the 80s version of The Twilight Zone, "A Little Peace and Quiet", directed by Wes Craven. (Second favorite is Bruce Willis in "Shatterday", written by Harlan Ellison, also directed by Wes Craven!)
The Ryan George references were TIGHT.
Also very funny to see this AMC news the same week "80 for Brady" made it to number 2 by offering discount pricing. I remember in the 90s when theaters would practically give away tickets because they made the real money on concessions.
This. The literal proof is staring them in the face, and AMC is still like "We know what drives business..."
Vue Cinemas have already implemented a similar thing. The first few rows are £7.99, the middle is £8.99 and the back few are £9.99. It's very bad. It used to be £5 for every seat :(
I was totally on board with your original “if I ran movies”. Glad I have other, closer options than AMC for my theater movie experiences.
I love ranty Dan when Dan's rants are righteous.
Well, he’s absolutely correct and he speaks for all of us. AMC’s not only losing customers but their minds! WTH are they thinking?
In Germany different prices for different rows are common since multiplexes came here in the 90s (usually 2-3 categories). The better seats offer additional perks like wider seats, more legroom, double armrests, leather instead of fabric.
If I could like this video twice for the amazing rant against AMC, I would.
those seats remind me of what Showcase Cinemas (UK) did about 20 odd years ago. Seats at the back were more expensive, but the seats themselves were exactly the same as all the other seats. They no longer do it, but now you can book seats (online) in advance, im honestly shocked it has returned, its easy to see that those seats are booked first.
Like to see AMC try and enforce this seating chart when they don't even notice people literally screaming in the middle of the theater. Not to mention that most showings aren't going to have a full house and if there is an open seat in the middle but the staff actually forces people to sit on the sides cuz that is where their ticket is; it's gonna lead to some problems and most likely huge consumer discontent.
In Germany you also get charged for different seats. It usually depends on the row you sit in. In the beginning (like 20 years ago) it was only 2 different categories, but now there often times for categories, including one with premium seats.
This pricing model really does feel like AMC have thrown in the towel when it comes to sustaining their business and are in "lets gauge as much as we can, while we can" mode.
In South Korea, CGV theater chain used to have different prices for seats in three levels (economy, standard, prime), which was controversial. Standard level being the regular ticket price. There was a 1000 won difference between each level, so roughly a dollar difference. It started in March 2016, but stopped in October 2020.
Now at most CGV theaters, it's only the first two rows that offer 1000 won discount. Same with Lotte Cinema chain's 1000 won discount of the first row seats. There hasn't been any controversy from this, and even with this offer, people still tend to choose the regular priced seats anyway.
About the Indian film- Hindi film distinction, just in case someone is looking for the difference in the comments section- here you go.
India has many languages spoken across the country- so movies are made in many languages in their respective film industries. They are all still "Indian movies"
Some films (especially after Bahubali series since 2015) are Voice Dubbed into multiple languages - main ones being Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and recently Kannada to be able to reach more audience.
How much movies made in each of the languages can be tracked seperately. The distribution between languages depend on many factors including, but not limited to the language the movie is originally filmed in.
So, Pathaan(filmed in Hindi, dubbed into Telugu/Tamil) is leading in the Hindi language gross(While Bahubali 2 - filmed in Telugu, dubbed into Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam - I believe is the fastest overall)
(If i had to give an analogy,. Avatar and Endgame were both dubbed into multiple languages across the globe. One of them probably grossed more in the dubbed versions (most impactful would likely be Chinese dub played in the Chinese market)
If we presume for this example's sake that Avatar's gross in 'English language' alone is lesser than that of English only gross of Endgame, the highest grossing "English language" film will be different from the highest grossing "film" or "American film".
Love the pitch meeting reference 😂
@23:07 - PREACH! #1 thing that makes it so I will only go to the theater if there is a must-watch-on-massive-screen is that I can't stand having to have all the phones randomly lighting up, people talking, etc etc. WTF would i want to go to the trouble of going to the theater, fighting for parking, paying more than it will cost to own the movie for two of us just to be annoyed by the handful of idiots that always seem to be at the show I go to?
We don't have theaters like the Alamo Drafthouse sadly.
How would AMC keep people from sitting in seats that they didn't pay for? Only during peak times like the weekend would theatres be crowded enough to make certain most people remained in their paid for seat.
I would love to see a piece on the story of “Kangaroo Jack”
I thought of Pitch Meeting, but also that grim cartoon: "Yes the cinematic experience got destroyed. But for a beautiful moment in time we created a lot of value for shareholders."
Happy to hear you do a Riseborough deep dive may I also suggest to watch and review some of her films which will hopefully explain why people were supporting her (Possesor, Mandy, Never Let Me Go)
The explanation of AMC made me think of Bane his explanation in 'The Dark Knight Rises' : And we give it back to you, the people
I loved the Dan Stance and the references to Ryan George. It's super easy and barely an inconvenience for AMC to swindle their customers 🙄 😒 😑.
As far as Avatar 2 vs TGM I think it would be surprising if TGM doesn't stay ahead. Looking at day-to-day it's consistently higher now on weekends and had been better mid-week for a while. Also weeks 8-15 for Top Gun Maverick were consistently really low, to the point where it grew on a couple weekends and never went past about a 20% drop. Over those 8 weekends it averaged a 10% drop each week so it would be pretty miraculous for Avatar 2 to match that, even with it's really great hold.
The fact that Avatar: The Way of Water stayed ahead of Avatar (2009) for over 50 days is incredible.
Hey Dan, LOVE your work! Been following you since your Screen Junkies days and subscribed to this channel as soon as you announced it. I feel like we generally see eye to eye on most things you discuss here, but I'm going to have to disagree with your take on this AMC news. I feel like your playing both sides in a sense: you were snide about the comparison to seating at things like concerts and said no one tries to persuade you on your opinion of a movie based on where you sit, but you also readily admitted that some seats in the auditorium are definitely better than others. As you said, the industry, especially the exhibition side, is hurting. This means that price increases are inevitable: supply and demand. I appreciate that they're not doing a blanket increase on ALL ticket prices, but are rather increasing prices on the BEST tickets. This _does_ provide flexibility on the priorities of the customer vis a vis optimizing experience vs optimizing budget for the evening out. As someone who can only afford to go the the movies every three months or so who also loves the optimized viewing experience, I'd be willing to pay an extra $1 or $1.50 for a seat near the center of the auditorium. (I'm not sure what the difference in prices will be, but if it's more than that, then I can always go for the cheaper seats.) I also really like how they are using this to further incentivize their subscription model; Price increases always suck, but I feel like this is all generally good business in unideal circumstances. Genuinely a little taken aback by how this upset you and the degree to which it did.
Regardless, I'm obviously still a big fan. Keep up the great work :)
Smart move to sell 80 for Brady tickets at discount! In canada, Cineplex charges higher prices for seat / theater upgrades, and an online ticketing surcharge. But within the same theater - it's the same price for the same seats.
In Germany it is common that ticket prices are tiered. In the closest cinema around here (quite small with 3 screens) it is 7,50€ (row 1-4, Parkett), 8,50€ (row 5-12, Sperrsitz) and 9,00€ (13++, Loge). On Mondays it is 6€ for all seats. (+ additional costs for some movies (disney, long runtime) of 0,30-3€) - so I dont see a problem with that decision in general.
Love the "Pitch Meetings" reference 🤓
Definitely recommend Physical 100. It's so refreshing to watch a show where people lose and say: "I take full responsibility for my loss. It was an honor to participate."
How is AMC going to enforce this?
If they aren't increasing security and staff per theater then what's to stop someone from buying a cheaper ticket then just sitting wherever they want (as usual)?
Oh I was figuring this would be the main topic for this week. :D
Another day, another stupid decision from AMC.
Thanks to AMC's Sightline policy, I decided to shop around my local theaters. I found a place that is no only closer and cheaper than AMC, but its annual membership offer is superior to AMC Stubs A-List.
The downside is the local theater has few screening rooms and doesn't get international movies like AMC. Therefore, I cannot completely give up on going to AMC. However, I will be able to save a lot of time, effort, gasoline, and money by seeing the major Hollywood blockbusters locally.
When I do visit an AMC, then it will only be matinee or $5 Tuesdays.
A number of UK cinema chains including Vue Cinemas already do a similar thing with theirs being cheapest seats down the front rows, medium cost in middle rows and most expensive for the back rows.
Thanks Dan
AMC over here making it even less likely for people to go out to movie theaters.... Is it not enough that people are already waiting a couple months to see it on streaming?🙄😒 Also with pre-selecting seats it was already rewarding people who could afford to plan/buy tickets ahead of time. Like you said Dan, we don't need movie theaters to be more classist.
Pitch Meeting reference is tight!
Its almost like they dont want people to show up at theater, they keep rolling now new ideas, most of which keep people away and they wonder WHY the business is slowly dying
Greed has set in and is rotting the entertainment market from the inside out. Everyone has forgotten that you get your revenue up by ENTICING potential customers, not by squeezing current clientele.
Movie theater industry: Let's find a way to bring more people back to the theaters away from streaming during the worst financial recession by charging people extra for the same seats.
The consumers: smh
Here in Colombia the largest theater chain (called Cinecolombia) pretty much implemented that model from the get go. Every theater has 2 types of seats, General and Preferential. The latter being the last 3 to 5 rows in each theater with bigger more comfortable chairs. The prices are higher depending on the day of the week and the time of the screening and of course they apply certain types of discounts to the "loyal" customers. It's mildly shocking finding out that's not how things work in the USA since I was sure this model was based on something you guys had originally thought of.
All of that being said, AMC is making a huge mistake since tickets in the states are already at very very high prices. Here, you can watch a film for a dollar in a lot of theaters, and they're pretty good theaters. The most expensive ones will charge the equivalent to 6 dollars. Hopefully they will watch videos like this and understand the mistake they're making.
somehow, heartbreak feels good in a place like this
I need Dan to make some sort of chart that compares the length of anime movie titles with their box office gross
well here in india its a normal thing to pay different for different seats. it starts low for seats closer to the screen and gets pricey as you go up. also seats gets better in comfort with price
Ever since you were able to pick your seat I’m surprised they didn’t implement higher prices for certain seats. In my opinion, what would make more sense is if you signup for their membership program you get priority seats.
I think that is what they are trying to do indirectly since A-List members will not be affected by this. So, that will probably be their pitch to avoid higher prices. This move just makes them more hateful.
Always love a good Dan Rant!
So I live here in Iowa, 95% of the time the Theater is empty except for me and a friend. And now they want me to pay MORE for that seat in a completely empty theater!! I'll just go to Brew Flix..
Love Ryan George getting a shout-out! Wowowowow. Wow.
I love the pitch meeting references.
My brothers and I have been watching Physical 100. It's a pretty awesome show! Also, they seem to drop 2 episodes a week which helps keep me wanting more.
that "super easy, barely an inconvenient" caught me off guard.
To be fair you pay for ticket prices to shows based on the seat location. If the sightline charge is $0.50-$1.50 I would say it’s understandable but anything more than that will definitely cost them customers
Wow wow wow, this charts was TIGHT
How do you think this is going to affect theatres without reserved seating?
Our biggest movie theater chain in Sweden has charged extra for the good seats for years, but they're wider, have more leg room and you can adjust the back for even more comfort and it's most often the entirety of two rows in the middle. I choose those seats because most of the time you'll avoid the teenage crowd.
It is also owned by AMC, is it not?
@@benba8342 yes, since 2017, but bigger seats costing more has been a thing for much longer. They've changed their attitude towards bringing in candy from other stores, so now they "force" you to buy what you want to eat at the theater. Not sure how hard they enforce that rule, I'm pretty sure people are bringing/smuggling in just as much stuff as they used to.
Love and respect from Syria
They should have just left the prime center seats at todays price and discounted all the others accordingly. Better to have more seats sold than none. Did they not do that?
In India, differential pricing for tickets is the norm. Though pricing is not based on middle vs aisle, but on the rows and how far seats are from the screen (and the highest priced seats are sometimes more comfortable with recliners).. so this doesn’t feel as egregious to me
No lie, as soon as the AMC news came out, my first thought was incredulous rage, but my second thought was "I can't wait to see Dan Murrell's response to this idiocy."
Me too! This feels like the next chapter of MoviePass energy for Dan 😂
Great content as always I was here before fandom when you were still with screen junkies good times
I'm interested to hear your thoughts about The Chosen's presence in theaters. Especially in the context of what the future might hold for movie theaters if more shows use them for big releases like The Chosen has been doing
I think the theatres should come up with a yearly plan like a mega ticket where you could buy an access to say 10 movies at discounted price of say 150-200 dollars. A yearly catalogue which shows the release schedule. So people know which movies are releasing.
There could be an online poll which asks people which old movie they would watch in theatres again. Like for e.g. Titanic is re-releasing for its 25th anniversary. That's a good choice.
Can't believe Dan missed the chance to say "Plane crashes out of the Top 10"!
I will definitely look for a theater other than AMC to see movies, once this goes into effect.
When I was a kid, you could pay 5 bucks to get in, another 5 for popcorn and a drink.
When it became a big money activity, I stopped going (early 2000's).
Why would I want to pay more money for a seat when I have no idea what kind of disruptive people would be around me? Last time I went to the theater, somebody was facetiming at full brightness full volume directly in front of me. That was a from a "preferred sightline" seat. Positioning of seat doesn't matter nearly as much as the unruly unpredictable behavior of people around you. Spending more money on a seat won't matter when you can't enjoy the film anyway.
I just noticed that Dan used the papyrus font for the Avatar comparison charts lmao
I have a bit of a difference in opinion than most on this one! I actually think this is a reasonable upcharge and it makes sense. I ALWAYS go for those middle seats. We all know that those middle seats are the BEST seats in the house. I know this is factually true because every time I preorder my tix, I physically see the middle ones are first to go in the selection.
If that's the case, those seats should be reserved for who wants them the most. What I mean by that is, we are already paying an average of $12-$15 a ticket ($20 for PLF Screens), so if you can afford that, $2 should not make or break you. If you say, 'ah $2 isn't worth the middle seats, i'll just go with the ones on the side', that's perfectly fine because that gives the person who would be willing to pay the extra $2 a chance to grab the middle seats.
So yeah the $2 is giving AMC more profits, but I also look at it as the $2 is giving the opportunity for those who honestly want the middle seats more bad than others, a fighting chance. Especially with blockbusters that fill up quick.
Physical 100 has been so fun so far! Glad to see it on the Top 10!
Love the Pitch Meeting shout out to the logic of this AMC plan!
“So what you’re saying is we’re going to charge people more to have the normal seats they’ve always been able to have as part of an industry that is still very fragile coming out of a global pandemic?”
“I’m going to need you to get all the way off my back about this, ok?”
The AMC thing led me to saying something truly terrible. “If we sit in the premium seats do we get to throw peanuts at the peasant seats” now I don’t want to throw anything in a theater other than a spoon, but this did make me think that’s what this will cause. Using a movie theaters to separate people by how much they can afford, well they do that with houses, cars and schools, why not ruin theaters with it too.