General / Off-Topic Universal vs AMC & Regal (and Odeon in you're in UK)

[Alien]

So ... here's the cliff notes of what happened, as best as I understand it ...

• Cinemas (also called Theatres) are closed right now because of a global virus (that's a whole other thread, so we're not going into that here ... ok?)
• Because cinemas are closed, no movies are showing in them
• Because no movies are being shown in cinemas, all the release dates have been pushed back
• It's all one big co-ordinated industry .... studio makes a film, they schedule a release date window, sometimes years in advance, all the movies are slotted in like a jigsaw puzzle.
• Universal studios made a film called "Trolls World Tour" ... a kid's film about trolls
• Universal have been releasing films in cinemas and streaming to Video On Demand for some time now, often both at the same time.
• With Trolls World Tour, however, Universal went straight to streaming VOD ... and made a ton of money for Universal
• This upset AMC, who then claimed Universal broke their agreement ... they stated they would not show Universal's films (ever again, from what I can tell)
• Regal Cinemas (who also own Odeon in the UK) joined AMC and stated they would not show Universal's films
• Universal are now trying to do damage control and are trying to save their agreement with the cinema chains

I think that's the basic points.

I hope Universal stand up to the cinemas. I don't know what your experiences have been like, but I stopped going to cinemas about 10 years ago, and only went last year to see Rise Of Skywalker as a one-off. I personally, prefer to watch films at home. For me, it's also cheaper.

But what do you think?
(Also if you want links to any of this, let me know and I'll dig up links to sources for you)

 

[EUS]

I have no love for either, but honestly, I wish Hollywood (the industry) would get Thonos fingersnapped into oblivion, and never be heard from again.

 

[Patrick_68000]

Many years I haven’t been to the cinema.

I see the cinema every day in the street watching people.

More seriously in France, the artists are very worried about the current situation.

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[Rubbernuke]

When cinemas go back to being places to watch films at reasonable prices and not novelty theme parks count me in.

For me alone Odeon costs about £20 a ticket- where I live now I have a small local cinema owned by an association. Each film costs 2 Euro to watch, and is a welcoming place for everyone. The films are a month behind, but for such a reasonable price I don't care.

 

[Screemonster]

Yeah, a single movie ticket costs more than a monthly netflix subscription and I don't have to work to their timetable for the latter.

 

[Rubbernuke]

I love going to the cinema, its an experience you can't get at home- but really cinema chains have hung themselves by charging more and more. I mean, my old local has no box office, its all online tickets, really, really expensive food, expensive seats, rubbish parking.....what value is that?

 

[Patrick_68000]

When cinemas go back to being places to watch films at reasonable prices and not novelty theme parks count me in.

For me alone Odeon costs about £20 a ticket- where I live now I have a small local cinema owned by an association. Each film costs 2 Euro to watch, and is a welcoming place for everyone. The films are a month behind, but for such a reasonable price I don't care.

In my small town there is also a cinema with a reduced entry price.

As you say, the films arrive with a month late, but it's a excellent formula.

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[insanephoton]

I kind of fell out of the habit of going to the cinema for various reasons. But before Covid I was almost tempted to visit. I was sort of planning to see the new Bond film when it was released. My local cinema is an old independent one and relatively good value. £4.50 for any film plus 40p booking fee for phone or online bookings, the only thing they would charge more for is live stream theatre, ballet or concert performances.

Even though I haven't supported it for several years due to various personal circumstances, I wouldn't want to lose it. The Majestic isn't some soulless modern multiplex, it's a Grade II listed building that opened in 1928. It's part of the town's history, heck it's part of my history. I have vivid memories of being taken to the cinema by my brothers to see Star Wars when i was 7. The queue was nearly all the way to Key Market (anyone remember Key Market supermarket?)

 

[metatheurgist]

I like to laugh at economics. It's all "dog eat dog" and "competition is good"...as long as it doesn't hurt my business, as soon as it does then get out all the protectionist measures.

 

[Patrick_68000]

I like to laugh at economics. It's all "dog eat dog" and "competition is good"...as long as it doesn't hurt my business, as soon as it does then get out all the protectionist measures.

Here, all the glory of the competition.

Free and undistorted competition ...

Two competing fast food brands side by side in Paris.

I wonder if ultimately these two brands belong to the same group ...

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[Vasco Sapien]

I kind of fell out of the habit of going to the cinema for various reasons. But before Covid I was almost tempted to visit. I was sort of planning to see the new Bond film when it was released. My local cinema is an old independent one and relatively good value. £4.50 for any film plus 40p booking fee for phone or online bookings, the only thing they would charge more for is live stream theatre, ballet or concert performances.

Even though I haven't supported it for several years due to various personal circumstances, I wouldn't want to lose it. The Majestic isn't some soulless modern multiplex, it's a Grade II listed building that opened in 1928. It's part of the town's history, heck it's part of my history. I have vivid memories of being taken to the cinema by my brothers to see Star Wars when i was 7. The queue was nearly all the way to Key Market (anyone remember Key Market supermarket?)

Ha! Kings Lynn, i know it well.

And yes Four Fiddy for a movie, Compared to 16.99 on Amazon Prime. No contest.