Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

Jessica Gonzalez said:I feel like Interstellar is kind of a letdown, much like most of what’s hitting theaters lately. I guess things only seem worthwhile during Oscar season, but everything else feels a bit lackluster. It seems like there's a lack of original ideas or even the drive to create them. Maybe anyone going to see a movie that ends up being a number 7 on the charts is just helping lazy studios line their pockets.

Why? Movies are made specifically to be seen in a theater.

Interstellar is actually pretty solid.

Theaters are alright too, but with torrents out there... man, even if you've got the cash, what's the point? Going to the movies isn't the big deal it used to be. Won't stay that way much longer either. People are just ditching the big screen.

Napster and file sharing blew up in the early 2000s, but even then, movie theaters were packed.

Someone who was thirty back in 2014 probably hasn't even touched a torrent in their life. We're just hitting that age where we grew up with the web being baked into everything we do.

Anyway, side note—I don't think movie theaters have ever been this packed. I wasn't saying piracy would kill off the cinema experience, just that some new tech is gonna step in. It’s not hard to imagine that in fifty years, people won't be staring at a screen, they'll be using the fifteenth generation of an Oculus Rift. Honestly, I think theaters just won't be able to keep up with the tech, and they'll end up like libraries—a relic. Sure, people will still go, but it'll be a niche thing. What can they even do? Bigger screens? Better AC? Who knows. Even 3D didn't really move the needle much. Next up is holograms, but man, that isn't "film" anymore—that's just a virtual theater or a play. Camera tech is already miles ahead of what you see in a theater today.

You remind me a bit of 🙂



Aside from the scale, the cinematic experience hits harder because of the sound quality. You'd need to drop several thousand dollars just to get decent audio at home, and the prices for speakers and amps aren't exactly going down.
Plus, you need a room with actual acoustic treatment to pull that off.

Going to the movies is a social thing too. People want to share the emotion of a film together.
On the flip side, people are impatient. Studios have done a good enough job ensuring high-quality versions don't leak before they finish their theater runs.

I don't buy the hype about the death of the movie theater.

The way movie theaters operate today—basically high-tech hubs packed with multiple screens under one roof—is an American concept that's gone global, mostly targeting a super young demographic. I guess it doesn't really prioritize artistry or quality; if it did, maybe they’d try to appeal to older audiences instead of just churning out a seventh Star Wars installment. Theater attendance isn't exactly at its peak right now, either. It seems like Hollywood relies heavily on international markets where people are still really captivated by big special effects.

Ashley Bailey6 said:You remind me a bit of 🙂



Aside from the scale, the cinematic experience hits harder because of the sound quality. You'd need to drop several thousand dollars just to get decent audio at home, and the prices for speakers and amps aren't exactly going down.
Plus, you need a room with actual acoustic treatment to pull that off.

Going to the movies is a social thing too. People want to share the emotion of a film together.
On the flip side, people are impatient. Studios have done a good enough job ensuring high-quality versions don't leak before they finish their theater runs.

I don't buy the hype about the death of the movie theater.

I’ll second that. For me, the sound design in a theater is the best part—honestly, sometimes even better than the visuals. There are certain movies made specifically for the big screen, like *Interstellar*; the experience is just on another level. Meanwhile, stuff like *Whiplash* or *Birdman* works perfectly fine watching at home. I think theaters are going to stick around for a while longer.

Ashley Bailey6 said:Napster and file sharing blew up in the early 2000s, but even then, movie theaters were packed.

Maybe in NYC 🤷

But in a place like Columbus, let's say, they've never been emptier.
The local Cineplex shut down, and even the AMC isn't doing great. Out of all those classic theaters, only one is left running—and there used to be two—and even that one is basically hanging by a thread, only staying open because the city keeps subsidizing it.
I mean, I don't know who actually has the cash for a $33 ticket, popcorn, and drinks for two, when you can watch the exact same movie at home practically for free (you know, I’ve got a huge screen, and honestly, I don't care that much about surround sound or special effects—I just sink into my couch and 🤷 ).
Maybe go on a Wednesday if there's a discount, and that's about it.

Look, I love going to the theater for a big spectacle, but it's becoming an expensive hobby for people in our situation. NYC is clearly playing in a different league.

The rotation on this thing is working just fine...

The theaters in New York City are absolutely packed, especially when those big-budget blockbusters hit the screens...

Wednesdays and the first weekend after release are always packed when a movie drops.

I honestly can't remember the last time I actually had to book a ticket on a Tuesday or a Sunday.

I can't say I completely agree that movie tickets have become outrageously expensive. If you look at the average ticket price at a theater like AMC, it sits right around $10, which is basically the cost of two beers or just a bit more than a pack of cigarettes.
That’s pretty much what it costs to get into a USL soccer match at most stadiums, and it's actually $3.25 less than what you'd pay to see a match involving a team like Los Angeles FC.
It feels a bit silly to bundle the price of popcorn and sodas into the overall cost of going to the movies; nobody is forcing your hand to buy them. You can always just grab a bottle of water at a 7-Eleven for $1.25 and maybe some snacks for ten bucks if you're feeling hungry.

I don't know... considering how much everything else costs these days, $15 feels like a perfectly reasonable price for a movie. When you weigh it against everything else we're throwing money at, I think any of us can afford to head to the cinema once in a while. Again, I'm saying you don't have to blow another $17 on overpriced snacks if you're on a budget, right?

ambertinker41 said:Wednesdays and the first weekend after release are always packed when a movie drops.

I honestly can't remember the last time I actually had to book a ticket on a Tuesday or a Sunday.

I never bother with Wednesdays; I usually stick to the weekends—Friday through Sunday—and that's when the crowds show up. Occasionally a theater is slammed, like it was for FF7, but most of the time it's just half-full, which is really about as much as you can hope for...

I don't frequent those indie theaters showing alternative junk, so I wouldn't know how things look over there...

And to what Amanda Evans2 was saying, if people are buying tickets last minute, it feels like you have to live at the cinema just to catch anything. I go quite often, yet even then, I average maybe once a month since the movies I actually care about aren't released that frequently; after FF, the next thing on my list is Mad Max, and that isn't for another month...

Though I did catch a trailer for a decent comedy during my last visit, so perhaps it might be worth a trip...😬

Prices have gotten out of hand, and it’s not just happening here in the States. It feels like we're just getting endless sequels upon sequels, which I guess is basically just funding laziness. To be honest, I can't really think of a single movie in the last few years where ticket prices jumped because it was a massive cultural phenomenon that captured everyone's attention, not just the teenagers. The last time I remember seeing that happen here was with something like "The Passion of the Christ," and maybe the fact that I'm using that as an example shows how much things have gone downhill. Nowadays, there's plenty of supply but hardly any originality, and I suppose that applies to all kinds of entertainment. That's probably why the big investors are playing it so safe, almost like a defensive coach like José Mourinho.

Amanda Evans2 said:I can't say I completely agree that movie tickets have become outrageously expensive. If you look at the average ticket price at a theater like AMC, it sits right around $10, which is basically the cost of two beers or just a bit more than a pack of cigarettes.
That’s pretty much what it costs to get into a USL soccer match at most stadiums, and it's actually $3.25 less than what you'd pay to see a match involving a team like Los Angeles FC.
It feels a bit silly to bundle the price of popcorn and sodas into the overall cost of going to the movies; nobody is forcing your hand to buy them. You can always just grab a bottle of water at a 7-Eleven for $1.25 and maybe some snacks for ten bucks if you're feeling hungry.

I don't know... considering how much everything else costs these days, $15 feels like a perfectly reasonable price for a movie. When you weigh it against everything else we're throwing money at, I think any of us can afford to head to the cinema once in a while. Again, I'm saying you don't have to blow another $17 on overpriced snacks if you're on a budget, right?

$10 is a Wednesday, so prices are usually lower then.
Personally, I can afford it, but a lot of people—the typical American average, excluding folks living in places like NYC or LA—probably can't.

Robin Fox2 said:I never bother with Wednesdays; I usually stick to the weekends—Friday through Sunday—and that's when the crowds show up. Occasionally a theater is slammed, like it was for FF7, but most of the time it's just half-full, which is really about as much as you can hope for...

I don't frequent those indie theaters showing alternative junk, so I wouldn't know how things look over there...

And to what Amanda Evans2 was saying, if people are buying tickets last minute, it feels like you have to live at the cinema just to catch anything. I go quite often, yet even then, I average maybe once a month since the movies I actually care about aren't released that frequently; after FF, the next thing on my list is Mad Max, and that isn't for another month...

Though I did catch a trailer for a decent comedy during my last visit, so perhaps it might be worth a trip...😬

Honestly, they probably crammed all the best parts into that trailer. They always do that. Just thinking about Ted, the trailer was way more entertaining than the actual movie.

I really can't get on board with this idea that tickets are overpriced. I mean, sure, if you're looking at it strictly through the lens of our local cost of living, maybe they seem steep, but once you compare them to what people are paying overseas, we honestly don't have much ground to stand on. For instance, I’ve heard that ticket prices in places like Phoenix are basically in the same ballpark as they are here in the States—can someone from the Southwest chime in or let me know if that's true? And don't even get me started on how much more expensive things get in countries I've traveled to, like Germany, Switzerland, Austria, England, or even parts of the US where I've been. On top of that, to be totally blunt, most of the theaters I've visited abroad were actually worse than Cinemark back home. I just didn't feel comfortable in them, and they definitely weren't nearly as nice or well-maintained. It seems like they just have a lot of privately owned spots over there, which probably explains why they feel so run-down compared to what we have.

Alright, I'll stop rambling now, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that as I've gotten older, I'd much rather spend my time catching a great movie in a decent theater than just blowing my whole weekend out partying.

Amanda Evans2 said:I can't say I completely agree that movie tickets have become outrageously expensive. If you look at the average ticket price at a theater like AMC, it sits right around $10, which is basically the cost of two beers or just a bit more than a pack of cigarettes.
That’s pretty much what it costs to get into a USL soccer match at most stadiums, and it's actually $3.25 less than what you'd pay to see a match involving a team like Los Angeles FC.
It feels a bit silly to bundle the price of popcorn and sodas into the overall cost of going to the movies; nobody is forcing your hand to buy them. You can always just grab a bottle of water at a 7-Eleven for $1.25 and maybe some snacks for ten bucks if you're feeling hungry.

I don't know... considering how much everything else costs these days, $15 feels like a perfectly reasonable price for a movie. When you weigh it against everything else we're throwing money at, I think any of us can afford to head to the cinema once in a while. Again, I'm saying you don't have to blow another $17 on overpriced snacks if you're on a budget, right?

You're absolutely right. I suppose there are definitely people for whom $30 or $40 might feel like $17, but once you draw those comparisons to things like cigarettes or beer, it really becomes clear that the tickets themselves aren't actually over the top.

Peter Thompson4 said:I really can't get on board with this idea that tickets are overpriced. I mean, sure, if you're looking at it strictly through the lens of our local cost of living, maybe they seem steep, but once you compare them to what people are paying overseas, we honestly don't have much ground to stand on. For instance, I’ve heard that ticket prices in places like Phoenix are basically in the same ballpark as they are here in the States—can someone from the Southwest chime in or let me know if that's true? And don't even get me started on how much more expensive things get in countries I've traveled to, like Germany, Switzerland, Austria, England, or even parts of the US where I've been. On top of that, to be totally blunt, most of the theaters I've visited abroad were actually worse than Cinemark back home. I just didn't feel comfortable in them, and they definitely weren't nearly as nice or well-maintained. It seems like they just have a lot of privately owned spots over there, which probably explains why they feel so run-down compared to what we have.

Alright, I'll stop rambling now, but I guess what I'm trying to say is that as I've gotten older, I'd much rather spend my time catching a great movie in a decent theater than just blowing my whole weekend out partying.

I can't speak for NYC, but the AMC theaters in cities like Phoenix and LA pretty much have identical pricing structures.

And from what I can see, whenever I check the AMC theater pricing, it’s pretty much the exact same everywhere you look, so yeah, the prices are identical whether you're in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, or even Phoenix.