Survey:Americans are going to movies less, have snuck food into theaters, think 3D is just a gimmick

[grim22]

Interesting findings in this moviegoer survey:  http://www.harrisinteractive.com/NewsRoom/HarrisPolls/tabid/447/ctl/ReadCustom%20Default/mid/1508/ArticleId/1361/Default.aspx

 

 

Going out to the movies once was, and for many still can be, an exciting night out. However, a new Harris Poll finds that while roughly two-thirds (68%) of U.S. adults went to the movies at least once in 2013, just about the same percent (66%) say they're going to the movies less often now than a few years ago.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll® of 2,311 adults surveyed online between December 11 and 17, 2013 by Harris Interactive.

Americans report going to an average of five movies in 2013, but likelihood to have gone to at least one goes down as age goes up (83% Echo Boomers, 73% Gen Xers, 59% Baby Boomers, 44% Matures). When asked whether they prefer watching movies at home or in a theater, or no preference, the majority say they prefer watching at home (57% total), while only two in ten (21%) prefer watching in a theater.

When asked to choose the main factors which drive them to see a movie in a theater, Americans' top selections include featuring a favorite actor or actress (32% among total Americans, 54% among those who prefer watching movies in a theater). A companion Harris Poll released today unveils Golden Globe nominee Tom Hanks as America's favorite movie star, while fellow nominee and Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence debuts on the list in the number three spot. Fan favorite Denzel Washington ranks second, dropping from his top spot on last year's list.

Best and worst aspects of a night at the movies

When questioned about the best and worst things about going to the movies, there are a couple of clear frontrunners for each side of things:

• When asked to select the one or two best things about going to the movies, nearly six in ten Americans selected the sound and picture quality of a movie on the big screen (58%), while nearly half (45%) cited the experience being a short escape from everyday life. 
• http://www.harrisinteractive.com/Portals/Hi/Skins/HI%20Custom%201.0/images/greyarrowbulletclear.gif);">Of course, if one counts high prices or rude people among the stresses of everyday life, then a night at the movies may not be quite the escape it's cracked up to be: concession prices (62%) and rude moviegoers (56%) are the top selections - by a wide margin - as the worst things about going to the movies.
  

Cost has some additional implications on the movie going experience: seven in ten Americans (69%) believe 3D movies are just an excuse to charge more for tickets and nearly six in ten (58%) say they have snuck food into the movies.

• Echo boomers are most likely to have snuck in food, while matures are least likely to have done so (69% Echo Boomers, 57% Gen Xers, 57% Baby Boomers, 36% Matures). 
• http://www.harrisinteractive.com/Portals/Hi/Skins/HI%20Custom%201.0/images/greyarrowbulletclear.gif);">Additionally, women (61%) are more likely than men (54%) to have done so.
  

 

TABLE 3

MAIN WAYS WATCH MOVIES AT HOME

By Generation & Gender

"Which of the following are the main ways you watch movies at home? Please select all that apply."

Base: U.S. Adults

	Total	Generation	Gender
		Echo Boomers (18-36)	Gen Xers (37-48)	Baby Boomers (49-67)	Matures (68+)	Male	Female
	%	%	%	%	%
Over air (NET)	67	56	69	72	75	70	65
Watch live on TV	60	52	59	64	71	63	58
Saved from TV broadcast (e.g., DVR or other recording device)	28	23	34	31	25	31	26
DVD or Blu-ray (NET)	64	75	68	61	40	65	63
DVD or Blu-ray that I own	47	58	51	42	25	50	45
Rent a DVD or Blu-ray	37	50	38	31	21	38	36
Borrow a DVD or Blu-ray from the library	15	17	16	15	10	15	15
On demand (NET)	39	39	42	41	31	41	38
Provided as part of my cable/satellite provider's on demand service (no extra charge)	32	29	34	35	29	33	31
Pay a fee to watch on demand through my cable/satellite provider (i.e., Pay-Per-View)	17	19	22	16	10	18	17
Digital/Streaming (NET)	37	52	43	26	16	37	36
Through a subscription streaming service (e.g., Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime)	31	43	37	23	14	31	31
Digital/streaming rental (e.g., rent through iTunes store or Amazon Instant Video store)	12	18	16	7	3	13	11
Digital/streaming movie that I own (e.g., purchased through iTunes store or Amazon Instant Video store)	9	16	9	4	2	11	6
Something else	6	9	9	3	4	7	6
NA - I don't watch movies at home	4	3	2	4	10	4	4

 

 

 

 

TABLE 5

BEST THINGS ABOUT GOING TO THE MOVIES

By Viewing Preference, Generation & Gender

"What are the best things about going to the movies? Please select up to 2 responses. Even if you don't go to the movies currently, we're interested in your opinion based on past experiences."

Base: U.S. Adults

	Total	Prefer Watching in a Theater	Generation	Gender
		Echo Boomers (18-36)	Gen Xers (37-48)	Baby Boomers (49-67)	Matures (68+)	Male	Female
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
The sound and picture quality of a movie on the big screen	58	69	57	61	60	53	59	57
A short escape from everyday life	45	53	47	45	47	37	44	46
Having treats like popcorn and candy	17	20	23	19	15	8	18	17
Previews for upcoming films	12	16	20	12	8	4	12	12
The excitement of seeing a movie with a big crowd	7	13	13	5	6	1	8	6
Something else	8	6	8	7	7	8	8	7
Nothing	15	3	9	13	17	31	16	15

 

 

 

TABLE 8a

AGREE/DISAGREE WITH MOVIE STATEMENTS - Summary Table

"How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements?"

Base: U.S. Adults

		Agree (NET)	Strongly agree	Somewhat agree	Disagree (NET)	Somewhat disagree	Strongly disagree
I think 3D movies are just an excuse to charge more for tickets.	%	69	34	36	31	20	10
I am going to the movies less often now than a few years ago.	%	66	41	25	34	18	16
I have snuck food into the movies.	%	58	33	25	42	10	32
There are movies coming out in the next few months that I'm excited to see in a theater.	%	56	23	33	44	19	25

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

 

TABLE 8b

AGREE WITH MOVIE STATEMENTS

"Agree" Summary by Viewing Preference, Generation & Gender

"How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements?"

Base: U.S. Adults

	Total	Prefer Watching in a Theater	Generation	Gender
		Echo Boomers (18-36)	Gen Xers (37-48)	Baby Boomers (49-67)	Matures (68+)	Male	Female
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
I think 3D movies are just an excuse to charge more for tickets.	69	67	67	71	71	68	67	71
I am going to the movies less often now than a few years ago.	66	53	67	59	66	74	61	70
I have snuck food into the movies.	58	65	69	57	57	36	54	61
There are movies coming out in the next few months that I'm excited to see in a theater.	56	86	67	58	51	38	54	58

Note: Multiple responses allowed.

 

 

[lab276]

You don't need a poll to tell you that people are going to the movies less than they used to.

[Impact]

Something I've been saying for a while due to prices and other things-I am considered someone that goes a lot compared to most and I don't see as near as many as you guys.

[Ozymandias]

How dare people sneak food into theaters when those comically large trunks of popcorn and barrels of soda cost an arm and a leg.

[Lordmandeep]

Its funny when my friend and I were in our teens, we would hit up the dollar store and buy candy and pop drinks and put it into a backback and save so much money on food.

 

Funny thing we all work at banks and corporations and are in our mid 20's and we still do that.

 

I am not spending 5 bucks on a drink.

 

Actually I take a soda can from home and slip it into my jacket and drink it while watching a movie.

 

Here in Canada, the theaters are staffed by young employees who dont check or care. 

[CaptainJackSparrow]

I can see why woman sneak in food more than men, especially baby sitters.

[ladyevenstar22]

have you seen ladies handbag fashion , you'd be amazed what we can stash inside them 

 

i go to the movies i have my bottle of smoothie ,a subway sandwich, bottle of water , raisin , an umbrella , my scarf , a brush in addition to what's usually inside 

 

 

and there are pockets inside with zips , a treasure trove for a girl lol except when you're looking for something pfff

[MovieGuyKyle17]

No surprise here...the price of seeing a movie is way too high and you think those movie theater companies like Regal would figure that out.

[ladyevenstar22]

i remember a time we were running late my cousin , a friend of his and me so we bought BK menus and guess who had to hide it all in her bag ME and put my sweater over my bag so odor wouldnt come out lol

[SchumacherFTW]

3D is a Gimmick, hence, AVATAR'S Success in being the 1st to sell it this way..

So it d didn't help the Avengers at all then?

[baumer]

Here's the thing about the theaters.  They don't make a lot of money from the movies themselves.  I know I'm not telling you guys something you don't already know, but it isn't their fault that they HAVE to charge $12.00 for popcorn.  Movies are expensive to make, actors, directors and all the above the line talent, studio bosses, producers, their lawyers and so on, are way over paid.  It's a trickle down.  Hollywood is a fairy tale.  You make it there and you are in the upper echelons of society.  So you get films that cost 100 million dollars and you have billionaires running studios and other film companies.  

 

When you have more than 80% of ticket price going back to the studio in the first two or three weeks, how else do you expect the theater to make money?  They have to pay their staff minimum wage, they have to pay their managers enough of a wage to make a career out of it, then there's rent, heat, hydro and so on and so on.  If they didn't charge those ridiculous prices, theaters as we know them today, would not exist.  

 

So you want to blame someone for the exorbitant prices?  Blame Denzel and Joel Silver and Michael Ovitz and Jerry Bruckheimer and so on.

[mattmav45]

When you have a 55-inch 1080p Smart TV with a home theater system, what's the appeal of going to a theater where you get raped up the ass every time?

 

IMO.

[ladyevenstar22]

i'm a libra i'm sympathetic by nature to everyone perspective

even when i don' t share it i try to see it from their pov! 

 

still perhaps its that upper tier who should bear the brunt of the financial effort and not us poor moviegoers?

 

thing is my finances are tight , when they're not i love being apart of the consumer all-consuming society , heck i'd even tip if i could but such is not the case right now ...alas !

[Neo]

3D wasn't necessary to enjoy TA.. It was merely shoehorned into the movie just like every other movie that has 3D today and is useless unless it was filmed that way...

So Avengers would have made what it did minus 3D? If you say yes, than magically it will have to increase attendance to make up the difference. As much as we can adjust you can't factor in if people will see a movie less/more into total gross.

[Jandrew]

I understand theaters have to charge what they do, but theres no reason for me to pay $5 for Sour Patch Kids when I can go to Target across the street and get them out of the 99 cent bin beforehand. And they taste just as good.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Jandrew

[Walt Disney]

 

 

So you want to blame someone for the exorbitant prices?  Blame Denzel and Joel Silver and Michael Ovitz and Jerry Bruckheimer and so on.

 

And I do blame them.

[Lordmandeep]

I understand theaters have to charge what they do, but theres no reason for me to pay $5 for Sour Patch Kids when I can go to Target across the street and get them out of the 99 cent bin beforehand. And they taste just as good.

 

 

Yep Cheap Tuesdays and a run to the dollar store before we hit the movie  

 

Working for the biggest bank in the country and still a cheapass