Labor Day/National Cinema Day Weekend Thread | TGM crosses 700M! Fifth-biggest movie DOM! The Cruise Missile never stops

[Eric the Ape]

48 minutes ago, baumer said:

It's pretty amazing to me when a movie that's almost 50 years old is grossing 2 million dollars on the weekend. It's also got the highest per theater average of any film. You have people like me who seen Jaws thousands of times and have probably spent $100 on home video for it who are still willing to drop 20 bucks to go watch Jaws in 3d. A truly timeless film. 

I mean most people weren't throwing down 20 bucks, but I like the enthusiasm lol

[Porthos]

35 minutes ago, M37 said:

I hear what you're saying, and I get it. But I also think anyone who went to a theater yesterday might also understand that such a low price point was too good of a deal, in that the shows people wanted to see were sold out, long concession lines, lobbies and hallways crammed, and surely a lot of places with not enough staff to handle the volume of people. Those downsides don't exactly create a positive experience that makes people want to come back, which is the goal of this kind of event. You might even wind up reminding people why they don't go to the movies as often, to avoid all those negatives

 

Frankly, it was too much demand for a single day, and unlike similar business levels from a highly anticipated tentpole release like NWH - where the benefit of the film experience itself usually outweighs the negatives - people went through all of extra effort to see ... "cinematic masterpieces" like Super Pets and Thor

 

When demand exceeds a reasonable capacity to serve, it can be alleviated somewhat by spreading it out over a longer time period, extended hours or more than 1 day, but there's a limit to that effect, and raising the price may be necessary. Because I think just to roll a $3 CD back again next year - when even more people will be aware of the event and demand likely increases - would be a mistake

I get all of that, but I also don’t think it is in the cards to expand it beyond one day, even if that would be optimal for staffing and crowding.

 

And the “too good to be true” is certainly a good point, especially on the crowding angle.  It’s just that I think that the price difference between this and Discount Tuesday shouldn’t be ignored, especially for the chains that have lower Discount Tuesdays that you might find in major cities.

 

I suppose I am most sympathetic on the staffing angle, than the crowding one.  Heck, even though folks like to say otherwise, many people love crowds. At least in the aggregate.  It makes even the most mundane of things seem like an event.  A trip to the beach or county fair, for instance, just seems more lively and fun when there’s more people.

 

So it might actually make Superpets a more “cinematic event”.  Or at least more of one.

 

I suppose I might be okay with $4, though really it should wait two or three years before a boost.  But anything beyond that I think is courting danger.

 

(I also would discount the effect of inflation being in folks minds -:if folks have been watching their checkbooks extra carefully this year, that might have led to a bigger explosion than might happen in years where inflation isn’t as much of a concern)

Edited September 4, 2022 by Porthos

[grim22]

 

 

[filmlover]

16 minutes ago, LonePirate said:

Short of adjusting showtimes with more morning and midnight shows or replacing deadweight movies with films people actually want to see, it will be tough to increase attendance much beyond another two or three hundred thousand. A price increase of even $1 is not going to dent the event at all. I don't think a $2 increase will hurt it much. 

 

Were there any discounts on concessions or were those priced normally? The volume of those yesterday were the real moneymakers. 

The multiplex I went to yesterday had discounted concessions. The lines to get them were several feet long each. I imagine theaters are going to ask for National Cinema Day to be a permanent thing going forward because yesterday definitely brought them in a whole lot of money.

[The Dark Alfred]

700m for TGM, woohoo! Need a new target haha I think 1.5 billion WW is not our of the question.

[DAJK]

I don’t know what’s more impressive in hindsight, that we had a Spiderman movie gross ~820 million domestically, or a Top Gun movie gross ~720 million domestically.

[XXR vs XXR]

1 minute ago, DAJK said:

I don’t know what’s more impressive in hindsight, that we had a Spiderman movie gross ~820 million domestically, or a Top Gun movie gross ~720 million domestically.

I guess I'm more impressed with TGM since it more than doubled my prediction, while I was already high on NWH (i.e my NWH > Avengers 1 Club). 

[Eric the Ape]

12 minutes ago, DAJK said:

I don’t know what’s more impressive in hindsight, that we had a Spiderman movie gross ~820 million domestically, or a Top Gun movie gross ~720 million domestically.

Definitely Top Gun. Had way more of a surprise factor than Spidey.

[Porthos]

13 minutes ago, DAJK said:

I don’t know what’s more impressive in hindsight, that we had a Spiderman movie gross ~820 million domestically, or a Top Gun movie gross ~720 million domestically.

 

Def the latter for me.  While NWH doubling the previous installment is WOW (and a big one), it's still a CBM doing north of $700m, which has happened recently when the stars align.

 

TGM doing $700m+ though?  Been quite a while for a film that wasn't a CBM or part of an established franchise.  Yes, it's a sequel.  To a near 40 year old film that wasn't thought of as an untapped potential franchise.

 

I doubt many people saw 400m+ coming, never mind 500m or 600m.

 

This isn't to take away the WOW from NWH.  It is absolutely WOW Worthy.  Just TGM is more so.

 

===

To put it another way, NWH doing much better than, oh let's say 600m, is still not as amazeballs as TGM doing much better than 200m or even 300m.

Edited September 4, 2022 by Porthos

[TwoMisfits]

1 hour ago, LonePirate said:

Short of adjusting showtimes with more morning and midnight shows or replacing deadweight movies with films people actually want to see, it will be tough to increase attendance much beyond another two or three hundred thousand. A price increase of even $1 is not going to dent the event at all. I don't think a $2 increase will hurt it much. 

 

Were there any discounts on concessions or were those priced normally? The volume of those yesterday were the real moneymakers. 

 

Cinemark made certain concessions $3, too...they sold a LOT of popcorn, soda, ICEES, and candy (the $3 stuff)...

[TwoMisfits]

1 hour ago, Porthos said:

I get all of that, but I also don’t think it is in the cards to expand it beyond one day, even if that would be optimal for staffing and crowding.

 

And the “too good to be true” is certainly a good point, especially on the crowding angle.  It’s just that I think that the price difference between this and Discount Tuesday shouldn’t be ignored, especially for the chains that have lower Discount Tuesdays that you might find in major cities.

 

I suppose I am most sympathetic on the staffing angle, than the crowding one.  Heck, even though folks like to say otherwise, many people love crowds. At least in the aggregate.  It makes even the most mundane of things seem like an event.  A trip to the beach or county fair, for instance, just seems more lively and fun when there’s more people.

 

So it might actually make Superpets a more “cinematic event”.  Or at least more of one.

 

I suppose I might be okay with $4, though really it should wait two or three years before a boost.  But anything beyond that I think is courting danger.

 

(I also would discount the effect of inflation being in folks minds -:if folks have been watching their checkbooks extra carefully this year, that might have led to a bigger explosion than might happen in years where inflation isn’t as much of a concern)

 

I agree with all of this...the price point on tickets and concessions did everything the movie and theater people wanted it to do - got tons of not regular theater goers and tons of regular theater goers to take a chance on a movie and have a nice outing with family and/or friends.  And they got to advertise their product and their future product to every single person in those seats.

 

I can say that Amsterdam was never on my radar to see before yesterday.  I imagine I'm not the only one who thought "yeah, maybe I'll check this out later in the fall" on a movie that they never were gonna step foot in before yesterday.

 

And I imagine I'm not the only regular movie goer who increased a normal concession order b/c of prices - rather than 2 large popcorn (the norm I buy), I bought 3 for my kids, their friends, and my spouse (I can't eat it anymore).  Why not, when it was cheaper than my normal purchase.

[CJohn]

Those are the dumbest Sunday estimates ever. Every movie is gonna drop like a rock from those with actuals.

[robertman2]

My showing of Dragon Ball didn't even have previews, let alone the sizzle reel.

 

Not complaining since the previews at my first showing were all lame lol

[baumer]

2 hours ago, Eric the Shark said:

I mean most people weren't throwing down 20 bucks, but I like the enthusiasm lol

 

Well an IMAX actually here in Toronto is $19.99 and a 3D ticket is around 18 bucks. So it's pretty close

[cookie]

4 minutes ago, RobrtmanAStarWarsReference said:

My showing of Dragon Ball didn't even have previews, let alone the sizzle reel.

 

Not complaining since the previews at my first showing were all lame lol

What's this sizzle reel I keep seeing being mentioned here? Is it like a compilation of upcoming movies?

[robertman2]

Just now, cookie said:

What's this sizzle reel I keep seeing being mentioned here? Is it like a compilation of upcoming movies?

yeah

[Eric the Ape]

11 minutes ago, baumer said:

 

Well an IMAX actually here in Toronto is $19.99 and a 3D ticket is around 18 bucks. So it's pretty close

I meant that most people seeing it in IMAX saw it for $3 yesterday.

[Eric the Ape]

18 hours ago, Eric the Shark said:

I didn't get it either. I'm assuming it's because Minions is a kids movie and they can't show footage of Pearl or Don't Worry Darling? But if you didn't get it in front of Orphan 2, then maybe there was miscommunication. I'm honestly really mad, because that sizzle reel was the only reason I planned something for Saturday

I found the sizzle reel on Twitter! I can't share it publicly on the boards, but if anybody wants to watch it, give this post a like and I will PM you the tweet.

[Legion Again]

1 hour ago, baumer said:

 

Well an IMAX actually here in Toronto is $19.99 and a 3D ticket is around 18 bucks. So it's pretty close

But yesterday it was $3, so not close at all

[XXR vs XXR]

 

Not sure if this works exactly but it doesn't sound like a bad path to consider.