Christmas-New Year Weekdays Thread (12/26-28)

[JonathanMB]

So I calculated the weekend-to-week multipliers for movies from the same 2017 weekend:

 

 

The Last Jedi - 2.35

Jumanji: WttJ - 2.83

Pitch Perfect 3 - 2.33

Greatest Showman - 3.28

Ferdinand - 3.10

Coco - 3.02

Downsizing - 2.51

Darkest Hour - 2.52

Father Figures - 2.76

The Shape of Water - 2.52

 

And then calculated the same numbers for the movies this year. For the 12/22 openers I did two numbers - the first is with Thursday previews, and the second number is without (since previews start so much earlier this year, plus Jumanji and TGS were Wednesday openers in '17):

 

 

Aquaman 2 - 2.11/2.32

Wonka - 2.95

Anyone But You - 2.68/3.10

The Iron Claw - 2.32/2.54

The Boy and the Heron - 2.16

 

Actually pretty comparable to similar movies from 2017, especially with the Thursday previews removed.

[Zak]

2 hours ago, BadOlCatSylvester said:

They gambled on a mini Black Panther breakout not too dissimilar to what Disney were hoping to see for their Little Mermaid remake. And it just didn't end up happening despite the early presales. At least Mermaid did decent enough domestically that merchandise revenue will likely be enough to make that profitable in the end. This one has been falling off a cliff after Christmas Day and probably won't even reach $100M domestically.

 

Also, what happened to your old account? I recognize you, but I don't think you got banned or anything as far as I'm aware.

I'll say this, WB had balls spending 100M on a musical with such depressing subject matter.

 

I didn't get banned from this forum. I dropped that account because it was connected to a Twitter account that did get banned and other reasons. I forgot my password and I was told that I could find it but I just didn't want to keep that account anymore. 

[ThomasNicole]

15 minutes ago, Cmasterclay said:

People can hate all they want on people checking their phones and talking during the movies (to be very clear, I do neither of these things in a movie ever), but the fact is, sad or not, checking their phone is a hell of a lot more important to the vast, vast majority of Americans in 2023 than the movie theater experience. Either we adapt the movie theater experience to the desires of the 2023 audience, or we accept a reality that is diminished more and more each year. Basically, we are heading for a world where 10 big movies and a few specialty arthouse places are capable of being exhibited, and the other 95 percent of movies being currently released are played to increasingly empty houses. I mean, I guess that already is reality, but given that this is box office theory, I don't know why we would accept that instead of fighting against the dying of the light for solutions.

If we simply adapt to every late capitalist shit like people saying they can’t take 2 hours offline we’re already doomed 

 

We don’t have to accept everything absurd that happens to be normalized, and theaters should be more smart than this and imagine that if people are fully allowed to watch movies in a dark room while using their phones, they’ll just make the experience even more similar to watch it at home 

 

This is the type of ideas that will push the end of theaters further 

[Krissykins]

2 hours ago, MightyDargon said:

Again, they make their money off concessions, not the movies themselves. Concessions have always had an inflated price vs. what food should cost.

I know that, my response was to the comment about food costing more than it used to to make.

 

I’m saying they can reduce prices because the food they’re selling is basically shit. Hotdogs and popcorn aren’t expensive to produce. 
 

Anyway, great for Anyone But You. Decent holds for Wonka and Aquaman. 

[grim22]

14 minutes ago, TwoMisfits said:

 

Speaking of sexy people, I finally watched Barbie on streaming yesterday.

 

A very fresh movie.  I struggle to see how it made so much, but then I tell myself I thought the movie worked on many age levels, with the best level working for age 8.  So, a summer movie that works best for 8 year olds vs 28 year olds or 48 year olds, but isn't off-putting to either of the latter, can sky high.

 

I thought the best parts of the movie were in Barbieland with "the play" - I thought the worst parts were real life.  And I don't think anyone knew what to do with Will Ferrell and Mattel.  

 

I'd give it a B b/c I'd grade higher for the freshness, and the "all-in" for showing how Barbie and Ken would live in Barbie world. 

 

Not sad I watched it...not sad I didn't pay to watch it:).  Good holiday viewing...

My wife and I watched it in theaters and then again on streaming the other day, my wife asked me "what is Zack Snyder's version of Justice League, and why is it the punchline?" during the rewatch, I told her it would take way too long to explain fully and some things are better off not knowing about.

[Cmasterclay]

2 minutes ago, ThomasNicole said:

If we simply adapt to every late capitalist shit like people saying they can’t take 2 hours offline we’re already doomed 

 

We don’t have to accept everything absurd that happens to be normalized, and theaters should be more smart than this and imagine that if people are fully allowed to watch movies in a dark room while using their phones, they’ll just make the experience even more similar to watch it at home 

 

This is the type of ideas that will push the end of theaters further 

This could very well be true. To be clear, I'm pretty much Ted Clayzinski at this point when it comes to the technological domination of our lives well beyond just box office. I don't like even ordering Amazon packages. I'm not saying I like these things. I'm just grasping for solutions. Frankly, I don't know what the answer is except pray that years away from COVID and enough good product can change people's habits.

[ChipDerby]

1 hour ago, baumer said:

 

That's ridiculous one is a twist the other one is disingenuous marketing about your film you're duping people into getting them into the theater. You're not confident enough you can sell your movie as a musical so you trick people.

Who cares if you loved the movie

[cannastop]

26 minutes ago, Cmasterclay said:

People can hate all they want on people checking their phones and talking during the movies (to be very clear, I do neither of these things in a movie ever), but the fact is, sad or not, checking their phone is a hell of a lot more important to the vast, vast majority of Americans in 2023 than the movie theater experience. Either we adapt the movie theater experience to the desires of the 2023 audience, or we accept a reality that is diminished more and more each year. Basically, we are heading for a world where 10 big movies and a few specialty arthouse places are capable of being exhibited, and the other 95 percent of movies being currently released are played to increasingly empty houses. I mean, I guess that already is reality, but given that this is box office theory, I don't know why we would accept that instead of fighting against the dying of the light for solutions.

fuck movie theaters then I'm not going if they encourage people to look at their phones. If looking at your phone is more important than a movie sit your ass at home.

 

Do they encourage people at concerts and plays to look at phones?

[cannastop]

If I had to choose one thing out of the wish list of Quality of Life or price reductions wish list I would choose fewer ads.

My mom taught me to be frugal. If popcorn is $10, don't buy it.

But the ads are very bad in theaters now. I think there should be 5 trailers after the listed showtime and that's it. That's my one wish.

[dallas]

I don't know what kind of theaters you guys go to but I don't have half the problems y'all are complaining about, especially the phone thing. 

[grim22]

6 minutes ago, cannastop said:

fuck movie theaters then I'm not going if they encourage people to look at their phones. If looking at your phone is more important than a movie sit your ass at home.

 

Do they encourage people at concerts and plays to look at phones?

At concerts people seem to record on their phones more than paying attention to the actual singing and dancing. At plays and on Broadway people can be kicked out for using their phones.

[cannastop]

1 minute ago, grim22 said:

At concerts people seem to record on their phones more than paying attention to the actual singing and dancing. At plays and on Broadway people can be kicked out for using their phones.

by concert I meant symphony. I know at rock concerts no one GAF

[JustWatching]

1 minute ago, dallas said:

I don't know what kind of theaters you guys go to but I don't have half the problems y'all are complaining about, especially the phone thing. 

Same. I would find a better box to go sit in if I did.

[cannastop]

2 minutes ago, dallas said:

I don't know what kind of theaters you guys go to but I don't have half the problems y'all are complaining about, especially the phone thing. 

I don't have problems either. But thinking "oh if only people were encouraged to use their phones then we'd have 2003 audience levels" is insanity.

[dallas]

6 minutes ago, cannastop said:

fuck movie theaters then I'm not going if they encourage people to look at their phones. If looking at your phone is more important than a movie sit your ass at home.

 

Do they encourage people at concerts and plays to look at phones?

Don't know why you guys are so stuck up about somebody else checking their phones for a few seconds at the theater. I can understand being mad if someone is just completely playing on their phone but if they only pull it out to check a text, then that isn't a problem and you shouldn't get that mad over it. Besides, you came to the theater to watch the movie, so watch the big ass screen instead of paying attention to a single person who is doing something you don't care for. 

[cannastop]

There was one person whose phone beeped at least 3 times during oppenheimer and that was annoying though. Fire movie though. IMAX 70mm for the win

[cannastop]

1 minute ago, dallas said:

Don't know why you guys are so stuck up about somebody else checking their phones for a few seconds at the theater. I can understand being mad if someone is just completely playing on their phone but if they only pull it out to check a text, then that isn't a problem and you shouldn't get that mad over it. Besides, you came to the theater to watch the movie, so watch the big ass screen instead of paying attention to a single person who is doing something you don't care for. 

I'm fine with how it is as is but apparently Clay thinks we need more phone usage in theaters which is so stupid.

[titanic2187]

1 minute ago, dallas said:

I don't know what kind of theaters you guys go to but I don't have half the problems y'all are complaining about, especially the phone thing. 

Do you stay in Asia? Because I too, don’t think the problem of moviegoing are this bad in my country. Yes we do have ads and trailer but there are generally 15min long and is a good mix of them.

 

As for phone usage, it is still well well within the tolerance level. To see people this triggered, it must be either they have a very low tolerance and patience, or they have a very bad public manner. 

[Kon]

Can we let the topic about cellphones in cinemas go? It's a pretty boring topic.

[dallas]

1 minute ago, cannastop said:

I'm fine with how it is as is but apparently Clay thinks we need more phone usage in theaters which is so stupid.

Yeah I don't think people should be using their phones deliberately in the theater. That kind of defeats the purpose of going to the movies. But I do think it's okay to check your phone as long as your brightness is down and your sound is off.