Moviepass: Lets you watch unlimited movies in theaters

[number8]

http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/underwire/2011/06/MoviePass4-260x300.jpg

Huh. This might be worth it for me.

It's a smartphone app that lets you into any movie in any participating theater for however many times you want in lieu of a movie ticket.

Subscription is $50 a month for unlimited movies, $30 a month for 4 movies, and you pay $3 admission every time you use it for IMAX or 3D showings. Not too outrageous if you go to the movies every week.

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/06/all-you-can-watch-moviepass-brings-netflix-model-to-theaters/

[Irish]

Whoa. $30 for 4 movies a month is a pretty sweet deal.

Do they block you out of certain showtimes or new releases? You used to be able to bulk buy tickets in advance at AMC but there were certain times and shows you couldn't use those tickets at, which limited the usefulness of it.

[Dukefrukem]

I posted this in the Flick discussion thread. I think it's awesome. I don't go 4+ times a month so it wouldn't be worth it for me, but it's a good idea for moviegoers.

[number8]

Heh, to be honest, the idea of not having to print or pick up tickets and just walk in whenever I want with my iPhone is pretty great, too.

[chrisnu]

That is awesome. Now, if only art house theaters would participate...

[number8]

That is awesome. Now, if only art house theaters would participate...

Aside from the AMCs, all the theaters listed as participating theaters in the Bay Area beta are arthouse theaters.

[Spun Lepton]

I love the idea.

But, what do the studios think?

[Irish]

I love the idea. But, what do the studios think?

I don't think the studios care, as a long as they keep getting the same percentage.

My guess here is that this is sorta like an ongoing Groupon, where the item in question is sold as a loss leader to get people into the store.

What they really want is (1) your ass in the theater buying $6 bags of popcorn every week and (2) the opportunity to upsell you on DVDs the second the movie is over.

This article from Wired really highlights how much marketing they're hoping to do to the people who sign up for this:

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/06/all-you-can-watch-moviepass-brings-netflix-model-to-theaters/

[Fezzik]

I'll be honest, if this is supported in my city, Im jumping on it and going to as many movies as I can.

This is a fantastic thing.

[eternity]

It's cheaper for me to just buy tickets, so...nah.

[Ezee E]

Question though, where does the $30 go? Is it split amongst the studios?

I'd consider this if my main multiplex carried more indie theaters, but with certain movies getting 5-6 screens (3d, 2d, imax 3d) it takes away movies that usually would've gone there before.

[number8]

Question though, where does the $30 go? Is it split amongst the studios?

I highly doubt the studios are even involved at all. My guess is that the theaters still pay the studios the same deal as before, which is a certain small % for each ticket sold, and whenever you go in using Moviepass, that still counts as one ticket sold.

The participating theaters are doing this because it probably won't make a lot of difference to them, given the very small profit they make from ticket sales anyway. You earn less money from there, you recoup from increased concession sales, which is their true bread and butter. And if no one takes advantage of their Moviepass, the theaters don't lose anything because they don't have to pay the loss to the studios, and yet they still gain a piece of the subscription fee. It's win-win, and there's good PR on top of it.

[EyesWideOpen]

Here in Arizona the early day AMC screenings are $5 (which is what I go to) so I would have to go to the movies 10 times a month to get my money back.

Otherwise I think it's a great idea.

[Irish]

After MoviePass announced its launch earlier this week, movie exhibitors have been pulling away from the service, which would offer users unlimited movie screenings for $50 per month and allow them to buy tickets using their smartphones. AMC even claimed MoviePass included the theater chain without its consent.

:lol: So this is pretty much dead-in-water.

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/06/moviepass-beta-on-hold/

[number8]

“We’re enthusiastic that once we can walk them through the service they’ll be excited, we just haven’t had that opportunity yet,” Spikes said. “The silver lining of all of this is that this has created the ability to have that dialog now.”

WTF? Are these people morons? Why the fuck would you announce something you haven't arranged yet? Goddammit.

[Fezzik]

I just signed up for this.

They have lowered the price to $29.99 a month and have added a couple of restrictions:

1 - One movie per day
2 - The program can only be used to see any given film one time
3 - Only 2D, not IMAX "regular" screen showings allowed.

How it works is you use the app to chose the show and time you want

When you get to the theater, you "check in" with the app and it verifies you're there.

I didn't understand the reason for this at first, but I do now:

The card itself is a prepaid Discover credit card. When you check in, they load the amount of the ticket price onto the card so you can pay for it.

If they didn't require checkins, people could use the money for anything they wanted. Its a minor thing and not really an inconvenience.

Plus, since you "buy" the ticket with the card, you still get full credit / points on your frequent watcher card (like AMC Stubs) because the system shows you paid full price for the ticket.

$30 a month for this is a sweeeet deal.

[Ezee E]

AMC is doing this? Thought it fell through....

[number8]

1 - One movie per day

OH, YOU THINK SO?

Moo hoo ha ha.

[Dukefrukem]

"Only 2D" is what will screw me. My theater's 2D listings for movies is very restrictive. I wouldn't be able to go at any decent time.

[number8]

AMC is doing this? Thought it fell through....

It did during the beta, but they found a workaround to bypass partnership with theaters.

Now they send you a Moviepass credit card to go with the app, and you use it to buy tickets normally like any other credit card. So you can literally use this service in any movie theater that accepts cards, which is pretty much 98% of all theaters.

EDIT: The Moviepass card is a Discover card, so I guess only movie theaters that accept Discover.

[Dukefrukem]

Discover: The exclusive group called anybody.

[EyesWideOpen]

Discover: The exclusive group called anybody.

When I was 21 they gave me a card with a $4000 limit. It was the worst thing that ever happened to me.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I think this can only work if, upon every entry, you have to turn to the usher and say "Leeloo Dallas Moviepass."

[Gizmo]

When I was 21 they gave me a card with a $4000 limit. It was the worst thing that ever happened to me.

I was 19 and it was $1500, but yes, horrible. Almost have all my credit cards paid off finally. Can't wait to be done with that demon.

[Lucky]

Highschool/undergrad me would have been all over this. Nowadays, to go to the theater 3 (to break even) or 4+ times (to take advantage of the deal) a month is pushing it.

[number8]

Just got my card. Can't wait to try it.

[Fezzik]

Just got my card. Can't wait to try it.

Ive used it 4 times so far. It pays for itself very quickly!

[Irish]

I can't imagine this service lasting. What the hell is their business model?

They've got to be subsidizing the cost of the tickets. They just got $1.5MM in funding, but that's not much and won't last more than a year at most.

[number8]

I imagine that they're hoping to build a big enough user base to start negotiating with movie theaters.

[Irish]

Yeah, that's what I can't figure. To what end? The theaters already run these kind of discount programs & have years of data on their effectiveness. They can also just blow off MoviePass and build their own systems.

On the other side, this is a startup that's banking on an awkward user experience that's based on something (movie theaters) that's becoming something of an antiquated distribution system.

Seems like a lot of ways to lose.

[number8]

Maybe. I'm just gonna take full advantage of it while it lasts.

[number8]

Used this twice now this weekend. Planning on seeing another movie tomorrow. Minor hiccups aside, I can see this working out great for me.

A few days ago I noticed that the app lists a bunch of single-theater arthouse places here in Brooklyn, but doesn't show any showtimes that can select. I sent a ticket about it and got an immediate reply saying that it's just a matter of them missing the showtime data that the theaters are supposed to provide, but all I have to do is call the hotline when I'm in the theater and someone will select a showtime for me manually. A bit tedious, but okay, that's a good service, at least. But then, lo and behold, I was gonna do that today and noticed that the showtimes for those theaters are now up. Must have updated yesterday or today. Woo hoo. I'm gonna go to BAM, Nitehawk Cinema and the IFC Center a lot more in the future, it seems.

[Dukefrukem]

Anyone else get that promo e-mail from MP with the subject: "The World is Ending Today" and when you open the e-mail and read it... "so get your gift membership to moviepass right now"

[number8]

I've been abusing the shit out of this, by the way. I've been on vacation for the past 2 weeks and using it almost everyday.

[Dukefrukem]

I've been abusing the shit out of this, by the way. I've been on vacation for the past 2 weeks and using it almost everyday.

Only 2D showings right?

[Fezzik]

Only 2D showings right?

Only 2D, regular (ie, no HFR no IMAX) showings.

[Ezee E]

I just got my invitation. I'm curious how it'll work for the Alamo (which is accepted in Moviepass). I guess I can only reserve my seat when I get there...

Hoping the Landmark Theaters and another arthouse join soon. Those are the closest theaters to me.

[Ezee E]

Also, if you use promo code: ScreenTeamShow You save $10 for your first month.

[Dukefrukem]

So it looks like Showcase now accepts this, which was my only hangup not to consider this.

Can the "Initiation fee" be waved?

[Kurosawa Fan]

Their new Countdown Clock killed any interest I had in their service.

[Dukefrukem]

Countdown Clock?

[number8]

You can now only see a movie once every 24 hours rather than once a day. After you buy a ticket, a 24 hour countdown appears on the app.

[Dukefrukem]

Bah, why the fuck does that matter if I see a movie in the morning or the evening? (say if I go Friday night and want to go again Sat morning) That's so lame.

[number8]

Because if they prevent you from seeing it Saturday morning, maybe you won't see a movie on Saturday at all, and the less you use your card, the more they profit. Capitalism!

[Ezee E]

There's an initiation fee?

Countdown lock or not, I've saved a good amount of money with this.

[Kurosawa Fan]

It really sucks for me, because since I have kids, I see movies in bunches because of busy schedules. Having them interfere with that system makes the service not worthwhile.

[Ezee E]

It really sucks for me, because since I have kids, I see movies in bunches because of busy schedules. Having them interfere with that system makes the service not worthwhile.

I wish you could do couples on the card. Sure, you can get two cards, but would just be easier if you had that option available.

[number8]

It really sucks that it has no leeway whatsoever too. If you watched a movie Friday at 7:30 and there's a movie on Saturday that starts at 7:25, you can't fucking go even if it's five fucking minutes.

But I think the worst part about the countdown clock is that it doesn't just limit the showtimes you can choose, you literally have to wait until the clock hits 0 before you can use the card. So if you want to go to a movie today that starts at the exact same time as the movie you saw yesterday, you won't be able to buy a ticket half an hour earlier.

Basically their goal is to keep pushing your movie viewing time later and later in the day until it becomes inconvenient to go and you have to skip seeing a movie that day.

[Ezee E]

It really sucks that it has no leeway whatsoever too. If you watched a movie Friday at 7:30 and there's a movie on Saturday that starts at 7:25, you can't fucking go even if it's five fucking minutes.

But I think the worst part about the countdown clock is that it doesn't just limit the showtimes you can choose, you literally have to wait until the clock hits 0 before you can use the card. So if you want to go to a movie today that starts at the exact same time as the movie you saw yesterday, you won't be able to buy a ticket half an hour earlier.

Basically their goal is to keep pushing your movie viewing time later and later in the day until it becomes inconvenient to go and you have to skip seeing a movie that day.

Wait. I've bought it at the same exact time and bought my ticket 15-20 minutes ahead of time.

[number8]

Was the countdown still on? He showtimes are greyed out for me when there's time left.

[Ezee E]

The countdown is on, but I scroll down and can select the showtime. I remember wondering what the case would be like if it started at exactly the same time.

And, um, I've also tried it where I wanted a different movie at a later time, picked that, and went with the one I really wanted, and that worked...

[Dukefrukem]

I was going to ask for this for my birthday, but you guys are really not selling it too well.

[Ezee E]

Well, beyond that inconvenience, let's take a look: I have had it for seven months ($245). I have seen 34 movies with it, so probably savings of over $100.

[number8]

I don't recommend it to people anymore. You should be saving at least 3 movies' worth a month to make all that hassle of scheduling worth the effort. I still pay the pre-price hike $29.99 a month and movies are $14.50 here so I try my best to rob them blind. I've used my card 7 times this month, and I was out of the country for the first two weeks. Would have been more without that damn countdown, though.

[Ezee E]

I don't recommend it to people anymore. You should be saving at least 3 movies' worth a month to make all that hassle of scheduling worth the effort. I still pay the pre-price hike $29.99 a month and movies are $14.50 here so I try my best to rob them blind. I've used my card 7 times this month, and I was out of the country for the first two weeks. Would have been more without that damn countdown, though.

I recommend it. Especially if you live in a metropolitan area like NY/LA type. Movies are $10-$15 around me. I just need two movies, and that's it.

Not sure what I'll do come February though. Wonder if I can just close it for two months.

[number8]

I use it to see old movies a lot. That's what I do when new releases are shit.

[Ezee E]

I use it to see old movies a lot. That's what I do when new releases are shit.

It does work at the Arclight and Beverly Cinemas... Good idea.

[EyesWideOpen]

Where I live movies are $5-7 so I would have to go a ton for it to be worth it to me.

[Derek]

It does work at the Arclight and Beverly Cinemas... Good idea.

It also works at the the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian and Aero and now even at Cinefamily (the Silent Movie Theater that plays more cult/trash films than anything else, but also arthouse and silents on occasion). With those and the Newabl Beverly, there's no excuse for any cinephile in LA, and I imagine NY, not to be able to get more than their money's worth out of this.

If you're consistently paying $5 for a movie, I hate you, but mostly for your ability to exist in 1993.

[EyesWideOpen]

It also works at the the American Cinematheque at the Egyptian and Aero and now even at Cinefamily (the Silent Movie Theater that plays more cult/trash films than anything else, but also arthouse and silents on occasion). With those and the Newabl Beverly, there's no excuse for any cinephile in LA, and I imagine NY, not to be able to get more than their money's worth out of this.

If you're consistently paying $5 for a movie, I hate you, but mostly for your ability to exist in 1993.

The AMC's here charge $5 before 6pm. The Phoenix area is surprisingly a great area for movie buffs. I live in Gilbert and have like 15-20 theaters within 30 minutes of me.

[Irish]

Anyone still using this?

[Ezee E]

Yep.

[number8]

Hahahahaha what the hell. After 6 years I was finally ready to cancel my subscription this month and suddenly this morning I got an email saying my plan is being changed to just $10 a month and it's guaranteed for 12 months. These fuckers got me again for another year. Damn.

[Dukefrukem]

Where do I sign up?

[Ezee E]

Looks like I'll be rejoining.

[Dukefrukem]

nevermind

[amberlita]

What's the deal with this?

I really don't see movies in the theater very often (I have a fairly good setup at home and use Redbox; and wind up watching lots of movies on flights) but a friend of mine just signed up for this and I have a suspicion she'll be asking me to join her at the theater more often -- requests that I find it very difficult to turn down.

So anyway, wondering what ya'll think at this point.


p.s., I'm having a personal crisis realizing how old this thread is. I vaguely recall reading the earlier posts when MoviePass was first starting, but would have literally estimated the time to about 2 years ago, not 7 for fuck's sake.

[number8]

Yeah. Weird that I posted this over five years ago expecting it to be a short experiment and I'm still using it today...


Maybe. I'm just gonna take full advantage of it while it lasts.

[amberlita]

I'm not clear about the issue with AMC. Can you use this anywhere or has AMC actually found an effective way to block MoviePass subscribers?

[number8]

No they have not. They really hate it and moan about it to the press but I just used it at an AMC this week. It's not possible for them to decline.

[Ezee E]

Certain chains don't use it (Landmark), but it works like a charm for me, and it's only $10/month now.

AMC, most Hawkins, and quite a few indie theaters use it. Just weird that Landmark hasn't taken it on yet.

I don't understand why AMC is against it, considering they get paid no matter what, and Moviepass users tend to buy more theater items (popcorn/drinks).

[Irish]

I don't understand why AMC is against it

Just speculating here, but:

1. MoviePass is a direct competitor to the chain's own programs.

2. Nobody wants a middleman between themselves and their customers. It makes it difficult to develop a relationship.

3. People who purchase solely on price are difficult to upsell and tend to demand more. (ie: they can be a huge customer service pain in the ass, with little side benefit.)

4. Theater prefer attendees like Duke, because he doesn't think twice about dropping $100 on tickets to the latest Super-IMAX-70mm-Surround-Sound-Extravaganza.

[Ezee E]

Just speculating here, but:

1. MoviePass is a direct competitor to the chain's own programs.

2. Nobody wants a middleman between themselves and their customers. It makes it difficult to develop a relationship.

3. People who purchase solely on price are difficult to upsell and tend to demand more. (ie: they can be a huge customer service pain in the ass, with little side benefit.)

4. Theater prefer attendees like Duke, because he doesn't think twice about dropping $100 on tickets to the latest Super-IMAX-70mm-Surround-Sound-Extravaganza.

Moviepass is suppose to have a selection where you can have loyalty programs put to use, but they currently only use one. Never heard of that theater chain.

I think there's an IMAX-moviepass that you can spend a few extra dollars on per month and still get those seats.

[amberlita]

Just speculating here, but:

1. MoviePass is a direct competitor to the chain's own programs.

2. Nobody wants a middleman between themselves and their customers. It makes it difficult to develop a relationship.

3. People who purchase solely on price are difficult to upsell and tend to demand more. (ie: they can be a huge customer service pain in the ass, with little side benefit.)

4. Theater prefer attendees like Duke, because he doesn't think twice about dropping $100 on tickets to the latest Super-IMAX-70mm-Surround-Sound-Extravaganza.

If it's about competition that's one thing. But I thought theaters and theater chains made their money primarily on concessions? Why do they care about how much the price of a ticket is? More people in the theater = more people splurging on popcorn because they didn't drop $15 on a movie ticket.

[number8]

Because they don't think Moviepass will last. Their concern is that one day it's gonna bust and then they'll have hundreds of thousands of people who are used to spending $6 a month for 3 or 4 movies and it will be improbable to convince them to go back to paying regular prices. Think about how people are balking at the idea of paying for several streaming services even though it's still cheaper than what they used to pay for a cable package, because people remember a time when everything's just on Netflix. What AMC is mad about is Moviepass actively driving down the market value of a movie ticket.

[Irish]

If it's about competition that's one thing. But I thought theaters and theater chains made their money primarily on concessions? Why do they care about how much the price of a ticket is? More people in the theater = more people splurging on popcorn because they didn't drop $15 on a movie ticket.

They'd have their own data on this---but my guess is that there's probably a correlation between frequency of visit and concession stand sales. (In this context, I'm curious about dudes like TGM, Henry Gale, and Spinal, who seem to go to the movies 3-4 times a month. Do they buy jumbo popcorn every time?)

But really, I think it's about the relationship. 8 and Ezee aren't so much "AMC customers" as they are "MoviePass customers," and it's MoviePass that has their attention and could effect their purchases (Sample direct mail: "Hey, MoviePass Superfan. If you go to ShinyBox Theaters three times this month, the popcorn is on us!" or "Hey, MoviePass Superfan, go to Alamo twice this month and only pay $4.99 a subscription fee.") If MoviePass becomes ubiquitous, then it has the power to determine where its customers spend money.

Amazon delivered some hard lessons over the last two decades. One is that if you product turns into a commodity---ie, the experience of it is the same no matter where you bought it and there's no variation in quality---then you're fucked. People won't pay a premium for it. Once that happens, it's a race to the bottom on price.

Another is that the American public has no loyalty toward legacy chains; it's why Barnes and Noble, McDonalds, and Macy's are struggling. If MoviePass succeeds in creating a wedge between AMC and regular theater-goers, ultimately that could be very bad for AMC.

Then there's the data. A company like MoviePass exists to sell its customers data, so then AMC is in the weird, pain in the ass position of having to pay money to a quasi-parasitic third party company to learn about AMC's own customers. As a marketing guy, that would fucking annoy me to no end. As a sales guy, I'd see it as a strategic disaster.

[Skitch]

Theater chains don't want us movie dorks. They want the general populous, who wander in and ask what's starting now, buy a shitload of concessions. Do you ladies and gents buy food at the theater? I never do. I arrive on time, sit quietly, and internally rage quit life while listening to the cattle that bumble in ten minutes late with arm fulls of food who then talk through the entire movie because they can't comprend what they're seeing as they're too busy shovelling junk down their face holes.

We...are not...the target audience.

[amberlita]

They'd have their own data on this---but my guess is that there's probably a correlation between frequency of visit and concession stand sales. (In this context, I'm curious about dudes like TGM, Henry Gale, and Spinal, who seem to go to the movies 3-4 times a month. Do they buy jumbo popcorn every time?)

But that's assuming that MoviePass occupies only the film-nerd corner of the market, which I would say was a fair assumption up until they brought the Netflix/Redbox guy in. Previously the service was only attractive to those who go to the theater (or want to) on a nearly weekly basis. Of course those people don't pop for concessions every time. But he slashed the price to $10 and made it attractive to literally everyone. I saw Three Billboards yesterday and it was $14. That means MoviePass becomes a good investment for anyone who simply wants to see one movie a month! It's not just MatchCut the service is catering to anymore, as evidenced by my friend who is most definitely not a frequent filmgoer but heard about the service word of mouth through her sister and was even trying to spread the gospel to me. I think Lowe understood that, unless it was able to appeal to the general audience that will help line the pockets of theater chains by upping their concession revenue, MoviePass will continue to fail. Case in point: my friend bought Milk Duds last night. :)

I speak academically, though, since I still don't understand the long game here or how businesses work.


But really, I think it's about the relationship. 8 and Ezee aren't so much "AMC customers" as they are "MoviePass customers," and it's MoviePass that has their attention and could effect their purchases (Sample direct mail: "Hey, MoviePass Superfan. If you go to ShinyBox Theaters three times this month, the popcorn is on us!" or "Hey, MoviePass Superfan, go to Alamo twice this month and only pay $4.99 a subscription fee.") If MoviePass becomes ubiquitous, then it has the power to determine where its customers spend money.

Amazon delivered some hard lessons over the last two decades. One is that if you product turns into a commodity---ie, the experience of it is the same no matter where you bought it and there's no variation in quality---then you're fucked. People won't pay a premium for it. Once that happens, it's a race to the bottom on price.

Another is that the American public has no loyalty toward legacy chains; it's why Barnes and Noble, McDonalds, and Macy's are struggling. If MoviePass succeeds in creating a wedge between AMC and regular theater-goers, ultimately that could be very bad for AMC.


That's a good point I wouldn't have thought of it that way.

[Ezee E]

Because they don't think Moviepass will last. Their concern is that one day it's gonna bust and then they'll have hundreds of thousands of people who are used to spending $6 a month for 3 or 4 movies and it will be improbable to convince them to go back to paying regular prices. Think about how people are balking at the idea of paying for several streaming services even though it's still cheaper than what they used to pay for a cable package, because people remember a time when everything's just on Netflix. What AMC is mad about is Moviepass actively driving down the market value of a movie ticket.

This part makes the most sense to me. Although it's not like I was going to the theater much until I got moviepass, and almost never went on Friday/Saturday nights.

[amberlita]

Because they don't think Moviepass will last. Their concern is that one day it's gonna bust and then they'll have hundreds of thousands of people who are used to spending $6 a month for 3 or 4 movies and it will be improbable to convince them to go back to paying regular prices. Think about how people are balking at the idea of paying for several streaming services even though it's still cheaper than what they used to pay for a cable package, because people remember a time when everything's just on Netflix. What AMC is mad about is Moviepass actively driving down the market value of a movie ticket.

But again...why would AMC care? Movie studios should care about that. I know there's many things that go into the pricing of a movie ticket, but much of the rise has been because it takes more money to make a movie and studios are raising the cost for theaters to show the film. If the cost of a ticket goes down, studios will be forced to lower the price of leasing a film print, otherwise the theater chain can't afford to show the film, but the chain will still have a reliable revenue stream through concessions that will, if anything, go up.

This is taking a very narrow view on what theater chains care about. I can understand on the whole why driving down ticket prices is something that the film industry in general would sneer at. It's an ecosystem where everyone who is getting their pockets lines by a $20 movie ticket has no incentive to think about the number of individual filmgoers and instead about the total sum profit. But if any player was in a position to see how increasing filmgoers with a drop in ticket price is beneficial, I'd think it'd be the theaters.


edit: I'm cannibalizing my own thoughts here. I see your point about why this is a problem for theater chains if the model isn't sustainable, even if there's a short term benefit.

[Dukefrukem]

$50 a month for movies just sounds outlandish to me. I'd rather put that money towards a cable subscription and just rent movies at $0.99.

A new Oneil theater just opened near me. They serve food to your seat. I hate that so much. I just want to watch a fucking movie without smelling your shitty nacho pizza.

[Ezee E]

$50 a month for movies just sounds outlandish to me. I'd rather put that money towards a cable subscription and just rent movies at $0.99.

A new Oneil theater just opened near me. They serve food to your seat. I hate that so much. I just want to watch a fucking movie without smelling your shitty nacho pizza.

Haha. You'd hate the Alamo theaters then with servers walking past you. They duck, but still... It can definitely be annoying.

My gripe with AMC theaters is you'll have a quiet scene from All the Money in the World, and the bass from Last Jedi vibrates into the theater.

Regal seems to do it right, in Colorado, at least.

[Dukefrukem]

I've been to the Alamo in Austin when they did that. But I dont remember it being a big deal down there. They've been doing it for years.

It's new up here, and all the fat fucks orders food and beer there's like 37 people walking around.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Irony: I got Moviepass for three months for a Christmas gift, and I think I might actually buy popcorn now when I got to theaters.

[Watashi]

I'm one to never buy concessions, but since I got MoviePass, I've been buying a small popcorn every time I go to the movies.

[Henry Gale]

They'd have their own data on this---but my guess is that there's probably a correlation between frequency of visit and concession stand sales. (In this context, I'm curious about dudes like TGM, Henry Gale, and Spinal, who seem to go to the movies 3-4 times a month. Do they buy jumbo popcorn every time?)

Since this is the only conversation point I can really speak to in this thread since Moviepass doesn't exist in Canada: I definitely don't getting concessions every time I go to the movies (I usually bring a water bottle, since it's the one thing always allowed, and if I'm going between places I might already have a backpack equipped with a snack or two anyway 👀), but here we also have the Cineplex SCENE rewards program which is tied into a bunch of things like bank account purchases or even fitness apps now (Carrot, for Canadians here not up on it), but mainly for every ticket and concession purchase you make, you get points that work towards getting either movies or certain food items for free.

So with being lucky enough to see free movies often via screenings, I am more inclined to buy a popcorn now and then, or if I've racked up SCENE points that I don't need to use for a movie anytime soon (I usually save them for movies I know I'll want to see in IMAX) I'll treat myself to a free popcorn & drink combo through that.

But yeah, Moviepass has always sounded insane and since Cineplex has such a monopoly in Canada now (or at least Toronto), I doubt it'll come here anytime soon.

[number8]

But again...why would AMC care? Movie studios should care about that. I know there's many things that go into the pricing of a movie ticket, but much of the rise has been because it takes more money to make a movie and studios are raising the cost for theaters to show the film. If the cost of a ticket goes down, studios will be forced to lower the price of leasing a film print, otherwise the theater chain can't afford to show the film, but the chain will still have a reliable revenue stream through concessions that will, if anything, go up.

This is taking a very narrow view on what theater chains care about. I can understand on the whole why driving down ticket prices is something that the film industry in general would sneer at. It's an ecosystem where everyone who is getting their pockets lines by a $20 movie ticket has no incentive to think about the number of individual filmgoers and instead about the total sum profit. But if any player was in a position to see how increasing filmgoers with a drop in ticket price is beneficial, I'd think it'd be the theaters.


edit: I'm cannibalizing my own thoughts here. I see your point about why this is a problem for theater chains if the model isn't sustainable, even if there's a short term benefit.

Right, like I said, AMC’s gripes is about the long game.

To clarify, I don’t believe the price of tickets would actually go down. It would be the opposite. I was talking about the value in the consumer’s mind. Currently, I’m on the annual plan. I pay $89 a year for my membership. It’s teaching me that going to the movies costs the same as a cup of coffee. Or less.

If Moviepass goes away, I will have to face the reality that to maintain the habit that I’ve developed for the past 5 years + however many more years until Moviepass keels over (a habit of 3-5 movies a month), I will have to start paying tenfold. I may not think that’s financially wise. So I don’t, and I go to the theaters less. Now imagine thousands of people suddenly dropping from regular theater visits all at once. Meanwhile, the cost of making movies don’t change. In fact, they will most likely increase. With attendance severely down, they’ll have to make up the difference by raising ticket prices. The gap between the reality of what a movie ticket needs to cost and the expectations of ex-Moviepass members become wider and wider. It then breeds resentment.

[Dukefrukem]

Heh. Arya pays $89 a year and I'm pretty sure that's what I paid for the last Star Wars movie alone. (mind you that was 5 tickets)

[Irish]

MoviePass is getting into the distribution business:

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180119005325/en/MoviePassTM-Unveils-Strategy-Invest-Film%C2%A0at-Sundance-Film/

Which pretty much confirms AMC's worst fears. Also, this bit speaks to my previous suspicions:


MoviePass is currently purchasing approximately 3% of domestic box office. However, it is purchasing in excess of 10% of a particular title’s domestic box office when it uses a series of levers within its app and marketing-based platform to impact a consumer’s selection of a particular independent film. Examples of having impacted 10%+ box office performance include: The Post, Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri, Call Me By Your Name and The Shape of Water.

[Ivan Drago]

So that news isn't a good sign that MoviePass is doing well? If not, how so?

[Dukefrukem]

So that news isn't a good sign that MoviePass is doing well? If not, how so?

Check out the discussion that started on the last page.

[Ivan Drago]

Check out the discussion that started on the last page.

So MoviePass is driving down the market value of a movie ticket.

Welp, better enjoy it while it's here, I guess.

[Ezee E]

But yet Indie movies are benefitting.

Keep on keepin' on until it's over I say! I saw Phantom Thread yesterday, and had Hummus with a glass of wine. A glass of wine! That's a first.

Seemed fitting with Phantom Thread.

[Mal]

I got my moviepass in late October - and since I've used it 16 times. I've been to the movies more than 20 times however (a couple theaters in my area don't take it or I've had to get reserved seats ahead of time).
Tickets around here are at least $12 for a night showing, so I've saved around $162 bucks in three months.
I also won a gift card for movietickets.com via fantasty movie league, so beyond the subscription I'm not going to pay out of pocket for anything for a while.

The one downside is the most obvious- can't reserve a seat a few days in advance. But then again, only one theater in the area that takes movie pass has reserved seats and I absolutely hate that theater because its near a mall. I've been trying to support the two theaters near me which are smaller chains when using my pass, by always buying a beer (only $4) or a coffee ($3) when I go to the cinema now. Sometimes maybe the french fries which are shockingly good for a theater. But i'm not going to the theater for food of course. For a single gal who is trying to watch her wallet and see as many good films as possible, movie pass has made me very happy.

[Dukefrukem]

You can't reserve seats with Moviepass? Oh man. I can't imagine a world where that isn't a thing.

[Ezee E]

You can't reserve seats with Moviepass? Oh man. I can't imagine a world where that isn't a thing.

You can go anytime the day of I suppose.

I don't like the Friday/Saturday night sellouts, so that's just fine on my end.

[Ivan Drago]

You can go anytime the day of I suppose.

Yeah when I have to go to a theater with reserved seating, I go to the theater a few hours before the showing just to check in and buy my ticket. It's awesome.

[Dukefrukem]

So it requires MORE work to use. That's bad.

[number8]

I got my moviepass in late October - and since I've used it 16 times. I've been to the movies more than 20 times however (a couple theaters in my area don't take it or I've had to get reserved seats ahead of time).
Tickets around here are at least $12 for a night showing, so I've saved around $162 bucks in three months.

I'll chime in (as apparently the one here who has used Moviepass the longest) about my absolute favorite aspect of it.

It's not the savings, because while yes, that's technically true, it's also imaginary savings, because if I didn't have Moviepass, I absolutely would not have been going to see movies in theaters for as much as I did these past few years (which is usually around 50-60 movies). I like going to concerts, plays, comedy shows, podcast tapings, strip shows, dance parties, etc, so I would have insisted on diversifying my nights out and spend less money on movie tickets. There's just no question that all in all I would spend roughly the same amount of money on movie tickets that I would on a Moviepass membership. I'd just be getting less movies in return.

The real boon, as far as I'm concerned, is the leveling of which movies "deserve" to be seen in theaters. I love that. Every time I read about people saying, "I'd love to support smaller movies, but because the theatrical experience is expensive, I only reserve it for spectacle movies that are fun to watch on a big screen and watch the dramas at home," I think, I don't have that problem, at all. I pay the same exact price to see a Marvel movie, a Ken Loach movie, a documentary I never even heard of before walking by the poster, or even old movies. It allows me to ignore movies that are already available on streaming and still see them in theaters, like I did with Okja. I don't know if I would've done that if I had to actually pay the $15 ticket versus the "free" one on Netflix. When it's all just part of a consistent, regular monthly expense like Netflix that I can budget so simply, deciding what to see in theater just comes down to "Is this interesting enough to spend a couple of hours on?" and money concerns don't come into play at all in that decision. Which I think is the ideal way to exist with movies for me.

[Dukefrukem]

I spent $663 on movie tickets in 2017.....

[Mal]

I spent $663 on movie tickets in 2017.....
Before i got moviepass, my regal card said I had been to the theater 67 times in 1 yr. Obviously sometimes i earn enough points for a free movie, but that is also just one theater and there are a half dozen or so in the area nearby (some that I prefer to go to more) that are not Regal. I also occasionally go to boston for a double feature at the art cinemas. So its possible I have been spending around $1k a year on movie tickets.

[Mal]

Yeah when I have to go to a theater with reserved seating, I go to the theater a few hours before the showing just to check in and buy my ticket. It's awesome.
I do the same thing as i work super close to the one reserved theater in my area. Lunch break, boom, ticket for a movie after work.

[Irish]

I dunno how much I spent on movie tickets last year. Lessee, maybe I can figure it out. 2 movies ... 16 plus 7 is ... carry the one ... 23.

$23. I spent $23 on movie tickets in 2017.

(I bought popcorn and soda at one show, so that pushes my total cost into the $30 range.)

[Dukefrukem]

956637521374425088

[Ezee E]

I'll blame user error too.

[Skitch]

I dunno how much I spent on movie tickets last year. Lessee, maybe I can figure it out. 2 movies ... 16 plus 7 is ... carry the one ... 23.

$23. I spent $23 on movie tickets in 2017.

(I bought popcorn and soda at one show, so that pushes my total cost into the $30 range.)

I believe I saw 3 movies in 2017, all matinees, so I'm probably even less.

[TGM]

Yeah, my go-to theater is no longer supported by moviepass as well. Well that sucks. :\

[DavidSeven]

It's true that MoviePass has removed at least 10 major AMC theaters from its program. Not an AMC decision. It's all MoviePass. They're trying to exert leverage to force revenue sharing from AMC. You can read about it here (http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-moviepass-amc-battle-20180126-story.html).

I was unfortunate enough to discover this after arriving at the ticketing kiosk last night. This AMC was available Thursday, gone Friday. I paid up front for the annual subscription and have had the card for literally one week. It's a shame, because the availability of this theater was what sold me on the annual subscription. Getting to the next eligible theater in LA isn't exactly convenient, especially since the town is run by Arclight and Landmark, which aren't available either.

I've been a huge skeptic, but the price was too good to ignore. Their claims that "data" was going to make them profitable were always disingenuous. They're trying to turn the screws on AMC and get a chunk of the tickets and concessions. And if AMC balks -- as they've done so far -- can't see this being viable for much longer.

[TGM]

It's true that MoviePass has removed at least 10 major AMC theaters from its program. Not an AMC decision. It's all MoviePass. They're trying to exert leverage to force revenue sharing from AMC. You can read about it here (http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-moviepass-amc-battle-20180126-story.html).

I was unfortunate enough to discover this after arriving at the ticketing kiosk last night. This AMC was available Thursday, gone Friday. I paid up front for the annual subscription and have had the card for literally one week. It's a shame, because the availability of this theater was what sold me on the annual subscription. Getting to the next eligible theater in LA isn't exactly convenient, especially since the town is run by Arclight and Landmark, which aren't available either.

I've been a huge skeptic, but the price was too good to ignore. Their claims that "data" was going to make them profitable were always disingenuous. They're trying to turn the screws on AMC and get a chunk of the tickets and concessions. And if AMC balks -- as they've done so far -- can't see this being viable for much longer.

Yup, got that e-mail late last night, and my theater was on that short list. Son of a bitch. Had the same experience too, where it was working earlier in the week, but when I arrived at the theater last night, it was suddenly no longer listed, and I was forced to go to a different one instead. So that sucks, as this theater was the most conveniently located to me, and oftentimes has the most convenient showtimes that I can actually make, in addition to usually getting a fair amount of limited releases. It'll definitely effect my viewing habits, assuming I decide to continue with my subscription, as the next closest theater usually has terrible showtimes that don't really work with my schedule, and they don't usually get a lot of those smaller releases. :\

[Dukefrukem]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/as-avengers-arrives-moviepass-halts-repeat-viewings-subscribers-1106510

[Ezee E]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/as-avengers-arrives-moviepass-halts-repeat-viewings-subscribers-1106510

No repeats makes sense. Sold out shows could just have people selling their tickets like it's a upper-deck Rockies game.

What is due is a "Couples Moviepass." Good to see they're working on making that happen, even if I'm not going to get one........

[Lazlo]

Has anyone else signed up for AMC A-List yet? Seems like a really good deal especially since I see all my IMAX or Dolby movies at AMC and prefer to see most mainstream movies there (Regal has cornered the market on foreign or independent movies in my town).

I signed up last night (the first day it was available) and reserved a ticket for Fallen Kingdom tonight but there's been some sort of error with the ticket. When I look at my reservations it says I reserved a senior for the 6:15 show (really it's an adult for the 7:15) and when I click the ticket it crashes the app. And it won't let me make another reservation in that same show, I guess because of the rule that you can't reserve another movie before your other reservations are done screening. Also won't just let me cancel the reservation Weird.

BUT! I successfully made a reservation for Sicario tomorrow (was sent an actual ticket to scan unlike with the other order) and successfully returned it. So I guess chalk the other thing up to first-day bugs/jitters. Hoping things run smoothly from here on because it's a cool product, especially being able to reserve your seat in advance, which you can't do with MoviePass except at their partner theaters.

I'll still keep MoviePass for all the stuff I go see at Regal theaters. Will still come out ahead on the money thing since I definitely spend more than $30 on theater trips per month.

[Dukefrukem]

I saw this. And I feel like it fits my movie watching habits more than Moviepass. For starters, you can actually reserve seats where Moviepass doesn't allow it. And Second, the period of time I go to watch movies, is almost always within the first 20 days of opening. So I dont have to worry about movies falling off and not being supported.

Still doesn't work for me buying more than 2 tickets a time though, which is mainly what I do about 10 times a year.

[Lazlo]

I saw this. And I feel like it fits my movie watching habits more than Moviepass. For starters, you can actually reserve seats where Moviepass doesn't allow it. And Second, the period of time I go to watch movies, is almost always within the first 20 days of opening. So I dont have to worry about movies falling off and not being supported.

Still doesn't work for me buying more than 2 tickets a time though, which is mainly what I do about 10 times a year.

You can actually buy more than one ticket at a time with it. You'll still pay full price for all but one of them, but they apply an "A-List" discount to your total removing the cost of one ticket. Yeah, it doesn't let you use more than one of your three movies per week at a time, but still pretty good way to work it.

[Dukefrukem]

Hmmm. What is the A-List discount? I'm trying to calculate how I would make up for the $240/year. If I'm saving ~$12 for my own ticket, that's at least $120 so now I'm down to $120. I doubt the discounts on the rest of those tickets would be more than that....

[Lazlo]

Hmmm. What is the A-List discount? I'm trying to calculate how I would make up for the $240/year. If I'm saving ~$12 for my own ticket, that's at least $120 so now I'm down to $120. I doubt the discounts on the rest of those tickets would be more than that....

It just takes off the price of one ticket, whatever it is for that showing, which is the same way it works when you buy one ticket. When you select what type of ticket (adult, senior, or child) you check a box that says you want to make this one of your A-List movies for the week:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_vWQHylzoqPeHJJ36zH5BLCcE-7iHr_RZGBDuzfry22y1HLJYpXB6Qiw u9Taxzc1c9uuc-1fOmyd7UjXZfrJBsvSmhim8MCZyGoD Nq1p6cxHfPRSqndfWgoyIrJSL8OCD-hfqLnIpS7zvW0cYxD6AKjW1ruClrub MenM3F3pEiU_rOAI_0YiTDQxLJYogG Hnmnl87rm27IA8xqL3kzMsPct8w7t8 FT7ZqNY7icbcWLXsCdWNfKcJgbTMnT PD6cquBtRBOHEEzzaqh2LFWEbCk4uf JxWngl8UodgAIWRJWFAt9b_jVj-wGLlkH232N6AOhamgBqct0Dyq8fgs8 UidQz02u3sDPnccqf9QESOAYzv019C q379Eh_uObqEBPvmle29mz520rOd1K TbNlVbIPEYhKkRcG8q3t4adYwKU6c-31mE-Rcm6E1IHEKAEmcYzhMxtwksQTEQlZs r7Dx4nLHGFjkgsd-rMIYZvRNUNOtlfXqmq42jja45cCvng v1U--HqKbp7hHaRokjUo_P8aOGEuU6z3R_1 RVf72Eo6LvDHGviwAgxpEyRzaLx-JZRXf03ZKixT95m26WcG-93C32A7-rK_bIQGhDpYnwciT=w554-h528-no

Then checkout looks like this:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/TeTRvPYrqZOdf03CmVJbDW5vGAzIJk EyegzUmWmrtOMWtm5-s23KuVSf6kEUUYTaSCmSiPc_VGSfHJ g744bsrP5R_H-nIgUpuXzEfCCvpJ4kLjprr8O-mPVjwX0uYX47NtEeqVRTiRJ9N3-sH2rqPc4LQocK3K1s-spvodclWyi9c6VAreo33Dv-v8fCPjMcHgeVtpG1-GN_mpsF8G89Isfmv8Ay2U3QXqc5069 qr4xe9oDNpZ8zuzguzn-5XO6SfZNFx3NJIiEPasFRz0qW4sHEn ujRfNJ1gdT8AuIFv6FqB4bMYANiEbI A_dGdZgQ13TxvhFCXLlFsa9Lnu9wfw sSbfuSlDvqU9TBuOSgJvGT8knSmu-VWAvEFhB19lilIvzCJQT-_R7TJl8H-9ptqY9ih5K8PXkGVZFEPS2NDZfxEqs Y8yLnPrmBLfoo4dfH5b7yMRcxLSnOF UBHBKVFgpNweomX8nqKZWutGI9bSBC xcohxDymbcq0VRQB9IfmAm-bFbFgQYrfol3kdiCXj5ktmtorlQu52 zMZ8-EoRv0FjHEzA4BkLnyybJWiXHIwy0ot CpEv3ryg3C3dJF8jTQhKgy3Fa-ZHjl3WQOr1LE=w473-h558-no

You'd still have to see at least two movies a month to cover the cost of A-List. So if you only do 10 a year it doesn't save you anything, even if you're buying more than one ticket at a time.

[Pop Trash]

Has anyone figured out what the new "surge pricing" movies / times are? I'm guessing it's only for first weekend blockbusters (or major movies) evening shows? Or is it something more than that? I'd like to figure it out so I can work around it. I'm not really a "see Avengers on opening weekend" type of dude, but if this is opening weekend of indie movies too, that's going to be super annoying.

[Ezee E]

Has anyone figured out what the new "surge pricing" movies / times are? I'm guessing it's only for first weekend blockbusters (or major movies) evening shows? Or is it something more than that? I'd like to figure it out so I can work around it. I'm not really a "see Avengers on opening weekend" type of dude, but if this is opening weekend of indie movies too, that's going to be super annoying.

I'm curious about it too. I typically see movies on the weekdays and can't really see it affecting me.

[Lazlo]

They sent this email to subscribers earlier this week:


Bring-A-Guest: MoviePass members will be able to purchase extra tickets to a showing of a movie right through the MoviePass app, so that you can seamlessly reserve seats for you and your friends (at e-ticketing partner theaters) to watch a film even if they aren’t MoviePass subscribers. As a benefit, if your friend signs up for MoviePass within 24 hours, we’ll refund the entire cost of the ticket!

Peak Pricing: MoviePass is committed to maintaining our low monthly price as we continue to grow rapidly. Rather than raise our prices or limit viewings, our plan has been to develop a new variable pricing system based on the demand for particular showtimes. Under this plan, if the combination of demand for a title, date or part of day is higher, subscribers may be asked to pay a small additional fee depending on the level of demand. You can avoid this peak surcharge by choosing an alternative date or film. We will also soon give subscribers one “peak pass” per month, allowing them to waive a Peak Price surcharge once per month. Annual and Quarterly subscribers will not incur peak pricing until their current subscription term ends and then renews.

Premium Showings: MoviePass members on any plan will soon be able to access RealD 3D, IMAX 2D or 3D, and other Premium Large Format showings of any film for an additional upgrade fee.

Seems like it might work like Uber surge pricing. Dependent on the circumstances and not particularly predictable.

[Pop Trash]

They sent this email to subscribers earlier this week:



Seems like it might work like Uber surge pricing. Dependent on the circumstances and not particularly predictable.

Yeah I read that email. It's annoyingly vague. I'm just wondering if anyone here has been hit up with the "surge pricing" yet and what the circumstances were? Like what day / time / movie / first week / etc? I just don't like it being this arbitrary thing since I'd like to work around it. Right now, I'm going to assume it will be for opening weekends of blockbusters, but we shall see if their net gets wider than that.

[TGM]

Yeah I read that email. It's annoyingly vague. I'm just wondering if anyone here has been hit up with the "surge pricing" yet and what the circumstances were? Like what day / time / movie / first week / etc? I just don't like it being this arbitrary thing since I'd like to work around it. Right now, I'm going to assume it will be for opening weekends of blockbusters, but we shall see if their net gets wider than that.

The way they described it in a later e-mail, it appeared to be based on how popular a particular screening was. So basically, a surge price would go into effect if it got close to selling out, and a notifier that a movie was getting close to surge pricing would pop up on shows that were getting close to that point, too.

It's being rolled out gradually, though, so I haven't been effected by it just yet.

[TGM]

Here's the e-mail:


At MoviePass, we are committed to enhancing the moviegoing experience. As we continue to blaze past three million loyal subscribers, our promise to you is to provide the most affordable service for everyone.

As we shared with you a couple of weeks ago, the evolution of our product –which begins to roll out today – is centered upon a demand-based pricing system for movies and showtimes.

Let’s take a quick look at Peak Pricing, designed to ensure that you enjoy MoviePass at a low monthly price for years to come.

Here's how it works:
Peak Pricing goes into effect when there’s high demand for a movie or showtime. You may be asked to pay a small additional fee depending on the level of demand. You can avoid the surcharge by selecting a different showtime or movie. Over the coming weeks we’ll also be introducing Peak Pass, which will allow you to waive one peak fee per month.
This red icon indicates that a specific showtime is in Peak Pricing and there will be an added fee.
This grey icon indicates that a showtime does NOT yet have an added fee, but is growing in demand and could enter Peak Pricing soon.
If you’ve selected a showtime in Peak Pricing, you’ll see a confirmation screen with details on the surcharge. After you submit, you can check in to your movie and your card on file will be charged. You can always change your card on file by clicking “Edit payment method.”

Note: the actual Peak Pricing surcharge will vary based on showtime and movie title.

Please note that if you do not see these icons, Peak Pricing may not have gone into effect in your area. Peak Pricing is rolling out gradually over the next several weeks in order to ensure the best possible experience. It starts today and impacts a limited number of showtimes – please remember to check the app for the latest local showtimes before leaving for the theater.

More answers to Peak Pricing questions can be found here.

Thank you for your continued support and for being a loyal member of MoviePass.

See you at the movies!

The MoviePass Team

[Lazlo]

It seems like they'd only know if a movie was close to selling out if it was one of their partner theaters. You can't book a specific seat or guarantee a ticket at a Regal or an AMC through MoviePass so I have no idea how they'd implement surge pricing there if it's only based on number of seats left available.

[Mal]

The surge pricing is a joke. Its on every showing this weekend for films out here that came out this month. The only movies its NOT on are: Sicario 2, Incredibles 2, Jurassic World 2, and films that are older than that. I'm curious IF surge pricing will change come Monday and fall off the movies I want to see but I haven't (First Purge, Ant/Wasp), but I doubt it. Strongly thinking about canceling because now it will force me to see movies later than I want to unless I pay the $3 charge.

[Ezee E]

The surge pricing is a joke. Its on every showing this weekend for films out here that came out this month. The only movies its NOT on are: Sicario 2, Incredibles 2, Jurassic World 2, and films that are older than that. I'm curious IF surge pricing will change come Monday and fall off the movies I want to see but I haven't (First Purge, Ant/Wasp), but I doubt it. Strongly thinking about canceling because now it will force me to see movies later than I want to unless I pay the $3 charge.

When did it start? There was nothing going on Thursday.

[TGM]

Yeah, it just started for me today, too. $3.25 for every show. Suddenly AMC's A-List is looking a lot more enticing.

[Mal]

When did it start? There was nothing going on Thursday.
I noticed the update thursday night, so I assume friday.


This morning I got up about 8:30am, checked the app, and there was no surge pricing. Checked the app again this afternoon and yet again, every showing for every theater of films that have come out since July 1st have surge pricing for every showing.

[Ezee E]

Yeah, every single movie here too. Curious if it'll go through the weekdays, which is when I watch mostly.

Poor decision on their end.

[TGM]

Curious if it'll go through the weekdays, which is when I watch mostly.

Yup, depending on whether or not this winds up being the case could very well make or break it for me.

I'd honestly just prefer they just increase the monthly fee about $5, maybe even $10, rather than this whole surge price business.

[Dukefrukem]

Yup, depending on whether or not this winds up being the case could very well make or break it for me.

I'd honestly just prefer they just increase the monthly fee about $5, maybe even $10, rather than this whole surge price business.

People are stupid and think backwards. Though logically your suggestion is way more reasonable, people would see the higher sub price and run. Look what happened that time Netflix raiser their prices $1.

[TGM]

People are stupid and think backwards. Though logically your suggestion is way more reasonable, people would see the higher sub price and run. Look what happened that time Netflix raiser their prices $1.

You're probably right. I am curious if this new surge price deal won't already cause a lot of people to cancel their subscriptions or consider other options, though. I've already seen quite a bit of a stir on such media and such, not just here.

[Irish]

MoviePass doesn't have a sustainable business model but the whole "surge pricing" thing is bizarre. It makes sense for a car service but doesn't for movie tickets.

They're just hiding the real cost and annoying their customers, like a F2P game that requires DLC to win. MoviePass doesn't have many options but holy shit it's a stupid idea to lay a heavy charge per piece when your entire value proposition is based on price alone.


Look what happened that time Netflix raiser their prices $1.

Huh? Netflix raised their prices multiple times and kept growing their monthly users.

Netflix works because it's both cheap and frictionless. $10-15 isn't enough for anyone to worry about on their monthly credit card bill and nobody thinks about the per-hour or per-minute costs of watching a movie on the service, whereas they might if it were more like a traditional rental model (eg: Google, YouTube, Amazon, iTunes).

Their problem is that once they've saturated a market and plateaued, they don't have anywhere to go. Hence their big push into foreign countries.

[Dukefrukem]

The first time they raised prices, there was huge outcry and it took them a few quarters before their memberships returned to normal. I dont remember them raising them multiple times probably because I dont pay close enough attention to it.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2011/12/28/5-business-lessons-from-the-netflix-pricing-debacle/#570ebcb0d2a7

http://adage.com/article/media/netflix-s-prices-caused-a-customer-service-uproar/228704/

[Lazlo]

If it's truly on every weekend show for movies that have been out for less than two weeks, then surge pricing must just be based on perceived demand, rather than actual number of seats available, which is super-silly. Especially since they have so few partner theaters that they'd know for sure the seating situation.

[TGM]

So the surge pricing isn't on any shows now, so I guess it is just a weekend thing. Still annoying, but at least now it's not a total deal breaker. At least, not yet.

[Irish]

The first time they raised prices, there was huge outcry and it took them a few quarters before their memberships returned to normal. I dont remember them raising them multiple times probably because I dont pay close enough attention to it.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2011/12/28/5-business-lessons-from-the-netflix-pricing-debacle/#570ebcb0d2a7

http://adage.com/article/media/netflix-s-prices-caused-a-customer-service-uproar/228704/

Yeah, this was around the whole "Qwikster" thing, too. The hike tanked the stock and caused a media pile-on, but the following quarter Netflix met their target and added 1.7 million new subscribers.

https://venturebeat.com/2012/04/23/netflix-subscribers-q1/

For year after, they added another ~10 million, and then another ~10 million the year after that. And then they start producing their "original" content.

I kinda get what you're saying but I think the blowback was bigger in perception (twitter trending, etc) than it was in reality (meaningful loss of subscribers).

It might work out that way for MoviePass, too. People will grumble about surge pricing but they still might stick with the service. For frequent moviegoers who are also price conscious, there aren't a lot of other options.


So the surge pricing isn't on any shows now, so I guess it is just a weekend thing.

I suspected that MP was only looking to gouge users on big opening weekends. It's fucked up that they communicated the price change so poorly that users thought otherwise.

[Mal]

WELL I'm glad the surge pricing isn't showing up on weeknights. but I'm bothered by it just the same. Ticket prices aren't higher here on the weekend like I know they can be in some cities.

[TGM]

So I'm actually seeing that gray symbol indicating screenings are close to surge pricing today, but not quite yet. Still confused what's actually determining that or not though. Also, I'm curious, if you purchase your ticket before it goes into surge pricing, but then it enters surge pricing after the fact, will they still charge you the surge cost? Cause that'd be some bullshit...

[Ezee E]

$6/movie, and it's going as far back as Jurassic World/Ant-Man today in Denver.

I have skepticism.

What is good is that the e-ticketing theaters don't charge extra, and there is a chain of Landmarks around me.

But for the first time, I have skepticism on how long I'll hold on to this.

[Watashi]

It looks like today is officially the end of MoviePass.

[Pop Trash]

$6/movie, and it's going as far back as Jurassic World/Ant-Man today in Denver.

I have skepticism.

What is good is that the e-ticketing theaters don't charge extra, and there is a chain of Landmarks around me.

But for the first time, I have skepticism on how long I'll hold on to this.

I saw that too, and it's for some bullshit like Jurassic World 2 that's been playing for a few weeks. I don't get it. I get why MI6 would have opening weekend surge charging, but the extra costs in my area are $5 bucks. I thought the "surge" was going to be like $2 bucks.

STILL, I watch a lot of indie movies and those seem to be unaffected right now, so it still might be worth it for me. If I do cancel, I would probably just see less indie movies that I'm on the fence about to save money, and that would be unfortunate both for myself and the indie filmmakers that get a boost from moviepass.

Also, articles like this make me question if MP is going to even last by the end of the year.

https://deadline.com/2018/07/moviepass-tech-glitch-could-be-the-real-mission-impossible-fallout-company-stock-dives-on-outage-news-1202434982/

[Pop Trash]

UPDATE: so apparently ALL of my MI6 screenings (including regular 2D screens) this weekend are blocked out as "premium" screenings which means I can't even see them with a surcharge. I would have to see them full price w/o moviepass. First time I've ever seen that happen before. Any one else notice this in their region??

[TGM]

UPDATE: so apparently ALL of my MI6 screenings (including regular 2D screens) this weekend are blocked out as "premium" screenings which means I can't even see them with a surcharge. I would have to see them full price w/o moviepass. First time I've ever seen that happen before. Any one else notice this in their region??
Yup, this happened to me, too. And surcharges are now more expensive than matinee ticket prices in my area. Getting pretty tired of this nonsense.

[Mal]

I've decided to make it my mission to see as many movies this week that are open and able for the taking. All of them. Tick tick tick...

[Ezee E]

I saw M:I without a surchase with the e-ticketing at New Mexico's version of the Alamo. Good time.

I'll try and see Eighth Grade next week.

Predicting this folds by September... or maybe end of their fiscal year so they don't have to reimburse any annual memberships?

[Lazlo]

Saw Eighth Grade with it last night. Pairing MoviePass with AMC A-List is working out well. MP for indies and docs, which are all at Regals here, and A-List for everything else.

Surge pricing is absolutely ridiculous. They've got to be losing subscribers, right?

[Ezee E]

Looks like Moviepass has until 8/5 to pay back a $5 million loan. So these days could be the end.

In my second run of using moviepass, I saw 26 movies in 9 months. Or for $3.46 each....

[Pop Trash]

Looks like Moviepass has until 8/5 to pay back a $5 million loan. So these days could be the end.

In my second run of using moviepass, I saw 26 movies in 9 months. Or for $3.46 each....

Shit. Wish there were more movies I wanted to see. Eighth Grade isn't even here yet. I'll probably check out Leave No Trace and Blindspotting before MoviePass leaves no trace and I'm left blindspotting.

This is kinda depressing. I even was able to see old movies like Jaws on the big screen with MoviePass. Sigh.

[Ezee E]

Shit. Wish there were more movies I wanted to see. Eighth Grade isn't even here yet. I'll probably check out Leave No Trace and Blindspotting before MoviePass leaves no trace and I'm left blindspotting.

This is kinda depressing. I even was able to see old movies like Jaws on the big screen with MoviePass. Sigh.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly comes to town on August 11th. Hope I'm wrong.

[Irish]

1023336292791111681

$8 surcharge on a $10 monthly subscription. Serious wtf. It's like they're asking people to pay extra to access matinee pricing at night.

[Ezee E]

Ha. Even the indie movies that didn't have surcharges from this morning, now have them. They went from $6 to $8 too. This is last fight or flight response basically.

E-Ticketing... still no surcharge. Guess I'll see something tonight!

[TGM]

Holy shit, my app literally removed all showings for all movies today at every theater, except for one showing of The Equalizer 2. Jesus...

[Ezee E]

What is weird is that Film Twitter seems to be getting a delight that Moviepass will no longer be around.

I'm certainly bummed as it led to me seeing many movies that I probably wouldn't have if I had to pay full value.

Their bad business decisions, and that includes the move to $10/month, is certainly up for criticism, but I am bummed it's going away.

[TGM]

Yeah, I don't see what there is to be delighted about. Movie pass going out of business flat out sucks.

[Irish]

Maybe they're ragging on it because it was a dumb business from the start? I dunno.

But, on the bright side, you all got free money for years.

[transmogrifier]

What is weird is that Film Twitter seems to be getting a delight that Moviepass will no longer be around.

I'm certainly bummed as it led to me seeing many movies that I probably wouldn't have if I had to pay full value.

Their bad business decisions, and that includes the move to $10/month, is certainly up for criticism, but I am bummed it's going away.

I still have no idea how they expected their business model to work. I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did.

[Ezee E]

I still have no idea how they expected their business model to work. I’m surprised it lasted as long as it did.

They should just be frank and say that they can't sustain business at $10/month, and instead of the price surging, they're going to go to $25/month, and understand they'll lose customers because of it, but hope people will stay to see movies they never planned on seeing... Something like that.

[TGM]

They should just be frank and say that they can't sustain business at $10/month, and instead of the price surging, they're going to go to $25/month, and understand they'll lose customers because of it, but hope people will stay to see movies they never planned on seeing... Something like that.

I would be perfectly okay with this.

[amberlita]

Wasn't the point of dropping to $10/month though to pull in millions more subscribers? People who will use it more like a gym membership - pay for it and then never use it. They would offset the heavy users like yourselves with less frequent users. Raise it back to $25/month and you'd likely lose all those new subscribers.

I think the only way to salvage it is to dial back the frequency. No more 1 movie a day. More like 1 per week.

Also get some decent customer service for god's sake.

[Irish]

There's no value proposition at $25/mo.

Customers would receive access to matinee pricing on demand, and nothing beyond that, which ultimately mean slower growth for the company.

Moviepass would need to make up the price difference, and thus still lose money on every transaction.

Quick growth and a large user base was the only things they were interested in.

[Pop Trash]

Ha. Even the indie movies that didn't have surcharges from this morning, now have them. They went from $6 to $8 too. This is last fight or flight response basically.

E-Ticketing... still no surcharge. Guess I'll see something tonight!

I just went and saw Blindspotting thinking it would be in the clear for no surcharges and when I left my house that was the case; cut to 20 minutes later at the movie theater parking lot and suddenly I have to either pay a $6 surcharge or go home. I bit the bullet and paid the charge, but it's abundantly clear very, very few movies left won't have the surcharge now.

[Watashi]

I'm gonna ride it out until it dies, but luckily the theater closest to me has E-Ticketing so no surcharge or blocking of movies. I wonder how long that will last though...

[Ezee E]

I'm gonna ride it out until it dies, but luckily the theater closest to me has E-Ticketing so no surcharge or blocking of movies. I wonder how long that will last though...

moviepass was hoping more theaters would take on the e-ticketing, which was their reasoning for no surchages or blocks... I figure they fold before they change that since there's so few theaters that do it.

[transmogrifier]

Hang on, booking on your phone and just showing your phone to the usher before going in is still not a big thing in the US? I just assumed that was the primary way to do it. All the major chains in Korea use this process and it is a breeze. And I still can’t believe in this day and age that unassigned seating still happens.

[Ezee E]

Hang on, booking on your phone and just showing your phone to the usher before going in is still not a big thing in the US? I just assumed that was the primary way to do it. All the major chains in Korea use this process and it is a breeze. And I still can’t believe in this day and age that unassigned seating still happens.

I'd say 75% of the theaters still are unassigned.

[transmogrifier]

That’s third-world country shit right there.

[Peng]

Yeah, not a fan when I briefly lived in US about 10 years ago. I remembered coming back to Thailand with all assigned seating and bigger, more comfortable seats and it was practically heaven.

[Dukefrukem]

Hang on, booking on your phone and just showing your phone to the usher before going in is still not a big thing in the US? I just assumed that was the primary way to do it. All the major chains in Korea use this process and it is a breeze. And I still can’t believe in this day and age that unassigned seating still happens.

This is why I exclusively use Fandango. They scan my phone. No physical tickets. No waiting in line.

[Pop Trash]

Hang on, booking on your phone and just showing your phone to the usher before going in is still not a big thing in the US? I just assumed that was the primary way to do it. All the major chains in Korea use this process and it is a breeze. And I still can’t believe in this day and age that unassigned seating still happens.

Bar code phone scanning is widely done in big cities in the USA, but not as much in mid sized cities and rural areas.

Assigned seating is likewise good for big cities and popular weekend shows, but kinda silly for less popular weekday shows, esp. in middle America areas.

[TGM]

Tried to use it today, and now it's saying only e-ticket theaters are available, of which there aren't any in my town. Officially cancelled my subscription.

[Pop Trash]

Tried to use it today, and now it's saying only e-ticket theaters are available, of which there aren't any in my town. Officially cancelled my subscription.

Mine is working. No surge pricing today either. MI6 is still blocked out and (more weirdly) Leave No Trace is blocked as well.

[Watashi]

Tried to use it today, and now it's saying only e-ticket theaters are available, of which there aren't any in my town. Officially cancelled my subscription.

Yep. Same here.

They're not gonna last until Wednesday.

[Ezee E]

If e-ticketing still survives after August 1st... I may still hold onto the thing.

[Dukefrukem]

Outage? (https://deadline.com/2018/07/moviepass-manic-monday-ticket-service-outage-again-at-major-chains-1202436719/)

[Pop Trash]

UPDATE: apparently they are raising their monthly price to $15/ month. I kinda expected that. I'll have to see if it's still worth it. As of right now, it looks like weekday movies will be available w/o surge prices with the exception of MI6 and Leave No Trace. It also seems to be working in all theaters in my city.

They've already announced Christopher Robin and that shark movie w/ Jason Statham will be blocked out this weekend, but I'm not interested in either. I'm curious how long they will block out MI6. If it's a permanent thing, or will it be available this weekend? Two weeks of blocking? Who knows...

[Dukefrukem]

I heard some of the bigger titles coming like Meg won't be available at all.

[Pop Trash]

Has everybody quit? I'm still on it and the erratic showings make no sense to me. One theater today is blocked out, while another one is available, and they are both owned by the same company.

[Lazlo]

I'm still on it but haven't used it since the week before last. Seems like it would still work for the theater and movie I would want to go to tonight ("Leave No Trace" at a Regal).

[TGM]

I've canceled, but it's still active until my last month runs out. So I was able to use it this past weekend while I was out of town, and they actually had some e-ticket theaters there.

Anyways, back in town now, and I've gone ahead and signed up for A-List. Going to an advanced screening of BlacKkKlansman tonight in Dolby, which would've normally cost $17. So my first month's already paid off. :p

[Pop Trash]

I'm resisting that since a) AMC is owned by the Chinese (seriously, look it up) and I don't wanna give them any more money since they are fucking up the real estate market on the West Coast and b) there's only one AMC theater in my city

[Lazlo]

I'm resisting that since a) AMC is owned by the Chinese (seriously, look it up) and I don't wanna give them any more money since they are fucking up the real estate market on the West Coast and b) there's only one AMC theater in my city

"b)" sounds like the better reason. Your money's going to the Chinese at a higher rate than $20/month through countless other products...

[Ivan Drago]

I still have it, but that's only because there isn't a decent AMC theater near me and paying for movies is out of control crazy expensive for me at the moment. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Really hoping for Regal to announce their own plan sooner rather than later.

[TGM]

So MP just sent out an email stating they're moving to three movies per month, with any additional movie afterward offering a $5 discount off the ticket price. It appears they're also doing away with surge pricing (though technically, the "discount" is really just a different way of wording how surge pricing already mostly works), though they'll still be blocking off certain movies from being available.

[Knudsen]

That doesn't sound appealing at all when you describe it like that. So many stipulations and hoops to jump through...

[Pop Trash]

"b)" sounds like the better reason. Your money's going to the Chinese at a higher rate than $20/month through countless other products...

#resist #MAGA

[Pop Trash]

So MP just sent out an email stating they're moving to three movies per month, with any additional movie afterward offering a $5 discount off the ticket price. It appears they're also doing away with surge pricing (though technically, the "discount" is really just a different way of wording how surge pricing already mostly works), though they'll still be blocking off certain movies from being available.

It's really the blocking that bugs me, esp. since it's so erratic. It makes it hard to plan when one day one theater will be blocked and the next day it'll be some other theater and the previous blocked theater will be fine. I'll have to see how I feel, but l think I'll stick with it (providing they stay in business) since once Oscar season gets in full swing around October/November, MP will save me a ton of money still. August/September have always sucked for moviegoers in general.

[Ezee E]

I'm sticking with it. For whatever reason, it seems like Alamo movies sometimes have all their movies available to watch, even if they aren't the "selected movies of the day."

If it weren't for the e-ticketing and the random Alamo movies, I'd probably have cancelled this.

It's that time of the year where all the movies will end up at the Landmarks that interest me anyway, so I see no reason to cancel until they make e-ticketing harder.

[Pop Trash]

I'm sticking with it. For whatever reason, it seems like Alamo movies sometimes have all their movies available to watch, even if they aren't the "selected movies of the day."

If it weren't for the e-ticketing and the random Alamo movies, I'd probably have cancelled this.

It's that time of the year where all the movies will end up at the Landmarks that interest me anyway, so I see no reason to cancel until they make e-ticketing harder.

Same. I'm sure I'll see 4-5 movies a month from October to January (Oscar season), so it's still worth it for me. It's just erratic what movies are available on certain days, but I'm flexible enough to see a "free" movie on the weekday if that's what I have to do.

[Ezee E]

Same. I'm sure I'll see 4-5 movies a month from October to January (Oscar season), so it's still worth it for me. It's just erratic what movies are available on certain days, but I'm flexible enough to see a "free" movie on the weekday if that's what I have to do.

I'm just lucky to have four radially different theaters that have e-ticketing, so I can basically see anything as desired.

[Pop Trash]

Does anyone know what the discount is for movies once you've used up your allotted three movies this month? I think it's a $2.00 discount, but I wanted to check the M.C. hive mind. I'm planning on seeing the new Halloween this weekend.

[Ezee E]

Does anyone know what the discount is for movies once you've used up your allotted three movies this month? I think it's a $2.00 discount, but I wanted to check the M.C. hive mind. I'm planning on seeing the new Halloween this weekend.

I believe that's correct.

[Ezee E]

Funny reading the first page of this thread.

It's finally happening though. The e-ticket theater options are now starting to disappear.

I got in two movies for November at least. If I notice this continues to happen, November will be my last month.

Was a nice run.

[Mal]

I canceled yesterday. Moviepass was listing Boy Erased with showtimes but my theater didn't even have showtimes when I got to the boxoffice. Turns out they got their showtimes listed early for Wednesday (the day when i'd be charged for another month). I had only seen Suspiria in this billing period- the unfortunate reality of the selection of films being so limited. Despite the movie not even playing yet, I checked in to Boy Erased and got a ticket to Girl in the Spiders Web. Moviepass fraud, but its not looking good for the end of the year for movies I want to see anyway.

[Pop Trash]

It's really terrible, but I'm sticking with it until the end of the year at least. I'm hoping some of the Oscar buzzy movies coming out in December will show up on the app. The one e-ticket theater in my area is now blocking 1st week movies.

[Ivan Drago]

I cancelled mine earlier this week, but my plan doesn't officially expire until Thursday. But sure enough, I get to my indie theater to see Border (a movie they helped finance, so I theoretically should have gotten to see it for free) and try to check in, only to see the app even blacked that out. Good fucking riddance.

[Ezee E]

I put in my cancellation this month. Landmark removed e-ticketing, and without e-ticketing, it's close to impossible to use the card unless there's outdoor kiosks that work before noon, or you have the patience to use their customer service.

An AMC theater is being built very close to me, and Alamo is doing a test-run for a subscription service as well. Guess I'll just buy tickets like a normal mofo until then.

[Dukefrukem]

I put in my cancellation this month. Landmark removed e-ticketing, and without e-ticketing, it's close to impossible to use the card unless there's outdoor kiosks that work before noon, or you have the patience to use their customer service.

An AMC theater is being built very close to me, and Alamo is doing a test-run for a subscription service as well. Guess I'll just buy tickets like a normal mofo until then.

One of us

[Pop Trash]

I put in my cancellation this month. Landmark removed e-ticketing, and without e-ticketing, it's close to impossible to use the card unless there's outdoor kiosks that work before noon, or you have the patience to use their customer service.


I just cancelled too and even that process was super sketchy. You have to do some legwork to figure out how to cancel on the app, and once I figured that out, the app mysteriously crashed several times right when I hit the final cancel button. I texted some bot for customer service only for it to respond several hours later and I missed it. Tried texting support the next day and got (what I think was another bot auto message) and finally (I think?) cancelled. Imma be pissed if they charge me this month.

[Ezee E]

I just cancelled too and even that process was super sketchy. You have to do some legwork to figure out how to cancel on the app, and once I figured that out, the app mysteriously crashed several times right when I hit the final cancel button. I texted some bot for customer service only for it to respond several hours later and I missed it. Tried texting support the next day and got (what I think was another bot auto message) and finally (I think?) cancelled. Imma be pissed if they charge me this month.

Only reason I haven't removed the app from my phone app, just in case they try to charge..

[Irish]

Movie Pass is back with another $10 / month offer, lol. "Some restrictions may apply":

https://www.cnet.com/news/moviepass-brings-the-10-unlimited-movies-plan-back-with-new-twists/

And Alamo Drafthouse says it'll roll out its $20/month "Season Pass" by the end of this year:

https://www.businessinsider.com/alamo-drafthouse-movie-ticket-subscription-plan-will-launch-this-year-2019-3

[Ivan Drago]

They're going down with guns a-blazing.

[Ezee E]

I'll just wait it out for the Alamo one.

[Dukefrukem]

Shutdown (https://deadline.com/2019/09/moviepass-shuts-down-1202734166/)

[Ezee E]

Took long enough.

Wishing Landmark or Alamo would get their passes together... Although it sounds like the beta version of the Alamo pass is kind of a ripoff.

[Ivan Drago]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WChTqYlDjtI

[Dukefrukem]

https://deadline.com/2020/01/moviepass-bankruptcy-1202845354/

[Ezee E]

Alamo opened up its moviepass in Denver. $20/month all you can watch, but looks like it comes with a $2 online fee per movie. Basically need to see 3 movies a month in that case... which probably won't occur until at least May for me. Passing for now unless that gets removed.