Assigned Seating for Movies?

[Mike53421]

In the spirit of the other thread which looked at movie ticket prices and was thinking most recently with The Dark Knight, do you think assigned seating for big movies would be a good idea in North America, at least for opening weekend?

I think it'd be interesting, when I saw The Dark Knight at the midnight screening (it was my second viewing) we had paid our $13 or whatever for IMAX, arrived 10:30pm and were stuck in the front row because tons of people had "reserved" 10 seats for their friends who hadn't arrived. Of course, the ushers didn't enforce anything.

I'm wondering how the system would work, if you would charge equal cost for all seats and just be able to get assigned seats A & B, or if the first three rows or so would be discounted and the others at a premium. Seems like it could help with having to wait in line on opening night or for people who save seats or throw their jackets over seats on popular nights.

Thoughts? With summer movie season around the corner, especially Watchmen next week we're bound to encounter similar circumstances. Works for sporting events and everything else, don't see why it couldn't for a movie theatre.

[kpkelley]

In my town, there is a premium theatre where the tickets are $18/each. Everyone gets their own leather recliner assigned to them when the tickets are purchased, which can be as early as Tuesday of that week. There is free popcorn and soda/water, alcoholic beverages and other foods are available for purchase as well. It is a 21+ theatre, so no annoying kids yelling at the screen during the movie.

Any large release where I would be concerned about seating, i.e. Harry Potter, Batman, Iron Man, etc. I go to this theatre to avoid the hassle and the crowds.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Mike53421

In the spirit of the other thread which looked at movie ticket prices and was thinking most recently with The Dark Knight, do you think assigned seating for big movies would be a good idea in North America, at least for opening weekend?

I think it'd be interesting, when I saw The Dark Knight at the midnight screening (it was my second viewing) we had paid our $13 or whatever for IMAX, arrived 10:30pm and were stuck in the front row because tons of people had "reserved" 10 seats for their friends who hadn't arrived. Of course, the ushers didn't enforce anything.

I'm wondering how the system would work, if you would charge equal cost for all seats and just be able to get assigned seats A & B, or if the first three rows or so would be discounted and the others at a premium. Seems like it could help with having to wait in line on opening night or for people who save seats or throw their jackets over seats on popular nights.

Thoughts? With summer movie season around the corner, especially Watchmen next week we're bound to encounter similar circumstances. Works for sporting events and everything else, don't see why it couldn't for a movie theatre.

im not sure if that would work out because it would proabably be tough to enforce, because some people have the seats they like to sit in everytime
unless when u bought the ticket u got to pick what seat you wanted if it wasnt sold out already

speaking of saving 10 seats, that PISSES ME OFF
i dont believe in saving more than 2 seats per individual
so if u want to save 10 seats you better have 5 friends with you holding those 10!

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

In my town, there is a premium theatre where the tickets are $18/each. Everyone gets their own leather recliner assigned to them when the tickets are purchased, which can be as early as Tuesday of that week. There is free popcorn and soda/water, alcoholic beverages and other foods are available for purchase as well. It is a 21+ theatre, so no annoying kids yelling at the screen during the movie.

Any large release where I would be concerned about seating, i.e. Harry Potter, Batman, Iron Man, etc. I go to this theatre to avoid the hassle and the crowds.

im moving to your city....
i hate when little kids (or anyone else for that matter)
wont SHUT THE HELL UP during a movie
or when they hit the back of my chair....

[kpkelley]

It's an AMC Premium Theatre, the only other one I saw listed was in Yorktown, IL. One screen adjacent to an AMC Multiplex.

I'm sure other theatres do similar things. Showcase Cinemas does a Lux Level thing, where there is food, drinks, etc. and you sit in the balcony, which is just crap. I don't know about any others offhand.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

It's an AMC Premium Theatre, the only other one I saw listed was in Yorktown, IL. One screen adjacent to an AMC Multiplex.

I'm sure other theatres do similar things. Showcase Cinemas does a Lux Level thing, where there is food, drinks, etc. and you sit in the balcony, which is just crap. I don't know about any others offhand.

well considering i live in south Louisiana and they are cheap *** business people around here....we'll never get anything like that
we have a regular AMC with about 10 screens and no extra anything....
unless u consider the prices of popcorn/drinks helping you loose wait extra

but thats why u just bring your own candy and 20 oz drinks in your jacket/girlfriends purse

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by Blu-man88

but thats why u just bring your own candy and 20 oz drinks in your jacket/girlfriends purse

Winter time is the best, puffy jackets hide all sorts of large bottles

[Mike53421]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

In my town, there is a premium theatre where the tickets are $18/each. Everyone gets their own leather recliner assigned to them when the tickets are purchased, which can be as early as Tuesday of that week. There is free popcorn and soda/water, alcoholic beverages and other foods are available for purchase as well. It is a 21+ theatre, so no annoying kids yelling at the screen during the movie.

Wow, $18 for movie, pop, and food is pretty damn good! I'm around Toronto and that's pretty much what we'd wind up spending anyways except there isn't the age limit, which would be amazing! I saw The Dark Knight a bunch of times in theatres in 2008 (few times free) and off the top of my head:

1. Warner Bros. screening: no phones, all fans, best and most respectful movie crowd I think I've ever seen.
2. Midnight screening: girl next to me got up AT THE LAST SCENE and walked in front of me to continue a phone call. Had I not seen the movie a few nights prior I woulda lost it.
3. Daytime screening: guy in front of me on his Blackberry messenger during the entire interrogation scene.
4. IMAX screening: guy in front of me texting and talking to his friends, I kicked his chair and he shut up.

I can't remember the rest but each (except the first) had somebody answering a call or texting, it drives me crazy while trying to watch a movie. I honestly don't understand people's obsession with needing to be on the phone at all times, whether in a movie theatre or at social events, but that's another debate.

Bottom line, I'm envious of your theatre.

Originally Posted by Blu-man88

speaking of saving 10 seats, that PISSES ME OFF
i dont believe in saving more than 2 seats per individual
so if u want to save 10 seats you better have 5 friends with you holding those 10!

There was one girl and two guys each saving a row of 10 seats for their friends, but they were kinda sketchy so really didn't want to get stabbed before Batman. But it's ridiculous, I feel bad saving more than one seat (I think my personal limit is 2, which I think is unofficial code).

[bajor27]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

In my town, there is a premium theatre where the tickets are $18/each. Everyone gets their own leather recliner assigned to them when the tickets are purchased, which can be as early as Tuesday of that week. There is free popcorn and soda/water, alcoholic beverages and other foods are available for purchase as well. It is a 21+ theatre, so no annoying kids yelling at the screen during the movie.

sign me up please

I'd definitely go for assigned seating for the first 2 weekends as long as I could pick the seats or at least narrow it down to a few rows and middle/side

[Blurayne]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

In my town, there is a premium theatre where the tickets are $18/each. Everyone gets their own leather recliner assigned to them when the tickets are purchased, which can be as early as Tuesday of that week. There is free popcorn and soda/water, alcoholic beverages and other foods are available for purchase as well. It is a 21+ theatre, so no annoying kids yelling at the screen during the movie.

Any large release where I would be concerned about seating, i.e. Harry Potter, Batman, Iron Man, etc. I go to this theatre to avoid the hassle and the crowds.

They have one of those in Kansas were i was stationed, I loved it. Owned by a local guy who knows how to do movie theaters. I hated leaving there because of that theatre. You can order food and drinks. AND NO ONE UNDER 21!

[Red Hood]

Originally Posted by Mike53421

There was one girl and two guys each saving a row of 10 seats for their friends, but they were kinda sketchy so really didn't want to get stabbed before Batman. But it's ridiculous, I feel bad saving more than one seat (I think my personal limit is 2, which I think is unofficial code).

lol I went to see taken a few weeks ago and some sketchy looking people that looked like they were on drugs sat right behind me in a empty theater. I kept wondering when I was gonna get stabbed with a needle. I hate sitting on the back row but I'm getting paranoid to the point I need a wall behind me. People are nuts

[kpkelley]

Originally Posted by Mike53421

Wow, $18 for movie, pop, and food is pretty damn good!

$18 for movie ticket, popcorn, and any non-alcohlic beverage. Candy and any other real food, i.e. burgers, buffalo wings, etc. as well as all alcoholic beverages are extra.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by kpkelley

Winter time is the best, puffy jackets hide all sorts of large bottles

hell yes
lol

once we brought in, a box of starburst, a box of skittles, a box of mike&ike, 2-4 20 oz and i think two other things


paid like 5 bucks for all of it

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Mike53421

There was one girl and two guys each saving a row of 10 seats for their friends, but they were kinda sketchy so really didn't want to get stabbed before Batman. But it's ridiculous, I feel bad saving more than one seat (I think my personal limit is 2, which I think is unofficial code).

your right, u definitily need to wait til after batman to get stabbed
lol

[Mike53421]

Originally Posted by bajor27

I'd definitely go for assigned seating for the first 2 weekends as long as I could pick the seats or at least narrow it down to a few rows and middle/side

Oh yeah that's what I mean, like with other events you buy your tickets based on personal preference and availability. If I had the option of Watchmen for 6pm, 8pm, 10pm and the earlier shows only had front row and the 10 had some available in the middle, I'd find something to do for a few hours then catch the flick later that evening if it meant having a good seat.

We saw 300 coincidently at 6:30pm in Guelph, Ontario on opening day... 5 of us went at 6pm and we had to sit in 2's and 3's in random parts of the theatre (third row for me). If I could have bought tickets for say, 9pm and known in advance that I wouldn't have to go an hour early to secure a good seat, I would.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Mike53421

4. IMAX screening: guy in front of me texting and talking to his friends, I kicked his chair and he shut up.

thats when i belive in kicking chairs
for annoying people

[Mike53421]

Originally Posted by Blu-man88

your right, u definitily need to wait til after batman to get stabbed
lol

Oddly enough somebody had a seizure about an hour into the movie a few rows behind us (during the scene when Bruce and Rachel kissed), I assume he was okay because they kept the movie going.

[kdn1221]

Originally Posted by Blu-man88

im not sure if that would work out because it would proabably be tough to enforce, because some people have the seats they like to sit in everytime
unless when u bought the ticket u got to pick what seat you wanted if it wasnt sold out already

speaking of saving 10 seats, that PISSES ME OFF
i dont believe in saving more than 2 seats per individual
so if u want to save 10 seats you better have 5 friends with you holding those 10!

Agreed. I don't know how this could be enforced. This is why I usually don't go at the opening anymore. I wait about a week then I don't have to deal with it.

As far as saving seats, anyone saving so many seats should be kicked out because a lot of time, their friends are even at the theater yet. A lot of people nowadays have no manners. I only save at most 2 seats and it's usually for someone getting snacks or going to the restroom.

[Aerodude73]

Originally Posted by Mike53421

In the spirit of the other thread which looked at movie ticket prices and was thinking most recently with The Dark Knight, do you think assigned seating for big movies would be a good idea in North America, at least for opening weekend?

I think it'd be interesting, when I saw The Dark Knight at the midnight screening (it was my second viewing) we had paid our $13 or whatever for IMAX, arrived 10:30pm and were stuck in the front row because tons of people had "reserved" 10 seats for their friends who hadn't arrived. Of course, the ushers didn't enforce anything.

I'm wondering how the system would work, if you would charge equal cost for all seats and just be able to get assigned seats A & B, or if the first three rows or so would be discounted and the others at a premium. Seems like it could help with having to wait in line on opening night or for people who save seats or throw their jackets over seats on popular nights.

Thoughts? With summer movie season around the corner, especially Watchmen next week we're bound to encounter similar circumstances. Works for sporting events and everything else, don't see why it couldn't for a movie theatre.

Hmm, I might def. have to find that Theatre, or better yet as it's closer, the New Showcase at Gillette Stadium (Pats homefield complex) has that Lux Level thing, and my friend and wife have been there a few times and love it. Esp. if it's "over 21" -- sign me up! I don't mind too much chatter BEFORE the movie starts, but once the lights go down and previews start, a little decorum is in low abundance it seems.

Shut The Hell Up! -- And the bright BLUE Light of a cell ph opening to Text someone annoys the heck out of me also. If you talk, I Tell you to shut up. If you answer your phone, I YELL at you to take it outside the theater room. You kick my chair, I might just get up in front of your g/f and ask to you to step outside.

Be Respectful - what a concept! -- I love how in recent years the signs come up on the screen asking you turn off all Cellphones and pagers. Ummm, pagers?

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by Mike53421

Oddly enough somebody had a seizure about an hour into the movie a few rows behind us (during the scene when Bruce and Rachel kissed), I assume he was okay because they kept the movie going.

wow
guess he couldnt handle the awesomeness of it
lol

but seriously, that sucks for him man