5 ms·

My wife and I are so frustrated by the movie going experience in the US. In Taiwan, everyone is permitted to bring food and drinks to the theater and that's pre

My wife and I are so frustrated by the movie going experience in the US. In Taiwan, everyone is permitted to bring food and drinks to the theater and that's pretty common. In the US I'm forced to pay an absurd amount of money for awful junk food. No thanks, I want to drink tea while I watch a movie. We always have to smuggle in drinks because the theater just doesn't provide any good options. None of the movies is the US are subtitled. I am a native English speaker, but I really prefer to watch every movie with subtitles. Reading the dialogue while I hear it helps me remember the content of a movie, helps to understand what characters are saying while there are explosions going on in the background, let's me lower the volume for the sake of those around me, and so on. And then there's the friggin' cell phones... but I suppose this isn't really a US specific problem.

izzydata 8y ago
Over the last 20 years I often have food and / or drinks in my hands when I walk in. No 16 year old ticket taker is ever going to make a fuss about it, because they certainly don't care. It is odd how deeply rooted in everyone's mind it is that there will be a huge scene if you try and sneak in food.
- avree 8y ago
  Most American movie theaters allow outside food/drink, so long as it doesn't give off a noticeable odor and isn't alcoholic. The myth about needing to sneak in your food is just that—a myth.
  - itbeho 8y ago
    I wouldn't say it's a myth. It's been a while but I recall being in a theater (San Luis Obispo, CA) and witnessing a manager ask a person to throw away his smuggled snacks or leave the theater. He declined to do both and the police arrived and escorted him out.
  - HeavenFox 8y ago
    Probably a regional thing. Every NYC-metro movie cinema I've been to check your bag before you enter, and I've seen them actively stop people from bringing in outside food and drink before.
  - flamtap 8y ago
    Yeah, I've never seen anyone have their backpack/purse/jacket searched at a movie theatre.
  - apocalyptic0n3 8y ago
    I know Harkins (a southwest chain) allows outside food so long as it is non-disruptive, non-alcoholic, and they do not sell it. You can't bring your own popcorn or M&Ms or soda, but if you wanted to bring in tea or a coffee from one of the Starbucks in the strip mall or even McDonald's, they're generally A-okay with it. I've seen people ask about it numerous times and they are always allowed to bring it in. They just want you to purchase their food but seem to realize that every piece of food brought in is not a lost sale, unless that food is something they already sell themselves. Which, in my mind at least, seems reasonable.
  - jetti 8y ago
    From my experience working at a movie theater this is not true. While the staff may not care, the theater ownership definitely does. Concessions are where the majority of the money is made as ticket sales have to be split with the studios.
  - wccrawford 8y ago
    It was real at one point. Every AMC in our area refused to allow outside food for the entire time I was living with my parents. Some time after I moved out, they dropped that policy. So far as I can tell, it didn't make any difference at all in our spending habits. It just changed how fat my mom's purse got while we entered the theatre.
gamblor956 8y ago
Movie theater food is expensive because theaters in the US make almost all of their profits from the food. The movies are just a vehicle to get you to buy the popcorn and soda. On big blockbuster releases, like Star Wars or Mission Impossible, the movie theater may only get 10% of the gross ticket price on opening weekend, with the remainder going to the distributor. Overseas distributors Asia have less leverage because these markets are generally so much smaller on a dollar value basis that it's not worth the time and effort to push for 90% instead of 60% of a relatively tiny pot. In China, terms are dictated by the government. In Europe, audiences prefer more avant garde films (read: bad films which pretend to be about something) so theaters have significantly more leverage overage distributors.
- coldcode 8y ago
  The first two weeks of a movie's run the theatre is only making 10% of the ticket sales. Then it slowly goes up until its cheap enough to show in a dollar theatre. If its a blockbuster the increase might not start until 4 or even 6 weeks later.
- smofnoopttzzaaa 8y ago
  I sometimes fear that, like bookstores and Toys R' Us, if you don't patronize these businesses, they will go away. As a kid I couldn't imagine a world without bookstores, now there aren't any. Same with Toys R' Us. Kids will never have that experience again. Yes, movies are expensive, but would you rather them not be there at all?
  - dharmab 8y ago
    I would rather be able to watch them in my own home and get some takeout.
  - coverband 8y ago
    Indeed, when the home video/DVD usage was at its peak around the '90s, movie theaters were assumed to be a dying business by most people. Then consolidation and marketing to a younger generation breathed new life into the industry, with ticket prices going up alongside.
mattl 8y ago
Some movies are subtitled. Contact your local theater to see which. And you can find tea at plenty of places. Look for your local art house cinema.
dharmab 8y ago
>None of the movies is the US are subtitled. I am a native English speaker, but I really prefer to watch every movie with subtitles. A subtitle display is often is available for the hearing impaired. Ask about them on your next visit.
overcast 8y ago
Do you honestly expect everyone else in the theater to deal with subtitles only for a select few that want it? Secondly, theaters make their money on food, not the movies.
lev99 8y ago
I want movie theaters to close. I think people that do not attend movie theaters also do not mind. If they liked movie theaters they would attend. I have a small apartment with a 70 inch screen in the living room. The three movies a year Hollywood produces I am interested in can be watched from the comfort of my own home in 4k surround sound for $4.99 a few months after they arrive in theaters. I can control the volume, I can pause when I want, I can eat/drink what I want, and I have control over the audience I watch the movie with. The only advantage a movie theater has is that it receives movies a few months earlier. If movie theaters close that solves that advantage.
- gamblor956 8y ago
  The only advantage a movie theater has is that it receives movies a few months earlier. If movie theaters close that solves that advantage. Not sure what sort of crappy theaters you have nearby, but the 70 foot screen on my local theater absolutely dwarfs the 70 inch screeen of your TV. Highest-gamut color range, laser projection. Fully tuned Dolby Atmos surround sound speaker system. Reclining, reserved seats. Wine, beer, and heated foods. Pretty much the only advantage of watching at home is that I can pause and not put on clothes.
  - btian 8y ago
    And you don't have to travel to the theater. It would be nice if studios can release Blurays at the same time as theaters.
    - gamblor956 8y ago
      Not going to happen for the movies worth watching in the theaters.
    - lev99 8y ago
      That's a big one if alcohol consumption is involved, like the parent comment mentioned.
  - lev99 8y ago
amerkhalid 8y ago
Well I have been to some interesting theaters where it is pretty common to sneak in outside food. It is usually not a not a good experience. Some of foods can be very pungent or have strong smell. I rather prefer bland food of American theaters when people are sitting in close proximity.
dingo_bat 8y ago
> In Taiwan, everyone is permitted to bring food and drinks to the theater and that's pretty common. In the US I'm forced to pay an absurd amount of money for awful junk food. I think this is the standard for the world. In India, we often joke about how the theaters make the real money on the popcorn. > None of the movies is the US are subtitled. Yeah, and they shouldn't be. It's highly annoying. > but I suppose this isn't really a US specific problem. None of what you said is a US specific problem.

izzydata 8y ago

Over the last 20 years I often have food and / or drinks in my hands when I walk in. No 16 year old ticket taker is ever going to make a fuss about it, because they certainly don't care. It is odd how deeply rooted in everyone's mind it is that there will be a huge scene if you try and sneak in food.

avree 8y ago
Most American movie theaters allow outside food/drink, so long as it doesn't give off a noticeable odor and isn't alcoholic. The myth about needing to sneak in your food is just that—a myth.
- itbeho 8y ago
  I wouldn't say it's a myth. It's been a while but I recall being in a theater (San Luis Obispo, CA) and witnessing a manager ask a person to throw away his smuggled snacks or leave the theater. He declined to do both and the police arrived and escorted him out.
- HeavenFox 8y ago
  Probably a regional thing. Every NYC-metro movie cinema I've been to check your bag before you enter, and I've seen them actively stop people from bringing in outside food and drink before.
- flamtap 8y ago
  Yeah, I've never seen anyone have their backpack/purse/jacket searched at a movie theatre.
- apocalyptic0n3 8y ago
  I know Harkins (a southwest chain) allows outside food so long as it is non-disruptive, non-alcoholic, and they do not sell it. You can't bring your own popcorn or M&Ms or soda, but if you wanted to bring in tea or a coffee from one of the Starbucks in the strip mall or even McDonald's, they're generally A-okay with it. I've seen people ask about it numerous times and they are always allowed to bring it in. They just want you to purchase their food but seem to realize that every piece of food brought in is not a lost sale, unless that food is something they already sell themselves. Which, in my mind at least, seems reasonable.
- jetti 8y ago
  From my experience working at a movie theater this is not true. While the staff may not care, the theater ownership definitely does. Concessions are where the majority of the money is made as ticket sales have to be split with the studios.
- wccrawford 8y ago
  It was real at one point. Every AMC in our area refused to allow outside food for the entire time I was living with my parents. Some time after I moved out, they dropped that policy. So far as I can tell, it didn't make any difference at all in our spending habits. It just changed how fat my mom's purse got while we entered the theatre.

gamblor956 8y ago

Movie theater food is expensive because theaters in the US make almost all of their profits from the food. The movies are just a vehicle to get you to buy the popcorn and soda. On big blockbuster releases, like Star Wars or Mission Impossible, the movie theater may only get 10% of the gross ticket price on opening weekend, with the remainder going to the distributor. Overseas distributors Asia have less leverage because these markets are generally so much smaller on a dollar value basis that it's not worth the time and effort to push for 90% instead of 60% of a relatively tiny pot. In China, terms are dictated by the government. In Europe, audiences prefer more avant garde films (read: bad films which pretend to be about something) so theaters have significantly more leverage overage distributors.

coldcode 8y ago
The first two weeks of a movie's run the theatre is only making 10% of the ticket sales. Then it slowly goes up until its cheap enough to show in a dollar theatre. If its a blockbuster the increase might not start until 4 or even 6 weeks later.
smofnoopttzzaaa 8y ago
I sometimes fear that, like bookstores and Toys R' Us, if you don't patronize these businesses, they will go away. As a kid I couldn't imagine a world without bookstores, now there aren't any. Same with Toys R' Us. Kids will never have that experience again. Yes, movies are expensive, but would you rather them not be there at all?
- dharmab 8y ago
  I would rather be able to watch them in my own home and get some takeout.
- coverband 8y ago
  Indeed, when the home video/DVD usage was at its peak around the '90s, movie theaters were assumed to be a dying business by most people. Then consolidation and marketing to a younger generation breathed new life into the industry, with ticket prices going up alongside.

mattl 8y ago

Some movies are subtitled. Contact your local theater to see which. And you can find tea at plenty of places. Look for your local art house cinema.

dharmab 8y ago

>None of the movies is the US are subtitled. I am a native English speaker, but I really prefer to watch every movie with subtitles. A subtitle display is often is available for the hearing impaired. Ask about them on your next visit.

overcast 8y ago

Do you honestly expect everyone else in the theater to deal with subtitles only for a select few that want it? Secondly, theaters make their money on food, not the movies.

lev99 8y ago

I want movie theaters to close. I think people that do not attend movie theaters also do not mind. If they liked movie theaters they would attend. I have a small apartment with a 70 inch screen in the living room. The three movies a year Hollywood produces I am interested in can be watched from the comfort of my own home in 4k surround sound for $4.99 a few months after they arrive in theaters. I can control the volume, I can pause when I want, I can eat/drink what I want, and I have control over the audience I watch the movie with. The only advantage a movie theater has is that it receives movies a few months earlier. If movie theaters close that solves that advantage.

gamblor956 8y ago
The only advantage a movie theater has is that it receives movies a few months earlier. If movie theaters close that solves that advantage. Not sure what sort of crappy theaters you have nearby, but the 70 foot screen on my local theater absolutely dwarfs the 70 inch screeen of your TV. Highest-gamut color range, laser projection. Fully tuned Dolby Atmos surround sound speaker system. Reclining, reserved seats. Wine, beer, and heated foods. Pretty much the only advantage of watching at home is that I can pause and not put on clothes.
- btian 8y ago
  And you don't have to travel to the theater. It would be nice if studios can release Blurays at the same time as theaters.
  - gamblor956 8y ago
    Not going to happen for the movies worth watching in the theaters.
  - lev99 8y ago
    That's a big one if alcohol consumption is involved, like the parent comment mentioned.
- lev99 8y ago

amerkhalid 8y ago

Well I have been to some interesting theaters where it is pretty common to sneak in outside food. It is usually not a not a good experience. Some of foods can be very pungent or have strong smell. I rather prefer bland food of American theaters when people are sitting in close proximity.

dingo_bat 8y ago

> In Taiwan, everyone is permitted to bring food and drinks to the theater and that's pretty common. In the US I'm forced to pay an absurd amount of money for awful junk food. I think this is the standard for the world. In India, we often joke about how the theaters make the real money on the popcorn. > None of the movies is the US are subtitled. Yeah, and they shouldn't be. It's highly annoying. > but I suppose this isn't really a US specific problem. None of what you said is a US specific problem.