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Yeah, Moviepass started limiting it to certain showtimes, then one or two indie movies a month, and sometimes when you logged into the app it would say nothing at all was showing at the Hilo Regal! Needless to say we bailed on our monthly plan after that. Overall we saw 2-3 movies per month for the price of one when it was working, so came out ahead!
They've started "unlimited" back up, but folks online say they are still having issues, particularly if they've already seen a movie that month.
In other news, Regal is working on their own subscription plan, but it may be a year off due to current financial issues.
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This post has less to do with movie pass, but more on the industry in general.
I knew a guy who managed a first-run movie theater. He explained that all their ticket revenue went back to whoever made the movie. Sometimes they could keep 50 cents to a dollar, and other times the ticket revenue was negative. 100% of their profits came from concession sales (which is why a candy bar costs $100 and they will frame you for murder if you try to sneak one in).
Due to internet movie piracy, Hollywood decided that they were going to start pushing 3-D films so the "full experience" could never be replicated without going to the theater. The problem was that it required the movie screens to be replaced with an expensive material that was 25k-50k depending on the size. Since that is a lot of popcorn, they allowed the individual theaters to charge more for 3D films and keep some of it for themselves to recoup their investment. (Not to mention the cost of the glasses).
"In other news, Regal is working on their own subscription plan, but it may be a year off due to current financial issues."
A valid business model that is at least 10 years too late. It must have been hard to watch Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and all the others soaking up subscription revenue (and stealing customers) while sitting on the sidelines trying to sell $100 hot dogs.
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What's the ambiance in movie theaters these days? Haven't been in one in 10 years, ever since I got my big screen TV. Last I recall it was a crapshoot, 50/50 chance you'd have one of the following:
1) A 300 pound movie goer sitting next to you, with a giant arm draped completely over the arm rests between the two of you;
2) Some knucklehead behind you trying to prop up his foot on your seat, thereby repeatedly kicking it;
3) Couple of morons talking throughout the showing; or
4) A crying kid in the audience.
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Mark you forgot something there:
5) The teenage kids on their cell phone that purposefully don't turn them off or mute them.
Oh and what about all that good food at reasonable prices they offer in the lobby?
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6) The people who sit behind you with their sick kid who coughs on the back of your neck for 2 hours and you spend the next 2 weeks laid up.
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The last time I went to a movie in Hilo we were the only two in the cinema - until 10 minutes into the movie, when another couple came in and sat right in front us. But otherwise it was okay. I don't buy their "food" so they didn't make much off me. I think in 5 years movie theaters will be as numerous as Blockbusters.
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Although technically dead since July, they took the Moviepass corpse off life support on Friday.
But, Regal now has it's own unlimited movie subscription service and according to their web site it includes the Hilo screens. It starts at $18/month but looking at their complicated fee structure you'll want to see if you'll pay less by getting the $24/month plan. Maybe somebody who is more interested in this type of thing can check it out and report back.
Here's the worst part: It's not a monthly subscription, it's an annual one you are allowed to make monthly payments on. So if you get their highest tier subscription it's nearly $300 commitment.
eta: forgot the link: https://www.regmovies.com/static/en/us/unlimited
"What's the ambiance in movie theaters these days? Haven't been in one in 10 years, ever since I got my big screen TV. Last I recall it was a crapshoot, 50/50 chance you'd have one of the following:
1) A 300 pound movie goer sitting next to you, with a giant arm draped completely over the arm rests between the two of you;
2) Some knucklehead behind you trying to prop up his foot on your seat, thereby repeatedly kicking it;
3) Couple of morons talking throughout the showing; or
4) A crying kid in the audience."
It might be worth the drive to Waikaloa:
https://hawaiicinemas.com/
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I have Regal Unlimited: it's $21/month for the tier that includes our Hawaii theaters. So average 2 movies a month and you break even. There are also still ways to earn points and free popcorns, like watching certain movies on certain dates.
You do commit to paying for 12 months of service, but you can pay one month at a time.
Unlike Moviepass, Regal is completely unlimited for one person. Multiple movies per day, you just show your app to the box office or kiosk. You can also reserve movies ahead of time in the app for 50 cents. Our local theater is rarely sold out, so I never bother.
The theater has been pretty good lately, though there is the occasional mother with crying baby. The employees are all super nice.
Since we don't have broadband or air conditioning at home, we enjoy catching movies at Regal, especially in the summer. Not a lot of night life in Hilo either, so at least we have something to do on date night. :-)
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Terracore, I share your trepidation about going to the Regal theaters and much prefer the Palace, however last time I went to the mall I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone behaved themselves and it wasn't freezing cold inside. I like that you don't have to walk through the whole mall to get to the theaters.
Certainty will be the death of us.
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Thanks everybody for posting their reviews. I don't go to the theater mostly for a lack of time and the inconvenience but some day I will slow down.
An old mentor once told me, "burn the candle at both ends while you still have a candle." I'm still trying to figure out if that is the best, or worst, advice I've ever received.
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