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aheights15

By aheights15
in Grand Rapids Coffee House

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starrfish Whistle-Stop

starrfish

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I read the story too and say :yahoo: !! It's perfect if you missed a movie the first time around or you loved a movie and want to see it again (and again!) on the big screen. And we're in desperate need of more independent films in GR! Way to go Loeks!!

*fish

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GR1 Whistle-Stop

GR1

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A second run theater may not be very sustainable...given the trend of them previously in GR. But, I think it's worth a try. I've been to several movies at this theater, from the time it opened to as recently as a few weeks ago, and I've never been in a theater with more than 15 people in it. Maybe it'll bring in more people as a second run theater.

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mgreven Hamlet

mgreven

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All the former second run theaters were old and rundown. With Cinemark being new, hopefully it'll fill the seats to make it work. I know I'll be there if I go to the movies from now on. I know my sister lives in a small town down south and the nicest theater there is second run, by a college campus and is $2 and has been packing them in for ten+ years. I'm always jealous as she and her husband can go for $4 and my only choice for a theater is $16+.

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GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

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From a family perspective: I can't really see how anyone can afford to go to a movie these days. If you have a family, like us: two adult tickets = $14 - $16, three kids tickets = $18 - $20; popcorn, pop and snacks = $10 - $12. $50 for what? 8 times out of 10 the movie is not very good. Something we can wait a few months and see for $2.99? So we only go about twice a year.

This idea might be a decent alternative though. I think now is a good time as disposable incomes are way down (compared to even 3 - 5 years ago), but kids are still antsy and need to occasionally have a night out. The Ada-Lowell 5 is a lot cheaper than the GR theaters, but the drive is a killer.

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Veloise City

Veloise

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I think this is a fine idea. Plenty of mark-up in popcorn and other snacks, no matter what a ticket costs. The theatres exist, they are being heated, cooled, lit up, and maintained whether the house is full or empty.

As I understand it, distribution of a first-run film (let's say, one about a boy wizard) costs much more than a re-release (same topic, preceeding films). Who wouldn't want to go see Cinnamon Roll Star Wars again? Or Rocky Horror? Or Sound of Music, in the Rocky Horror style?

Plus the lead time is probably pretty short; decide to run a film one week, open it within a month.

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joeDowntown Metropolis

joeDowntown

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I think most of the theatre's are DTS. I think it was a brilliant move. First they bought out their competition giving them a lock on the market (I think Star Theatre barely passes for a first run theatre since the "other" Loeks sold out). Then they took 12? first run screens out of the mix. I think they can spread the profitability around while making a nice niche for themselves.

And GRDad is right, it is a hard hit on the pocketbook when you take your kids to the theatre. This will be ideal. I hope they do well, they've got my business.

As long as the visual and audio quality doesn't suck like the former Alpine theater did, I'm game. Maybe I can do something I haven't done in years. Watch a movie on the silver screen.
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suydam Hamlet

suydam

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Exactly. I have nothing to really back this up, but I expect that some of the former second-run theaters failed because their facilities weren't maintained well and their audio/visual sucked, but not because they were running older movies. I can't see Loeks letting that happen.
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WOT Whistle-Stop

WOT

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Perhaps the reason they were poorly maintained is the lower viewership and lower ticket prices of second-run movies?

I cannot help but think this is the beginning of the end for that theater (and it's only 2 years old?!)

If anyone can make it work, I suppose Loeks can...but I'm very skeptical that this will solve the long-term health problems of that theater. Gotta try something though I suppose....it was a ghost town in its current format.

I happily recall visting the $1 theater in Kalamazoo during college. I forget the name but it was out Gull Road on the far east side of town. We'd drive out there for $0.99 movies and $2 popcorn. THey didn't make it either. :)

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bostonsquaremom Unincorporated Area

bostonsquaremom

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Perhaps the reason they were poorly maintained is the lower viewership and lower ticket prices of second-run movies?

I cannot help but think this is the beginning of the end for that theater (and it's only 2 years old?!)

If anyone can make it work, I suppose Loeks can...but I'm very skeptical that this will solve the long-term health problems of that theater. Gotta try something though I suppose....it was a ghost town in its current format.

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mgreven Hamlet

mgreven

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The Woodland Cinemark was one of the sites for high-definition broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera this past year. When I went to see The Barber of Seville there, two theaters were packed full. I am hoping they will continue showing the Met broadcasts. I e-mailed Celebration at the time they bought the theaters and I received a response back that they were in discussions with the Met to continue the broadcasts.
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oakesLife Whistle-Stop

oakesLife

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I used to work at a first run movie theatre and know how the pricing works. All the money from a first run film comes from concession - why do you think they charge 3.50 for a SMALL pop. The % that a movie company demands from ticket sales goes down every week so if you're running a film from 6 weeks ago the % you have to pay back is considerably smaller so you're actually making more money off the ticket sales as a second run theatre. The downfall obviously is getting people in to watch a movie that came out 6 weeks ago.

In Midland where I grew up there is a great second run theatre called Studio M that has been around forever. It hasn't been modified from its original sloped seating, has very uncomfortable seats and sticky floors, but still draws plenty of business. Woodland will have the added benefit of being new and also great DLP projection.

:good: I'm very excited about this mainly because of the art house idea. I'm an indie lover and usually have to wait for the dvds.

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