Why cinemas can go to hell, and I will pirate [** MOD WARNING IN OP **]

Sanjuro

So for over a year, I've become increasingly disillusioned with one of my favourite past times, hitting up the cinema for the latest film release. With the drop in film quality and rise in prices, the cinema has become less a fun trip and more a source of annoyance. Last night was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I arrived in Vue in Liffey Valley to see Prometheus, a film I'd been looking forward to for months. Due to a busy work life and other commitments, I'd been unable to see the film until now.

The first thing that annoyed me was that I was unable to see the film in traditional 2D. Frankly, I find 3D to be a gimmick. A gimmick that almost always is an annoyance that detracts from the film experience. There's a loss of depth of field in some scenes, visual confusion as your eyes try to figure out what is going on, and the continuing problem with the darkness of the picture. And almost every 3D film I've seen has proven to look infinitely better upon second viewing in 2D. So for me, given the choice, I'll watch 2D.

And here's the first problem. Almost every cinema I looked at the listings for, either didn't give you the option of 2D, or had final 2D showings during the day. Post 5pm, it's 3D or nothing. You want choice? Fuck you. It's our way, or no way. Second problem. I went up to the desk to purchase the tickets. Two regular tickets, no premium bullshit seats. No extras. No popcorn. No drinks. Nothing but the damn seat tickets. My jaw hit the floor when I was charged €27.80. Almost thirty euros for two tickets. 'Wait, I have brought 3D glasses with me. I don't need to purchase any more.' I was told that I had no choice. The glasses were a mandatory charge. This further annoyed me. However, I paid the price as I was damned if I was waiting any longer to see the film. But the annoyance didn't stop there.

We were forced to sit through 25 minutes of ads and trailers, followed by the cinema blasting me with an ad for the damn cinema I was already sitting in. Then, a short presentation about the films coming out I had just seen the trailers for. At one point I lost my patience and futilely yelled 'GET ON WITH IT' into the darkness. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, and my questioning as to why I'd bought a ticket to a screening of trailers (I'd almost forgotten I was in the cinema to see a film), the film began.

But this is where I draw the line. I don't want to be ripped off any longer. Two more films will drag me to the cinema this year. The Dark Knight Rises and The Hobbit. Thankfully, only one of those will be 3D. I may even pay the price for admission to The Master when that is released. But no more. I'm done with the big cinema chains. What I will say is that I'm glad that there is The IFI and The Lighthouse. Despite their flaws, at least they offer something different.

So I'm going to continue to download films. I'd always been more than willing to pay for a film in the cinema. I used to go once a week, no matter what crap I was seeing. The whole experience was worth it. But the pricing thing has just become ridiculous. I don't want premium seats. I don't want 3D. If I'm forced to see it, I don't want to have to pay extra for glasses. I've too many pairs already, as it is. The price of admission alone is already extortionate.

I know the arguments against torrenting. Frankly, some of them are ridiculous. The movie industry is unfathomably profitable. When films are pulling in over a billion dollars, any claim that piracy is hurting the industry are farcical. So from now on, I'll wait a few weeks extra for most films. I'll download the film and watch it on my own premium seat in my living room. With my own fresh food. And in two fucking dimensions. Congratulations, film industry. Your attempt to bring the audience back to the cinema have driven me away from it.


MOD WARNING:

No discussion of where and how to illegally download copyrighted content. Doing so will result in a ban.

No boasting/bragging about how you watch illegally downloaded copyrighted content. Doing so will result in a ban.

If you can't discuss the merits of cinemagoing versus piracy without doing either of the above, then please refrain from posting in this thread.

eyescreamcone

I like the cinema experience
I like the 3D
I don't like guys talking during the show or trailers.
I won't miss you

Stuck Cone

Why did you need two seats for yourself??

Sanjuro

Stuck Cone wrote: »

Why did you need two seats for yourself??

One for me, one for the ball of rage that built up with the experience.

Actual answer- I went with my girlfriend.

KiethM89

Sanjuro wrote: »

So for over a year, I've become increasingly disillusioned with one of my favourite past times, hitting up the cinema for the latest film release. With the drop in film quality and rise in prices, the cinema has become less a fun trip and more a source of annoyance. Last night was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I arrived in Vue in Liffey Valley to see Prometheus, a film I'd been looking forward to for months. Due to a busy work life and other commitments, I'd been unable to see the film until now.

The first thing that annoyed me was that I was unable to see the film in traditional 2D. Frankly, I find 3D to be a gimmick. A gimmick that almost always is an annoyance that detracts from the film experience. There's a loss of depth of field in some scenes, visual confusion as your eyes try to figure out what is going on, and the continuing problem with the darkness of the picture. And almost every 3D film I've seen has proven to look infinitely better upon second viewing in 2D. So for me, given the choice, I'll watch 2D.

And here's the first problem. Almost every cinema I looked at the listings for, either didn't give you the option of 2D, or had final 2D showings during the day. Post 5pm, it's 3D or nothing. You want choice? Fuck you. It's our way, or no way. Second problem. I went up to the desk to purchase the tickets. Two regular tickets, no premium bullshit seats. No extras. No popcorn. No drinks. Nothing but the damn seat tickets. My jaw hit the floor when I was charged €27.80. Almost thirty euros for two tickets. 'Wait, I have brought 3D glasses with me. I don't need to purchase any more.' I was told that I had no choice. The glasses were a mandatory charge. This further annoyed me. However, I paid the price as I was damned if I was waiting any longer to see the film. But the annoyance didn't stop there.

We were forced to sit through 25 minutes of ads and trailers, followed by the cinema blasting me with an ad for the damn cinema I was already sitting in. Then, a short presentation about the films coming out I had just seen the trailers for. At one point I lost my patience and futilely yelled 'GET ON WITH IT' into the darkness. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, and my questioning as to why I'd bought a ticket to a screening of trailers (I'd almost forgotten I was in the cinema to see a film), the film began.

But this is where I draw the line. I don't want to be ripped off any longer. Two more films will drag me to the cinema this year. The Dark Knight Rises and The Hobbit. Thankfully, only one of those will be 3D. I may even pay the price for admission to The Master when that is released. But no more. I'm done with the big cinema chains. What I will say is that I'm glad that there is The IFI and The Lighthouse. Despite their flaws, at least they offer something different.

So I'm going to continue to download films. I'd always been more than willing to pay for a film in the cinema. I used to go once a week, no matter what crap I was seeing. The whole experience was worth it. But the pricing thing has just become ridiculous. I don't want premium seats. I don't want 3D. If I'm forced to see it, I don't want to have to pay extra for glasses. I've too many pairs already, as it is. The price of admission alone is already extortionate.

I know the arguments against torrenting. Frankly, some of them are ridiculous. The movie industry is unfathomably profitable. When films are pulling in over a billion dollars, any claim that piracy is hurting the industry are farcical. So from now on, I'll wait a few weeks extra for most films. I'll download the film and watch it on my own premium seat in my living room. With my own fresh food. And in two fucking dimensions. Congratulations, film industry. Your attempt to bring the audience back to the cinema have driven me away from it.

I ain't reading all that !!


Joke :P ... Cinemas in Ireland have already gone to hell! They are an expensive rip off, they extort revenue both from the viewer and from advertisers. They are extracting an enormous amount of income from advertising and yet they still have the gall to charge 15 squids for a seat and force you to buy shoddy glasses and sit in an unclean environment. I agree with you, and I'm voting with my feet. No more will I ever grace the doorway of another cinema.

KiethM89

Sanjuro wrote: »

The movie industry is unfathomably profitable.

When films are pulling in over a billion dollars, any claim that piracy is hurting the industry are farcical.

So from now on, I'll wait a few weeks extra for most films.

I'll download the film and watch it on my own premium seat in my living room. With my own fresh food.

Congratulations, film industry. Your attempt to bring the audience back to the cinema have driven me away from it.

+1 to all of that

Kolido

Just curious, if you don't like 3D why do you have so many pairs of 3d glasses?

Stuck Cone

Sanjuro wrote: »

One for me, one for the ball of rage that built up with the experience.

Actual answer- I went with my girlfriend.

I believe ya :cool:

It's a vicious circle, really.

A cinema is a business and the more people that pirate stuff, like I and a lot of others do, then they're obviously going to have to look to other means to raise money. This is done by those mandatory charges for things like 3D tickets (the cinemas themselves only keep a small fraction of the sale of a ticket - I remember when Up! was first released here, Pixar were looking for something like 60%-70% of the sale to go back to them in the first week) and the 20-25 minutes of advertisements.

Yes, the movie industry makes billions each year, but that's worldwide. The more you pirate, the more you damage the actual cinema industry. The more it's damaged, the more it'll have to raise it's prices.

I pirate sometimes, but I still love going to see a movie in a cinema.

Sanjuro

Kolido wrote: »

Just curious, if you don't like 3D why do you have so many pairs of 3d glasses?

Because a great deal of the films I've wanted to see recently had no choice when it came to 3 or 2D. The Prometheus scenario is one that has been repeated over the last year. I want to see, for example, Avengers in the cinema. No choice but 3D. Forced to get glasses. Brought 'em home.

krudler

thats why I have nothing but praise for Showtime in Limerick, tickets are €9.00. 3D is no extra cost, the glasses are €1 and you can bring them again yourself. its all digital, 7.1 sound in all screens. they play maybe 3-4 ads and at least 3-4 trailers before every movie, including a really nice dolby digital demo trailer. I like seeing trailers so that doesnt bother me in the slightest. the 3D only option can be a pain alright, had to see Prometheus in 3D but they usually have a 2D option for most stuff.

caff

Cineworld ticket 20 a month, easy. Though I do not like their 3D tax.

Stuck Cone

Sanjuro wrote: »

Because a great deal of the films I've wanted to see recently had no choice when it came to 3 or 2D. The Prometheus scenario is one that has been repeated over the last year. I want to see, for example, Avengers in the cinema. No choice but 3D. Forced to get glasses. Brought 'em home.

Kolido

Sanjuro wrote: »

Because a great deal of the films I've wanted to see recently had no choice when it came to 3 or 2D. The Prometheus scenario is one that has been repeated over the last year. I want to see, for example, Avengers in the cinema. No choice but 3D. Forced to get glasses. Brought 'em home.

Ok fair enough. I haven't been to the cinema to watch a 3d movie, I was under the impression you just hire the glasses and return them after the movie.

OldNotWIse

Did shouting at the screen help? :rolleyes:

Zubeneschamali

Just because you don't like the cinema is not a justification for piracy. You can just wait for the DVD/Blu Ray.

Sanjuro

Deleted User wrote: »

It's a vicious circle, really.

A cinema is a business and the more people that pirate stuff, like I and a lot of others do, then they're obviously going to have to look to other means to raise money. This is done by those mandatory charges for things like 3D tickets (the cinemas themselves only keep a small fraction of the sale of a ticket - I remember when Up! was first released here, Pixar were looking for something like 60%-70% of the sale to go back to them in the first week) and the 20-25 minutes of advertisements.

Yes, the movie industry makes billions each year, but that's worldwide. The more you pirate, the more you damage the actual cinema industry. The more it's damaged, the more it'll have to raise it's prices.

I pirate sometimes, but I still love going to see a movie in a cinema.

You see, this is the thing. I love the film industry. I love the cinema. I love the collective viewing experience, and seeing something on the big screen. But when you're getting ripped off, and the films you want to see include extras (and that's what 3D is, it's an extra that extremely rarely adds to the cinematic experience, it's just fluff) that you don't want to pay for, then I'll endevour to see the film the way I want to. Even if that's by pirating.

Some people claim that in certain films, 3D is part of the experience. If the 3D is so integral to the experience, then there should be no charge for it. Imagine if cinemas decided 'ya know, this film is in sound and colour, and that's integral to the experience, so you have to pay for it.' Nobody would pay for that.

CL7

Change cinemas and stop whining then. Steal movies all you want but why do feel the need to type walls of text on here to justify it?

Sanjuro

OldNotWIse wrote: »

Did shouting at the screen help? :rolleyes:

No. That's why I wrote 'futilely.'

Futile

fu·tile/ˈfyo͞otl/

Adjective:
Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless.
Synonyms:
vain - useless - unavailing - fruitless - idle - nugatory

Change cinemas and stop whining then. Steal movies all you want but why do feel the need to type walls of text on here to justify it?

Oh, right. You see, I thought things like boards were places to spark debate and exchange ideas. I wasn't aware opinions weren't allowed to be discussed.

And since your point glossed over the fact that I stated that part of the problem is that all the cinemas I looked at failed to offer 2D, and this is a problem not only with that one cinema, but the entire industry as a whole, maybe you should tackle the points I raised rather than just offer pointless advice.

Stuck Cone

Sanjuro wrote: »

No. That's why I wrote 'futilely.'

Futile

fu·tile/ˈfyo͞otl/

Adjective:
Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless.
Synonyms:
vain - useless - unavailing - fruitless - idle - nugatory

Im going to call you blackbead from now on YARRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

I am pie

Don't want to watch trailers? Turn up 15 mins late. Don't put yourself in positions where you feel the need to yell like some sort of boorish martyr.

Your real rant around 3d vs 2d is better directed at the average cinema goer. A cinema is a business, not a service to you. If more people wanna see 3d, the cinema will facilitate them and maximise their profit by showing in 3d, they cater to the mass market. Not much you can do there rather than frequent cinemas which don't.

I generally go online and get ripped off rather than being ripped off in person for my tickets. At least the mild irritation has dissipated by the time i get to the cinema and i don't find myself moronically ranting at the trailers...

g'em

Stuck Cone wrote: »

I believe ya :cool:

No really, he does. I'm her

I was more than a bit embarrassed by the whole shouting at the screen thing though. Thankfully the theatre was half empty. Takes his movies very seriously does my Sanj. Not sure the moronic comment is warranted though... bit harsh?

Aside from all that, €27.80 for two cinema tickets? You'd be hard pushed to find ANY justification for that.

gbee

Sanjuro wrote: »

We were forced to sit through 25 minutes of ads and trailers, followed by the cinema blasting me with an ad for the damn cinema I was already sitting in. Then, a short presentation about the films coming out I had just seen the trailers for. At one point I lost my patience and futilely yelled 'GET ON WITH IT' into the darkness. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, and my questioning as to why I'd bought a ticket to a screening of trailers (I'd almost forgotten I was in the cinema to see a film), the film began..

I've several box sets of Bond and Star Trek movies, but I'm busy downloading them ~ why? Because they just simply play the gawdam movie.

And I have an extra treat being accused of being a thief playing my Paid For Movies in a Bluetooth Player rather than an ordinary CD player ....

I need compensation for the frustration of actually buying stuff.

KenSwee

I hate going to the cinemas.
Full of idiots who never shut up, constantly on their phones or paying no attention to what they've come to see.
Prices are, I agree, ridiculous.
Paying for glasses you already have, is also ridiculous. Not to mention another piece of bloody plastic that will hang around for two half-lives.

All in all, I totally agree with you about the experience of going to one of these dumps but I won't download illegally. I prefer to wait for it to come on Sky or DVD. Most DVD's are very cheap now and I have a big TV with decent surround so I prefer to wait a few months. I was involved in the music business for years and for so long they claimed that illegal business was killing them but they found a way to make even more money and it will be the same for the movie makers. Live streaming into your house will eventually kill off cinemas and hopefully it will happen soon. The technology is already there in abundance and soon we will have the option to watch new movies as they are released, perfectly created for 40-80" TV's with a built in 3D option.

And best of all, the theatres will benefit as people will always want to see a play, concert or a musical and will go there for their nights out.

It's going to be a much better experience for all.
Ohh and I forgot to add that I think there will still be cinemas to go to but they will be more civilised affairs like the Lighthouse and IFC where people can go to see classics, alternative and some blockbusters.

1) I saw Prometheus in Vue last Friday, late showing (22:50), 2D - here it is. Might be that they changed the timings recently but worth noting.
2) Completely agree with the costs being massive. What I've done for work (for the Movies @ cinemas) was organise tickets from this crowd, if your work sponsors the tickets you will get something like €3 or €4 cinema tickets, which is great.
3) Get her to buy the popcorn if you're buying the tickets!
4) And yes, the amount of ads were hilarious. I'm with you on the shouting at the screen, I was almost doing the same myself.

Stuck Cone

g'em wrote: »

No really, he does. I'm her

I was more than a bit embarrassed by the whole shouting at the screen thing though. Thankfully the theatre was half empty. Takes his movies very seriously does my Sanj. Not sure the moronic comment is warranted though... bit harsh?

Aside from all that, €27.80 for two cinema tickets? You'd be hard pushed to find ANY justification for that.

Your bf is a tight-arse, id treat ya right, fancy cinema tonight??

g'em

Ah you're very sweet but no thanks - he might grumble about ticket prices and shout at inanimate objects but he's awesome in the sack. I'll hang onto him for a bit longer

CL7

Sanjuro wrote: »

No. That's why I wrote 'futilely.'

Futile

fu·tile/ˈfyo͞otl/

Adjective:
Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless.
Synonyms:
vain - useless - unavailing - fruitless - idle - nugatory




Oh, right. You see, I thought things like boards were places to spark debate and exchange ideas. I wasn't aware opinions weren't allowed to be discussed.

And since your point glossed over the fact that I stated that part of the problem is that all the cinemas I looked at failed to offer 2D, and this is a problem not only with that one cinema, but the entire industry as a whole, maybe you should tackle the points I raised rather than just offer pointless advice.

No 2D showings was only one of the issues you had though. Price, 3D glasses and 25 mins of trailers were the others. Could they not be resolved by changing cinema?

Sanjuro

Sanjuro wrote: »

You see, this is the thing. I love the film industry. I love the cinema. I love the collective viewing experience, and seeing something on the big screen. But when you're getting ripped off, and the films you want to see include extras (and that's what 3D is, it's an extra that extremely rarely adds to the cinematic experience, it's just fluff) that you don't want to pay for, then I'll endevour to see the film the way I want to. Even if that's by pirating.

Some people claim that in certain films, 3D is part of the experience. If the 3D is so integral to the experience, then there should be no charge for it. Imagine if cinemas decided 'ya know, this film is in sound and colour, and that's integral to the experience, so you have to pay for it.' Nobody would pay for that.

But you're paying for the extras because people pirate. A cinema is a business and they have to make their money somewhere. They only take a fraction of a ticket cost, so they increase the sale of food. People pirate and don't go to a cinema, that means another ticket lost, which means more fees and extra charges, otherwise the cinema will have to shut down.

Sad Professor

Stuck Cone wrote: »

Your bf is a tight-arse, id treat ya right, fancy cinema tonight??

Stay on topic please.

Sad Professor

From the charter:

The flagrant discussion, promoting, boasting/bragging of watching illegally downloaded or pirated movies will result in a forum ban. The forum is for the discussion of film as an art and media form. If you have an issue with paying to watch movies, then take it up with the film makers/cinema/studio or FACT.

By all means, discuss the OP's post, but the next person who boasts about pirating is getting banned.

Stuck Cone

Sad Professor wrote: »

From the charter:



By all means, discuss the OP's post, but the next person who boasts about pirating is getting banned.

I lived in somalia once and pirated a ship once yarrrrr!!!

Your shooting yourself in the hole OP you pay extra due to pirating

Nervous Wreck

Fwiw Sanj, I completely agree. I used to go to the cinema probably twice a week (when I had cineworld card, anyway). I only usually go with the gf these days and mostly just to see fluff of a friday night. But when something comes up that I really wanna see, a part of me really dreads it.

Where are we gonna see it in 2D?
Where will we not be raped in our wallets?
Where will the staff actually react to scumbag kids making noise so I don't have to embarrass herself by yelling/threatening.

The cost of 3D doesn't affect me too much cos I don't attend 3D movies under any circumstances cos 3D sucks balls (unless the film is shot in 3D, in which case I may give it a shot) but the fact that so little choice is given annoys me cos they're using it to skew statistics. "People seem to love 3D!" No; they're just not getting the choice...

Sanjuro

Deleted User wrote: »

But you're paying for the extras because people pirate. A cinema is a business and they have to make their money somewhere. They only take a fraction of a ticket cost, so they increase the sale of food. People pirate and don't go to a cinema, that means another ticket lost, which means more fees and extra charges, otherwise the cinema will have to shut down.

I disagree. The claim that piracy hurts ticket sales is incredibly overstated. And done so by those within the industry. Avengers finally proved this point. The film is one of the biggest opening films of all time. And also the most pirated film of all time. The fact that thousands of people downloaded the film had a minute, almost insignificant affect on box-office receipts.

Source 1

Source 2

Jogathon

I am getting sick of the cinema too. The last two times I've had noisy, ignorant kids laughing and messing and basically doing my head in. On their phones and throwing popcorn etc. Having said that I'm going to the cinema tonight...

My cinema is miles cheaper than €27 for two though, €9 max each. I hate 3D, prefer the traditional view!

e_e

1. If you hate 3D, don't go to see 3D movies.
2. If your cinema is overpriced, go to a different cinema.
3. If all the films you go to are terrible, that's your own fault really for making such poor decisions.

The lack of common sense here is just f***in absurd. I find that a lot of downloaders (be it music or film) totally have their head in the sand as to how the industry works. Though I think that independent/foreign film needs to be supported above all else in the cinema.

Savoy, IMC and Movies@ are multiplexes with reasonable prices, not overlong ads and patrons that behave themselves (from my own experiences), go there.

Sanjuro

Sanjuro wrote: »

I disagree. The claim that piracy hurts ticket sales is incredibly overstated. And done so by those within the industry. Avengers finally proved this point. The film is one of the biggest opening films of all time. And also the most pirated film of all time. The fact that thousands of people downloaded the film had a minute, almost insignificant affect on box-office receipts.

Source 1

Source 2

I don't know - the Avengers is a tough one to call as such. Thing is that the people that pirated probably saw that it was a good movie and realized that it was something best seen in the cinema as well, so those that pirated then went on to pay for a ticket. But it's not that simple or that clean cut - it doesn't happen like that for every movie.

faceman

I feel your pain OP but alas, piracy is bad m'kay!

I went to see a movie in the Empire in Leicester Sq and on purchasing the ticket the staff member informed me there would be 15 minutes of ads before the film started. Found it unusually helpful that she told me this but very much grateful.

johnny_ultimate

The big cinema chains are always going to overcharge you. McDonalds for film, really: limited choice for more than its value. This isn't a new phenomenon, although admittedly the standard ticket prices in Cineworld et al are ridiculous now. But living in Dublin I've never found it difficult to find 2D showings of stuff - have only been to one 3D screening in the last six months or so, and that was only because it was only released in 3D (and awful at that). IFI, Lighthouse and Screen and others do not overcharge (nor do IMC and a few of the other multiplexes) and tend to offer a much better variety to boot.

I continue going to the cinema weekly, despite the very rare horrible experience (and I had a particularly uncomfortable one this week, ahem). I still think it's the only way to watch a film as intended. When I went to see The Turin Horse a few weeks ago, the lights came up and you just knew everyone in the cinema had been through the same emotional journey. It's that sense that you lose at home, that shared communal experience. That same sensory deprivation. I know projectors and sound systems are getting ever better, but romanticism or not the cinema remains for me the primary source for watching films.

And mostly I just want to support the great films that are still being made, and the distributors and exhibitors who go out of their way to show them. The most depressing news I read recently was from Third Window Films, who have gone out of their way to release offbeat, fascinating Japanese films. But they've had to stop showing their films in the cinema because there's just a market for them anymore. They're the kind of exhibitor piracy hurts, or who struggle because so many people just go to see the big blockbusters.

It's easier to justify piracy in relation to big blockbusters: Hollywood is still making money, and likely will continue to do so. But it's the smaller distributors and exhibitors that are really hurt by it, and they're the ones that I always go out of my way to support. Cinema would be a much duller, derivative place if it wasn't for places like The Screen, the IFI and Lighthouse showing the films that deserve to be seen.

faceman

faceman wrote: »

I feel your pain OP but alas, piracy is bad m'kay!

I went to see a movie in the Empire in Leicester Sq and on purchasing the ticket the staff member informed me there would be 15 minutes of ads before the film started. Found it unusually helpful that she told me this but very much grateful.

Is it not generally known by most that there are 10-15 minutes of ads and trailers before the movie itself?

Kur4mA

I went to see Prometheus just last Friday as, like you, I've had other commitments that prevented me seeing it sooner. I went to see it in the new isense in Blanchardstown and yes, I was forced to see it in 3D.

Normally, I'm one of the people hating on 3D too because I think it looks pure **** for the most part but Prometheus for me as stunning looking in 3D. I think it might have been the isense screen because I saw The Avengers 3D in Blanch too and it was terrible. But in all honesty, the prices are ridiculous but if every film looks as good on these new screens as Prometheus did, I will continue to part with my cash.

krudler

I wish there were more indy/arthouse cinemas outside of Dublin, there's nothing like that in Limerick, the omniplex here does show ballet and opera so thats something at least if you're into that, but never older movies or limited release stuff, closest thing recently was The Raid and that was a big release for a small movie if that makes sense.

Sanjuro

e_e wrote: »

1. If you hate 3D, don't go to see 3D movies.
2. If your cinema is overpriced, go to a different cinema.

Christ. Right.
1. I want to see a film. The film is showing in both 2D and 3D. 2D showings are seemingly deliberately only shown during the day, forcing the more expensive 3D option. Why is the choice being taken away from the audience. I know, nobody is forcing anyone to pay for anything. But if I want to see a film, I would like the option of paying less for 2D. Or at least, if the choice is taken away, don't charge extra for 3D.

2. The price of admission to the cinema is vastly overpriced in the majority of cinemas. Yes. There are exceptions. But sometimes these exceptions are inaccessible. The OP wasn't about that particular cinema. I already decided, if I'm going again, it wont be to that place. But the rant (which, I know, is what it was) was about cinemas in general.

Sanjuro

faceman wrote: »

I feel your pain OP but alas, piracy is bad m'kay!

I went to see a movie in the Empire in Leicester Sq and on purchasing the ticket the staff member informed me there would be 15 minutes of ads before the film started. Found it unusually helpful that she told me this but very much grateful.

Look, I agree. Piracy is not good. And it's not the forking over of cash I object to. I have a massive DVD collection, all of which I paid for. Netflix is a great idea in theory. However, it's selection is rubbish. If there were a streaming service that was up to date, reliable and had a proper selection of films, I'd be all over that. However, it's undeniable that until something like that becomes widely available, people will be just take the easier option. And while that's wrong, that's just the way of the world.

I was curious there and decided to do some searching through the usual well-known torrent routes (obviously not going to say where) and in relation to the Avengers, most of the copies I found were cam-quality and not that great either. The general consensus from a lot of comments I read is that most of the copies are the same quality.

So it's possible that people torrented the movie, watched it and saw it was a good movie, but terrible quality and then went to purchase a cinema ticket.

Thing is that you cannot say that just because Avengers was highly torrented and went on to become one of the highest grossing movies means that the effect pirating has on ticket sales isn't a large one, especially on the independent and smaller cinemas.

Oafley Jones

e_e wrote: »

1. If you hate 3D, don't go to see 3D movies.
2. If your cinema is overpriced, go to a different cinema.
3. If all the films you go to are terrible, that's your own fault really for making such poor decisions.

The lack of common sense here is just f***in absurd. I find that a lot of downloaders (be it music or film) totally have their head in the sand as to how the industry works. Though I think that independent/foreign film needs to be supported above all else in the cinema.

Savoy, IMC and Movies@ are multiplexes with reasonable prices, not overlong ads and patrons that behave themselves (from my own experiences), go there.

Totally agree with this. You don't like the cinema experience then you wait for home release. There is no excuse for piracy. I'm sure if I was to look at the OPs history I'd find himself complaining about our culture of entitlement in this country.

krudler

Sanjuro wrote: »

Christ. Right.
1. I want to see a film. The film is showing in both 2D and 3D. 2D showings are seemingly deliberately only shown during the day, forcing the more expensive 3D option. Why is the choice being taken away from the audience. I know, nobody is forcing anyone to pay for anything. But if I want to see a film, I would like the option of paying less for 2D. Or at least, if the choice is taken away, don't charge extra for 3D.

2. The price of admission to the cinema is vastly overpriced in the majority of cinemas. Yes. There are exceptions. But sometimes these exceptions are inaccessible. The OP wasn't about that particular cinema. I already decided, if I'm going again, it wont be to that place. But the rant (which, I know, is what it was) was about cinemas in general.

but not all cinemas charge that much or have 3D only showings, if you're in dublin you have far more choice than most cities or towns. we only have 3 cinemas here and one of those is open 3 months. the Storm here opened in 2005 and the omniplex in 1997 (iirc). there used to be a good few cinemas in limerick but n more, which is a pity, theres actually no city centre cinema here anymore, they're all in the suburbs.

Galvasean

Deleted User wrote: »

I was curious there and decided to do some searching through the usual well-known torrent routes (obviously not going to say where) and in relation to the Avengers, most of the copies I found were cam-quality and not that great either. The general consensus from a lot of comments I read is that most of the copies are the same quality.

So it's possible that people torrented the movie, watched it and saw it was a good movie, but terrible quality and then went to purchase a cinema ticket.

Or perhaps they decided they couldn't watch such a bad quality rip for 2+ hours so coughed up the dough and went to the cinema?

Sad Professor

I regularly go to Vue, mainly because it's closest to me. I only go at off peak times, but it seems comparable to Cineworld in terms of price.

Lighthouse is probably the best value cinema that I go to. I like the IFI as well and it's often the only place to see certain films, but the seating layout leaves something to be desired.

Hyperbullet

I love these fantastically ill informed statements justifying piracy, when a bit of research will show you the overheads that cinemas incur.

When distribution companies stop forcing cinemas to hand over 60-70% of the weekend box office take, and in the case of one greedy company 100% of opening weekend, then maybe cinemas might become a cheaper experience. But as was previously mentioned it is a vicious circle, and the more people download pirated material, the more they're killing the cinema experience.

johnny_ultimate

As for pirating what is available on DVD / Blu-Ray, I think Masters of Cinema (who consistently release classic cinema in the highest possible transfer quality, and tend to be worth single every cent you pay for their releases) say it best with their anti-piracy warning:



For those distributors who go out of their way to put out quality releases, I feel it's simply our duty as cinema fans to support them.