AMC A-List & other theater subscriptions (2 Viewers)

[Robert Crawford]

Mods.

I’m ok if you want to un-sticky this thread too. It’s not really getting a lot of traffic anyway.

Thanks Tino, I unstuck it.

 

[Alex...]

AMC's Summer Movie Camp Returns​

14 Fan-Favorite Movies Return to Theaters With $3 and $5 Tickets

Skadoosh! That's the sound of AMC's Summer Movie Camp returning for the first time since 2019, [...]

comicbook.com

 

[Jake Lipson]

Apparently Movie Pass is back.

MoviePass Is Back; Julia Louis-Dreyfus Stars In ‘You Hurt My Feelings’ – Specialty Preview

“It was a contributor to the specialty box office, and I hope it will be again,” says Laemmle CEO Greg Laemmle of MoviePass, the subscription service that unsurprisingly went bankrupt in early 2020…

deadline.com

 

[benbess]

My A-list movie yesterday was the comedy-horror spoof The Blackening. The surprisingly large audience I was with was laughing more than I was, but I was amused at times. Room was left at the end for a possible sequel for this modestly-budgeted $5 million dollar movie. My rating: B

The poster gives you an idea of some of the humor. The cast was good.

 

[benbess]

My A-list movie yesterday was Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. For me it was better and funnier than the trailer. This was a B+ from my pov for this kind of movie.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Sorry if this got answered previously in this long thread, but have we ever learned how AMC and Regal "count" A-List/Unlimited tickets toward box office reports?

Curious to know how they decide the price of a ticket "purchased" under those plans.

 

[TravisR]

Sorry if this got answered previously in this long thread, but have we ever learned how AMC and Regal "count" A-List/Unlimited tickets toward box office reports?

Curious to know how they decide the price of a ticket "purchased" under those plans.

That's a good question. My guess is that the theaters still pay the studios whatever amount that they'd normally get from the cost of the ticket and the theaters make up that cost (and earn) from the A-List or Unlimited people buying concessions.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Sorry if this got answered previously in this long thread, but have we ever learned how AMC and Regal "count" A-List/Unlimited tickets toward box office reports?

Curious to know how they decide the price of a ticket "purchased" under those plans.

I forget what the exact number was but the chains negotiated a fee per each membership admission.

 

[benbess]

My A-list movie today was Strays, which is a very crude comedy that I found to be more funny than anticipated. It does have a sentimental/emotional side sometimes as well that's not really shown in the trailer. My rating: B

 

[Wayne_j]

Not as good as A-List or Regal Unlimited, but Landmark Theatres started a rewards program this summer. It started with $20 a year for free popcorn updates, bargain pricing on tickets on Tuesdays, waived fees on online ticket purchases and a $15 voucher on your birthday. They just added actual rewards such as a $20 voucher for every $100 spent on tickets or concessions.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Not as good as A-List or Regal Unlimited, but Landmark Theatres started a rewards program this summer. It started with $20 a year for free popcorn updates, bargain pricing on tickets on Tuesdays, waived fees on online ticket purchases and a $15 voucher on your birthday. They just added actual rewards such as a $20 voucher for every $100 spent on tickets or concessions.

Friend of mine just moved to Massachusetts and is stuck with Cinemark, which apparently has a "membership program" that sucks - at least compared to AMC A-List or Regal Unlimited.

She and her husband love movies so she ain't happy!

 

[benbess]

My A-list movie with my wife yesterdays was the stop-motion animated film The Inventor, inspired by the life of Leonardo da Vinci. I would call this movie an attempt at "edu-tainment," but we didn't think it succeeded that well at either. The work of Leonardo is watered down and fictionalized enough, and seemingly aimed at "kids," so that the movie doesn't really teach anyone much who already knows at least something of Leonardo's life and imagined inventions. As art historians, my wife and I already know a lot, and so probably hoping to learn something was unrealistic. Anyway, I still wish they'd been more rigorous in exploring his ideas and inventions, and leaning in on that side of what they were doing. In terms of entertainment, the stop-motion is good, and reminds me of the work of George Pal and his Puppetoons. Stop motion and traditional animation are at times nicely blended in the movie, and there are some pleasant songs included. But in spite of all this we were sometimes bored as we watched this in a theater that was empty aside from the two of us. As much as we wanted to like it, overall we felt lukewarm about it, even though we appreciated the work of the many talents that went into it. My rating: B-.

 

[Jake Lipson]

Friend of mine just moved to Massachusetts and is stuck with Cinemark, which apparently has a "membership program" that sucks - at least compared to AMC A-List or Regal Unlimited.

Cinemark is my local chain that I use all the time since I boycott AMC now. Their program offers one 2D ticket per month, 20% off concessions and waived online fees. I come and go from it periodically. The price locally is slightly lower than a night price ticket but higher than a matinee. So I usually sign up for it during months when I have a night show and drop it the rest of the time. (I usually only do night shows for big openings like the MCU.)

I would absolutely sign up for an A-List all-you-can-eat equivalent at Cinemark, but they do not appear to be interested in offering such a thing.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Cinemark is my local chain that I use all the time since I boycott AMC now. Their program offers one 2D ticket per month, 20% off concessions and waived online fees. I come and go from it periodically. The price locally is slightly lower than a night price ticket but higher than a matinee. So I usually sign up for it during months when I have a night show and drop it the rest of the time. (I usually only do night shows for big openings like the MCU.)

I would absolutely sign up for an A-List all-you-can-eat equivalent at Cinemark, but they do not appear to be interested in offering such a thing.

The Cinemark program barely sounds like it's worth the effort.

I guess my friend - and especially her husband - go to enough movies that it'll work for them, but they dearly miss the splendors of A-List!

 

[Jake Lipson]

The Cinemark program barely sounds like it's worth the effort.

I agree. I do use it on the rare occasion I go to night movies because it saves me a little bit of money. But it clearly isn't designed to serve the same purpose as A-List does. It seems intended to entice occasional moviegoers to go more often if they have a small discount. A-List is designed for AMC's most frequent and passionate customer base. The comparison of them is valid but misses the fact that they're intended to do different things. It seems to be working out for Cinemark, though, because if it wasn't, they would discontinue the program. I would be happy to sign up for an A-List equivalent if Cinemark offered one, but the company seems to be content with what it is currently doing.

 

[benbess]

My A-list movie today was an animated film called The Tunnel to Summer, which I watched it in Japanese with English subtitles. It's one of my favorite movies this year, although since I was the only one in the theater it seems box office is low. My rating: A

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Saw 6 - count 'em, 6! - movies 10/31-11/4.

-Creator: C+: looked great but derivative and lost steam as it went

-Exorcist: Believer - C-: not TERRIBLE but dull and pointless

-Five Nights at Freddy's: C: watchable but lots of plot contrivances and a general lack of logic

-Saw X: C-: same old same old

-Gran Turismo: C-: boring and trite. Got some points because Geri Halliwell is in it and I love Spice Girls.

-Killers of the Flower Moon: B: moved more quickly than I'd expect given its length, but erratic story development and too much redundant material

 

[benbess]

My A-list movie today was Trolls Band Together in 3D. Completely silly and adequately entertaining. My rating: B-
3D had a few nice scenes.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I only joined 3 weeks ago (on a Thurs), but have gone to 2x 3-film marathons plus another week w/ 3 scattered across so far plus 1 week when I only saw 1 film (my 1st time seeing The Holdovers):

11/2 - My Heavenly City, Killers of the Flower Moon (at Lincoln Sq IMAX), Radical

11/6 - The Holdovers

11/13-16 - The Marvels (in Dolby Cinema), Anatomy of a Fall, The Hunger Games prequel (in Dolby Cinema)

11/22 - Napoleon (at Lincoln Sq IMAX), The Hunger Games prequel (at Lincoln Sq IMAX), The Holdovers (had considered The Boy and The Heron or maybe Priscilla, but saving TBaTH for later probably when it goes wide(r) and wasn't the mood for something like Priscilla, especially to round out such a long day, heh)

Odd, but despite (or maybe partly because of) the anticipation of it, Napoleon turned out to be the least (whether critically or for pure entertainment value) of this bunch for me so far... The Marvels ain't particularly good either, but it was certainly more entertaining/enjoyable me thinks. I warmed to the Hunger Games prequel a bit more on 2nd viewing while I have zero desire to revisit this theatrical cut of Napoleon (although I might still end up going again w/ a friend or two). Both Anatomy of a Fall and Killers of the Flower Moon are both critically (very) good, but not sure I'd really wanna revisit the former ever again, and not quite sure about Flower Moon either -- I'll probably buy Flower Moon on disc at some point, if there's a (good) release, just because, but probably not the former, except maybe on $5 digital perhaps. My Heavenly City was made by a good acquaintance/friend, and I liked it well enough (for the most part... though it may hit a tad too close to home for me I think) and will probably buy that whether on BD or digital at some point (partly to offer my support)... Also enjoyed Radical, another (slight) bit of a tearjerker-of-sorts, but not sure I'd actually get that on BD instead of just digital whenever that comes out...

Loved The Holdovers... which made me think a little bit of Wonder Boys (2000) instead of some other Giamatti/Payne film -- well, I did also think a little bit of Win Win (2011), but that's not actually a Payne film -- even though no significant similarities (other than somewhat quirky dramedy-of-sorts involving highly literate, teacher/mentor and promising, but somewhat troubled, student), and quite befitting for the holiday season...

Already have a ticket reserved for the upcoming rerelease of The Abyss: SE in Dolby Cinema as I mentioned elsewhere... plus a ticket for Saltburn at a matinee next Monday. Others just released or coming very soon I'm anticipating seeing are: probably Monster, maybe Maestro and/or May December if they actually show up at an AMC here, maybe Godzilla Minus One, which seems to be getting some "early access fan event" premium screenings here next Wed, maybe Wonka, probably Poor Things and then the Aquaman sequel, and yes, The Boy and The Heron that I mentioned earlier...

Anything else I'm overlooking I should probably check out for Dec? Maybe Eileen (on same day of The Abyss: SE?) or La Syndicaliste, if/whenever the latter shows up at an AMC here?

Seems like good time to have joined A-List...

_Man_

 

[benbess]

Saltburn from my pov was excessively sordid, cruel, bloodthirsty, and ridiculous. My rating: D