Would you pay $35 for a movie ticket, plus extra for popcorn?

[moshquerade]

Posh Redmond theater to charge $35 a ticket

Would you pay $35 for a movie ticket, plus extra for popcorn?

What if it guaranteed no one could kick your seat?

An Australian theater chain opening in Redmond this fall is betting affluent audiences will pay three times the typical ticket price for plush, reclining seats equipped with call buttons for service, allowing them to order gourmet food, wine and cocktails from the theater's restaurant.

Village Roadshow Gold Class Cinemas will open at Redmond Town Center in October, replacing the AMC theater that closed earlier this year.

It will cater to people who "don't want to go to a cavernous multiplex and be caught up with hordes of people," said Graham Burke, managing director and CEO of Village Roadshow Limited, the parent company.

"We believe we're bringing back to the movies a new audience that arguably stopped going to the movies," he said.

Exclusivity is key. Each of the eight auditoriums will have wide screens but no more than 40 seats arranged in pairs with ample legroom. The theater's restaurant and lounge will be open only to moviegoers. An online booking service will enable people to choose their seats; valets will park their cars.

The theater will offer some matinees, Burke said, with admission discounted to $20 or $25.

Village Roadshow runs similar theaters in Australia, Europe and Asia. Audiences there typically spend about $60 per person, including the ticket price, Burke said, though for most, he added, cost is not much of a concern.

Village Roadshow will open its first U.S. location in the fall in the affluent Chicago suburb of South Barrington. The company is investing more than $200 million to open 50 theaters around the country in the next five years.

Despite the U.S. economic downturn, "people are still going to top-end restaurants, still buying top-end motor cars," Burke said.

But will they be willing to pay a premium at the box office?

"The ticket price is a little shocking," said Stacey Reid, a real-estate broker at Cushman & Wakefield in Seattle.

Redmond has very high income levels, however, and Northwest consumers tend to be more willing to splurge on experiences, rather than material goods, she said.

The prestige of the new theater chain could help attract other tenants to the 10-year-old mall, which is undergoing a transition as retail leases expire, said senior marketing manager Christina Henning.

"We've been talking to some retailers for quite some time now about coming to Redmond Town Center," Henning said. "It's definitely a plus."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.c...1_movietheater26e.html

 

[Juno]

sure if you agree to go with me on a date.

 

[Bateluer]

Interesting idea, I could probably be enticed to visit.

 

[moshquerade]

Originally posted by: Juno
sure if you agree to go with me on a date.

i'll be ready at 7.

 

[olds]

I wouldn't pay $.35 for a movie in a theater.

 

[SpunkyJones]

No, I have my home theater so I don't have to leave the comfort of home. Plus I can pause a movie when I need to take a pee.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

I might once a year or so, just as something nice to do that isn't super expensive.

Or if I had a girl I was trying to get with

 

[pontifex]

do you get free BJ?

so basically they'll have waiters interrupting the movie by walking in front of you and amking noise with the food, etc?

do you have to pay for your food and drinks on top of that yet? i doubt i'd go to it. maybe if i had the entire screen to myself?

 

[Koing]

No. I did once pay ~ £15 ($29 or so) or some BS price for the big cinema in Leciester Square in London.

The cinema was f0cking huge.

Koing

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: pontifex
do you get free BJ?

so basically they'll have waiters interrupting the movie by walking in front of you and amking noise with the food, etc?

do you have to pay for your food and drinks on top of that yet? i doubt i'd go to it.

<insert your mom joke here>

 

[theprodigalrebel]

No. The multiplexes that have cropped up here in the past five years or so already have ample legroom, excellent projectors and reference-quality sound. And the pricing is rather decent (except for refreshments, of course).

This sounds like a dumbass gimmick.

 

[cherrytwist]

No thanks. I'd rather do a number of things (sporting event, dinner, etc.) with my entertainment $$$.

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Meh. Alamo Draft House will still be better.

 

[Gibsons]

Originally posted by: Fullmetal Chocobo
Meh. Alamo Draft House will still be better.

and a lot cheaper too.

 

[Fritzo]

We have director's theaters here where they have leather recliners, and a "waiter" comes up and brings you your snacks and drinks if you wish during the movie. It's only $5 more than a normal ticket, but they sell out fast.

 

[SSSnail]

40 seats x 35 dollars + loud asses munching on steaks and drinking and stuffs = wtf!?

If I want steaks or fine dining, I'd go to a proper restaurant. If I want to be a yuppy, then I'd go to that stupid wannabe theater.

Maybe, just maybe I'll pay a bit more for the seat reservations.

 

[lokiju]

They already had a section that as like this at a Muvico I used to go to when I lived in Boca Raton, FL.

The down stairs of the theater was a normal theater but you could by premium seating upstairs in the balcony level for $20, this allowed you to get free valet parking, free popcorn and pick your own oversized love seat as well.

They have a ritzy restaurant in there and even live music and a full bar.

For the big movies I'd pretty much always reserve way in advance to sit up there since there wasn't a bad seat in the place, everyone was very well behaved (had to be 21 or older to even get in) and even if you didn't show up until 2 mins before the movie started, it didn't matter since you picked out and reserved your seat in advance online.

This is the one.

 

[randomlinh]

why is everyone saying the food will be in the actual viewing area? The article says there will be fine dining in addition, not in combination, with the movie experience. All it says is 40 seats, in pairs, with a giant screen. I think it can work in certain areas. I'd be happy with the simple strictness of if your phone rings, you're out, if your kid squeaks, you're out. If they are consistent with that, maybe people will get the picture and stfu.

 

[jjones]

No

 

[halik]

Hells no it's a 2 hour movie.... it makes no diff what i sit on

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: randomlinh
why is everyone saying the food will be in the actual viewing area? The article says there will be fine dining in addition, not in combination, with the movie experience. All it says is 40 seats, in pairs, with a giant screen. I think it can work in certain areas. I'd be happy with the simple strictness of if your phone rings, you're out, if your kid squeaks, you're out. If they are consistent with that, maybe people will get the picture and stfu.

affluent audiences will pay three times the typical ticket price for plush, reclining seats equipped with call buttons for service, allowing them to order gourmet food, wine and cocktails from the theater's restaurant

I've been to a number of these type of theaters in the course of my work, people eat all kinds of stuff during the show (anything from a huge salad to a NY strip). These kinds of theaters are actually just restaurants with a cover charge that happen to show movies.

 

[DnetMHZ]

Not a chance.

 

[Anubis]

only if it comes with a BJ from a nice looking coed

 

[imported_Section8]

That $70 would buy a play for 2 at the Dallas Theater Center and a cocktail. And I would definitely score later.

 

[Q]

Originally posted by: moshquerade

Originally posted by: Juno
sure if you agree to go with me on a date.

i'll be ready at 7.

Damn I need to learn this strat.