Phone-Friendly Movie Theaters For Millennials Could Be Reality Soon (variety.com)

An anonymous reader writes: AMC Entertainment realizes Millennials' increasingly growing love for and reliance on smartphones for things, which is why it says it is open to the idea of phone-friendly movie theaters. "When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don't ruin the movie, they hear 'please cut off your left arm above the elbow,'" Adam Aron, AMC Entertainment CEO tells Variety. "You can't tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone. That's not how they live their life." Aron believes that AMC needs "to reshape our product in some concrete ways so that millennials go to movie theaters with the same degree of intensity as baby boomers went to movie theaters throughout their lives." AMC also realizes that if it allows people to use cellphones in theater, and text and talk to their friends, this might disturb the fellow citizen who just want to watch the god-damn movie in peace. He says the company is "going to have to figure out a way to do it that doesn't disturb today's audiences. [...] That's one possibility. What may be more likely is we take specific auditoriums and make them more texting-friendly."

Comments

Good

[Anonymous Coward]

With any luck that will keep them out of the regular theaters.

Re:Good

[Anonymous Coward]

With any luck that will keep them out of the regular theaters.

I'm pushing 70 years old and we go often to the theater.
I told my wife about AMC's plan, and she said "What? They want to build a theater just for assholes?"

Dear Adam.

[Anonymous Coward]

Grow a pair.

Seriously, you can tell a 22 year old to not be a dickhead unless you're willing to lose the older generation of cinema-goers. (Remember those - the people who paid off their crippling student debts and have disposable income?)

Re:Dear Adam.

[__aaclcg7560]

Some those dickheads are the same "people who paid off their crippling student debts and have disposable income". I was waiting to watch a movie when I heard a grandmother behind me shared her grandkid's pictures on Facebook via her cellphone. A moment later her five girlfriends were cooing over the pics on their own cellphones. Annoying as a hell.

Re:Dear Adam.

[Anonymous Coward]

"waiting to watch a movie"

Speaking of dickheads, how about those people who expect peace and quiet in a movie theatre BEFORE THE FEATURE STARTS?

Re:Dear Adam.

[DarkOx]

Remember those - the people who paid off their crippling student debts and have disposable income?

Here is a little demographic note for you:

Nielsen takes a look at annual moviegoer trends as awards season continues. According to Nielsen NRGâ(TM)s (National Research Groupâ(TM)s) 2012 American Moviegoing report, 70 percent of Americans ages 12 and older reported seeing one or more movies at a theater in the last 12 months, which is in line with moviegoing in the year prior. The demographic makeup of the moviegoing audience has remained relatively consistent over the last couple of years, but the proportion of younger moviegoers (12-24) and oldest moviegoers (65-74) has grown gradually at the expense of middle-aged moviegoers (25-54).

So the long store short is that, you are not growth portion of the market. middle aged people also don't have more disposable income than college kids. Probably because most them that have kids are using their disposable income to send them to either college or the movies :-P.

So even though you and I might not like it, business savvy theater owners will cater to their audience which happens to be 22 years who won't turn off their phones.

Re:Dear Adam.

[spire3661]

Lights on, talk all you want. Lights off, shut the fuck up.

Re: Dear Adam.

[nehumanuscrede]

No, we actually we have much more disposable income than the college crowd, we just refuse to sit through Phone-Fest when the movie starts because smartphones are the digital equivilent of a security blanket for some people. Take it away for even a little while and they lose their fucking minds.

As such, we'll buy the giganto screen TV, and a house shaking sound system to match, then watch the show in the comfort of our home when it releases to Pay Per view, Netflix, Blu-Ray, whatever floats your boat.

My food, snacks, alcohol, rules and I can pause it if need be.

Greater amounts of disposable income seems to be the work around for clueless idiots and their smartphone obsessions.

Re:Dear Adam.

[BasilBrush]

They were right, you were wrong.

Re:Dear Adam.

[Rakarra]

It's not about growing a pair, it's about maximizing income.
  Do you:

A) Keep the kids out, because they want to use their phone more than they want to see a movie, or
B) Keep the old people out, because they can't handle modern technology and society.

The answer is: do which ever one makes you the most income.

I think it's focusing on the short term at the expense of the long term. They're not building good relationships by alienating all their existing customers, just to bring in customers whose loyalty is suspect anyway. The millennials will move on to the next toy experience, and everyone will treat the theater as a place to be avoided.. the place to see the movie because thanks to deals between theaters and studios, it's the ONLY way to legally see a movie at release. Going there because you don't have much choice if you want to see the movie is undercutting their long-term sustainability.

Re: Dear Adam.

[Anonymous Coward]

I work for AMC, not a decision maker, just a rank-and-file IT guy, and while I can't speak for our decision makers, IMHO you've exactly nailed it.

If we catered to people who would rather get a nearly-as-good home theatre experience, we'd already be sucking wind as a company.

Instead, we're doing great, on track to become the biggest movie exhibitor in the world later this year, by trying to make the guest experience as good as we can for the largely-young, cellphone-addicted demographic that want a social experience at the theatre and who actually do want to come OUT to see movies.

So, instead of lowering prices or trying to cram ever-more-asses in ever-smaller-seats, we're taking OUT huge numbers of seats in order to put in more-comfortable recliners, adding bars to meet your friends, adding dine-in options to auditoriums, trying to push the envelope with A/V / 3D as much as we can to make the viewing experience better than you can get at home, putting butt-thumping transducers in those aforementioned recliners, and, yes, thinking of offering separate auditoriums for those who can't turn their phones off so as to segregate them from those who'd rather not be distracted.

Let's be honest, for us cranky old folks who just want to watch and have the kids get off our yard, the movie theatre was NEVER a great place to watch a movie distraction-free.

Though I'm an old guy who's happy to turn the damn cell phone off for a couple hours, I'm proud of my company for trying to adapt to the times, rather than lobbying Congress to outlaw phones in theatres and convince people to keep buying our buggy whips.

Great idea!

[PvtVoid]

Separate auditoriums for people who text in the theater! Just lock the doors and leave them in there permanently.

Re:Great idea!

[sbrown7792]

Basically, the idea that The Oatmeal drew out awhile ago.
Can't say I disagree.

Marshmallow eaters

[avandesande]

I suppose these are all the kids that ate their marshmallow right away .

Can't you just stream it to their mobile phones?

[TechnoCore]

...and have them stay in the lobby during the movie? It will be great!

Bullshit

[Anonymous Coward]

"When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don't ruin the movie, they hear 'please cut off your left arm above the elbow,'"

Speaking as a millennial, this is total bullshit. Only a tiny subset of us actually have a pathological need to be in constant communication with others.

Sleeping with the enemy

[daveywest]

Unfortunately, I'm married to an otherwise wonderful woman who feels entitled to text in theaters. Every time we go out, I'm forced to choose between standing on the right side of history and getting sexytimes later.

Re:Sleeping with the enemy

[Moof123]

Don't procreate with her. Such bad judgement and inconsiderate behavior will make child rearing a nightmare.

Re:Sleeping with the enemy

[enjar]

You should tell her you need to take a piss, complain to the manager that someone is using their phone during the movie and then let them deal with it. Even though movie tickets are pricey, they are cheaper than divorce or hookers. If you feel bad, slip the manager a twenty and tell them not to recognize you.

Re:Sleeping with the enemy

[goose-incarnated]

Unfortunately, I'm married to an otherwise wonderful woman who feels entitled to text in theaters. Every time we go out, I'm forced to choose between standing on the right side of history and getting sexytimes later.

She is both inconsiderate *AND* weaponising sex - even pizza delivery guys do better than that.

Re:Sleeping with the enemy

[Anonymous Coward]

She is both inconsiderate *AND* weaponizing sex

So, yes, we've established that she is, in fact, female.

Two Things I Want

[sehlat]

1. Broadcast the soundtrack to the phone so you can wear earphones and not be bothered by idiots who aren't watching the movie.

2. Broadcast subtitles to VR glasses on the same phone with the focus distance == screen distance. One of the main reasons I don't go to movies is hearing problems. With current technology, subtitle focus distance and screen distance are literally yards apart.

Get the hacksaw !

[fahrbot-bot]

When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don't ruin the movie, they hear 'please cut off your left arm above the elbow, ...

Sure you can. I'm fine with the arm thing - it's your choice. However, if you *need* it leave it on, put it on vibrate and leave the theater if you get or need to make a call. Seriously, how hard is that? Your need to feel connected shouldn't interfere with others' enjoyment of the movie.

Missing the Point (if there even is one)

[Quantus347]

"That's not how they live their life." Aron believes that AMC needs "to reshape our product in some concrete ways so that millennials go to movie theaters with the same degree of intensity as baby boomers went to movie theaters throughout their lives."" "That's not how they live their life" is precisely why they won't ever go to the movie theater "with the same degree of intensity as Baby Boomers", regardless of whether you give them a dedicated room or any other accommodation. And the same reason their families will never all sit around the dinner table and talk about their days the same way, or gather for a favorite TV show at the same prime time hour each week. Anybody who cannot unplug themselves from their constant flow of input will never lock in to the movie with the intensity of those that actually focus on it.

Catering to the lowest common denominator

[enjar]

I recall a story recently about paying $50 to stream a movie a the day it comes out in the theater. This is why I'd gladly pay $50 to see a movie at home under my own control, with no morons ruining the movie with their damned phones. I can tell my kids to shut up, and I can pause the thing to use the bathroom. I can pop my own popcorn in the microwave and mix up my own adult beverage. $50 would save me a pile of money versus actually going to the theater, and I'd get to talk about the movie with friends -- or we could just have the friends over and all watch the movie together rather than having it ruined by some jerk not even paying attention to the movie because they are texting with their friends.

It's only theory

[Hognoxious]

"When you tell a 22-year-old to turn off the phone, don't ruin the movie, they hear 'please cut off your left arm above the elbow,'"

Could we try demonstrating the difference to them with a practical experiment?

They are addressing the wrong problem

[Justt Some Guy]

Rather then bring them into a theater, why not just put up a screen in their snack bar/cafe/restaurant and let them have the option of using headphones on their cell-phone to hear the the soundtrack delivered by a local Wi-Fi stream? Maybe Lay-z-Boy type seating with a snack table in front of you, too.

That way they can talk to whoever on the phone during the movie without disturbing anyone else.

Hell, they could offer them a golden multi showing super-ticket so the restaurant does not need to be cleared out. They can watch a marathon if they want, as long as they keep eating snacks and ordering more $20 sodas. Can you say Lord of the Rings/Hobbit/Star Wars/Star Trek marathons, anyone?

They can sell more top shelf items, such as real pizza to order, burgers and fries, salads, etc, not just the crap they sell now. They make their actual profit from the food they sell anyway, might was well cater to folks who like to splurge while enjoying the latest first run movies,