MoviePass and Other Cinema Subscription Services

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Luke M
Joined: Thu Jul 12, 2007 9:21 pm

MoviePass

#351 Post by Luke M » Fri Jul 27, 2018 5:09 pm

Feeling like Tom Cruise is going to kill MoviePass this weekend.

Edit: All showings of Mission Impossible at my theater are blocked out tonight. Fun.

MongooseCmr
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2012 11:50 pm

Re: MoviePass

#352 Post by MongooseCmr » Fri Jul 27, 2018 5:59 pm

Surcharge rates in my area have nearly doubled since two days ago, from 3.01-3.89 last week to 6 dollars for every non-indie film. I would expect that kind of rate in a big city, not the suburban multiplex. I feel we’re back on the “wait for discount day” habit even for surcharges.

I’ve managed to avoid a surcharge so far, but it’s hard to justify what I’m saving if the service kept on this way. Pay $9.99 so that most tickets are about 50% off? You still need to see three films at least before anything is being saved, I think, and even then it’s just a few dollars on the ticket.

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mfunk9786
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Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: MoviePass

#353 Post by mfunk9786 » Fri Jul 27, 2018 6:21 pm

I know this is gonna sound like bootlicking, but if I can only see any given movie once anyway, I really don't mind waiting a week or so to see it. The peak pricing is the more offensive policy to me, but if I can't see a big blockbuster movie the first weekend or two it's out, it will have a really minimal impact on me and will probably save MoviePass a ton of money. I'll keep going to the arthouses on weekends and catching big movies at multiplexes on weekdays when they aren't crowded.

Again, though, it's probably too little too late, and getting too cerebral about the policy of a company that's probably going to bite the dust by the end of next week is likely a waste of breath.

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domino harvey
Dot Com Dom
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 2:42 pm

Re: MoviePass

#354 Post by domino harvey » Fri Jul 27, 2018 6:27 pm

More like the end of this week. They have to pay back half the loan by the 1st

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hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

Re: MoviePass

#355 Post by hearthesilence » Fri Jul 27, 2018 7:54 pm


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mfunk9786
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Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
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Re: MoviePass

#356 Post by mfunk9786 » Sat Jul 28, 2018 11:18 pm

Saturday night isn't over yet and users are already having difficulty checking in to movies. Gotta be the end of the line.

McCrutchy
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:57 am
Location: East Coast, USA

Re: MoviePass

#357 Post by McCrutchy » Sun Jul 29, 2018 12:58 am

These have been making the rounds today:
SpoilerShow
Image

Image

wattsup32
Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:00 pm

Re: MoviePass

#358 Post by wattsup32 » Sun Jul 29, 2018 2:41 pm

I'm curious to know if any of you who are annual subscribers are having any trouble checking in or anything else. Based on those surcharge postings, it seems they are surcharging every showing of every film. And, those are huge surcharges!

Self
Joined: Thu Apr 24, 2014 9:36 pm

Re: MoviePass

#359 Post by Self » Sun Jul 29, 2018 4:57 pm

I’m an annual subscriber. I tried to check-in today and was given the error message that I was unable to check-in for this particular theatre, but any e-ticketing options are still open to me. First time I’ve had any problems with the app. I went with a friend last week who was surcharged while I wasn’t.

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Timec
Spencer Tracy had it coming
Joined: Thu Nov 25, 2004 1:16 pm
Location: Elsewhere

Re: MoviePass

#360 Post by Timec » Sun Jul 29, 2018 5:10 pm

As an annual subscriber, I was able to buy a ticket to a Bergman film at the AFI Silver a few hours ago without fees. But based on what I'm reading on Reddit, the ability to check in is intermittent, and most movies - blockbusters and indies - are grayed out in the app.

My sister in Utah said she was gonna be charged a $6 surge fee for a $7 matinee ticket a few hours ago.

I don't think MoviePass has many more days of life left.

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Kirkinson
Joined: Wed Dec 15, 2004 5:34 am
Location: Portland, OR

Re: MoviePass

#361 Post by Kirkinson » Sun Jul 29, 2018 5:26 pm

When every single showtime disappeared from the app last night I really thought it was the end. Lots of them are back today, but I'm still not sure it's not the end. There are lots of screwy things happening.

I'm a monthly subscriber but still haven't been subjected to any surge pricing, nor has any other MP user in Portland that I've asked. They must not have expanded it to all markets yet — perhaps it's something they're only doing in places where they have e-ticketing options (there are none in Portland), in an attempt to get users to choose those theaters? We also don't have any AMC theaters nearby, maybe that also has something to do with it.

There are still lots of screwy things happening, though. My gf and I were talking about seeing either Eighth Grade or Ant-Man & The Wasp today, and when we checked this morning there were no showtimes for Eighth Grade available on the app at all. I just checked again, and there is now one solitary screening of Eighth Grade listed at 10PM (at a theater that's actually showing it several times throughout the day) but all screenings of AM&TW at our two preferred theaters have disappeared, leaving only theaters that are much farther away and harder to get to. And even if we went to one of those theaters, it feels like we'd be taking a risk that the showtime would unavailable again once we got there.

It's hard to see any method to all this madness, and it still feels like I'm watching MP's death throes.

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movielocke
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 12:44 am

Re: MoviePass

#362 Post by movielocke » Mon Jul 30, 2018 2:31 pm

Kirkinson wrote:When every single showtime disappeared from the app last night I really thought it was the end. Lots of them are back today, but I'm still not sure it's not the end. There are lots of screwy things happening.

I'm a monthly subscriber but still haven't been subjected to any surge pricing, nor has any other MP user in Portland that I've asked. They must not have expanded it to all markets yet — perhaps it's something they're only doing in places where they have e-ticketing options (there are none in Portland), in an attempt to get users to choose those theaters? We also don't have any AMC theaters nearby, maybe that also has something to do with it.

There are still lots of screwy things happening, though. My gf and I were talking about seeing either Eighth Grade or Ant-Man & The Wasp today, and when we checked this morning there were no showtimes for Eighth Grade available on the app at all. I just checked again, and there is now one solitary screening of Eighth Grade listed at 10PM (at a theater that's actually showing it several times throughout the day) but all screenings of AM&TW at our two preferred theaters have disappeared, leaving only theaters that are much farther away and harder to get to. And even if we went to one of those theaters, it feels like we'd be taking a risk that the showtime would unavailable again once we got there.

It's hard to see any method to all this madness, and it still feels like I'm watching MP's death throes.
I was going to see ant man last night, but movie pass deleted all the showtimes from my theatre that’s only two miles from me and only had showtimes at a theatre ten miles from me and my suspicion was that if I drove over there the gps would reset and the theatre with the showtimes would flip flop.

Also every showtime for every film in every theatre I looked at had surge pricing applied all weekend long.

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DarkImbecile
Ask me about my visible cat breasts
Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 6:24 pm
Location: Albuquerque, NM

Re: MoviePass

#363 Post by DarkImbecile » Mon Jul 30, 2018 3:52 pm

I haven't seen any surge pricing in my area, but there are several films I haven't seen yet greyed out in the app, and when I tried to check in for one of those that was supposedly available, I got the apparently now standard error message asking me to try again later and letting me know that e-ticketing services were still available.

Trying to use the app these last few days is like visiting a quickly fading relative at a nursing home: brief glimmers of the person you knew and loved obscured by the growing list of symptoms indicating vital organ failure, prompting you to awkwardly leave early, reassuring yourself that they'll be in a better place soon while a single tear rolls down your cheek and Sarah McLachlan sings "I Will Remember You" on the radio, just as you notice Ribs standing on the sidewalk alongside an AMC executive, smoking cigars while pointing and laughing at your pain.

MongooseCmr
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2012 11:50 pm

Re: MoviePass

#364 Post by MongooseCmr » Mon Jul 30, 2018 5:31 pm

I had the same feeling when I couldn’t check in to a screenin at 10:30 this morning. I spent all weekend mourning, and after seeing the body and realizing that it’s gone, and that I don’t want or need to pay $20 to see Mama Mia 2, I’m sort of ok with it passing.

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mfunk9786
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Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: MoviePass

#365 Post by mfunk9786 » Mon Jul 30, 2018 6:08 pm


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Brian C
I hate to be That Pedantic Guy but...
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:58 am
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: MoviePass

#366 Post by Brian C » Mon Jul 30, 2018 6:25 pm

As of this moment, every area theater near me has a message that there are no more showtimes for the day, except for the Landmarks which are eticketing.

I’ve gotten many, many multiples of my money back on what I’ve paid them, so if this is it ... eh, I’ve had a good run. But still, this is just sad.

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swo17
Bloodthirsty Butcher
Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
Location: SLC, UT

Re: MoviePass

#367 Post by swo17 » Mon Jul 30, 2018 6:26 pm

This is so stupid.

Just charge $15 a month for the ability to see 2 movies, $30 to see up to 5, or $50 to see up to 10, with no restrictions or catches. I just saved your company.

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hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

Re: MoviePass

#368 Post by hearthesilence » Mon Jul 30, 2018 6:28 pm

Is this just for big studio movies? Out of 36 check-ins since the fall, I've seen only ONE movie via MoviePass that would qualify, and it wasn't even one that I would've been sorry to miss.

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Brian C
I hate to be That Pedantic Guy but...
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:58 am
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: MoviePass

#369 Post by Brian C » Mon Jul 30, 2018 6:39 pm

swo17 wrote:This is so stupid.

Just charge $15 a month for the ability to see 2 movies, $30 to see up to 5, or $50 to see up to 10, with no restrictions or catches. I just saved your company.
I doubt I’d sign up for that, for what it’s worth.

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DarkImbecile
Ask me about my visible cat breasts
Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 6:24 pm
Location: Albuquerque, NM

Re: MoviePass

#370 Post by DarkImbecile » Mon Jul 30, 2018 6:48 pm

Brian C wrote:
Mon Jul 30, 2018 6:39 pm
swo17 wrote:This is so stupid.

Just charge $15 a month for the ability to see 2 movies, $30 to see up to 5, or $50 to see up to 10, with no restrictions or catches. I just saved your company.
I doubt I’d sign up for that, for what it’s worth.
In the eight months since I signed up under the $90 annual subscription, I've bought 65 tickets through the app, which averages out to about $72 worth of tickets a month, so it'd be worthwhile for me even at the higher end of swo's proposal, but closer to a situation where I'd probably fall behind some months (which is probably what they need to aim for to achieve some kind of stability).

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mfunk9786
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Re: MoviePass

#371 Post by mfunk9786 » Mon Jul 30, 2018 6:56 pm

There could be a rate that's around 80% of what swo proposes for each tier that excludes first-week new releases, too. They could get really creative with the ways they stagger it that wouldn't make the signup process too confusing. Too late, of course. But some of these ideas they're grasping in the dark for have been good ones if they were planned to [transparently] go into place around 3 months into the company's current subscriber boom all along.

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hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

Re: MoviePass

#372 Post by hearthesilence » Mon Jul 30, 2018 7:16 pm

Yikes, as of now, Cinépolis and the Landmark at 57 West are the ONLY two theaters in all of NYC that actually list screenings (i.e. you can check into), and in both cases they support E-ticketing (though so does the Roxy and it's been blanked out too).

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mfunk9786
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Joined: Fri May 16, 2008 4:43 pm
Location: Philadelphia, PA

Re: MoviePass

#373 Post by mfunk9786 » Mon Jul 30, 2018 8:01 pm

Yeah, the service is totally down if you aren't using an e-ticketing theater. This is probably it.

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Brian C
I hate to be That Pedantic Guy but...
Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:58 am
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: MoviePass

#374 Post by Brian C » Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:08 pm

I haven’t tried checking in, but showtimes are now available again at all theatres. Conveniently, it would seem, after the prime 7:00 round is over.

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hearthesilence
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 4:22 am
Location: NYC

Re: MoviePass

#375 Post by hearthesilence » Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:11 pm

Yeah, I just checked and late night screenings at places like IFC and the Angelika are now showing up.

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