Bring back the movie intermission in the USA

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

I know theatres like to cram as many film screenings as possible into one day to boost ticket sales, but considering they make most of their revenue from concessions sales, imagine the boost to business if people got up to buy more snacks in the middle of a film.

I am one of those people who refuse to get up to pee in the middle of a film. I'll hold it until my bladder is aching. It's rude to the other people, and I don't want to miss part of the movie.

I think any film over 2 hours and 15 minutes needs a 15 minute intermission. That's adequate time to stretch the legs, take a piss and buy more popcorn. The loss in number of screenings would be offset by a boost in concessions sales.

This is an age when more and more films coming out are big blockbuster epics, often exceeding 2 hours. Yet more people are staying home and streaming. This could be a good selling point to get more people going to theatres again.

 

[Totenkindly]

I think you do have to sell experience, if you want to overcome the convenience of home viewing (esp with how people now often have decent quality xfers in bluray and 4K, and super-large TV sets). Aside from the delay for a movie to reach the home environment, unless it is a film that would just look awesome on a large screen OR would feed off the audience interaction in some way, it might not be worth the hassle.

So whatever makes the movie theater appealing, that's what they have to sell. They definitely have made it convenient and comfortable, with pre-purchased seat assignments (so you can show up late and still have the seat you wanted) and also with the leather lounge chairs that have overtaken places like Regal.

Musicals / Plays typically do intermission, and they're not really any longer than a two-hour film.

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

^^ I think bigger screens is the answer. Seems like maybe a lot of people these days are going to see a few big epic style films rather than dramas so a good way to sell them is with a HUGE screen, not one of these multiplex screens where the image is no bigger than a lot of large TVs unless you sit in the front rows. The silver age saw a lot of movies of varying genres being releases, but huge epic style films weren't super common so I can understand why for a while the trend was to build theatres with more screens and smaller screens to pack lots of people in. But now I think we're at a point where movies have become more of a special family event again, like they were back in the days of the longform epics and drive-in theatres. So it makes sense to go back to building theatres with less but larger screens

I got to see Raiders of the Lost Ark when it showed on the big screen at an older theater that specializes in second-runs and older films, and it was an experience that I just wouldn't be able to match viewing at home. Sure I'd seen it a lot on TV/VHS before, but I felt like I was seeing it for the first time.

 

[ceecee]

I know theatres like to cram as many film screenings as possible into one day to boost ticket sales, but considering they make most of their revenue from concessions sales, imagine the boost to business if people got up to buy more snacks in the middle of a film.

I am one of those people who refuse to get up to pee in the middle of a film. I'll hold it until my bladder is aching. It's rude to the other people, and I don't want to miss part of the movie.

I think any film over 2 hours and 15 minutes needs a 15 minute intermission. That's adequate time to stretch the legs, take a piss and buy more popcorn. The loss in number of screenings would be offset by a boost in concessions sales.

This is an age when more and more films coming out are big blockbuster epics, often exceeding 2 hours. Yet more people are staying home and streaming. This could be a good selling point to get more people going to theatres again.

I agree. Now that you have theaters trying to recreate the "at home" experience with recliners and food and beer, why not a break? Musicals definitely have them and other live entertainment (including sports).

 

[FemMecha]

Lots of times I have to go potty part way through, so have to miss something. Although they would need to make intermissions different times in the different rooms, so that the bathrooms weren't suddenly flooded and you have to wait and miss the movie anyway.

They would likely sell more confections but I don't know if that would make up for the lost revenue. Oh hey, this is a horrible idea, but they could make up the money if they showed adds during intermission. Yes, that will happen if they do this. Hmmmm not sure how I feel but I guess it doesn't matter if you are in the potty.

 

[Totenkindly]

Lots of times I have to go potty part way through, so have to miss something. Although they would need to make intermissions different times in the different rooms, so that the bathrooms weren't suddenly flooded and you have to wait and miss the movie anyway.

They would likely sell more confections but I don't know if that would make up for the lost revenue. Oh hey, this is a horrible idea, but they could make up the money if they showed adds during intermission. Yes, that will happen if they do this. Hmmmm not sure how I feel but I guess it doesn't matter if you are in the potty.

During intermission, not a big deal for viewers -- although they won't be able to command a high price for those slots. (They already sell ads in the 20 minutes leading up to the 10 upcoming trailer attractions and the film. And now I have seen them sneaking ads into either the trailer run or the preamble to the trailer run, where you think they're into the theater chain promotions but it will kick back out to general advertisements.) It would be cool to go more bohemian and have local acts or something during intermission, but it would have to be low production stuff because there's no time for setup.... just thinking creatively, though. Like... if you never know what you'll see, maybe you'd show up for more films? Anyway, something more "communal" rather than just another arm of big-money advertising.

I usually have to dehydrate myself before a long film and I never drink anything during the show, although occasionally I will buy popcorn or pretzel bites. The pricing on food is nuts.