We can put a man on the moon. We can watch On Demand movies on our televisions. We can access the internet from our bloody cell phones. In an age of technological wonders we are still forced to tolerate the ancient and out of date practice of not being able to pre-select our seats when going to the movies.
In this little video Blog installment I rant about why this bothers me and the obvious benefits we’d enjoy if the theater industry would just implement this simple practice.
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That is just unbeliveable. I think there are only few singular theaters in Finland that don’t have pre-selected seats. But on the other hand, we also have to virtually endure monopoly of one theater-chain…
Pre-selected seats are cool, though :)
What if your theater seat has the cupholder on the ground and you got back problems ? So also when a big man is sitting in front of you and you dont see anything, this also counts for annoying children with there parents ?
This could be nice, but also a pain. I think I prefer things the way they are now. I rarely have trouble with finding a seat. The only times I do are when I arrive late and I think I can handle taking the blame for that one. That’s not a case where I would blame the theatre for my bad seat. Additionally, my friends and I often do not plan our movie ahead of time and rarely get tickets much earlier than 15 mins before seating (except when we are going to early pre-screenings, of course, but I don’t think they count here). I guess that also depends on when you are going though. I can’t remember the last time I saw a movie on a Friday or Saturday.
Almost 98% of multiplexes (theater chains) in India have pre-selected seat options. Dont know why U.S doesnt practice it.
stan the man!
they do this in village cinemas in australia and i didn’t really rate it to be honest.
most screens in a multiplex are different, sometimes choosing a certain row will get you where you want and sometimes it wont. i prefer getting in and then gauging where i want to sit.
compulsory pre-purchase online for optimal seating creates a class divide in a cinema going experience. those without access to a computer or to the internet will be left with worse seats.
if someone is sitting in your seat and refuses to move, won’t some form of security need to be implemented to avoid altercations?
there’s your disadvantages. whether they are disadvantages to you is another thing entirely.
In Soviet Russia seats pre-select you.
Go to weekday matinees people. You wouldn’t even be having this conversation….and, you will, most likely, be in a theater with people whom actually are there to see the film….IF there even any other people in the theater with you. Many times, I have the whole theater to myself.
Kinda hard to stress getting a seat when all of them are available. ;)
The IMAX theater near me has assigned seating. I can’t stand it. It’s unnecessary. Especially since they turn the lights on and off during the movie as everyone finds their seats. I’d rather pick my own seat when I get there.
In Mexico we have normal theaters like everywhere in the US and it doesn’t cost $12 dollars. it costs $4 dollars. and it’s same quality, I’ve been in theaters in Mexico and U.S. and it’s the same. Then, there are Platinum Theaters or ‘First Class’ or ‘VIP’ or whatever, that cost around $9 bucks. and the seats are barcaloungers and instead of 200 seats, there are only around 30 seats, they bring you dinner, drinks, etc. it’s actually pretty comfotrable and not expensive. you should have theaters like this. :P
Oh! and most importantly…DUH. I forgot… I pre-select our seats. =)
200 seats? What US theatre have you gone to that only has 200 seats? Those are some small theatres.
@Calviin, most theaters are around 200 seats in multiplexes. If you take a 16 screen multiplex, on average you will have 2 theaters that are 350-400 seats. 2 theaters that are 200-300, 8 theaters that are ~125-175, and 4 that are 100 or less. This is primarily because stadium seating drasticly limits the amounts of seats you can have, as you are essentially reducing your row count in half. The theaters may look huge, but the amount of seats is surprisingly small.
Plus with how big the dropoffs are after the initial week, those movies that play in the big houses on their opening weekend need theaters half the size each successive weekend. By week 4, any theater over 100 seats is a waste of space and potential revenue for the theater.
After reading all these comments, I guess it depends where you live that assigned seating will work. I’ve been reading these “2 hours or 1 hour waits” to go see a movie. I live in Mexico and I’ve NEVER had to go to a movie “2 hours or 1 hour” earlier, at max 30 minutes before to a premier (like Quantum of Solace, or Harry Potter, I got there 30 min earlier and got perfect seats). But we do have that system here in Mexico with pre-selected seats, each theater chain has their “VIP” theaters, which charge about 90% more (like 55 pesos regular ticket, 90 pesos in the VIP theater), and you get pre-selected seats and not only that the theaters are SO much more comfortable as they are these big leather chairs that you can pull back instead of the usual crappy regular seat.
we have this in the philippines
well, i can do that since ever here in Portugal..
You don’t have pre-selected seats? You want to tell me Africa actually has something you don’t (except Lions)?! I book my seats over the web, get a whole seat layout of the specific theatre, and get to choose exactly where I want to sit…
Nicolaas from South Africa
So I went and saw Terminator today, expecting it to be slow forgetting that tomorrow is a holiday. Let me tell ya, I have a new reason to love non-preselected seating. We get there a half an hour early, find a nice comfortable spot in the top row (it’s where we like to sit). Come time for the movie to start and the theater is packed, and then like three huge parties come in looking for seats. So what is the plus side to this? I get to laugh at these huge groups getting stuck in the front couple rows because they decided to come to a show at or a few minutes after the movie has started. If there was pre-selected seating there is a good chance I would of missed out on such amusement. Yes, I admit it, on occasion I do get enjoyment on other people’s misery. On a lighter note, I loved the new Terminator movie. Wrote up a little bit of my perspective on the movie in Rodney’s review.
It was pretty funny, though. The movie started a good ten minutes late because of everybody that showed up when the movie was starting trying to get seats. Well the movie may not have started late because of that, but it did start about ten minutes late and those huge groups did come in on or after the time it was supposed to start so I will say it was their fault. That might be a valid point for pre-selected seating, but my amusement during that time far trumps that line of reasoning for pre-selected seating. :D
Here in Australia you can do it. Go online and pick what seat you want
I mean if ur goin to do this whats next pre selected food restroom stalls arcade games lmfao
I’ve got a disadvantage to your system. If people know what seats they’re booking, and they’re the last to book, then they’ll see what shitty seats they’re getting. If you wanted to book a movie and you found out you’d definately have to sit in a crap seat, you may well choose to go another night. This’d mean that cinemas would never get full bookings, and they’d make less money. The good seats would be booked and the rest would stay empty.
Or they may choose a different theater from a different chain which then loses a theater money.
Pre assigned seating. I could of seen this being really cool when I went to see Star Trek a couple of weeks ago. My friend and I got there an hour and a half before the movie started on opening night. Believe it or not we were the first in line. We spent the hour and a half texting, facebooking, and talking. Pre assigned seating would of allowed us to grab a bite to eat before the movie started. I’m wondering how this would affect the staff that works at my local Century theater? Opening nights there are very crowded. How would they make room for people who had pre-assigned tickets as to people who just show up and need to get in line to buy tickets? Would there be an “I’m better than you attitude” from the people who pre-bought their tickets? Would the theater have to hire more staff to usher the crowds? I’ve been to some showings where fights break out. Would the pre-buyers feel that their consession purchases are more urgent then a “regular”? i’ve got more, but breakfast is served.
The system here in SA is that you book your seats either online, or via your mobile. At the cinema, in addition to the normal counter clerks, they have touch screen kiosks where you swipe the credit card you paid with and your tickets are printed. You can also book from these touch screens. The queues are actually very short – on average there are up to 8 touch screens per cinema…
Benefits of NO Pre-Selected Seats,
1) MORE COMMERCIAL
2) MORE MORE COMMERCIAL
3) MORE MORE SEATS FILLED IN THE FRONT to make money, because they know most of them won’t wait for the next movie shows…
4) THATS THE PROBLEM !!!!!!!!!!!
WHAT YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT IT ?
The National Amusements theater in Connecticut has it for 2 out of the 12 theaters but you have to pay $3 more fore selected seating! Screw that!
dude, your reaserch is awful…i live in ARG and prevously have lived in Chile and Panama and there i could pick any seat i wanted…
hey john. it’s a great idea but aren’t you worried that they will start charging more for the good seats in an attempt to squeeze even more money out of the customer? just wondering if its a possibility.
Wow…this is such a non-issue for me but I’ll chime in anyways.
Maybe compromise is the answer here as I don’t see any true benefit for the theaters that would implement this for all their seating. I imagine theaters would sell less tickets per showing as no one would want to pre-purchase front row assigned seats whereas when one purchases tickets for a show right before it starts they might be more prone to settle for front row. Theaters would also lose ad revenue because they wouldn’t have that captive audience for a bit before the movie. I don’t think a couple extra bucks per assigned seating ticket could make up for that loss. Maybe they could assign half of the prime seating or for big releases, every other showing.
John – Just because you say with every other post that there are no advantages to first come first serve doesn’t make it true. The ability to be somewhat impulsive in choosing when to see a movie is an advantage to many. Also having the freedom to relocate at the theater to have a buffer seat for extra elbow room (if the crowd size permits) or to move away from people you can tell are going to be loud (or maybe have children) is a definite advantage as well.
Yeah, pre-arranged seating is annoying for the average movie goer who’s gonna decide within 6 hours of show time that they’re gonna go see a movie, and that they want to see that movie.
As far as buffer seat goes, even with arranged seats, if the theater is not full, nothing prevents you from moving around.
My guess is that the best idea would be a compromise of both systems. Something like pre-arranged seatings for first 5 days, up to first whatever depending on attendance (when LOTR 1 came out, even 1 month after it came out, theather was so full, ended up with neck breakers anyways) and then when attendance drops enough, move back to chaos.
As far as economy go for theater, its less expensive than maintaining all the time as you don’t need staff assigned all the rooms watching proper seating or assigning seats.
To be honest, this is only an issue with people like you who have to see the movie first to make a review, and the other group I like to call….. I must see it before everyone else as I am so eager to brag about it.
I rarely ever see a movie on opening day, I wait for midweek and leisurely walk in and select any number of perfectly great viewing seats.
@Jenny:
“Personally, I would pay extra for pre-selected parking.”
LMAO
Excellent! That’s the Comment of The Day!
:D
Personally, I would not like pre-selected seating, though it is not offered around here so the point is moot. I do see the up sides, I really do. You have some compelling arguments, but for me it would be a pain.
When I go to the movies, I go with my friends. We buy our tickets whenever we can, generally when we arrive, but some people buy them online. We normally get there around 30 min early and sit together, and have time to catch up while we wait. I agree the commercials are annoying, but in St. Louis you only get about one or two of them before the trailers. If it is opening weekend we get there earlier, or go to a later show. Works out well for us.
With pre-selected seating, then everyone has to worry about making sure we are sitting together. Everyone would have to get together to buy them at once. If it is a popular show (say, Dark Knight for example) we might not be able to get seats together because as was previously stated people like to leave empty seats between themselves and strangers. Obvious answer is have one person buy all of the tickets early. Next day someone says “I did get off of work, I can go” but now they can’t get a seat with everyone else. The person who bought the tickets has to get everyone to pay them back. Virtually none of us carry cash anymore. We pay with debit cards. That means annoying trips to the bank for everyone and breaking up change.
To me, pre-selected seating looks like a world of hassle. I can see that, for your situation, it would make life much easier, but not for me.
Personally, I would pay extra for pre-selected parking.
You hit the nail on the head. I to would love pre-selected parking!
To voloap,
The majority of my comment was about not being able to get seats together for a popular movie. That is my primary concern, and having to carry cash around was a side note. I am glad for you that you have this system in the Phillipins, I am glad that you like it. It works well for you, that is good. I never said that it is an entirely bad idea. From what I have heard, it sounds like a great idea in LA, maybe Chicago, or New York, where it sounds like going to the theater is an awfully frustrating experience.
From my perspective, as someone who lives in a Midwestern American city, I do not see it as an improvement. I really don’t have to sit through a million commercials. I can count the number of times I have had to sit in terrible seats on one hand, and I’m not always very early if it’s not opening day. Even three to five minutes early, I don’t have to sit in bad seats. I think it would add another complication to going out to a movie with friends on opening weekends.
Only one theater out of the nearly 24 multiplexes in the St. Louis aria I can really see the advantages using pre-selected seating, and that is because they have one screen, and you sit in couches and lazyboy armchairs, with a full bar in the lobby, and a bowling ally downstairs. It’s a very popular theater, and if you get there an hour early, you likely won’t get tickets opening weekends (and no, you cannot buy tickets online). For this place, it would be very nice to have pre-selected seating. In the other 24 multiplexes around town, I really do not see an added convenience.
Joe:
Thanks.
Weird though; I’ve never been to another Cineplex theatre that has reserved seating, including the ones in downtown Toronto. I wonder what’s different in their clientele where they’ve made the effort.
I’m curious about this, too: my experience with reserved seating in the UK was that it required an usher to confirm your seating/take you to your seats. Considering how lousy, truly lousy North American movie house customer service is, I cannot imagine chains re-training staff to include this new ‘trick’.
actually, we’ve had that here in the Philippines for a couple of years now.. and trust me… it isn’t a hassle. maybe because we’re a third world country and we have cash with us everywhere we go. just saying, if the only reason you don’t like it is because you don’t want to bring cash around, then i think its a pretty shallow reason. just saying! pre selected seats helps both the audience and the theater , AND SAVES TIME. imagine, you guys line up hoping to get good seats when you enter. we line up knowing we will.
@jenny, actually, we’ve had that here in the Philippines for a couple of years now.. and trust me… it isn’t a hassle. maybe because we’re a third world country and we have cash with us everywhere we go. just saying, if the only reason you don’t like it is because you don’t want to bring cash around, then i think its a pretty shallow reason. just saying! pre selected seats help both the audience and the theater , AND SAVES TIME. imagine, you guys line up hoping to get good seats when you enter. we line up knowing we will.
The silvercity on wycroft road just off bronte
Just a note that pokes a hole in your concert argument: if you have floor seats, and you want to be closest to the stage (i.e., the best seat in the house), you have to show up early and stand in line.
Sucks to be american I guess =)
My SMALL local theatre offers this and 90% shows there aren’t even full enough that you would ever get a bad seat even if there weren’t reserved seats. Reserving seats should be offered by every big theatre, like you said there is no drawbacks to this. This might even end up as more people going to the movies. Bad movie going experience -> doesn’t encourage people to come back, good one would.
You seriously need to get into politics.
This all reminds me of a equal opportunity debate. Everybody wants equal rights, and that is fine. But once you get your equal rights you want to get some special rights on top of that. Take two people after the same job. One is obviously more qualified than the other, but the other ends up getting the job to meet some quota. Its no longer equal opportunity because a less qualified person just got the job because they were the right match for meeting a quota.
Now take this to movie going. First come first served is equal opportunity. Everybody has an equal opportunity to be the first served, its just a matter of who is willing to go the distance. Now we introduce pre-selected seating and the pre-purchase people get special privileges because they were willing or have the opportunity to purchase online or via the phone. It’s no longer equal opportunity. Believe it or not there are people out there that do not have access to pre-purchasing tickets other than actually driving out to the theater, and others still, my roommate, who is so cautions about finances he won’t pay for anything over the internet or phone and once again must drive to the theater to pre-purchase tickets. These people then have to spend even more money for the gas to get to the theater. This is no longer equal opportunity for all.
Everybody is always looking for a way to put themselves ahead of everybody else, which is why equal opportunity is really just a facade anyway. Not trying to start an argument, just an interesting comparison between this topic and such a topic as equal opportunity or equal rights. There are some holes in this comparison, I am sure, as it is impossible to incorporate all real world factors that might come up.
I’m really tired of hearing about your roommate who is scared to use modern purchasing methods.
Your argument here is not valid Jeremy. You have as much “equal opportunity” to purchase the tickets online. If you are so inclined you have the opportunity to check when the tickets become available online, which means you have the opportunity to get the seat you want as soon as it becomes available, just like everyone else.
If you dont wish to make that effort, or are afraid of using the internet then that’s a choice you’ve made, but the equal opportunity still exists.
This has nothing to do with opportunity. This has everything to do with encouraging people to buy their tickets early so that they get the seat they want, and subsequently securing the revenue earlier for the movie theater. Everyone wins. It would also allow the movie theater to see in advance which movies are not a lot selling online and therefore advertise it more for passing trade.
If you are one of those passing trade customers and happen to want to see a movie that is almost full, then again you have a choice to see another movie, purchase tickets to that movie for a later date, or deal with the seat you get.
This is all about convenience and keeping the repeat and high volume customers happy. The ugly truth is that there will always be passing trade that is happy to deal with whatever seat they get.
Feliner, reread what I posted. There are people in the world that go to the theater that straight up do not have internet access. Everybody likes to act like everybody else has the same comforts as everybody else, but sad to say they do not. Everybody has an equal opportunity to show up early and get tickets to get into the showing of their choice. Not everybody has an equal opportunity to hop online to buy tickets.
Sorry Chuck, I use what honest examples I have. Not going to make some up to appease you; in other words lie about some fake ass examples. Nobody is forcing you to read my comments. If you don’t like what I have to say then just skip over mine. At the top of every reply/post/comment there is a name, I use the same one every time. Now you know to skip those. Have a nice day.
Right, but everybody has the opportunity to buy the tickets early regardless of if it’s online or whatever. If you choose not to, then deal with the seats you get. It’s a fair trade off.
Not matter which way you put it I can’t see how accommodating someone’s whim is as important as accommodating someone that has planned their outing.
Because some people don’t plan ahead. Some people don’t know how they are going to feel from day to day or live such a hectic life that chances are something is going to come up that prevents them from getting to the movie. Some people just don’t have schedules to plan ahead for entertainment, they take it when they can get it. In a perfect world where everybody thinks the same and has infinite amount of time to schedule events with the worry of other life factors coming into play then your right, then everybody has this opportunity you describe where everybody can plan ahead for a night at the movies.
Until that day comes, welcome to earth where not everybody has the same life and privileges of everybody else. Welcome to a world where the privileged live a life of blissful ignorance where one can assume that just because they can do something that means everybody else equally can as well.
I’m not saying I can do as you say and pre-order my tickets and pre-select my seats if it was required. I would prefer to keep seating the way it is here without the pre-assigned seating, but I at least can recognize the fact there are people out there that do not share these same privileges.
The rich get richer as the poor get poorer. The privileged want more privileges while the under privileged are happy enough to just make it through the day while they work toward a better life.
It’s one thing to assume that everybody has an equal opportunity to make it to the theater to by a ticket at the time they are going to the movies if they want to go see a movie. It’s ignorance to believe everybody has an equal opportunity to buy their tickets ahead of time.
Take it easy there tiger. Perhaps this isn’t the ideal forum for you to vent your concerns about the overall way of the world.
To be clear though, it is naive to say that there is no equal opportunity. The opportunity is provided to you. Ticket release date, ticket purchase method. Now if you’re claiming that some people cant afford to make a phone call to do the above, then how can they afford to buy a movie ticket in the first place? makes no sense.
I hear what you’re saying about people that don’t have time to plan ahead. Ok, so if we assume that no assigned seats are allocated, then you now have to wait in line hours in advance, as already mentioned by John and others, and if you are one of those extremely busy people who can only make decisions in the spur of the moment then how will you have time to line up? Is it now not an equal opportunity to you because so many people have decided to go see the movie and you dont have time to line up like everybody else? Please…
Your logic appears counter intuitive. You dont have time to plan ahead, fine. Yet you have time to line up for tickets hours before? Logically no, so either way you’re screwed and get the so-called “bad seat”.
That’s why pre-assigned seats is the way to go – this way at least the people that wanted to and could make the effort, get the seat the want. Those that couldn’t, well it makes no difference because by your logic they wouldn’t have had time to line up anyway.
It doesn’t make sense for some people to scrouge up enough cash to see a movie as opposed to paying monthly charges on phone and internet connections? Good of you to zero in on one aspect, but there are plenty of real world factors that can come into play when planning for anything including a movie that might prevent people from being able to plan ahead. I think I mentioned a few others out of many. I’m amazed that so many people refuse to accept that non-selected seating is better for some people and are so animately willing to see things from both perspectives. I have already acknowledged that for some people it would be advantageous to have pre-selected seating, but I also recognize that for others it is not. I just happen to fall into the other.
Jeremy, I 100% accept that yourself and others perceive that assigned seating would disadvantage you in some way. What I don’t understand is why you perceive it this way. No disrespect, but your reasons seem a little short sighted.
I mean, what are we talking about here?
No Time – ok so you don’t know when you will have free time to go to the movies because you are extremely busy. That means you likely wont have time to line up for good seats.
No Money – We’ve already canceled out the internet as a means of purchasing tickets, but you’re telling me that you’re not willing to spend a couple of extra cents on a phone call to enhance your $12 movie experience? That just seems silly.
No Time AND No Money – You seriously need to reconsider what it is that’s taking up all your time.
Look, I get your concerns, I just haven’t been convinced of your reasons for why you feel assigned seating disadvantages anyone.
sorry to tell u a theater near me offers pre-selected seating but at a much higher price there called de-lux seating u choose from a layout of the seating on the computer.
and pre-selecting seats is gay in my honest opinion i think it is fine as is but yeah i for got that u guys are in California john and u guys like to be pampered lol
Hey hey! I’m down here in San Diego, and I’m pro non-preselected seating! :D
“I agree with John, going to the movies on a friday at 2 just so that you can safely get to your ticket/seat at 6 is fucking primitive”
I’ve never once had this problem. A few times with HUGE movie openings such as Burton’s first Batman, or LOTR, I’ve had to be in line an hour and a half, maybe two hours early, but that’s it, and that’s exceedingly rare. I’m talking Bay Area, Seattle, area theaters too.
That being said, preselected seating should be a simple thing to implement.
Meh…I show up 30 minutes early and I sit where I want…end of story.
To Kevin and Joe:
Which cinema(s) in Oakville are you talking about?
There’s a lovely ‘dinner-cinema’ in Portsmouth, VA called ‘The Commodore’. (Look it up.) The main floor of the facility is tabled; you reserve your seats for the matinée and evening shows when the cinema box office opens around 1pm each day. You can’t do it over the phone, you can’t do it online. So it requires an additional investment of time. But it’s a fabulous experience. (The fact that you can eat a meal while watching a first-run movie is amazing.)
John, this place was made for you.
go to the theater in oakville they allow you to select your seats.
This is very queer that pre-assigned seating is not available in North America. Very very weird.
Here in the Philippines, all the malls have pre-selected seating. I think they started it here around 5 years ago. I remember watching movies and going in late and madness occurred! I couldn’t find a seat at all and just had to stand up.
Sucks man. Good thing that even the old malls are being renovated and already have pre-assigned seating. Hope that the situation improves there. Good luck!
there is a pre select seat theatre in Oakville that i just saw Terminator in and it is the only way i will watch movies now.
I prefer to see movies as soon as they come out as to avoid hearing people talk about them before i see the movie.With this you dont have to line up, the seat itself it larger than average and they bring your food to your seat.
i cant go back to non pre select seating to watch movies with the commoners
I agree with John, going to the movies on a friday at 2 just so that you can safely get to your ticket/seat at 6 is fucking primitive
We have that in Denmark and boy is it nice.
In Iceland where I once lived, they do not have it.
And I almost got stampeded when I went to see The Two Towers there.
So reserving seats is awesome.
If you have not paid for the ticket it’s let go 20 min before the movie starts.
Another advantage of pre-selected seating is that if you purchase you ticket in the short-term (ie in the shopping center picking up a gift for your wife and you decide to go see a movie) you’ll know right away at the ticket kiosk what seats have been taken and which are available (much like when booking for a concert). So if you see that there are only crappy seats left you can forgo the neck strain for another day.
I wholly support this idea. Even though I am one of those diligent people that try to get to a movie at least 30min before start time. But that’s because I HAVE to, not because I want to.
John, I completly agree! Once, (I can’t remember where) I got to go see a movie and I preselected seats for me and some friends. We left 20 minutes early so we could see the previews (we like them unlike you [joking]), we got our popcorn and drinks, and the movie was good. It was a great experience. But in like August, I tried to go see the Dark Knight. I bought my tickets online but couldn’t preselect seats. I left at about the same time so I could hopefully see the previews, when I got there, about 2/3 of the theater was full (the movie had been out a while), but I still didn’t have good seats! I don’t know why the theaters don’t just let you buy online.
here in germany you can preorder your seats in almost every theatre, for many years now. i cant imagine why that isnt possible or has not been started in the us. its not that big of a deal.
Here in Germany you can preorder seats in almost every theatre :D through the internet!! Hey by the way watch the TRANSFORMINATORS video on youtube is sooo coool a mix
I agree there should be the option to per-order a seats online or some from of assigned seating. I work at an Kerasotes Theater and one of the things I hate is when a new movies opens up and people go see in droves. I don’t mind the fact people see movies it droves, I hate our strict policy of, “first come first sever” We showcase this by making coral area for people to stand before going into a movie. The top two worst movies when came to this issue was The Dark Knight and Twilight. I was the manager in charge of the gate sort of speak, lets say I was hated for this. The second thing I hate that follows this same issue is seating people. If we know a movie is filing up fast then we go in front of the theater and say some of along these lines, “If you wouldn’t mind squeezing into the middle because this is a packed house, and we need room for stragglers. Thank You” When I have to do his announcement nobody moves because of the save seat douche bags. After the movie starts I privilege to use my power to ask people to move over so I can fit other people in the row. Insert hateful glares. I know my manager above me and others have suggest how nice it would be to have assigned seating
Advantages from a employee stand point:
* It would cut down on problems with in the theaters.
* It would help regulate the fullness of a theater/ Sell Outs.
*It would allow smother Box Office tranactions
*
Preselection of seats, we have that here in Singapore. Simply use your credit card to make a booking.
Sometimes you receive an SMS.
Turn up to theatre go to the internet booking queue, flash your ID or Credit Card and get te tickets.
Excellent system.
Here in South Africa we have only 2 cinema chains – Ster-Kinekor and NuMetro. With both you can pre-book your seats, either online, at the ticket stand or on touch screens at the theater.
Ster-Kinekor also has a “budget” chain of theatres, where tickets are cheaper but not pre-booked
Having tried both, I prefer pre-booking. Then again, I usually plan when I go to the movies (as opposed to spur of the moment), so I guess it works for me – hop online, book my seats, and know that I don’t need to stand in a long queue or get there early to get good seats…
Everyone will want the middle row seats, people will cry about it, then realize they could download the movie online. Bad idea is Bad.
Here in Denmark we have had pre selected seating as long as I could remember, and personally I love it. We order tickets (we have a row of favorite seats in the largest cinema here that we prefer) for the movies we want to go see a week or 2 in advance, get the seats we want and can show up at the cinema a few minutes before the show starts. With work and family etc. showing up at the cinema to wait around for an hour or more to get some decent seats at prime-time showings in a non-selectable system, would probably result in that me and my friends would go a lot less to the movies.
In the UK we have pre-selected seating!
if they always had allocated seating and I was a rich man I would buy the two seats in front of me the two seats behind me and one seat either side of me and create a square of solitude to watch movies within
This is why I love going to Imax (I frequent the one at Navy Pier in Chicago). I always get to choose where I sit when buying tickets so I know I’m almost always getting the middle 10 rows up. I would pay more for a ticket if I knew I was able to sit where I wanted, I’m sure it wouldn’t be difficult for the theater to manage this. They’re just lazy.
The place they REALLY need pre-seating for is IMAX. My group of people had to get to the theater nearly two hours before the 1:30pm screening of The Dark Knight on opening weekend to ensure that we wouldn’t be down in front. Keep in mind that my IMAX is an hour from where I live, so we had to coordinate this like some sort of military assault. We all had to load up in my car at 10-ish in the morning, drive the hour, and then sit and wait, and even THEN there were a good amount of people waiting. Thankfully, they have soft carpet to chill on and coloring books to play with (my IMAX is in a children’s museum). We got good seats, but the IMAX situation is crazy.
And it wasn’t just the TDK phenomenon. People line up insanely early for IMAX screenings of blockbusters, which is why I’ve learned to bring someone to help hold my spot in line and just make an event out of waiting in line. There’s a food stand right by the line, so one person goes and gets food for the group while the others wait. Gotta take turns going to pee so we don’t lose our spot in line. I’m gonna have to get there two hours or more in advance to get a decent seat for Transformers 2. For all the money that I spend for an IMAX ticket, they should throw in preseating. That way, they don’t have a massive crowd of people just standing there for hours growing agitated.
Wow, I had no idea. When I get to go on the website, click for a ticket and then get presented with a floor plan so I can select my seat, it’s such a no-brainer that I just assumed it was implemented everywhere.
It makes no sense because it’s an extra way to make money; you pay a small booking fee, which I am willing to spend to get peace of mind.
I had no idea that some IMAXs have preseating. I am so jealous of you, King Phil.
You know what I love about assigned seating? Getting to know which seat is your personal favorite and always getting that particular seat.
Arclight secret: the middle seat always has the same number…no matter how many seats are in that row. Which number is it? I WILL NEVER TELL! (It’s not tough to figure out).
The only disadvantage is being unable to move away from unpleasant people. Luckily, that hasn’t happened to me very often. And, if ever I find myself to be filthy stinking rich, I will buy a phalanx of empty seats to surround my misanthropic ass.
And John, the production value on this video is awesome!
i didnt think about that, i’d hate to be forced to sit next to a douchebag. a kid that just threw up and have to smell vomit throughout the film. or a baby that would stop crying with parents that would rather try to attempt to hush it quiet rather than walk out.
Here in Qatar the ONLY option you have is pre-selected seating. My wife and I usually buy our tickets 1 1/2 hours before the start of the show, walk to a restaurant for dinner, and walk into the theatre 5 minutes before showtime.
There is also an usher who walks every customer to their row and shows them their seats with a flashlight. Now if they would just stop editing the movies!
Darren,
Do these same ushers boot people from the theater if people use their phones or talk during the movie? If so that’s awesome! Is the editing extensive?
What John said is exactly the reason why I stoped attending midnight screenings for big releases. The last time I did this was for X3 in 2006 and I ended up with a neckbreaker. I only like to go to afternoon shows now, no crowds!
sadly, im the poor jackass that saves seats for my jackass friends.
I completely agree with u.
another benefit for theaters is they would sell much more presale tickets, which would in turn help movie ticket websites.
Fuck that its a bitch just to pre oder tickets the theater would make them more expensive and than friends baling or deciding to come later and than you cannot sit together fuck that.
I must agree it is fucked up to save for friends if they are coming hours after you but if they are a few min behind come on.
maybe the best way to do it would be for the first weekend of a showing that way if your serious about the film can get good seats.
But if its in theaters a couple weeks and you and your girl decide that maybe after dinner to go see Crank 2 or Star Treak or what ever you show up an hour than you go grab what ever seats you want and make out talk do what ever till the movie starts.
And that’s the real issue here: would you PAY extra for reserved seating. It’s not that theater’s don’t want to do it…it would save them a lot of headaches and customer service issues. But unless they can find a way to monetize it with fees (like Robert Redford’s Sundance Cinemas in Hollywood and Madison, WI) then no chain will be interested.
You speak the truth, sir! Purely logical, too. Spock would be proud.
jeez your sounding so snarky so anyone who opposes your view on pre-selected seats.
I don’t really mind either way. Here in Australia we have two big Cinema companies…Greater Union and Hoyts. Greater Union have implemented the Pre-selected seating, you can choose your seat before you get in the cinema. Hoyts still does it the old fashion way…first come first serve.
I think the people who attend the cinema on a regular basis (like most people on this site) would probably prefer pre-selected seating, because dealing with the lines over and over again on a regular basis gets tiresome. So I can understand where the frsutration is coming from.
Though other people who don’t go to the cinemas as much, and who just usually go on a whim, probably prefer first come first serve. I myself rarely plan watching a movie a week ahead of time, so I don’t really mind the wait in line or even the commercials…and usually I’m just talking with friends when thats happening, so I don’t really notice it most of the time. Plus Finding a prime position seat before anyone else is part of the movie-going experienece (for me). Same with saving seats while your friends go buy the food and go to the loo.
Agree about the snark.
Then again the tagline of this blog is “home of correct movie opinions”
so it shouldn’t come as a surprise.
nice to read a comment that looks at both sides without the snark.
I spent the fgirst 18 years of my life going to regular movie theaters. For the last three, most of them have been at the Arclight.
As someone who has experienced several of both (especially considering the amount of films I see in the theater, about thirty-fifty a year), I know the ins and outs of both, and still represent somebody who sees a significant portion films in theaters, I can say that assigned seating is superior in every way.
People have been coming up with silly ideas that conflict. What if there’s something gross on my seat? What if it’s broken? What if somebody is sitting in it?
Well, for those of you who have never been to the Arclight, let me tell you… not only do they have all of this stuff taken care of, if they DO make a mistake, they will fix it. That’s part of their job. It’s not like you honestly expect them to say “well, too bad, you have to sit on the seat with the gum on it…” is it?
Of course not. They know that’d be horrible. For the record, I’ve seen one broken seat in the Arclight ever (and it was blacked out, preventing people from purchasing it), and NEVER a dirty seat. I’ve probably seen 100+ films there.
I watched a movie in Shanghai once and it totally confused me when they asked me to pick my seat. The person directed me to the touch screen with the seating arrangement and I picked it.
It was weird but there weren’t a lot of ppl in the theatre so it didn’t really matter. Honestly I think just buying your ticket without a specific seat works fine. Want a better seat? Just go earlier. I can’t be bothered with telling someone to get out of my seat for a $10 movie. Now for a $100 hockey ticket, that’s a different story entirely.
Hey Peterporker
“just go earlier”.
Yeah, cause standing in line for two hours without an y guarantee that you’ll get a decent seat is so much fun. :P
I find that’s only really an issue for evening showings on premiere weekend. After that it’s far less crowded.
I do see the benefit of pre-assigned seating as long as there are employees to resolve any seating disputes.
It could be a service offered for well known busy times.
No, thanks.
When I arrived in the UK more than ten years ago, it was somewhat of a tradition. When I left, it was a fading one. (At least where I lived.) Hated it, hated it, hated it. No thanks, please register my vote as a firm ‘No’.
The notion would have merits…if cinema-going still held the same cachet it used to, as theatre still does. But it doesn’t; in fact, I’m willing to bet that most of the people who visit this site see most of the films they view anywhere BUT the cinema. So in many ways, all of this is moot…just like the thrilling tirades you treat us to concerning commercials at the movies…and animated films deserving to be up for Best Picture honours. (Sorry, had to get that in.)
There is absolutly no down side to pre selecting seats at all. Not one. The puke argument is just ridiculous and pointless for one it’s more likely to happen in he current system as everyone avoids the puke seat and it’s the last one left and two in 30 years of movie going I have only encountered vomit once. But that was me in the foyer as i left pearl harbor.
There is no down side
Puke was just an example. Could be puke, could be soda, could be gum, could be anything that would make you not want to sit in the seat. Broken seat, anyone? I see those all the time. You guys can be so narrow minded and miss the big picture some times. How about soda on spilled on the ground? Almost every time I go to the theater I see that and hear the sound of feet sticking to it as people walk on it. If step and feel the stickiness I find a different place to sit. Nothing like here that sticky sound every time you move your feat. You guys need to get off the puke thing when it was just a freaking example of one thing that might make you not want to select a seat. Good God people, think a bit. Not meaning to point you out Alfie, it goes to everybody that zeroed in on puke while overlooking the big picture and the main point of that example.
Jeremy,
The problem with your arguement is that puke, or gum or whatever WILL STILL HAPPEN IF THERE ISN’T PRE-SELECTED SEATING!
In a pre-selected seating theater, if there is a problem like puke (one in a billion chance), then the theater will just give you a new seat. If the theater is full, then you’d still be screwed in a non-preselected seat thater. So no… there is no drawback.
But John, your argument that the theater will give you another seat if your pre-booked one is not satisfactory, is where the flaw with this system comes in.
Say you booked a week in advance, and chose the very best seat in the cinema. You get there on time, and it’s broken or dirty. Now, what if the cinema is booked to capacity, and you don’t get another seat? Or the seat you do get will obviously be nowhere near as good, since all the other good seats would be booked out by now. Had you just turned up half an hour early with no pre-booking, you could simply have sat in the seat next to the one you preferred. With this system, the person who got in first COULD still be most disadvantaged. With non-booked, it really is a case of first in, best dressed.
There are so many other real-world variables that effect your enjoyment in the cinema that can’t be anticipated by picking a seat from a floor plan. Annoying people sitting near you? Tall person in front of you?
I agree there are some advantages, but there are also plenty of disadvantages. I like being able to pick my seat when I get there. Rarely do I ever experience a cinema so packed full that I have to settle for a bad seat. And if I did, I’d simply go ask to exchange my ticket for another screening, and get in earlier for that one.
Here in Australia some cinemas have allocated seating, but most do not. I far prefer non-booked seats. With pre-booked, usually the cinema is only quarter full, and everyone is bunched up next to each other in 2 rows while the rest of the cinema is empty. I much prefer some space where possible. It’s stupid to be squashed in next to some annoying stranger hogging my arm rest, when I could have an entire row to myself.
Your right John, but if it’s non-assigned seating then when you see that broken, puked on, gum infested seat you can immediately avoid that seat without having to find somebody to get you a new seat and run the risk of a getting stuck in a bad seat because your was unacceptable. As long as you showed up at a responsible time for the movie if you go to sit down and see the seat is broken or whatever all you have to do is sit in the one next to it or somewhere else without the need of leaving the theater to find a seat that is not already pre-assigned. Your “theater full” problem applies just as much in preselected seats and non-preselected seats.
If you let people pick their seats they’ll leave one seat between themselves and the next paid for seats. Meaning the cinema will lose money. People cant be trusted to fill up every seat.
There should be booked seats but it should be allocated seats. The earlier you buy the better the seats you have.
Ancient and out-dated? How precious are you, man? Just show up on time and pick your seat when you get into the theater, simple as that. I personally hate the Arclight way of doing things. It’s part of what’s contributing to us all turning into fat tubs of goo.
Also, midnight screenings suck simply because of the riff-raff that shows up. Don’t do that to yourself.
You’re “acting” in this thing is hilarious, by the way.
Hey John,
I live in London, Ontario, and the newest theatre opening up here has a few “V.I.P.” theatres. You have to be 19+ to get in, but you get assigned seating, can drink alcohol, and the chairs are noticeabley different. However the tickets cost 16$ each, so I guess you get what you pay for in that regard.
5 Stars John, 5 stars.
What, really? In Croatian cinemas you have a big touch screen at the counter and you select which seats you want.
You freaking serious?
They have that at the Arclight in Hollywood too.
Same thing at the Megaplex’s in Salt Lake City.
Hey John I know North America sucks.
In India with every movie ticket you buy there is a seat number that you have to sit on. If you are lucky you get to choose your seat but if the movie is going to be jam packed then the ticket guy assigns the seat number and you have to sit on that.
There are security people who check if you are sitting in the right spot.
In that way India is way way ahead of ancient north america.
Personally, I’m quite fond of North America. Though, if I had a choice I’d move to either Japan and Thailand… but the reasoning for that has nothing to do with movie seating.
John you are the man, your rants are awesome and very true. Keep em’ coming.
i like the “check the date” look. hilarious!
nice rant John! Although not so relevant to us British as most chains here (apart from the evil VUE) allow for preassigned seats in cinema!
when i was in Japan me and a buddy of mine whent to see a movie we paide $20 and they asigned the seets for us. let me repeat that, they told us where to sit. be glad that’s not how its done in the states.
Nice, I saw Evangelion in Tokyo in 1997. Was over there for a high school thing. We didn’t get assigned our seats, but ya it cost damn near $20. Pretty cool, they sold and gave away souvenirs for the movie as well. Got a free poster and purchased a few small figurines. Was cracking up when they played some Beck over the speakers prior to the movie starting. My Japanese wasn’t good enough to understand a lick of what said during the movie, but an awesome experience I still carry with myself today. Love Japan.
in scotland you can’t preselect in the city but can elsewhere
Out here in NY, the IMAX nearby does the pre-selection thing, and it is WONDERFUL! You go online, pick your seat, and then take your time getting to the show because you don’t have to worry about being at the front of the line. They have ushers that guide everyone to their seats to make sure that the rules are followed, and everyone complies because they all knew what seat they were going to have before they paid for their ticket.
I think this is especially important on the IMAX screen because you’re spending 50% more on the ticket, and having a bad seat can really make the movie difficult to watch on the big screen.
Bravo. It’s about time.
Ted speaks the glorious truth about the IMAX system. That’s part of the reason I love going; they have their shit together. Pre-assigned seating, good supply of ushers, emergency snack cart at the back for the poor saps who didn’t get a chance to grab something etc.
Even at my regular theatre chain, we have pre-assigned seating. I feel so sorry for you guys that talk about it as this wonderful experience that only happened once in your lives. You should never have to feel that way.
If you are willing to make the effort to be keeping an eye on the internet or calling to check when tickets go on sale, you should be rewarded by getting to sit where you want. When I book my ticket for ‘Avatar’ for example, I should be able (an am thanks to living in a sensible country) to get jazzed about the experience I’m going to have and relax knowing where I’ll be sat, not worrying that my first viewing of this potentially incredible film is going to destroyed because I might be stuck in the front row.
Very well said, John. I’ve only had an oppurtunity to preselect seats once, and it was awesome. It’s amazing that this hadn’t been implemented years ago.
John diping into Comedy acting, i like it.
As I said on Youtube, great video John, and SO true. Theaters should do this now, and avoid all of that hassle
I can see why this might be useful for midnight event screenings… I usually just wait twelve hours and see a noon matinee for a lot cheaper and only have to deal with a 25% full theater.
There’s a theatre in Salt Lake City where you can pick your seats. I was there back in March, saw a movie and sure enough… someone was in my seat. People suck. I had to get an usher to make them move.
There is no point in arguing in theory pre-selected seating is good or bad. Just experience it. They had this in China of all places when I went to vacation. It is fucking awesome. Got your own seat. show up on time, go use restroom if you want without worrying someone takes your seat. There is no crowd, no uncomfortable subtle maneuvering for position in line. There is no line cutting. No one has to “hold your seat”. There is no squeezing to a good seat to ask “is it taken?”
Once you try it. You’ll NEVER want to go back to the way it is now. Thats probably why no Theater wants to let people experience it.
Perfectly put Duck
i remember that i had a taiwanese friend growing up that had rich ass parents that owned cinema’s in there homeland…he told me that going to the movies sucks in america cause where he is from its been like this at his families theatres….and let me tell you this kid was good at 2 things badmiton and having rich parents.
Damn i am so glad i never had the pleasure of dealing with this. Well, i have been to a theatre twice where there were no pre-arranged seats, but luckily for me it was more or less empty both times
John has changed into a show host , you speak like one in that youtube video. Fun.
You know, I guess I could see this working in my area in one way. Have it be a special theater, or chain of theaters, in the mix that caters to selected seating and keeping their theaters pristine. That way if I want to spend less just cause I feel like seeing a movie on the whim I still have my non-selected seating theaters to go to. While for those big attractions that I just can’t wait to see, like Avatar, then I can spend the extra money for some selected seating on a pristine experience. Granted I would use the cheaper non-selected seating theaters more often than not, but for those big attractions it would be nice. I wonder how this kinda theater or chain of theaters would fair in the same city that has the typical theater experience.
Doesn’t the Alamo Drafthouse do this?
I think they have from time to time; but I only observed it done during AFF or SxSW.
My roommate is a paranoid mofo. He won’t pay for anything over the internet or phone. So that means he would have to make a special trip to the theater to pre-purchase his tickets and select a seat. Kinda blows for him.
Just another problem with pre-selected seating. And I am serious about my roommate, I’ve tried to convince him to pay some utility bills online a couple times to no avail.
Hey Jeremy K,
There are no advantages to not having pre-selected seating.
– If I am responsible enough to buy my ticket before you do, I should get a choice of seat before you.
– You can get stuck with a puke seat without preassigned seating. And for the record, I’ve never seen that happen.
Refer to above for my puke story. And there are plenty of advantage to non-assigned seating as I mentioned above as well. Some people live spontaneous lives when it comes to entertainment. The mall example. If I’m walking around in a mall doing a bit of shopping with my girl and we cross in front of the theater we may decide “hey, let’s see a movie”. We shouldn’t have to worry about sitting in somebody pre-selected seat when we go in, we should only have to worry about the time and if we can get a seat that we are comfortable with. And people like my roommate who don’t charge anything over the phone or internet, he has to spend extra money in gas to go get his tickets for a later date for these pre-selected seats, that’s not an advantage in my book.
Hey Jeremy,
No, those aren’t advantages at all.
– If I buy my seat way before you do, then there is no way that you should be able to pick a seat BEFORE me just because you were walking around the mall.
– Your friend who is afraid of the internet will just have to get over it.
– Your puke story has never once happened to me… nor have I ever seen it… ever. It’s a 1 in a million. And you STILL could get stuck with that puke seat if there wasn’t pre-assigned seating. So that arguement doesn’t hold any water.
– Who said it costs extra money?????
I should also probably mention I don’t pre-purchase tickets. I try to go to movies when there isn’t going to be a lot of people. I also like the fact that when you have non-selected seating, you have a good chance of not getting stuck with random people sitting in the seat next to you, as people tend to try to leave a seat or two open when selecting a seat near people unless the theater is packed. Also if you select a seat and end up next to some people that are bothering you, with pre-selected seating you can’t exactly get up and move somewhere else. I’m a very non-confrontational person out in the real world.
Sorry, the extra money thing came off of one of Rodney’s comment. Personally I think first come first serve is more fair, like opinions on movies this is all based on personal opinion. Just because you don’t find it an advantage to yourself because your pro assigned seating, does not mean it is not advantageous to me as I am against. You got to look at both sides of the coin.
And just because you never experienced/seen it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. You should run a poll and see how many people have seen some shitty seats and what was shitty about em.
Jeremy:
1) You can still show up at a theater and just buy a ticket when the theater is slow. Except you can pick your seat BEFORE walking into the theater
2) You will only get stuck beside people if the theater is getting full… JUST LIKE WITH NO PRE-ASSIGNED SEATING
There are zero advantages to not having pre-assigned seating.
Again, your being totally one sided. Just because a group of people find one thing advantageous while another group finds the opposite advantageous does not make one or the other right. I’m not trying to say my way is an advantage while yours is not. I am saying the way I like it as an advantage to me because of the way I do things and with my train of thought. Yes, everything you say is an advantage, but just because it is an advantage to you and others, does not mean it’s an advantage to everybody else. You gave your point of view and explained what you found as an advantage in regard to said subject and I respect you for it. I asked a few questions and provided my view and what I find an advantages to the opposite of said subject. It’s not about of us being right or wrong. We are both right in our own regard. What is an advantage to you may seem a disadvantage to me and the way I do things, just as what I find an advantage may seem a disadvantage to the way you do things. You do a wonderful job proving your point for your side of the coin and I applaud you for it, but at the same time you refuse to acknowledge the other side of the coin. I acknowledge both sides, but I just happen to prefer the opposite side than you.
Heh, glad to see you don’t lose your temper anymore while discussing these things. And yeah, my gondolences for your system, thankfully we’ve had pre-selected seat system here in Finland since the 80’s-90’s. Wouldn’t even want to think about not having it, it surely would be horrible.
We’ve got the pre-selected seat system here in Norway as well, and I always order my tickets online and choose my seat (sat right dap smack in the middle of the theater for the Star Trek premiere) from a seating diagram of the theater. I’m actually surprised you don’t have that kind of system over there.
I remember one time, the seat I selected started talking to me. Then halfway through the movie my seat bit me on my ass. Now I always just stand throughout the whole movie when I go to a theater.
Hey John, I live in Panama, and down here we have 2 theaters that offer the pre-selecting seats. Its actually pretty cool, you can buy them at the ticket counter or you can call the theater and select them. Each theater has only 2 or 3 movies that this applies to. The great thing is that it only costs like 7 bucks, plus you have your own waiter so you can order food, drinks, hell you can even have a beer or a rum and coke while watching your favorite movie. No lines to form, no rushing to the movies, its the best.
ya same at the one i do this at…they got beer n pizza and its more like going to the resturaunt with a movie and no talking
I love the picture of the Indian women with her shawl draped over the seats. Please tell me that wasn’t the theater.
I really liked how this video was put together, almost more like a skit then a rant. I hope more future rants can be put together with this sort of quality.
My only problem with this is that when you are on the computer getting your tickets your hands are just typing like crazy with no purpose. That’s just one of my pet peeves and one of my things I hate seeing in a movie/video.
i like how your credentials are showning lol
you are as always John pretty much 100% right, and know how to say thiongs I often can’t put into words
The obvious that is overlooked here. (Though I know John is well aware of it)
Creating these excessive lineups results in a greater need for you to buy food (maybe twice now that you have been sitting there for 2+ hours)
And more importantly, they can force you to endure the commercials. If they had advanced seating, I could show up 15 minutes late and still take my seat. Advertisers would be aware of this and stop advertising with them.
We all know how you feel about those lovely ads!!
That being said, your argument still stands. Id gladly pay more for a ticket with advanced seating. Therefore increasing their revenue without abusing my patronage.
I’d rather pay less and have fifty times more advertisements (exaggeration obviously). I’m currently spending a god awful amount of money on student loans, so a penny saved is a penny earned or in this case another penny for those damned loans. It’s why I refrain from going to IMAX theaters, since they tend to charge more. I prefer to keep things fair with a first come first serve. Now if they started charging more to not pre-select your seat, I’d be all over pre-selecting my seat to save the money though I prefer the other.
And by the way, I think the assigned seating at the Arclight and El Capitan actually HELPS concession sales because whenever we enter the theater, we immediately go the concession stand since there’s no rush to head straight to the theater and spend 5-10 minutes trying to find a good seat in a crowded auditorium. I can spend that 5-10 minutes in the food line and then walk into the theater for the first time with concessions in hand. A lot of people seem to think the same thing because the concession stand is always full.
The only reason to be opposed to the idea of assigned seating is because you have yet to experience it.
I have never in twenty five+ years spent 5~10 minutes finding a seat here in San Diego or Portland, OR, but again I’m not a I-need-to-be-the-first-to-see-this type of person. I usually wait a couple days to a week to see movies I want to see.
What happens if you get to the theater and your pre-selected seat has vomit on it? or gum? For the most part I don’t have the time to prepare in advance going to the movies, and go when time allows. I don’t want to be punished for not planning on the event. If I am walking around in a mall and decide to go to the movies I don’t want to settle for second best even though I was there first. I like the first come first serve aspect of the theaters I go to. I’m looking forward to listening to your video blog when I get home to see if you can persuade me otherwise.
You suggest that you would be put out if your pre-arranged seat was not satisfactory, but you over look that EVERY other part of the experience is guaranteed to be affected compared to the very rare instance that your seat is less than pristine.
If you paid for a specific seat and it was vomited or gummed on, you could complain. But if you show up late and get stuck with a crappy seat the theater is not going to do anything for you.
Well, I guess that is where we differ. I take responsibility for my actions. If I show up late to a movie I expect to be packed, well that’s my fault for the horrible seat. When I pick a time to go to, I show up usually 30min to an hour early and bring a book. I don’t mind the wait, since I get to do something else I enjoy in the process. Not having assigned seats means that when I go to pick out a seat if there is vomit in one I can easily pick a different without worry of sitting in somebody else’s. There are pros and cons either way, but personally I feel like there is more cons to selected seating that there are to non-selected seating.
People throw up on seats?
I never heard, of course ocasionally when I go the seats sometimes stink, but have never had throw up.
My sister showed up to a movie late, after the lights dimmed, and sat in a seat with puke. In other words, yes, it does happen. She obviously got her money back plus a free ticket, still pretty gross though. And I remember when I was little sitting in a seat with gum on it, ever since then I religiously select my seating with due carefulness.
Oh, and Rodney, can you clarify “you over look that EVERY other part of the experience is guaranteed to be affected”. I didn’t quite understand what you meant by that.
What I meant by the “guarantee that every other part of the experience” is that without preassigned seating you always have to show up insanely early (something easily avoided with prearranged seating) and if you dont you have to deal with the consequences (poor seating) and on top of that you are rewarded with your diligence by having to sit through advertising in the stay before the lights go down, THEN see more advertising before the movie starts (I dont count trailers – I like that stuff)
The point was with arranged seating, you MIGHT on rare occassion have a problem with the assigned seat. However EVERY time you have to come early and stand in line you are subjected to the same inconveniences.
I guess that makes sense if you run into the problems a lot. My girlfriend and I don’t really ever have that problem though. We usually show up 30~45 minutes before a movies starts if it’s opening weekend or 15~30 if it’s an older release. We also usually use a stand alone credit card machine to pay for our tickets rather than stand in line. Even on opening weekends we usually end up going on a Sunday evening because of our work schedules, and it’s very rare for those showings to be busy. 30~45 minutes is nothing to me and it gives us time to talk or catch up on some reading prior to the movie starting. Or act like we are kids and play our DSs and PSPs. :D I do understand how you and John probably run into the problems you listed fairly often, though. You guys run a movie blog and kinda need to make it to movies day one or before so your not behind the times on reviews and what not. I’m not tied down to that and prefer to go to the movies when the masses are little to none so I rarely to never experience these problems.
Jeremy, the problem with your example is that the sister/puke incident you keep highlighting actually happened at a theater/showing with non-assigned seating. It kind of lets the air out of your argument right there (as in, the type of seating arrangement this theater had had nothing to do with it).
I’m with John, pre-assigned seating is the best! Going into the Cinerama Dome 15-20 minutes before a sold out midnight show and having a perfect seat because you were on the ball enough to buy your tickets weeks (or even months sometimes) in advance is a wonderful feeling. It definitely creates an experience where you are less stressed and rushed and have the tools to simply enjoy yourself without sweating the details.
I’ll give you another reason for pre-selected seating… Sometimes I end up going to a movie alone (I went to Watchmen midnight by myself). I don’t feel the need to have conversations with anyone once the movie starts, so having another person I know sitting next to me doesn’t make or break the experience. Assigned seating makes sure I don’t have to worry about having anyone save my seat if I want to go to the bathroom or concession stand before the show.
And here’s another… Generally speaking, when selecting your seats for a show weeks in advance (if you’re picking the best seats in the theater), you tend to find that the seats around you fill up first and the seats sold expand from the center until the show is sold out. This USUALLY means that the people all sitting in the vicinity of your seat also all bought tickets sometimes weeks in advance and they were as diligent as I was about purchasing tickets and really want to see that movie as much as I do. That means, more often than not, that the people all sitting around me tend to talk to each other and do other nonsense things less than those who either a) bought their tickets right before the show, b) walk in 5 minutes late looking for a seat, or c) were walking around the mall shopping and just happened to decide they want to see a movie at the last minute. It’s happened time and time again. I go to the Chinese (non-assigned, btw) and wait in line for an hour. I get in and get a good seat only to have a couple show up right as the lights are going down and sit directly behind me. This is, 9 times out of 10, the couple least interested in watching the movie on screen and my experience will suffer because of it. I’m not saying assigned seating solves this problem, but I can tell you from experience, it GREATLY diminishes it, especially for event movies during prime showtimes.
Cliff, not really. It could have been just likely to happen in selected seating. Only difference is if you find a fucked up seat in non-selected seating all you have to do is immediately find a different seat; however, in pre-selected seating you are going to have to leave the screening room and go find an employee to find a different seat. That applies to all forms of messed up seating.
I mean, I’m sure they have tried this practice before and I’m sure it failed for whatever reasons……
No. I have been going to movies for decades, and no theater chain offers it.
Furthermore, the culture it creates allows them to abuse your patronage trapping you in a long wait that increases consession sales and exposing you to advertising.
they started doing it here in the bay area a while ago..like 5-6 years ago..i remember that i got my shit pre saved like this….i had got 6 tickets for me and some friends….the assigned me my aisle and 6 seats…people where pissed but i was like hey i payed 4 extra bucks for each ticket and i went online and purchased them the first day i was able to…..still people who got in for free or paid half what i paid where bitching….i thus i said if there is a problem we can handle this like a man and take the exit and fight…needless to say the fucking 3 5 year old kids did not want to mess with me, so i ended up loving WALL-E …..
hahaha uuuuuh they do it at the Arclight Theaters in LA.
@Rodney
I never said certain chains offer it. What I said is I’m sure certain chains have “tried” it and after a short while it probably failed or just seemed pointless so they stopped.
@Rodney
I hear you dude. I went to an advanced screening of Terminator Salvation at midnight on Wednesday night. I had purchased my tickets a week in advance.
I showed up to the theater here in Charlottetown, PEI at 11:05 pm, expecting there to be a smaller audience, because of the smaller population.
Well the theater was only about 1/3 full, however there were two complete rows “reserved” mid theater and for the most part the audience consisted of people in their early to mid twenties who came in groups of 5+ people and purchased their tickets that same day. This left little/no good seats for the people who had purchased their tickets days or weeks in advance.
Then the 11:59pm screening didn’t start until 12:05am and then I had to wait through 30 minutes of commercials and trailers before the movie started. I was and still am PISSED to say the least.
When I use to live in Ontario, me and three friends got tickets to an advanced screening of Transformers, and although the seating choices were slim, and the theater oversold tickets, we at least did NOT have to sit through any trailers or ads prior to the movie.
I’d be all for paying an extra couple of bucks to reserve seating in advance to keep this kind crap from happening.
This has been standard in UK for years, you americans are savages!!! ;)