There was a time not too long ago when watching a new movie demanded a trip to the local theater, where about $10 would buy you a ticket, soft drink and small bag of buttery popcorn. It was a social night out, a place for the masses to enjoy a film together while sitting in squeaky seats with feet stuck to the floor.
But those days are long gone, as Business Report details in a feature from its latest issue.
With access to movies on demand, video streaming services, and quick and cheap DVDs distributed from Redbox like a candy bar from a vending machine, people are increasingly trading in their movie seats for their own couches. Others are also constructing in-home media rooms. And movie ticket sales are suffering.
In 2014, the United States and Canadian box office haul totaled $10.4 billion, down 5% from $10.9 billion in 2013, according to the most recent data from the Motion Picture Association of America.
As it becomes harder to attract consumers to the big screen, theater owners are completely revamping the movie-going experience. The narrow and uncomfortable seats of old are being replaced with seats more akin to La-Z-Boys, while traditional concession stands are being beefed up with full food and bar menus.
Last August, Movie Tavern brought the in-theater dining and bar experience to Baton Rouge when it replaced the United Artists Theater in Citiplace off Corporate Boulevard. The rapidly expanding theater chain features reclining leather chairs, extensive dining and bar menus, and seat-side service from the waitstaff. A similar concept was to be built in the Rouzan Development off Perkins Road.
The Perkins Rowe Cinemark will complete a $2.36 million renovation this month to add luxury recliners to all 16 of its auditoriums, and create a party room and break room inside the 58,000-square-foot theater.
And just last week The Grand Cinema on George O’Neal Road announced it will close next month as it embarks on a $3 million renovation to add recliners, a new concession area and a bar.
When Acadian Home Theatre and Automation opened 11 years ago, sales manager Jon Hunt says the company was installing one home theater every three months. Now Acadian installs anywhere from 20 to 40 per year. Hunt attributes the increase to affordable and large flat screen televisions, accessible technology, and a desire for a higher quality movie experience at home.
“When you sit in a dedicated media room, you realize watching a movie is a more intimate experience,” he says. “The video is better, the surround sound is better and the chairs are more comfortable. It’s a better experience than the movie theaters.”
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