A few years back I spent some time working for a company that works with movie studios.  While there I made friends with some folks in the business that see A LOT of movies.  Here is a note I received from one friend, let’s call him Trailer Todd.

Here is Trailer Todd’s view of movie going!  Thought you might enjoy it…

So while visiting movie theatres this weekend, I would have to say the average moviegoer is probably experiencing a less than wonderful visit. Not horrible, but not fantastic!!

AMC WINSTONCHURCHILL
They don’t have a pre show but show slides, the projector is so out of focus it was pain full to watch, the slides are three years old (I’m not kidding…the same trivia has been playing on the screen for the last three years and yes I know the trivia answer to the Jumble in slide ten is “Die Hard” (in fact we all know it!) Concessions are fast and they have the best wash rooms…Good for you.  This is important.  The fact that the security guard was smoking with his buddies just outside the exit door…doesn’t give you confidence that this is a tightly run ship.

CINEPLEX COLISEUM
Walking up to the theatre, the marquee promotes their web site… Dude I’m  right in front of the theatre I want to know what your playing… not log onto a web site to find out what movie to see….

Other that it looks like some marketing guy threw up in the lobby, they manage to plaster signs everywhere. I’m not sure people know it’s a Cineplex with all the Scotiabank branding (I thought I would see a loans officer when I rounded one of the corners) The preshow is okay, and yes I get it you have a DVD site and your trying to sell DVD’s, but tell me a couple timers not ten times… ).

Buying a hot dog was painful.. After standing in line at the concession stand, I ordered my hot dog then had to go to NY Fries to pick it up…and to stand in line again.. Total wait time 11 minutes) For full motion they run two COKE commercials, both in the wrong format, giving that Coke bottle a short squatty look..COKE must be very proud!!!

So once you have survived the pre show, full motion and then five trailers, the movie starts…finally!!

EMPIRE
So to save a few bucks they close the box office and make you purchase your tickets at the concession stand… doesn’t matter that you may not want anything to eat, they will at least tempt you… This poor theatre has closed their two concession stands..the coffee bar and the french fries counter..they sit there empty… Gives a sense of a business slowly dying…Please do something with the space.

Sitting in the lobby you have these cute little tables (with Cineplex logos on them… Are they nuts!!) (They bought the theatre from Cineplex years ago…boy the guys at 1303 Yonge Street must chuckle if they ever see this).

I wish I could tell you what their preshow was but it wasn’t running a fact that any advertiser in the preshow must be really pleased about. (How do you get make good on this stuff?) If you can’t run a preshow, how about a little music so I don’t feel we are eavesdropping on everyone’s conversation.
So I’m pretty sure Empire has been around for while…how about a “Coming Soon House Trailer” so when the car ad finishes It then goes to a movie trailer.. I know that… I just thought Russell Crowe was a spokesman for some product before I realized it was a trailer.

Now nothing disastrous happened while watching the movies at these theatres. The sound was good and picture quality good. Staff was all pleasant and generally it was a good time….but imagine if they could kick it up just a notch…now that would be a movie going experience worth talking about!!