AMC hopes to lure back moviegoers with $99 private screenings

[Shawn Knight]

Bottom line: Assuming there aren’t any hidden charges, AMC’s rate – at least, for older flicks – is pretty reasonable, especially if you have a large family or get a big group of friends together. Still, there's no hiding the fact that this is a temporary patch. Theaters won't be able to persist by bringing in such little revenue long-term.

AMC isn’t going out without a fight. Less than a week after revealing that it could run out of money by the end of 2020, the theater chain announced it will now allow guests to host private screenings starting at $99 plus tax.

Interested parties can reserve an auditorium for one to 20 people and can choose from a variety of classic and newer films including Shrek, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tenet, Honest Thief, The Conjuring, Jurassic Park and The New Mutants, just to name a few.

As always, you’ll want to read the fine print to identify any “gotchas” ahead of time.

Cost is based on the movie you select. Most of the older films are priced at the advertised $99 although some newer flicks range in price from $149 to $349 plus tax. It’s also unclear if the movie rate covers ticket pricing. Alamo Drafthouse, which launched a similar rental program over the summer, made each viewer purchase a movie ticket on top of the flat fee for the auditorium rental.

Similarly, we don’t know if there are any hidden charges related to the concession stand. Conveniently, AMC’s FAQ page isn’t loading properly as of this writing.

Image credit: Mark Zhu, Jacob Lund

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https://www.techspot.com/news/87180-amc-hopes-lure-back-moviegoers-99-private-screenings.html

 

[Lionvibez]

Looks like Covid is killing the traditional business model of movie theaters, which maybe a blessing.

 

[p51d007]

Movie theaters are WAY overpriced (part of it is the cost to hire the overpaid so called stars), then the price of concessions. The China corona virus might just be the straw that broke the camel's back.
"but but but there have always been movie theaters". Yeah, but with so many families having HUGE screen tv's, sound bars and the like, it's a better "family" experience to all sit on a comfy couch in your jammies, eating your own snacks than having to get up, get dressed, drive to the theater, find a place to park (not to mention the weather), buy a ticket unless you pre-purchase, get your over priced snacks, find a seat (unless you have one that lets you pick your seats), put up with the commercials before the movie, the people with their phones, people talking, having to go to the restroom or take your younger children, and miss part of the movie.

 

[mbrowne5061]

Honestly, I think theaters are just beginning to touch upon where their potential future exists (should they continue to operate). Going to see the latest blockbuster was not all that appealing to me because of the high price and crowds. But going to see a movie (or game, or play video games) with my friends and family in a large theater? That is appealing to me.

Rent me the space for the evening, let me play what I want - whatever that may be - and I think you'll have some potential there if the price is right. Obviously, it won't work for the largest screens, but it probably could work for the 'smaller' boutique screens that pitched themselves as "luxury" prior to covid.