Movie theatres go luxe to wow audiences with 4D, cocktails and virtual reality
On to the next upgrade: theatres keep plotting new experiences to reel in the audience
Like many people, one of my first jobs growing up was in a movie theatre. I spent summer 2005 sweeping up popcorn and sneaking into midday screenings of Wedding Crashers at an UltraStar Cinemas in San Diego. At the time, cup holders were considered fairly innovative and stadium seating was the height of luxury. Everyone still bought paper tickets at the box office, and the food menu was limited to popcorn, bad hot dogs and Junior Mints.
Today, moviegoers pay for tickets online and get their phones scanned at the door. They eat restaurant-style food and sip movie-themed cocktails in theatre lounges before the films. They can even order food and wine while relaxing in leather recliner seats.
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Moviegoers have increasingly innovative and expensive options, especially in Los Angeles, a laboratory of multiplex innovation. The cinema industry is trying everything it can — motion seats, virtual reality and even competitive video gaming — to see what takes hold.
It’s a matter of survival. Cinemas need to reinvent themselves for younger audiences who aren’t going to the multiplex as much. Movie theatres sold 1.3 billion tickets in the US and Canada last year, down from the recent peak of 1.6 billion in 2002, according to data from the Motion Picture Assn. of America.
“What you can get at a theatre now is vastly different from five years ago,” says Eric Handler, a media analyst with MKM Partners who follows the theatrical exhibition industry. “The exhibitors finally realised people were willing to pay a premium for a higher-quality viewing experience.”
Wining and dining
The 3-year-old iPic Theaters location in Westwood revels in luxury. Going to the venue, which has a concierge-like front desk and full bar and restaurant, is more like checking into a hotel than a movie theatre.
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The “premium” section of the auditorium fits only six rows of seats, but that’s the trade-off for full recliners equipped with pillows and blankets plus wide aisles for the wait staff. Each pair of seats (US$58 for two) comes with a menu created by Sherry Yard, who was Wolfgang Puck’s longtime pastry chef, and a blue-light button to summon a server for wine and snacks.
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Introducing food and wait service to the theatrical experience has forced companies to get creative. Smelly and crunchy dishes aren’t ideal, so instead they serve gourmet finger foods like green goddess turkey sliders, meatza pizza and tandoori chicken skewers.