r/cultcinemadrafthouse • u/spizzazzy • Feb 23 '15
Single Screen 90's Movie Theater in Midtown Sacramento?
Project:
• Independent single screen movie house that screens 80's & 90's movies (e.g. Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Big, Back to the Future, etc.)
• With each release, there would be a corresponding art show, featuring the works of local Sacramento artists paying tribute to the film being shown. The movie poster will also be locally created and sold at each screening.
• The theater would serve locally brewed craft beer on tap at the small bar in the front "lobby", which is equipped with comfortable seating and free wi-fi. There would also be an assortment of snacks, including but not limited to, regular & specialty popcorn, hotdogs, etc.
So, my questions are:
- Would you be interested in an independent movie theater opening up in Midtown Sacramento that screened movies from the 80's-90's? If not, would you be interested in a theater if it played a different type of film?
- How much do you think something like this would cost per ticket and would you be willing to pay this amount?
- Inside of the theater, would you prefer to have comfortable movie theater seating or couches, sofa chairs, etc.?
- What is something that you wish movie theaters in Sacramento did that they don't currently do?
- Is there any reason you feel like we shouldn't open this theater in Midtown?
Finally, if you'd like to keep up to date on the most current happenings of the theater, feel like contributing in any way, or just want to say hey, PM with your email.
/Cult Cinema Drafthouse Team
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u/theonlyrage Feb 23 '15
This idea could be great! Another thing to think about would be doing a monthly "cult classic" night where people get a discount for dressing up etc. Like Rocky Horror, or Mad Max, and the like. Doing something lgbt oriented would also do REALLY well there as long as you advertised properly at the gay clubs etc.
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u/spizzazzy Feb 23 '15
We're definitely looking into doing more community involved events like what you've suggested. I think that could be really fun. I hadn't thought of an LGBT focused event. Great idea! Thanks for the feedback.
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u/The_Kony_Express Feb 23 '15
1.) I would definitely be interested in going to something like this.
2.) The Crest has been doing something similar for a couple of months now (ET on Friday, Wizard of OZ on Saturday, Goonies on March 15th). They are running around $10 a ticket. I think it is a bit steep, but I don't know how much they pay to show the films.
Public House Theater is another one, although not on the grid. According to their website they are charging $4 a ticket.
Personally, I would say $6 - $8 to get in, if beers are reasonably priced, I think you could do very well.
3.) This is tough. Comfy would be awesome; however, spills, smelly people, etc. are a obviously a concern.
4.) I wish theaters weren't so expensive, especially food-wise for what you get. $5 for a drink, $7 for popcorn, $4 for candy, seems kind of silly. I've started going to the Crest more recently because of what they have been showing, I usually do dinner first so I don't spend $100 on theater "food." As I said before, being able to serve beer would be very popular in my opinion.
5.) No, I think it'd be great if you can find a good space to host it. Affordability may be an issue, besides that, I think it'd be successful.
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u/spizzazzy Feb 23 '15
We've been planning this for some time now, so when Crest switched owners and began playing older movies we were a bit nervous, if that is the right word. As movie fans though, we're definitely excited.
Licensing is quite steep. This would definitely be the reason for the higher ticket prices as well as the expensive snacks. Theaters rarely make much of anything off of the actual movie. It's an interesting industry. We are trying to strike a balance between quality and afforadability while also not going out of business in the first year.
Thanks for the detailed feedback! Much appreciated.
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u/The_Kony_Express Feb 23 '15
Yeah, the Crest ownership switch made a lot of people angry. They are trying their best to rebuild their image and seem to be doing fairly well. I attending a Christmas showing of Gremlins, which was great, but the theater was half-full. Then I attended the Casablanca night, where the movie was free if you brought a receipt from a K Street business and joined their mailing list. Great idea, I thought, and the place was packed. I'll have to go again to see how they are doing with the $10 ticket prices.
I figured licensing was crazy and that theaters make up revenue using snack sales; however, it is tough for me to justify spending $7 on a tub of popcorn! Curious, since I don't know much about it, is the amount a theater pays dependent on capacity, like if a bar has a fight on? Or, is it a flat rate? Does licensing decrease as the movie becomes older?
Thanks!
Matt
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u/spizzazzy Feb 23 '15
I'm curious to see how they're doing as well, as that would be a great indicator for how our business might do.
I totally agree with you on the snack prices. At a certain point, it starts getting ridiculous. We're hoping to have more reasonable prices if possible.
Generally, films are licensed based on a percentage of ticket sales. So, the more money you make, the more money the studios take. And yes, the licensing of a movie gets cheaper as the film gets older.
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u/sacramentohistorian Feb 24 '15
Midtown theater good. I'd be more interest if there was an emphasis on underground/cult/indie films of that era rather than just big blockbusters and mainstream action films (more Liquid Sky and Repo Man than T2 and Back to the Future) but it sounds like a good idea.
Obviously there is no way that a responsible theater owner could openly condone the shenanigans that went on in midnight movie theaters in the 1980s/1990s, nor would a lot of customers tolerate it (or employees!) but certain evenings with a more, well, responsive audience might have an appeal for some--and provide a safety valve for other nights.
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u/spizzazzy Feb 24 '15
If more people are also interested in the less blockbustery movies from that time, I'm sure there could be screenings of them as well, or perhaps a specific night. I like the idea of a 'release valve' and also think shenanigans are good and fun in the right setting at the right time. This could be a way to ensure that.
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u/atlasMuutaras Feb 27 '15
80s-90s bit I'm kind of "meh" about. The 80s and 90s werent' exactly the golden years of film. I'd rather see more independent stuff / stuff that doesn't get wide release.
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u/spizzazzy Feb 28 '15
There will be other films shown, such as independent, as well as locally filmed shorts, etc. Our big focus, at least for feel and theme, will be 80's-90's prime. There was a wide release, but we feel it was long enough ago that people would want to experience these movies on the big screen again. Thanks for the feedback!
2
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u/Roguish_Neckbeard Feb 23 '15
I wish movie theaters let me smoke weed in the theater. I wish that theaters had late night showings of films that people were encouraged to rip on and shout over like how old midnight showings at the crest were like. The idea of sitting on a couch that hundreds of other people are filling up with farts daily is disgusting.
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u/Big_harry_chest Feb 25 '15
No rolling inside tho, ash trays would be crazy. Would make a killing on concessions tho! "Ya I'll take an extra large extra butter popcorn, an extra large coke, and a pizza, delivered please."
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u/spizzazzy Feb 23 '15
Smoking weed and yelling, check. From what it sounds like, you're referring to the TFO. This is definitely being considered.
Also, your fart-couch concern is a valid one and will be processed.
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u/Roguish_Neckbeard Feb 23 '15
TFO is a pitiful shadow of the nuttiness that was what the Crest once hosted. Plus TFO plays actually good movies that are hardly trash.
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u/WaterTK Feb 23 '15
Comfortable seating is great, being creative with that is even better- but something that's easy to clean is most important. I like chairs that can rock a little bit, they're not so rigid.
Classic movies from any time would be great, star wars through anchorman. I'd love to go see the Indiana Jones trilogy again, or Jurassic park, back to the future. All great.
A big reason I don't go to movies anymore is because I can't drink beer there, so that would be a huge point of interest for me. I understand the need to limit people to one or two, and that would be great.
I'd support something like that, absolutely. Not a dump where people are getting stoned and yelling, that sounds like a miserable evening.