MoviePass

[FLA]

Are any of you using this? For $80 a year if you buy it at Costco or $10 a month otherwise, MoviePass allows you to see one movie per day that is a standard 2D movie. You can see 30 movies a month if you were so inclined. The website shows you which theaters near you accept it. Every theater near me, including my favorite indie film theater, takes it. I believe there was a problem with AMC theaters and they don't take it but don't go by my word. Regal takes it.

They send you a debit card in the mail but I didn't even have to use that on my first trip today. I just downloaded the app, looked for a movie I wanted to see, went to the theater, reserved that movie with the app and handed the ticket seller my phone which had a code on it. Done. I went to the indie theater and thought I would be treated coldly for using it but apparently the theater gets reimbursed full ticket value by MoviePass. They were perfectly nice about me using it.

My DBF doesn't like going to the movies and being on disability, I felt like they were a colossal waste of money since I have netflix, Prime, HBO, etc at home. So I hadn't been to a movie with my friends in over 2 yrs and indie film is something I really enjoy. So I'll be going all the time now. HTH someone else.

[disneysteve]

A guy I work with is constantly raving about it. We don't go to the movies that much so I don't care personally but it seems like a great deal.

I know there have been some bumps in the road, though, as some theaters have pulled out of the plan. You mentioned AMC. I think that was the big one I heard about. I have friends in Florida who were doing it and then AMC pulled out leaving no nearby theater for them that accepted it anymore.

I think doing it month to month is probably the safer way to go even though it costs more. That way if anything major changes or the company just goes under, you're not out any money. Although really, you don't have to see that many movies to at least break even on an $80 purchase, so I suppose either way works. Just make sure to use it.

[kork13]

With 2 young kids (3 & 1 y/o), we don't have time to go out to movies regularly. But my father does have the Movie Pass, and he uses it all the time. He works night shifts at the Miami NWS hurricane center, so he'll leave for work early, go to a movie on the way in, then go to work afterward. He probably goes to 3-4 movies a week. He loves it.

It seems like a great deal for frequent movie-goers, which is who they market to. So I rather doubt that they reimburse the theaters for a full ticket price. More likely, especially since you have to reserve your ticket, these are probably "leftover" tickets for seats that the theater otherwise wouldn't be filling... So I expect that the Movie Pass company is paying far less than a normal ticket price. Otherwise, it couldn't be profitable, and it would be very quickly going out of business.

[disneysteve]

I rather doubt that they reimburse the theaters for a full ticket price.

I expect that the Movie Pass company is paying far less than a normal ticket price. Otherwise, it couldn't be profitable, and it would be very quickly going out of business.

"To be absolutely clear: The more subscribers MoviePass signs up, the more money it loses. It pays theaters full price for each ticket, whether a member visits once or 31 times a month."

Their hope is to make money on marketing. They lose money on their core business.

[kork13]

"To be absolutely clear: The more subscribers MoviePass signs up, the more money it loses. It pays theaters full price for each ticket, whether a member visits once or 31 times a month."

Their hope is to make money on marketing. They lose money on their core business.

I think I found the article you quoted, and I must say I'm both surprised and not surprised at all. Shocked that they're actually paying full price for the tickets, but also not at all surprised that the company is not running a profit, and in fact is receiving significant cashflow infusion from investors while it tries to establish itself as a viable business model. The article points out 3 main ways ahead for MoviePass to succeed:
1) Land marketing contracts with small, indie-type production studios to boost ticket sales of movies that otherwise would have had very soft ticket sales (which they've successfully demonstrated that they can do)
2) As their customer base expands and data builds based on #1, start to land the same type of marketing contracts with larger production studios.
3) Eventually work into a deal with theaters to receive a "cut" from their concession sales due to boosted foot traffic.

With that said, until at least #2 starts to occur regularly, there's no way that the company can be profitable. I think they're riding a hair-trigger between total failure and a slow, progressive success.

[AJSimon]

For whatever it's worth, the blackout on AMC theaters has been lifted, as of early April.

[msomnipotent]

I was thinking of getting one for my daughter to try on a month-to-month basis. I read that you can only see a movie once though. There is a huge thread about it on slickdeals if you wanted to read up. It sounds like half of the users love it to pieces and the other half are fed up with glitches and small print.

[kork13]

I read that you can only see a movie once though.

This was a somewhat recent change... My father watched The Greatest Showman probably 6-8 times using MoviePass!

[disneysteve]

I read that you can only see a movie once though.

I can't imagine that's a big issue to most people. Other than Rocky Horror, I don't think I've ever seen a movie more than once in the theater.

[Captain Save]

Are there blackout times?

..just any food there. .

[Like2Plan]

For $80 a year if you buy it at Costco ...

FLA,
That is a great deal! I searched for Moviepass at the costco.com website and I couldn't find it. Is it something you have to go to the local Costco to get?

[disneysteve]

Are there blackout times?

I don't think so but you can't book in advance. So if there's a sold out show like opening weekend of a new Star Wars movie, you're not going to get a seat.

[FLA]

FLA,
That is a great deal! I searched for Moviepass at the costco.com website and I couldn't find it. Is it something you have to go to the local Costco to get?

my brother got his physically at Costco 4 months ago, he lives in Boston. We don't have one where I live so I don't know more than that

[msomnipotent]

I can't imagine that's a big issue to most people. Other than Rocky Horror, I don't think I've ever seen a movie more than once in the theater.

It would be a bit of an issue for us. She goes to see a movie with one group of friends and then another group wants to see it later, or we want to see it with her and she has already seen it. Of course we would just tell her that she has to make a choice or pay for the second movie out of her own money, but it sucks that a few bad apples have to ruin it for everyone.

[james.hendrickson]

my brother got his physically at Costco 4 months ago, he lives in Boston. We don't have one where I live so I don't know more than that

I called Costco customer service. What the customer service rep told me is that you can't get moviepass via Costco.com and its not available at the warehouse locations.