MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
User avatar
Que1999
Posts: 274
Joined: Mon May 30, 2016 10:27 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Que1999 »

I think MoviePass has a huge opportunity to shake up the theater industry, and I think that's what they're trying to do with this new aggressive pricing. I think while everyone else is saying how can MoviePass sustain this price point, MoviePass is saying lets get our subscriber base as large as possible so the theater industry has no choice but to listen to us. They're already over 600k subscribers and quickly rising, and from what I hear big data is extremely valuable to these corporations... Theater attendance is dropping and for good reason... The prices are out of control(tickets around us are $15-$20 a pop), and with the 4k TVs + amazing home theater experiences we have in our homes these days, why spend all that money out when you can stream something in 4k for free at home? There is no shortage of articles online about many smaller independent theaters who absolutely love MoviePass because 1) Their attendance has increased(MoviePass pays the ticket price in full), and 2) Concession sales have increased. Once MoviePass gets big enough, I believe they will turn to the theaters and say, "Ok, we have increased your attendance by X. We have increased your concession sales by X. We would like a discount on ticket purchase prices or to receive a cut of the profit, as well as a cut on some of your concession sales. If you don't want to participate in the MoviePass program we will remove you from the program, which will then lead our customers to attend theaters that participate." The only reason they received pushback and threats of legal intervention from AMC is because AMC was looking to start it's own subscription service, but rumor was the price point was much higher then the MoviePass price point... Plus why participate in only AMC theaters when you could participate in over 91% of ALL theaters with MoviePass? So that entire plan is dead in the water now for AMC.

I think MoviePass could turn out to be a really big deal if they play their cards right..
User avatar
munemaker
Posts: 4338
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:14 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by munemaker »

Que1999 wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:19 am I think MoviePass has a huge opportunity to shake up the theater industry
If someone really wants to shake up the theater industry, they need to come out with a "Popcorn Pass."
Gufomel
Posts: 702
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2015 8:52 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Gufomel »

If you offered to pay me $10/month but I had to go watch at least 1 movie in a movie theater per month, I'd probably pass. :D
stoptothink
Posts: 15368
Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 8:53 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by stoptothink »

Gufomel wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 7:05 am If you offered to pay me $10/month but I had to go watch at least 1 movie in a movie theater per month, I'd probably pass. :D
+1. I really dislike the experience. We might go once a year. That once a year was Tuesday, as part of our anniversary. Wife wanted to see Thor. Movie was OK, the very obese man sitting next to me, who spent the entire movie on his phone and spilled his candy on me was not.

FWIW, we left work early and hit up a 3:55pm showing (on a Tuesday), and that theater was absolutely packed. I understand that the industry is struggling as a whole, but if my friends, family, and colleagues are any indication, I don't understand how. Seems everybody I know goes at least once a week. I would bet my brother and a few of my friends spend more monthly going to see movies than I do to feed my family of four.
Teague
Posts: 2524
Joined: Wed Nov 04, 2015 5:15 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Teague »

Rondo wrote: Thu Nov 16, 2017 11:43 pm How silly. You can buy a ticket at the window early in the day and stay in the theater all day/night and watch as many movies as you want. At some theaters the popcorn refills are free too! :)
Well, dang, now you've done let the secret out. I've been living here in the Cineopolis since the housing meltdown of '08. By now I know the name of most everyone in Hollywood from executive producer to third assistant gaffers' coffee boy. Living on popcorn and half-eaten hot dogs gets a little old, true, but Fridays at midnight I can stock up a week's worth of toast and other goodies - that's Rocky Horror Picture Show night.

I'm thinking about starting a blog about how to do this, but what shall I call it?

"Mr. Movie Moocher," maybe?
Semper Augustus
Gufomel
Posts: 702
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2015 8:52 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Gufomel »

stoptothink wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 8:06 am
Gufomel wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 7:05 am If you offered to pay me $10/month but I had to go watch at least 1 movie in a movie theater per month, I'd probably pass. :D
+1. I really dislike the experience. We might go once a year. That once a year was Tuesday, as part of our anniversary. Wife wanted to see Thor. Movie was OK, the very obese man sitting next to me, who spent the entire movie on his phone and spilled his candy on me was not.

FWIW, we left work early and hit up a 3:55pm showing (on a Tuesday), and that theater was absolutely packed. I understand that the industry is struggling as a whole, but if my friends, family, and colleagues are any indication, I don't understand how. Seems everybody I know goes at least once a week. I would bet my brother and a few of my friends spend more monthly going to see movies than I do to feed my family of four.
I think you were sitting next to this guy :D
How silly. You can buy a ticket at the window early in the day and stay in the theater all day/night and watch as many movies as you want. At some theaters the popcorn refills are free too! :)
randomguy
Posts: 11285
Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:00 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by randomguy »

Que1999 wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:19 am I think MoviePass has a huge opportunity to shake up the theater industry, and I think that's what they're trying to do with this new aggressive pricing. I There is no shortage of articles online about many smaller independent theaters who absolutely love MoviePass because 1) Their attendance has increased(MoviePass pays the ticket price in full), and 2) Concession sales have increased. Once MoviePass gets big enough, I believe they will turn to the theaters and say, "Ok, we have increased your attendance by X. We have increased your concession sales by X. We would like a discount on ticket purchase prices or to receive a cut of the profit, as well as a cut on some of your concession sales. If you don't want to participate in the MoviePass program we will remove you from the program, which will then lead our customers to attend theaters that participate." .
That is the plan. The question will it work. What happens when MoviePass drops AMC, Regal, and the rest of the big chains. Do the customers stay or do they flee as they can no longer watch the movies they want when they want. Or a bigger questions lets say you agree to sell tickets to MoviePass for 1 dollar. Can you still stay in bussiness. If you have to pay the movie company 5 dollars/ticket and it costs you 5 to keep the theater ope, can you stay open on 1 dollar/ticket and 7 bucks from popcorn sales (i..e. remember not everyone buys that stuff.).

Obviously nobody knows the answers to how this will turn out. I can't think of many companies that have pulled off this trick. As a consumer I would be fine risking 100 bucks on it. As an investor, I wouldn't touch it.
Gufomel
Posts: 702
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2015 8:52 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Gufomel »

Really though, how many people go (or want to go) to more than 12 movies a year in a theater? That's assuming this subscription price stays at $10/month. I would be surprised if it doesn't ultimately settle at around $15 or $20/month in the long-term for this subscription, in which case you're talking about 18-24 movies per year.

As I expressed above, I don't particularly enjoy going to movies except for the occasional big movie or date night with the spouse. So I'm obviously not the target audience. Obviously there's the movie enthusiasts who want to see any and every movie. I just don't see how there's enough people on the scale between me and movie enthusiasts who are willing to commit to seeing somewhere between 12 to 24 movies in theater per year just to break even with this subscription.

Obviously you have the gym membership model as already mentioned earlier where people think it sounds like a good deal, so they sign up and don't cancel for 3 years while only going to see 10 movies in that time frame. Not everyone (or I should say, very few, are Boglehead-minded). But that aside, are there really a significant number of people who see 12 to 24 movies a year in theater? That's mind-boggling to me if so.
User avatar
Que1999
Posts: 274
Joined: Mon May 30, 2016 10:27 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Que1999 »

Gufomel wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 9:24 am Really though, how many people go (or want to go) to more than 12 movies a year in a theater? That's assuming the price stays at $10/month. I would be surprised if it doesn't ultimately settle at around $15 or $20/month in the long-term for this subscription, in which case you're talking about 18-24 movies per year.

As I expressed above, I don't particularly enjoy going to movies except for the occasional big movie or date night with the spouse. So I'm obviously not the target audience. Obviously there's the movie enthusiasts who want to see any and every movie. I just don't see how there's enough people on the scale between me and movie enthusiasts who are willing to commit to seeing somewhere between 12 to 24 movies in theater per year just to break even with this subscription.

Obviously you have the gym membership model as already mentioned earlier where people think it sounds like a good idea, so they sign up and don't cancel for 3 years. Not everyone (or I should say, very few, are Boglehead-minded). But that aside, are there really a significant number of people who see 12 to 24 movies a year in theater? That's mind-boggling to me if so.
Tickets in my area run $15-$20 each. Average out to $17.50 per ticket and I'm getting my $90 for the first year on 5 movies. Myself and wife enjoy going out to the movies, but it was getting a bit too costly so we slowed down big time. There's also a couple really nice independent theaters with great non-mainstream movies we enjoy... We will definitely get our moneys worth out of a subscription.
randomguy
Posts: 11285
Joined: Wed Sep 17, 2014 9:00 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by randomguy »

Gufomel wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 9:24 am Really though, how many people go (or want to go) to more than 12 movies a year in a theater? That's assuming this subscription price stays at $10/month. I would be surprised if it doesn't ultimately settle at around $15 or $20/month in the long-term for this subscription, in which case you're talking about 18-24 movies per year.

As I expressed above, I don't particularly enjoy going to movies except for the occasional big movie or date night with the spouse. So I'm obviously not the target audience. Obviously there's the movie enthusiasts who want to see any and every movie. I just don't see how there's enough people on the scale between me and movie enthusiasts who are willing to commit to seeing somewhere between 12 to 24 movies in theater per year just to break even with this subscription.

Obviously you have the gym membership model as already mentioned earlier where people think it sounds like a good deal, so they sign up and don't cancel for 3 years while only going to see 10 movies in that time frame. Not everyone (or I should say, very few, are Boglehead-minded). But that aside, are there really a significant number of people who see 12 to 24 movies a year in theater? That's mind-boggling to me if so.
The price was like 50 dollars and they couldn't get enough subscribers. Yes some people will buy it and not use it. But there are tons of people who watch multiple movies per month. You just aren't in that demographic anymore.
Gufomel
Posts: 702
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2015 8:52 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Gufomel »

Que1999 wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 9:32 am
Gufomel wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 9:24 am Really though, how many people go (or want to go) to more than 12 movies a year in a theater? That's assuming the price stays at $10/month. I would be surprised if it doesn't ultimately settle at around $15 or $20/month in the long-term for this subscription, in which case you're talking about 18-24 movies per year.

As I expressed above, I don't particularly enjoy going to movies except for the occasional big movie or date night with the spouse. So I'm obviously not the target audience. Obviously there's the movie enthusiasts who want to see any and every movie. I just don't see how there's enough people on the scale between me and movie enthusiasts who are willing to commit to seeing somewhere between 12 to 24 movies in theater per year just to break even with this subscription.

Obviously you have the gym membership model as already mentioned earlier where people think it sounds like a good idea, so they sign up and don't cancel for 3 years. Not everyone (or I should say, very few, are Boglehead-minded). But that aside, are there really a significant number of people who see 12 to 24 movies a year in theater? That's mind-boggling to me if so.
Tickets in my area run $15-$20 each. Average out to $17.50 per ticket and I'm getting my $90 for the first year on 5 movies. Myself and wife enjoy going out to the movies, but it was getting a bit too costly so we slowed down big time. There's also a couple really nice independent theaters with great non-mainstream movies we enjoy... We will definitely get our moneys worth out of a subscription.
2D movies at the Cinemark in my area are $8-9 in the afternoon and $10-11 in the evening. $15-20 per ticket would certainly change the equation.
User avatar
HomerJ
Posts: 21240
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2008 12:50 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by HomerJ »

randomguy wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 3:51 pm
engineer1969 wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2017 7:28 am

I have no idea what a production company or studio would be willing to pay for their information, but I know they are willing to pay millions for 30 secs of air time on television.
5 million for a 30s superbowl ad seen by 100 million people
100 million people *10/ticket is 1 billion dollars
I'd be interested to know how many people actually decide to see that movie because of that ad that would not have seen it anyway. Trouble is, there's no good way to judge this.

At $5 million per superbowl ad, they would need more than 500,000 people to go see the movie that weren't planning on it before.

My guess is they are throwing money away.
Slacker
Posts: 1032
Joined: Thu May 26, 2016 8:40 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Slacker »

munemaker wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:41 am
Que1999 wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:19 am I think MoviePass has a huge opportunity to shake up the theater industry
If someone really wants to shake up the theater industry, they need to come out with a "Popcorn Pass."
Several theaters already offer that in and around the Phoenix metro area - I'd imaging there are similar things in other metros.
Slacker
Posts: 1032
Joined: Thu May 26, 2016 8:40 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Slacker »

stoptothink wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 8:06 am
Gufomel wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 7:05 am If you offered to pay me $10/month but I had to go watch at least 1 movie in a movie theater per month, I'd probably pass. :D
+1. I really dislike the experience. We might go once a year. That once a year was Tuesday, as part of our anniversary. Wife wanted to see Thor. Movie was OK, the very obese man sitting next to me, who spent the entire movie on his phone and spilled his candy on me was not.

FWIW, we left work early and hit up a 3:55pm showing (on a Tuesday), and that theater was absolutely packed. I understand that the industry is struggling as a whole, but if my friends, family, and colleagues are any indication, I don't understand how. Seems everybody I know goes at least once a week. I would bet my brother and a few of my friends spend more monthly going to see movies than I do to feed my family of four.
Sounds like a horrible experience. I was tentative about going to "opening night" for movies the past couple weeks, but find my area to have normal audiences with everybody mostly just there to enjoy the movie.

Now when I was in Seattle (particularly the Eastside) the experience was nearly as horrible as you describe. Someone kicking my chair and I look back expecting a young kid such that I'd be asking the parents to control their child, but instead it is the mother kicking my chair - she was mad that I picked the seat in front of her that she wanted to put her feet up on and started yelling about how she was in her seat first so I need to move out of her foot rest and I told her one more time and I'll have the managers ban you from the theater.
mhop
Posts: 80
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 12:41 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by mhop »

Nothing stops AMC and other theaters from implementing a similar plan subsidized by the selling of data. In fact, theaters have the ability to offer more consumer friendly plans than MoviePass (no physical presence requirement when booking tickets, book in advance, concessions add-on). I don't see this working long term for MoviePass.
Slacker
Posts: 1032
Joined: Thu May 26, 2016 8:40 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Slacker »

Gufomel wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 9:24 am Really though, how many people go (or want to go) to more than 12 movies a year in a theater? That's assuming this subscription price stays at $10/month. I would be surprised if it doesn't ultimately settle at around $15 or $20/month in the long-term for this subscription, in which case you're talking about 18-24 movies per year.

As I expressed above, I don't particularly enjoy going to movies except for the occasional big movie or date night with the spouse. So I'm obviously not the target audience. Obviously there's the movie enthusiasts who want to see any and every movie. I just don't see how there's enough people on the scale between me and movie enthusiasts who are willing to commit to seeing somewhere between 12 to 24 movies in theater per year just to break even with this subscription.

Obviously you have the gym membership model as already mentioned earlier where people think it sounds like a good deal, so they sign up and don't cancel for 3 years while only going to see 10 movies in that time frame. Not everyone (or I should say, very few, are Boglehead-minded). But that aside, are there really a significant number of people who see 12 to 24 movies a year in theater? That's mind-boggling to me if so.
You can't see how people go to that many movies in a year because you are not interested in it. You are injecting your personal incredulity to affect your assessment of the viability. Apparently, 600,000 people currently believe they find value in it.

I could say the same thing about first class plane tickets - how ridiculous is it to throw away as much money on a flight as you would spend at your destination to just get from point A to point B? Who buys these things - such a waste, no one would ever fly first class but fools!!!! See how when I don't desire first class tickets on planes I then inject my personal incredulity into it and then assume that clearly no one would ever want first class. However, I would clearly be wrong as first class tickets do sell...and some bogleheads, for example, do talk about flying first class.
Gufomel
Posts: 702
Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2015 8:52 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Gufomel »

Slacker wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 11:02 am
Gufomel wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 9:24 am Really though, how many people go (or want to go) to more than 12 movies a year in a theater? That's assuming this subscription price stays at $10/month. I would be surprised if it doesn't ultimately settle at around $15 or $20/month in the long-term for this subscription, in which case you're talking about 18-24 movies per year.

As I expressed above, I don't particularly enjoy going to movies except for the occasional big movie or date night with the spouse. So I'm obviously not the target audience. Obviously there's the movie enthusiasts who want to see any and every movie. I just don't see how there's enough people on the scale between me and movie enthusiasts who are willing to commit to seeing somewhere between 12 to 24 movies in theater per year just to break even with this subscription.

Obviously you have the gym membership model as already mentioned earlier where people think it sounds like a good deal, so they sign up and don't cancel for 3 years while only going to see 10 movies in that time frame. Not everyone (or I should say, very few, are Boglehead-minded). But that aside, are there really a significant number of people who see 12 to 24 movies a year in theater? That's mind-boggling to me if so.
You can't see how people go to that many movies in a year because you are not interested in it. You are injecting your personal incredulity to affect your assessment of the viability. Apparently, 600,000 people currently believe they find value in it.

I could say the same thing about first class plane tickets - how ridiculous is it to throw away as much money on a flight as you would spend at your destination to just get from point A to point B? Who buys these things - such a waste, no one would ever fly first class but fools!!!! See how when I don't desire first class tickets on planes I then inject my personal incredulity into it and then assume that clearly no one would ever want first class. However, I would clearly be wrong as first class tickets do sell...and some bogleheads, for example, do talk about flying first class.
Certainly my personal experience is mostly what I have to go based off of for this. I was not aware that a lot of people go to 12 to 24 movies per year, thus the reason for my question. If there's enough people who do that, then it could be viable.
tj
Posts: 9315
Joined: Wed Dec 23, 2009 11:10 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by tj »

Slacker wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 10:53 am
munemaker wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:41 am
Que1999 wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:19 am I think MoviePass has a huge opportunity to shake up the theater industry
If someone really wants to shake up the theater industry, they need to come out with a "Popcorn Pass."
Several theaters already offer that in and around the Phoenix metro area - I'd imaging there are similar things in other metros.
Who is offering this? I assume not Harkins?
malabargold
Posts: 689
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2014 8:16 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by malabargold »

MoviePass is now $6.95/month IF one pays for a year upfront.

Clearly they are desperate to slow the cash burn, but this of course is only a temporizing measure.
travellight
Posts: 2892
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:52 pm
Location: San Diego

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by travellight »

I signed up for it. I have already seen 4 movies since I started this on 10/24. Also, movie season is coming up with the Oscar contenders being released. I only have to see 6 movies to break even so that means 2 more movies in the next year. I plan to enjoy this while it lasts.
364
malabargold
Posts: 689
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2014 8:16 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by malabargold »

I re-signed for the $6.99/month plan myself -

But we plan to see a lot of movies in the next 2 months
because the glide path does not look encouraging
Slacker
Posts: 1032
Joined: Thu May 26, 2016 8:40 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Slacker »

tj wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 12:05 pm
Slacker wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 10:53 am
munemaker wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 6:41 am
Que1999 wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 4:19 am I think MoviePass has a huge opportunity to shake up the theater industry
If someone really wants to shake up the theater industry, they need to come out with a "Popcorn Pass."
Several theaters already offer that in and around the Phoenix metro area - I'd imaging there are similar things in other metros.
Who is offering this? I assume not Harkins?
Harkins "Loyalty Shirt". $25 T-shirt: Wear the shirt to the theater and when you purchase a movie ticket you get a free medium popcorn.
Harkins "Loyalty Cup". $5.25 Cup: $1.50 refills of soda when you bring your loyalty cup in.
Ultrastar "Popcorn Pass". $20 Passcard: Free regular sized popcorn 1 time per day.
fh2000
Posts: 122
Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2010 7:18 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by fh2000 »

malabargold wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 5:23 pm I re-signed for the $6.99/month plan myself -

But we plan to see a lot of movies in the next 2 months
because the glide path does not look encouraging
So, if I want to go to movies with my wife, we both have to sign up for our own account?
mnnice
Posts: 830
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2012 5:48 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by mnnice »

I got a MoviePass about 10 days ago. I have seen 3 movies since. The app appears to be down tonight which bums me out as DS and I were going to go to Justice League.
Topic Author
denovo
Posts: 4808
Joined: Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:04 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by denovo »

mnnice wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 7:58 pm I got a MoviePass about 10 days ago. I have seen 3 movies since. The app appears to be down tonight which bums me out as DS and I were going to go to Justice League.
You were gonna see it in 2d? (GASP)
"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln
travellight
Posts: 2892
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:52 pm
Location: San Diego

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by travellight »

mnnice wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 7:58 pm I got a MoviePass about 10 days ago. I have seen 3 movies since. The app appears to be down tonight which bums me out as DS and I were going to go to Justice League.
I was bummed too. I wonder if this is the first sign of trouble.

I saw Thor in 2d and loved it.
364
travellight
Posts: 2892
Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2008 5:52 pm
Location: San Diego

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by travellight »

I wonder if it still works if you show up and use the car when app is down?
364
tj
Posts: 9315
Joined: Wed Dec 23, 2009 11:10 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by tj »

denovo wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 8:31 pm
mnnice wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 7:58 pm I got a MoviePass about 10 days ago. I have seen 3 movies since. The app appears to be down tonight which bums me out as DS and I were going to go to Justice League.
You were gonna see it in 2d? (GASP)
It wasn't shot in 3D, was it? :D

http://realorfake3d.com
User avatar
fetch5482
Posts: 1721
Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2014 4:55 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by fetch5482 »

VaR wrote: Thu Nov 16, 2017 11:04 pm
randomguy wrote: Thu Nov 16, 2017 9:01 pm
Que1999 wrote: Thu Nov 16, 2017 8:52 pm FYI, MoviePass seems to have a promo going right now, $7 per month plus a $6 one-time activation fee for a total of $90 billed annually.... If you have the regular $10 plan, as soon as you log in it asks if you'd like to switch to the new promotional plan. I just activated it for myself and the wife. :beer
So basically your betting they will be in bussiness in 9 months? 😁
Is this the kind of charge that you can dispute with your credit card company if they go out of business?
My experience when sunrocket VoIP service went belly-up several years ago was not that easy - some credit card companies like AMEX refunded their customer, no questions asked. Many others did not since the company went bankrupt which is not covered under credit card agreement, strictly speaking.
(AGE minus 23%) Bonds | 5% REITs | Balance 80% US (75/25 TSM/SCV) + 20% International (80/20 Developed/Emerging)
mnnice
Posts: 830
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2012 5:48 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by mnnice »

denovo wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 8:31 pm
mnnice wrote: Sat Nov 18, 2017 7:58 pm I got a MoviePass about 10 days ago. I have seen 3 movies since. The app appears to be down tonight which bums me out as DS and I were going to go to Justice League.
You were gonna see it in 2d? (GASP)
Sometimes I get motion sickness in 3D. Also I’m cheap.
User avatar
runner9
Posts: 2260
Joined: Tue Aug 02, 2011 8:49 pm
Location: Ohio

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by runner9 »

engineer1969
Posts: 109
Joined: Tue Jul 05, 2011 6:56 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by engineer1969 »

HomerJ wrote: Fri Nov 17, 2017 10:16 am
randomguy wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2017 3:51 pm
engineer1969 wrote: Tue Oct 31, 2017 7:28 am

I have no idea what a production company or studio would be willing to pay for their information, but I know they are willing to pay millions for 30 secs of air time on television.
5 million for a 30s superbowl ad seen by 100 million people
100 million people *10/ticket is 1 billion dollars
I'd be interested to know how many people actually decide to see that movie because of that ad that would not have seen it anyway. Trouble is, there's no good way to judge this.

At $5 million per superbowl ad, they would need more than 500,000 people to go see the movie that weren't planning on it before.

My guess is they are throwing money away.
I don't believe it is the advertising dollar they are after; $10/ticket is the cost if you see a movie every day. More realistically, it will be $5-8.

The data they are interested in is that you are a single white 30 year old female that likes movie X,Y and Z. This would be similar to how Netflix shows you which movies you might be interested in seeing. I suspect they will ask you to rate the movies after you see them as well.
The question is how much would a production company pay for this information. The data set is focused to the actual people who go and watch movies.

If you go see the same move 10 times I suspect they'd be interested in that too.

It will help the movie industry make better movie choices.
retired recently
Posts: 579
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:09 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by retired recently »

Wife and I got our cards just over a month ago and think we will be using it 3-4 times per month. We are retired and typically there is no one else watching the movie when we go. There has been no attempt to get us to rate any of the movies we have seen. We are quite happy with it.
User avatar
munemaker
Posts: 4338
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:14 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by munemaker »

engineer1969 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 4:01 pm
If you go see the same move 10 times I suspect they'd be interested in that too.
Someone may be interested in knowing if someone goes to see the same movie 10 times, but they will not find that information through MoviePass. MoviePass will only pay for you to view a movie one time.
SEAworld9
Posts: 180
Joined: Fri Jun 23, 2017 10:13 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by SEAworld9 »

munemaker wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:08 pm
engineer1969 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 4:01 pm
If you go see the same move 10 times I suspect they'd be interested in that too.
Someone may be interested in knowing if someone goes to see the same movie 10 times, but they will not find that information through MoviePass. MoviePass will only pay for you to view a movie one time.
i'm assuming engineer1969 wasn't talking about seeing it 10 times on the same day. if you see the same movie 10 times on 10 different days it does get recorded by moviepass.

that said, they can tell everything you do in the app - what you click on, in what order, how long you take, etc. then pairing that with the transactional data makes for a very compelling story.
User avatar
munemaker
Posts: 4338
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:14 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by munemaker »

SEAworld9 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 11:43 pm if you see the same movie 10 times on 10 different days it does get recorded by moviepass.
MoviePass does not allow you to see the same movie more than once.
Slacker
Posts: 1032
Joined: Thu May 26, 2016 8:40 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Slacker »

SEAworld9 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 11:43 pm
munemaker wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 6:08 pm
engineer1969 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 4:01 pm
If you go see the same move 10 times I suspect they'd be interested in that too.
Someone may be interested in knowing if someone goes to see the same movie 10 times, but they will not find that information through MoviePass. MoviePass will only pay for you to view a movie one time.
i'm assuming engineer1969 wasn't talking about seeing it 10 times on the same day. if you see the same movie 10 times on 10 different days it does get recorded by moviepass.

that said, they can tell everything you do in the app - what you click on, in what order, how long you take, etc. then pairing that with the transactional data makes for a very compelling story.
I'm thinking if the app is left running in the background with location enabled, they'll also be able to catch you "gaming the system" (either buying movie tickets for someone else or buying tickets to movies you don't intend to watch for "loyalty rewards" with a movie theater chain).

I am a very satisfied MoviePass customer and even took the time to fill out the survey they sent me related to a "Chick Flick" I watched with my wife. I will continue to fill out any surveys they send me if that means they can keep the doors open longer for me to get more movies at an all you can eat buffet price.
User avatar
Que1999
Posts: 274
Joined: Mon May 30, 2016 10:27 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Que1999 »

munemaker wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2017 12:23 pm
SEAworld9 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 11:43 pm if you see the same movie 10 times on 10 different days it does get recorded by moviepass.
MoviePass does not allow you to see the same movie more than once.
They removed this restriction around a month ago. You can see the same movie as many times as you like, as long as it's only once per day. Unless, they re-added the restriction recently.
User avatar
munemaker
Posts: 4338
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:14 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by munemaker »

Que1999 wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2017 12:29 pm
munemaker wrote: Tue Dec 12, 2017 12:23 pm
SEAworld9 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2017 11:43 pm if you see the same movie 10 times on 10 different days it does get recorded by moviepass.
MoviePass does not allow you to see the same movie more than once.
They removed this restriction around a month ago. You can see the same movie as many times as you like, as long as it's only once per day. Unless, they re-added the restriction recently.
oh, ok. Thanks! I didn't know they removed it.
vested1
Posts: 3492
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2012 3:20 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by vested1 »

Bumping this thread due to recent articles about Moviepass. Upthread someone mentioned a price of $6.99 a month if you prepaid for a year. I couldn't find that price but they are selling a year at Costco for $89.99, or about $7.50 a month for unlimited 2D movies. The price on the Moviepass site is $9.95 a month.
Last edited by vested1 on Sat Dec 30, 2017 9:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
Chicago60
Posts: 516
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:40 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Chicago60 »

We purchased two passes last month. No glitches, yet. We probably see 40-50 movies/year in the theaters, so this is a no brainer for us, particularly this time of year.
User avatar
abuss368
Posts: 27850
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: Where the water is warm, the drinks are cold, and I don't know the names of the players!
Contact:

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by abuss368 »

denovo wrote: Wed Oct 04, 2017 5:13 am I've been using this service for the last couple of weeks and I wanted to pass this along to Bogleheads who like to go to the theatres.

It's pretty simple. You pay $10 a month and get a MoviePass debit card in the mail. You can see an unlimited number of 2d Film but no more than once a day at any theater practically. Around my neck of the woods a movie ticket is like $10-14 ticket and I usually go to at least 2 films a month so this is a no-brainer. I am a naturally skeptical person so I was looking high and low for a catch, but I have not found one.

https://www.moviepass.com/

I guess I have no idea how this will be sustainable for the company, but I will milk this as long as I can. Keep it a secret.
Hi denovo -

The timing of your post is good. I was driving yesterday and heard about this on our local radio. The conversation was related to is this legit or a fraud.

Thank you for sharing.
John C. Bogle: “Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
User avatar
abuss368
Posts: 27850
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:33 pm
Location: Where the water is warm, the drinks are cold, and I don't know the names of the players!
Contact:

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by abuss368 »

I will admit that I honestly can not remember the last time I was at the theater. At home with Netflix, TV Apps, and even Redbox has grown on us. The simplicity of your home, comfort, no rude moviegoers with cell phones and talking, and the ability to pause a film is very easy to get used to.
John C. Bogle: “Simplicity is the master key to financial success."
Topic Author
denovo
Posts: 4808
Joined: Sun Oct 13, 2013 1:04 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by denovo »

Update: I've had MoviePass now for 4 months.

In that time, I have paid for 4 months of service for a total of $40 , and seen 24 movies. Tickets I used to pay for cost $11 each, so I've saved about $224. I never buy concessions from the movie theatres, so this has been an excellent deal and great savings for me.

Since the marginal cost of watching a film is $0, I've been more daring about watching films that I wasn't sure I would pay $11 for. Some have been good (Lady Bird, Foreigner, Thank you for your Service), and some not so much ( Father Figures, The Commuter)
"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln
Agggm
Posts: 244
Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2017 5:18 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by Agggm »

lthenderson wrote: Wed Oct 04, 2017 8:32 am The downside for me is having to go stand in line, pay for over priced food and beverages for the privilege of sitting in a uncomfortable seat where my feet stick to the floor to watch a movie with a dozen people in front of me more interested in talking and looking at their smart phones than the movie which is generally turned up way too loud to attempt to drown out the people talking.

For a dollar less per month, I can get as many movies as I can watch (one at a time) mailed directly to my house using Netflix services.
Lol. We have nice big red comfy reclining seats by my way. We've been using MP for a long time now. We watch a lot of movies. So it's a great deal for us. Even if they reprice later on, we'll keep it.
malabargold
Posts: 689
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2014 8:16 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by malabargold »

As a bonus, if your cinema offers live streaming of performances
of things like the Bolshoi Ballet, it will work for those, too.

It does NOT cover the full price, but does pay up to the customary movie charge toward the price.
squirm
Posts: 4239
Joined: Sat Mar 19, 2011 11:53 am

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by squirm »

I don't even remember the last time I went to the movies. At least ten years ago.
123
Posts: 10387
Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2012 3:55 pm

Re: MoviePass-Too good to be true, but it's legit.

Post by 123 »

Rondo wrote: Thu Nov 16, 2017 11:43 pm ...You can buy a ticket at the window early in the day and stay in the theater all day/night and watch as many movies as you want...
I've got a MoviePass and sometimes I have a hard time finding one movie worth seeing to me. Stay all day? That's only if you're a glutton for punishment.
The closest helping hand is at the end of your own arm.
AntsOnTheMarch
Posts: 610
Joined: Mon May 29, 2017 5:47 pm

MoviePass App Tracks Your Location Before and After Movies

Post by AntsOnTheMarch »

"We get an enormous amount of information. We watch how you drive from home to the movies. We watch where you go afterwards," said Lowe.

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/03/05/mo ... -tracking/
protagonist
Posts: 9242
Joined: Sun Dec 26, 2010 11:47 am

Re: MoviePass App Tracks Your Location Before and After Movies

Post by protagonist »

AntsOnTheMarch wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 5:56 pm "We get an enormous amount of information. We watch how you drive from home to the movies. We watch where you go afterwards," said Lowe.

https://www.macrumors.com/2018/03/05/mo ... -tracking/
Good to know. On Android you can go to apps in settings and turn off location, which I just did. I will turn it on again the next time I see a movie.

I'm pretty much breaking even on Movie Pass vs. buying tickets. If this continues to be the case I will cancel.
Post Reply