I've been assured by MoviePass emails that getting the actual card isn't nearly the hassle it was when I got it initially, but man did that turn out to be a terrible customer service experience. It took well over a month from when I was initially charged to finally get the card, and my experiences with their customer service team were non-existent (both a friend and I emailed their customer service line and never heard back, potentially boding poorly if I ever have issues with the program in the future). Waiting over a month when you're promised the card in roughly seven days is not the best start to any experience with a subscription service, and hopefully they fix this in the future as it's going to turn people off if they don't have better customer response times (just ask people who no longer use cable).
That being said, once you get the card it's kind of a breeze to use. I'm not someone who needs to go to midnight showings or opening nights, and generally traffic the theater during less busy times, so I haven't run into a situation where I couldn't get my ticket in-time, so arguably the least convenient aspect of the program (that you have to be outside the theater to buy your ticket), hasn't affected me yet, but otherwise it works easily. It does tend to clock if you're using it the first time when you're "buying your ticket," but I've always been successful, and so far I've gotten nothing but mildly curious looks from ticket tellers (though, admittedly, I've only used the kiosks when I've gone to AMC, who is the biggest critic of the program). I've even been able to use my regular "theater perks" cards when I've bought them, so not only am I getting a deal from MoviePass, but I'm getting credit for the money I spent on the ticket MoviePass paid for. I swear I'm not being paid for this post, but honestly-this worked about as well as I could have hoped for in terms of ease.
2. The Theater Still Gets My Money
By not spending my money for the actual ticket, you'd think that I'd be saving money, and admittedly I am, but I will admit it's probably not as much as you'd anticipate as it's easier to justify spending a little bit extra on concessions when you have the card. I'm someone who typically does popcorn and a bottle of water, but I will admit that since I know psychologically that I'm not spending any money for the ticket, I might justify buying candy or going for the real butter surcharge.
This could be the key to where MoviePass actually makes its money, or eventually starts to eat into the theaters that are fighting so hard against it. The reality is that theaters make their margin at the concessions stands, not for the price of a ticket. If families start using MoviePass as a regular form of entertainment, under the current model they stand to gain an impressive amount of cash-they still get the money from the ticket sales, while also getting more concession cash, which is considerably more profitable.
That being said, this isn't entirely without issue, and though it's still in its infancy (and as such, probably trying to figure out how it's doing in the current business model before adding in tiers), we need a little more variety in the membership services. Currently, you can go to any of the pre-approved theaters (which are plentiful if you live in a metropolitan area), but you can't see 3-D movies, special screenings, or "premium" theaters like Landmark. For cinephiles, this is like going to Cheesecake Factory but skipping dessert; it's satisfying, but it doesn't really get you to the point of the movies. I still end up shelling out cash to go to Landmark, albeit I'm more likely now to go to a different theater if it's showing the same movie than I am to head to the Landmark (which I otherwise would have gone to because I love their theaters).
A few different pricing options, such as a $25 Unlimited Membership might do the trick, where you could see 3-D and additional, potentially more expensive theaters, instead. It also would be great if you could have multiple memberships on the same card. Admittedly, this is probably intentional-it forces them to be able to better track viewing habits if it's one individual person, and stops you from, say, using this for friends rather than the intended buyer, but it would be more convenient, particularly for families with small children, who don't seem to be the bread-and-butter of MoviePass (it seems considerably more geared toward adults) but are of course a huge part of the domestic film market.
4. You Won't Necessarily Go to More Movies
Here's potentially the sneaky truth of MoviePass-it doesn't actually change your movie habits all that much. Yes, it might get you to go to one or more movies at first, and you're more likely to use it if you have a friend who is into them, but by-and-large from people I've talked to, you won't really see that many more movies than you would have without it. Think of it as similar to the Netflix disc phenomenon, and how people would occasionally leave the same discs on their counter for weeks, not really thinking about the fact that they're wasting money. This is probably going to be the case for MoviePass after the novelty wears off. I think, quite frankly, if they would have billed this even as $20 a month people would have gone for it just as much, and it would have been insanely profitable, because that's 2-3 movies a month, well above what most people see.
That being said, if you see more than two movies in a given month (which I more than do, even in March), it's an insanely good deal. But I will admit that when I first got it I assumed that I'd basically see every new release that was in theaters without guilt, but you also spend a great deal of time on a movie theater experience, and I probably haven't seen a single movie yet that I wouldn't have were it not for MoviePass. Other entertainment options, such as television, Netflix, concerts, books, restaurants, and just sitting around your apartment are still pulls even with this bargain sitting in your wallet.
Here's potentially the sneaky truth of MoviePass-it doesn't actually change your movie habits all that much. Yes, it might get you to go to one or more movies at first, and you're more likely to use it if you have a friend who is into them, but by-and-large from people I've talked to, you won't really see that many more movies than you would have without it. Think of it as similar to the Netflix disc phenomenon, and how people would occasionally leave the same discs on their counter for weeks, not really thinking about the fact that they're wasting money. This is probably going to be the case for MoviePass after the novelty wears off. I think, quite frankly, if they would have billed this even as $20 a month people would have gone for it just as much, and it would have been insanely profitable, because that's 2-3 movies a month, well above what most people see.
That being said, if you see more than two movies in a given month (which I more than do, even in March), it's an insanely good deal. But I will admit that when I first got it I assumed that I'd basically see every new release that was in theaters without guilt, but you also spend a great deal of time on a movie theater experience, and I probably haven't seen a single movie yet that I wouldn't have were it not for MoviePass. Other entertainment options, such as television, Netflix, concerts, books, restaurants, and just sitting around your apartment are still pulls even with this bargain sitting in your wallet.
5. Theater Chains Were Idiots for Not Doing This
Perhaps the most striking issue here is that I'm realizing how insanely foolish AMC, Regal, and Cinemark were to not jump on this band wagon before MoviePass. Admittedly I don't have the profit margins in front of me, but had they gone ahead with a similar sort of rewards program years ago, I suspect they could have curbed insane sorts of customer loyalty (the kind that Landmark does by offering very unique marquees of films), and made an enormous amount of money through incidentals like concessions, and perhaps even film-related merchandise if they could increase traffic a bit more.
I personally belong to several rewards programs (namely AMC and Emagine), and while they have perfectly fine rewards like cheaper popcorn, deals on admissions, and points toward free tickets & concessions, it's nothing compared to the loyalty of MoviePass. I don't specifically choose to go to AMC because of its points-I have the card because I go there often enough to warrant a space in my wallet. Other things do drive loyalty to a theater (good concessions, variety of showings/times, comfort of seats, convenience to your home), but no theater chain in America has the sort of financial incentive to go to their theater that MoviePass provides. Had AMC done something like this, I would have gone to them exclusively (same for any major chain)-that they haven't, and now likely will never be able to get the foothold they could have pre-MoviePass, is an enormous miss, on-par with Blockbuster not seeing the potential of Netflix in 2000.
Those are my thoughts-share yours in the comments! If you've started using MoviePass, give us your tips/reviews/complaints!
Perhaps the most striking issue here is that I'm realizing how insanely foolish AMC, Regal, and Cinemark were to not jump on this band wagon before MoviePass. Admittedly I don't have the profit margins in front of me, but had they gone ahead with a similar sort of rewards program years ago, I suspect they could have curbed insane sorts of customer loyalty (the kind that Landmark does by offering very unique marquees of films), and made an enormous amount of money through incidentals like concessions, and perhaps even film-related merchandise if they could increase traffic a bit more.
I personally belong to several rewards programs (namely AMC and Emagine), and while they have perfectly fine rewards like cheaper popcorn, deals on admissions, and points toward free tickets & concessions, it's nothing compared to the loyalty of MoviePass. I don't specifically choose to go to AMC because of its points-I have the card because I go there often enough to warrant a space in my wallet. Other things do drive loyalty to a theater (good concessions, variety of showings/times, comfort of seats, convenience to your home), but no theater chain in America has the sort of financial incentive to go to their theater that MoviePass provides. Had AMC done something like this, I would have gone to them exclusively (same for any major chain)-that they haven't, and now likely will never be able to get the foothold they could have pre-MoviePass, is an enormous miss, on-par with Blockbuster not seeing the potential of Netflix in 2000.
Those are my thoughts-share yours in the comments! If you've started using MoviePass, give us your tips/reviews/complaints!
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