What is the most important draw for a movie theater today?

For me it will always be Style.
Such a shame how theater architecture has became, with that ugly curtain crap on the walls...

I voted for price because that's about the only difference among the garbage theaters showing first run movies these days. If we're talking about older theatres, then that's a different story, obviously. Bad theaters + Hollywood filth = me staying home most nights.

I voted for 'Programming'. If a theatre is showing something I want to see (such as, most recently, a Bugs Bunny festival at the Brattle), that's where I go.

I agree, programming is most important; no matter how nice a store is, you won't buy anything there unless they sell what you are looking for, and the same goes for theaters.

There are plenty of great theaters that do low business despite nice architecture, comfort, good staffing, etc., simply because they cannot get product to fill the seats.

Price, alas, has taken a back seat in our impulsive society. Older generations may spend their dollars wisely and perhaps wait for a movie to hit a neighborhood or discount/second run venue, but kids today all want to see the latest garbage that first weekend out, and sadly that is the audience most of Hollywood aims for.

I'd say location is tied in with programming too; where a theater is (and where it is in relation to other theaters) influences a great deal. Look at how many downtown picture palaces closed when audiences fled to the suburbs.

As a projectionist for so many years,one of the downfalls of the old movies palaces was parking. No one wanted to go downtown anymore to see a movie. the mutiplex theatres had plenty of parking, a well lit parking lot ect.ect.
Dave Grau (Mungo)
Norelco

Well, for me it's single screen as I'm not really into any of the reasons listed other than the number of screens as the old movie houses only had one screen. The multi-plexes are for today's generation and have NO charm, but then again today's youth isn't into 'charm'! I love a restored old theatre that shows classics so that would be under the heading of programming.

With today's theatres in mind, I picked digital projection and probably online ticketing which were unknowns years ago.

In my humble opinion, programming is essential; location is next. Does it always have to be a MOVIE theatre every day of every week of every year? What about special programs once in a while? "A Murder at the ________ Theatre" can be fun. Cast local talent. I should know. I write and direct them all over the country. No small theatre can compete with the multiplex so...be creative and invesntive. Perhaps a small theatre company can do a night of musical theatre... classical music, folk concerts. Think outside of the box. Contact me!

I've chosen programming though I'd more specifically regard the most important factor as "convenience." Living within 20 minutes of well over 100 screens, my theater choice is often determined by showtime. To me, convenience would encompass a combination of programming, parking, number of screens, and online ticketing.
Admittedly, being an aficianado of theaters, I do allow a desire to visit locations which I've not previously attended to influence my choice.

Paul: I just visited the Gem Theatre in Kannapolis NC and met with the owner/proprietor yesterday. I'm sorry that I don't recall his name, but this theatre is all original and has the potential to draw in local folks to events other than just movies so perhaps you could contact him with ideas. Don't know if there is a stage at the Gem, but a phone call to the theatre would answer that question. The wonderful piece of history about the Gem is that it was one of 4 that were built in the town by the Cannon family of Cannon/Fieldcrest towel fame! Don't know if you travel much, but a visit to this very quaint small town theatre would be to your advantage.

I agree with Patsy, a single screen, a large one, just seems to have a certain magic about it, and you don`t have to hear what is going on in the theatre next to you.
Dave Grau (Mungo)
Norelco

Mungo: Thanks for agreeing with me...the single screen relates to by gone days whereas the multi-plexes are for today's generation who care nothing about 'charm' in their movie palaces.

To me, it's definitely programming. I've driven two and a half hours to see silent movies with a live theatre organist accompanying them. I wouldn't cross the street to see the crap that comes out of Hollywood today (unless the theatre across the street was movie palace and I was aching to see what it looked like inside).

To me, I think the most important quailty in a movie theater is "price" cause you dont really want to go to a movie theater tjat cost 100$ per seat or so...my opinion is that i would hate it even if you were rich (im rich) so i dont wanna deal with thats tuff

I hate to say this but, even though I live in NYC, a place with so many film venues and moviegoing options, it's mostly a matter of convenience. I live below 14th Street in Manhattan and most of the films I see are within that range and in theatres that are, in one way or another, less than ideal (i.e., the sizeable rodent population that calls the Loews Theatre at 3rd and 11th home; the zoo the Union Sqaure Stadium 14 tends to be on weekends; the poor acoustics and screen sizes in many of the Village East's seven auditoriums; and so on and so on), when there are better, more reliable options (the Beekman, the Ziegfeld, the Lincoln Square, etc.). Astonishing how, in a city of 8 million-plus people, a person can get so locked into one *relatively* small neighborhood...

BR: I would not apologize. You have the right idea! Neighborhoods are the best part of the old theatres. In the beginning of 1920's every neighborhood had its own theatre. This is especially true of New York and Chicago. Great movie palaces wewre build by Balaban and Katz in Chicago and reflected the pride each neighborhood had for its "movie house." We hope that the Uptown area in Chicago will rise to the challenge and help us restore one of the last great movie palaces, the Uptown Theatre, which has been dark for over 23 years! What a nice 80th birthday present it could have in August if we save it!

Paul - Good luck on saving the Uptown. So many of the old B&Ks are gone now. I know I used to go to the Granada, and the Coronet, the Varsity and the Valencia in Evanston. Almost all of the old palaces, at least on the North side, are gone now. If not gone, they are falling apart. But isn't that neighborhood kind of coming back now? Don't they have a new shopping area there? I think I have seen a Borders as I ride by on the el.

I chose presentation. I take programming for granted (maybe I shouldn't, given some of the dreck lately) because if the programming isn't good or doesn't the community's standards they won't continue with it - if people don't go.

At the Century, they have had some movies scheduled for the smaller "art" screening rooms and when people show up to see it many times it has been moved over to the larger screening rooms. Other times, when movies haven't been well attended - they lose screen time. They go down from up to 10 times a day (multiple screens) to once or twice a day.

At the Century, you take an escalator up a flight and the odor of popcorn wafts over you as you arrive. You buy your ticket and you are directed left or right. If you go right, you go to the "art" side of the house and the Rhythm Room with its wall of movie posters, grand piano, bar, pool room, concession stand, tables at which you may sit and enjoy a drink or snack and listen to the music, and of course go down the hallway to the movies. The hallway is lined with posters of upcoming shows and benches where you may rest while you wait for your movie to begin. If you go to the left, you go to the ice cream stand where you get fresh ice cream, the concession stand, I think there is a little arcade in a recess and the movies. These are larger screening rooms with the inference that they are for the hoi polloi.

But I find it a grand place to go and it is presentation. The seats are comfortable, some of them are rocking chair and if you go on a date you can always get rid of the arm rest in between.

I don't where there are any one-screen theaters anymore. As far as I can tell, they have turned them all into multiplexes - even the little old 400 which I think now is called Village North.

I chose comfort. Who wants to sit in an uncomfortable chair that's not high enough that you can't see passed the person's head in front of you?

The new theatres in Hong Kong,whether operated by UA or AMC are all uncomfortable and expensive.

Just went to see nightmare before xmas in digital projection in 3d, and boy, it's cool. Hopefully every modern theatre that will open (especially the new rockaway 16plex) will have digital projection, which will deliver an HD picture to the masses who don't even own an HDTV or can't afford the money to buy a blu ray disc!!!