By Sarah Long
With the re-release of Titanic approaching, it got me thinking; why does it seem like Carmike, the mall movie theater, always gets the good movies?
Cinemark is newer, cleaner and an obvious choice for a comfortable watching experience.
Yet time and time again this theater screens less interesting and anticipated movies.
After all, we are paying for an experience, not just a movie, right?
Why are we spending the same amount of money for a movie when we aren’t getting the same product?
The Hunger Games was the first anticipated blockbuster film since Twilight: Eclipse, more than a year ago.
Yes, it was more than a year ago that a popular/anticipated movie was shown at Cinemark.
In our culture if we don’t like something, we are going to make that known or at least make a statement by choosing not to do it or participate in it.
If a person gets bad service at a restaurant enough times, they stop going to that restaurant, yet they disregard this same logic when choosing a movie theater.
Wichita Falls is small and gives very few options to customers.
If you have waited all winter long for the summer release of your favorite book turned big-screen movie, you are going to see it regardless of where it is being shown.
This fact keeps consumers at the mercy of the market. And here, that market is tiny.
However, people have more power than they think.
The best way to see a change is to let people know how you feel. The most effective way to see this change is to complain to the company or organization you have an issue with.
Most businesses have a whole team known as PR or Public Relations, which is dedicated to making sure customers are getting what they want.
Until people stand up and boycott the current state of the Carmike movie theatre, nothing will be done.
Until people demand for better accommodations; like a theater that doesn’t smell like urine, stadium seating where an adult can sit in front of you and you’re still able to see the screen, or a lobby and concession stand that won’t confuse every person in line, the problem doesn’t really exist to the theater.
On April 4, 2012 the second top grossing film of all time will be re-released in theaters across the nation.
The graphics are supposed to be phenomenal and the experience even better than the first time it was released, all thanks to 3D technology.
Yet the idea of watching it at Carmike doesn’t sound appealing to me.
I would rather drive the two hours and really experience the movie in all of its true glory, rather than cheapen (or even destroy) the experience by watching it at the crappy accommodations the mall theater provides.
If more people took this stance, it would force Carmike to provide better accommodations and we could finally see a change in the way we see movies in Wichita Falls.
We aren’t going to be getting an IMAX any time soon, so fixing what we have now is the best option.
The next time you want to see a movie and realize it’s not at Cinemark, really take a minute and consider taking a drive to Dallas, Fort Worth or even Oklahoma City and really see the movie as it was intended to be seen; in a good theater where you can enjoy not only the film, but also the whole experience.