Movies Sony Pictures Has Purchased the Alamo Drafthouse Theater Chain

[Fool's Requiem]

Sony Pictures Buys Alamo Drafthouse

Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas has sold to Sony Pictures Entertainment but will continue to operate its theaters under the brand name

variety.com

Alamo was previously owned by a private equity firm who bought them after they declared bankruptcy in 2021. This will definitely be a net plus for the company and it's workers, but I worry about what this means for us consumers. Before it was squashed in 2020, the Paramount Decrees antitrust law made it so that the movie companies could not own a theater company.

 

[Mark]

Sony Pictures Buys Alamo Drafthouse

Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas has sold to Sony Pictures Entertainment but will continue to operate its theaters under the brand name

variety.com

Alamo was previously owned by a private equity firm who bought them after they declared bankruptcy in 2021. This will definitely be a net plus for the company and it's workers, but I worry about what this means for us consumers. Before it was squashed in 2020, the Paramount Decrees antitrust law made it so that the movie companies could not own a theater company.

Movie theaters have been struggling since the “first” recession in 08. After that, the advent of Netflix and ultimately streaming helped drive nails in the coffin. My first job was as a contractor for AMC, the family company provided seating and maintenance to all of the major AMC’s in the country… from the flagship cinemas in NYC and LA to the anchor tenants of malls.

They’ve struggled to put asses in seats for as long as I can remember, whether it was rising material costs, rising concession costs, rising utility fees (it is EXPENSIVE to keep the lights on in one of those places), and even rising leasing fees. Combine that with the shortened window between a film release and a physical release… you have a very narrow channel to funnel as much money into your theater’s coffers before the rent is due.

On one hand, grouping together could help save the theater industry, because they’re competing against streaming now. On the other, we’ve seen a resurgence in themed and regional theater chains… think about how many places have recliners or dine-in options or bars now.

 

[Quagmire]

I know nothing of them, I have heard of the, most I know about them is Drafthouse Guinness Milkshake, which I only assume is related to them

 

[Tommy Boy]

I liked the intimate theater experience, but the execution is all wrong. This place would be game, set, and match if they actually focused more on quality. The food is just... underwhelming, and I say that with sadness. Not only is the food quite pricy, it's just microwave frozen food. When I saw advertisements for the meals, I was pretty excited to eat and watch a movie with dinner service. Actually experiencing the dinner service was subpar, to the point where I'd rather eat before the movie than have to purchase the fake ass dinners they advertise.

If Sony does anything - pay the employees a decent, living wage - and improve food quality. There is literally no reason for me to select Alamo over the competitors Dolby theaters if the food fucking sucks.

 

[Mark]

I liked the intimate theater experience, but the execution is all wrong. This place would be game, set, and match if they actually focused more on quality. The food is just... underwhelming, and I say that with sadness. Not only is the food quite pricy, it's just microwave frozen food. When I saw advertisements for the meals, I was pretty excited to eat and watch a movie with dinner service. Actually experiencing the dinner service was subpar, to the point where I'd rather eat before the movie than have to purchase the fake ass dinners they advertise.

If Sony does anything - pay the employees a decent, living wage - and improve food quality. There is literally no reason for me to select Alamo over the competitors Dolby theaters if the food fucking sucks.

I can’t speak much on ADH, or any franchise beyond AMC, CineMark, and Loews, but the food is obviously where the money is at theaters. The lower the overhead, the cheaper the tickets. Unfortunately, if you have any high expectations for dine-in movies, or anything of that sort, you’re gonna have to pay top dollar for the experience. I’m not sure if you ever frequented AMC Empire in the city, but if you have, I’m sure you’ve noticed an uptick in prices there as they’ve begun incorporating different options for patrons. I’ve seen wait-service dine-in theaters sell seats to matinee screenings for over $100 when you factor in the cost of the seat, the drinks, concessions, and an entree that’s typically bar & grill fare. That’s just not feasible for the average moviegoer, and that’s why we see so few seats in those high-end theaters. It’s not just because they can’t fit 240-320 recliners in an auditorium for 240-320 standard seats. Even if they could… they wouldn’t because they don’t sell.

If Sony is smart, they’ll position themselves to target the median moviegoer… the ones that’ll spend $25-$50 per person including concessions. They also would stand to benefit from a membership program. AMC has tried their hand at several programs over the years, but all have failed because you can’t universally roll out a loyalty program that targets heavier spenders when a good chunk of your theaters are budget-friendly.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

I liked the intimate theater experience, but the execution is all wrong. This place would be game, set, and match if they actually focused more on quality. The food is just... underwhelming, and I say that with sadness. Not only is the food quite pricy, it's just microwave frozen food. When I saw advertisements for the meals, I was pretty excited to eat and watch a movie with dinner service. Actually experiencing the dinner service was subpar, to the point where I'd rather eat before the movie than have to purchase the fake ass dinners they advertise.

If Sony does anything - pay the employees a decent, living wage - and improve food quality. There is literally no reason for me to select Alamo over the competitors Dolby theaters if the food fucking sucks.

Supposedly the food was much better before they were bought out by the private equity firm. Also, Alamo isn't just the dining experience but the fact that they actually enforce the common courtesy rules of theater going. AMC doesn't kick people out for talking and playing on their phone, but Alamo will.

 

[Mark]

Supposedly the food was much better before they were bought out by the private equity firm. Also, Alamo isn't just the dining experience but the fact that they actually enforce the common courtesy rules of theater going. AMC doesn't kick people out for talking and playing on their phone, but Alamo will.

That’s because AMC fucking sucks. They don’t give a shit about how people behave in the auditoriums because they’re too busy cutting corners and micromanaging every franchise out there for the sake of *branding*. They’re desperate for sales, so they’ll take whatever they can get, even if it costs them what’s left of their reputation. They had already stopped checking tickets at the podiums in the regional theaters here because of racial profiling years ago before I left the upholstery business, and they don’t enforce the “no outside food or drink” policy either anymore.

 

[Ben]

I liked the intimate theater experience, but the execution is all wrong. This place would be game, set, and match if they actually focused more on quality. The food is just... underwhelming, and I say that with sadness. Not only is the food quite pricy, it's just microwave frozen food. When I saw advertisements for the meals, I was pretty excited to eat and watch a movie with dinner service. Actually experiencing the dinner service was subpar, to the point where I'd rather eat before the movie than have to purchase the fake ass dinners they advertise.

If Sony does anything - pay the employees a decent, living wage - and improve food quality. There is literally no reason for me to select Alamo over the competitors Dolby theaters if the food fucking sucks.

I'm sure it's way worse going to a big dine-in theater. The only one I've ever been to was up in Maine, and while I don't really dig the vibe in general, they were at least priced like you'd expect any other restaurant to be. It was Smitty's Cinema, which it looks like they had some other locations in New England too. If I remember they had seating with tables towards the front and then regular seating in the back.

I'm one of those people who doesn't even like rustling my own popcorn and making noise when watching a movie, so just having literally everyone around you eating and using cutlerly, etc. is... Distracting. I don't have a lot of attention to go around, I'd rather not be hearing someone's grandpa scrape a fork on their plate.