MoviePass - will it die a premature death or is it here to stay

Yup

https://www.theringer.com/movies/2019/2/6/18212482/moviepass-mitch-lowe-khalid-itum-interview-2019

"The only reason anybody has issues [with us] is that, eventually, we failed,” says Lowe.

RIP Sinemia! Wow, that went even faster than expected. Glad I got my chargeback for the annual plan sorted months back, what a garbage fire of a company.

woof! that's a bummer but it was inevitable

... and they've filed for bankruptcy!

MoviePass, somehow, technically still in business

That’s all she wrote

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/13/moviepass-will-shut-down-for-good-on-sept-14.html

Turn in your (now useless) MoviePass card at our Concessions Stand and we’ll give you a FREE large popcorn https://t.co/Nk08w4Ke8p

— Music Box Theatre (@musicboxtheatre) September 13, 2019

death to all discounts via phone

Not so fast!

https://www.wsj.com/articles/moviepass-insider-makes-offer-for-subscription-service-11568718002

Theodore Farnsworth, chairman and chief executive of MoviePass’s majority shareholder Helios & Matheson Analytics Inc., is leading a group of investors on an offer to purchase the company’s assets, a spokesman for Mr. Farnsworth said.

On Sunday, Mr. Farnsworth stepped down as chief executive of Helios in connection with his consortium’s offer for the assets of the public data-analytics company.

The offer is for MoviePass, the company’s other brands including the movie-time-listing service Moviefone and a film-acquisition business called MoviePass Films, according to Mr. Farnsworth’s resignation letter, a copy of which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. ...

MoviePass’s parent on Friday said it was exploring all its options, including a potential sale of all its assets, and said it “is unable to predict if or when MoviePass service will continue.”

Mr. Farnsworth’s proposal represents the latest twist in MoviePass’s tumultuous run, which culminated last week when the theater-subscription service said it was again being shut down because the company had failed to recapitalize the business.

Husk of MoviePass up for auction, bids starting at $250,000, sez Variety.

feel like we could make that back in T-shirts

trying to brainstorm whether there's going to be another "use app to temporarily unlock a credit card account for a limited transaction" industry in the near future so I could just sit on the patent and infrastructure code until.. profit

rip

lol https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2021/06/operators-moviepass-subscription-service-agree-settle-ftc

god MoviePass really did feel so "of the moment", even though it had been around a while before they lowered their fee to 9.95.

They’ve been told ‘don’t do any more fraud’ and rapped twice on the knuckles.

do they even exist anymore?

Someone has ownership of Gotti, somewhere...

So this is interesting
https://mubi.com/go/us

That is an interesting idea and possibly financially stable eventually. If I lived in the city I would definitely try it

once i can move my arm again and go out, i likely will. $260 a year for 51 pairs of movie tickets is a good set up.

Seems to come with a regular MUBI subscription, for now anyway.

They launched it in the uk years ago, it was initially part of the regular subscription but now you have to pay more for it (an extra £5 a month so still not bad). I’d def go for it if there were participating cinemas where I live, but the only one that has signed on here is a multiplex that never actually shows the selected films - I had the app on my phone for over a year & only had the chance to use it like twice

MoviePass is now promising a "2.0" relaunch, with details to come on a Zoom event from the theater at Lincoln Center, next Thursday. The website now has a vague statement about the virtues of subscription-based theatergoing. I've thought for a long time that an "indie theater coupon book" model might have small but viable legs, wonder if that's what this heralds.

Gonna be kind of hard to beat the ones now being offered by AMC, Regal, Alamo, etc.

Right, which is why I'm thinking it's indie-related.... like build a nationwide IndieCard program (in the pre-show reel: "We're proud to be part of the IndieCard discount program, helping keep independent cinema alive, nationwide" ). And it gives you, like, two bucks off at every indie theater, and some profitable number of theaters each take that deal because a) they make it up in popcorn and b) it's simpler/cheaper than operating their own membership program, c) being "visible" in an app like that could actually be great marketing. Catch road-tripping arthouse types, looking for a movie date in the cute town they AirBnBed in... I don't know how many theaters would actually be on board with that, either culturally or financially, but it seems sorta plausible in my hazy imagining of the biz.

the Mubi option is looking pretty good

I love MUBI GO, although I haven't used it recently for some reason.

He explains that with the new version of MoviePass, you can watch ads to earn credits that can go toward free movies. Your phone camera will track your eyeballs to make sure you're actually watching. "What it does is it basically creates a transaction between you and the brand." pic.twitter.com/Lip0CDXPLT

— Theo Wayt (@theo_wayt) February 10, 2022

oh no

surprise: we live in the worst possible version of reality

Lol fuckouttahere with that dystopian bullshit

Clockworkorange.gif

Lol there are a million apps that already do shit like that.

lol this is the dumbest thing yet somehow

Sci-Fi Author: In my book I invented the Torment Nexus as a cautionary tale

Tech Company: At long last, we have created the Torment Nexus from classic sci-fi novel Don't Create The Torment Nexus

— Alex Blechman (@AlexBlechman) November 8, 2021

MoviePass is back!

As.... something. They won't say what it will cost, or what it will actually do, or why anyone should trust them. But SIGN UP NOW to be on the waitlist for the beta version of... whatever it is!!! The FAQ page, hilariously, is concerned primarily with questions about the waitlist, a wonderful harbinger of great communication and customer service to come.

i'm not getting it lol

don't want no short short waitlist

Only about 10 hours left to get on the waitlist!

it's probably going to be the return of Columbia House-style sales.

You get to see 12 movies for the price of 1 (with an agreement to purchase tickets to 12 more movies in the next year).

Gotta say that Alamo's own version of this is way handier.

that's the thing, Regal's unlimited plan was $22 a month for unlimited movies AND I have a Regal in town that gets at least one art film a month mere miles from me, and it lets me reserve seats in advance.

most of our theatres are chains, and the one "art" movie theatre in the city basically watered down its selection years ago to indie films that you could ostensibly see at any theatre. so I have no neeeeeed for Moviepass.

unless they come with glasses that make the movie I'm watching better.

Orlando lost out on the Alamo Drafthouse we were supposed to get due to pandemic, still bitter about that

I signed up for the waitlist because I want to know what kind of clusterfuck they’re planning

I love Alamo's, but gotta admit the AMC version is mostly better because you get to reserve more than 7 days out in advance. Only point in favor of Alamo is that it's one per day, vs AMC's 3-per-week.

Still kind of hope for Moviepass working on the odd arthouse movie theater in my area and the other non-Alamo/AMC chains.

AMCs was decent too, I cut them out when I realized I was spending too much and forced myself to decide between Regal and AMC.

In my case I have a real advantage in that the Alamo is very much my local — as in five blocks away — theater. So honestly it’s my best value for money by default

nice basement too I hear

I'm still on it, just a little disappointed about the 7-day thing and also that they started charging me $1.89 "convenience fee" for each ticket, which is straight-up petty bullshit. And the various "movie party" screenings they programmed to avoid being eligible for Season Pass. etc. But my local Alamo is much closer than the AMCs, too. Since they reopened though, they've put on a lot less "trash" cinema and 35mm screenings that I used to love.