Discount theater

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Discount theaters, also known as dollar theaters, dollar movies, second-run theaters, and sub-run theaters, are

35 mm films
after those prints had been shown already at first-run theaters. Therefore, the film's quality was significantly lower because the release print was worn out from dozens of showings, and the potential audience for the film would be smaller since it had been already released weeks or months before (meaning that most people who wanted to see the film would already have done so at a first-run theater).

The Cinema 6 Theatre in State College, PA showed second-run movies for $1.

Discount theaters were prevalent in the era before

videocassettes simply could not come close to the sharp resolution of images projected inside a movie theater from 35 mm film. Budget-conscious filmgoers with patience could simply wait for a film to hit a second-run theater, rather than pay much more to see the film during its first run. For example, six months after its original theatrical release, Titanic
was playing in budget theaters in still viable but well-run prints.

Many discount theaters have been driven out of business by an oversupply of new movie screens (in the form of

Arlington, Virginia, older, discount theaters now show second-run movies in an upscale setting, often featuring food and alcohol sales in refurbished moviehouses.[citation needed
]

See also

References

  1. ^ Beach, Randall (25 November 1990). "At Second-Run Theaters, Moviegoers Applaud the Prices". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2022-07-16.
  2. ^ RICHARD NATALE (8 February 1995). "Discount Houses Give Films New Lease on Life : Movies: Not everyone supports the so-called 'dollar' theaters, but their growing popularity reflects the healthy revenues often generated between first-run and video release". Los Angeles Times.

External links