“Wait, do you know if this is at an AMC?” Chapman screenwriting major Sebastian Waverly asked me anxiously. He was staring down at the upcoming screenings listed for “Bring Her Back”, hailed by some film kids as the goriest horror flick of the summer. I shook my head no, getting an apologetic shrug from him as a response. I knew what was coming.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that I’m not super liquid at the moment. I think I might need to rely on my A-List for this one if you don’t mind driving a little further.”
It was a tale as old as time- an excuse I had almost gotten used to at this point. Since it first launched on June 26th, 2018, AMC Stubs A-List has been captivating the attention of film students and avid movie goers across the country. Initially priced at $19.95, the perk congratulated itself as having “changed the landscape of subscription-based movie-going”. Although its main draw is offering four free movies a week, the service also supplies subscriptees with free upgrades on popcorn and fountain drinks, birthday gifts, waived online ticketing fees, and no upcharge for premium screening formats.
Initially aiming for 500,000 members within its trial run of one year, the theater chain was surprised by the amount of attention garnered by this new service. CEO and President of AMC Theaters, Sam Adams, gave a statement to celebrate the new membership’s first year of overwhelming success, “Given the overwhelmingly positive moviegoer reception we received the moment A-List was announced, it quickly became clear the program would exceed those expectations. Indeed, we crossed 500,000 members within four-and-a-half months, and now sit at more than 860,000 members today.”
AMC theaters now boast nearly 1 million A-List Stubs members nationwide and the price has been raised to $28 a month, roughly the cost of two non-Stubs movie tickets. While undeniably helping frequent movie-goers to budget their monthly spendings, the service has not been unilaterally beneficial to everyone.
The trouble for movie theaters, and more specifically, independent theaters, can be traced back to early 2020. With the rise of the Covid-19 epidemic, people were urged to stay in their homes and only gather in public locations when absolutely necessary. Despite America’s love of entertainment and buttery popcorn, attending the movies was, unfortunately, the definition of an unnecessary luxury.
The entire entertainment industry suffered a massive financial blow during the epidemic. However, the vast majority of this loss could be seen within the theatrical industry itself. According to Forbes, “The sharpest decline was in theatrical revenue which dropped from $42.3 billion in 2019 to $12 billion in 2020. Theatrical entertainment accounted for only 15% of the total global entertainment revenue, compared to 43% in 2019”.
Although movie theaters have come back in the wake of the pandemic, many independent cinemas were forced to shut their doors. These buildings often end up sitting empty, unable to be converted into other businesses due to their unique structure.
The smaller theaters that remain open are still at risk, unable to keep up with the low costs and subscriptions offered by chain locations. These places offer a sense of community for surrounding neighborhoods, providing a place for people to come together and bond over shared interests and niche movies. Additionally, many play lower-budget films and international films that are unlikely to make it to chain theaters.
While not financially realistic for all college students to spend pocket money on movie tickets, there are many historic theaters in Los Angeles that are worth a visit for those willing to venture outside of AMC. Some personal favorites include the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, Gardena Cinema in Gardena, and the New Beverly Cinema in the Fairfax District.
