Could you explain what this means?

That's always been my assumption about movies shown at the Rialto.

:a20:

I think having three movie theaters running mostly new, different movies in The Villages is a really good thing. Good selection, good theaters. If showing a lot of the big draw movies at the Rialto is what it takes to keep it open then I'm all for it.

Maybe it's just me but I find the seats at the Rialto more comfortable than the ones at The Old Mill in LSL.

We're in the southern part of The Villages so it would be nice if all the movies we wanted to watch were screened at Barnstorm, which is our favorite of the theaters, but it's not a deal-breaker for us. We're up in Spanish Springs a few of times a month any how going to The Sharon, or the Terra del Sol theater, or the Rialto. At least when we go out of one of those theaters we know were not going to have to be driving back home in a sudden snow or ice storm :-) like we often did before we moved to The Villages.

This year is the 20th Anniversary of The Rialto Theater. No homes existed south of 466A until 2011, that six years ago.

They could use a fourth movie theater in the Villages. This might be a better option. Somewhere in the center of the Villages.

I like the seats in the Rialto since they fixed them quite a ways back. The lines for the popular movies at the Rialto are a problem. I just wait a few weeks for them to grow shorter.

And where would that be?

Comfy for sure, but less seats available. We have them up north and the shows are always selling out fast. Never have enough seating.

A 4th movie theater in the center of the Villages? Where would that be? Hard to say now with Fenny. Somewhere around Colony Plaza maybe?

The answer for why the best movies are screened at Rialto was given in a link provided by Jayhawk on the first page of this thread. The movie theaters here are not OURS, they are privately held businesses engaged in making the best profit possible.

For a big blockbuster movie, the theater might only get 10% of the ticket price in the first week (with 90% going to the studio), but this profit sharing relationship flattens as time progresses. Therefore, theaters may target movies that have more “staying power” such as Slumdog Millionaire. This is also why theaters may choose to show movies for 10+ weeks because every ticket is pure profit for them at that point.

Good luck on getting residents from Fenny and from Marion County to agree on the center of The Villages. :laugh:

Getting Villagers to agree on anything is hard Barefoot.

C'mon! This thread is proof-positive that there are always a few who will find something, ANYTHING, to bitch about. TV theaters are generally clean and comfortable. We have golf cart access to 27 first run movies everyday! You want true improvement? Demand cocktails at happy hour prices!!! Tim

Has anyone used "Movie Pass"? I understand it costs about $10 per month and is an app on your smartphone. It sounds like for the $10 per month, you can see one movie a day at any theater.

There are several users of movie pass on here.

I've been here 13 years. I haven't minded the Rialto until this Christmas. We went to see the Barnum movie and the volume almost drove us out of the theatre. So next we tried LSL for the Dickens movie. Thought with larger space it would be better--but no--just as loud. Is this a change? Do they think we are all deaf? Would appreciate other people's experiences.

COSTCO has MOVIEPASS for $89/year. Just ordered 2. Seems like a no brainer. Online reviews are generally good with a few issues. Check out their FAQ before buying.

Negs listed all on web reviews over include:

No 3D or "special showings"

Must be within about 100 yards of the theatre to order a ticket.

Horrendous or non-existent customer support when you need it.



Other than that is seems like a good deal, especially at the COSTCO price around $7/month

If anyone wants to take advantage of the Costco $89 MoviePass discount and you don't belong to Costco I'd gladly order it online for you if you get me the $89. It's just an electronic "promo code" you enter when signing up that I can forward to you. Takes a couple HOURS to come by email from Costco. Got it and setit up. Now just waiting for the card.

You can trust me. I'm (formerly) from NJ. :D :D :D

This seems to be the same at virtually any theater anywhere, especially with the new dolby systems.

Just buy by some of those cheap foam earplugs from Walgreen. My wife uses them at the squares because she hates the overly loud music from the speakers. It cuts enough sound to make it bearable for her.

Lots of movies are meant to be seen on the big silver screen at the theaters to get the full effect, and just don't cut it on a TV. JMHO

On more than one occasion, in The Villages and in theaters up north, I have requested the volume be lowered or raised depending on the volume. My requests have always been received well and taken care of. Just ask.

I would hesitate to ask the manager to turn down the volume.
I think there are lots of movie goers in TV who don't hear well and appreciate the higher volume.
Like edFNJ's wife, I have good hearing. I don't mind wearing earplugs during movies.

AMC viaport is the way to go.....cheaper and modern. When you buy your ticket you get an assigned seat. We buy them on line and show up 5 minutes before showtime knowing our seats are secured.

OUR TV Movie Theaters - WHY?
 

That was nice of them (and surprising they did it up north) although That might not be fair to those who like it loud.

It must have been a local theater?

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My user name should be EdF(formerly from)NJ and glad to be gone. [emoji3]

Try AMC theaters in Leesburg. Mich more comfortable, less mmoney🤔

I’m thinking the golf cart access outweighs the cheaper ticket.

The theater in question is the Rialto at Spanish Springs. That's the one place that "films that require the big screen need to be seen" will not be shown. That's the whole debate, the thoughtful artsy films are only shown there, not at LSL or Brownwood.

I found the only ones that I require the theater experience are the 3D movies. I have gone to a few 3D films at the theater, Gravity, Godzilla, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Jurassic World and Kong Skull Island to name a few. I probably wouldn't of gone to any of those if it wasn't for 3D.

Vote with our feet
 

Just like everything else here in "Paradise", it's all about the money. Time to boycott the Rialto and start seeing those same movies in Ocala or Leesburg. Two can play this game!

the answer is to, rotate "good" movies between the 3 theaters in TV

Apparently not to the actual owners of the theaters

Well, for the first time since living in The Villages we went to an outlying theater outside of TV. Wanted to see 'Darkest Hour'---- but NOT at Rialto with the small high screen, no stadium seating, uncomfortable seats.
Took the tip from posters here and went to AMC 12 in Leesburg - 30 min drive for us, about 15 more than going to Spanish Springs.

We have MoviePass so price was no object. The AMC Leesburg theater:
1. OMG the seats are FABULOUS - POWER reclining with a full footrest as well. So comfy and soft leatherlike. Full padded armrests - with tons of room. Would love a few at home...
2. Reserved seating - either online or when buying at the ticket office...like buying a ticket for Savannah or Sharon.
3. The ticket price for a 60+ senior before 5pm is $5.29. $5.66 with tax. Yes that is NOT a typo.
4. The Mall is being renovated and has some nice new stores too. So the trip there has another purpose.
5. They have a very wide assortment of food/snacks and alcoh beverages at the theater too.

Bottom line for us - since we dislike Rialto venue...any movie we want to see that is playing there> we go to the Leesburg AMC12. So worth the trip.
And we will let Craig Franco (Mgr of TV theaters) know that. We like to give TV merchants our business, but not this time, until the Rialto is improved.

Wow! Thanks for the heads up. I went to the Rialto recently, and had a kink in my neck after sitting there for two hours staring UP at the screen. Not very comfortable. That is a big difference in price. Sure makes me feel like the Villages Theaters are ripping us off, particularly at the Rialto.

How do you do reserved seats with Movie Pass there? I'm waiting for mine to arrive and am curious. Not even sure how Moviepass works in general! LOL

Eddie NJ Boy, we get all the good movies up here because our homes are paid for and we have no silly bond. A whole lot more disposable income. And I'm just kidding around so don't anybody get twisted. I really did like the Rialto, plenty of room. I belong to a group called "Ocho Hombres" and we go to see manly movies only when our wives let us. LOL.

Yes, drive your car, instead of golf cart, outside of town to save money. That will show them!
Those pesky business owners always trying to make a profit. The movies should be free to all!

The wife and I caught "The Shape of Water" yesterday at the Rialto. It was surprisingly crowded and we ended up sitting way down front and arching our heads back to look up at the screen way up on the wall. Man, have we gotten spoiled in the last 10 or 15 years by theaters with stadium seating! I had thought that I'd go see "Darkest Hour" there but now I'm not as interested. I've been meaning to try the AMC in Leesburg anyway, so I may just look into seeing it here (if it's even there!).

<Edit>
I just checked and it is there (thanks for looking, Taltarzac725!). Also playing is Molly's Game, about which I hear good things. Since some pointed out how ridiculous it is to drive clear out there, I checked the distance. For me (I live at the south end of TV), it's about half an hour's drive. That happens to be about the same length of time it takes me to get up to Spanish Springs to go to the Rialto. And since I'm a MoviePass user, there's no cost difference. Guess I'll be braving leaving the bubble and giving them a try sometime soon.
</Edit>

It seems to be there. Darkest Hour: Get Tickets | Focus Features

There is also bus service to Leesburg from Spanish Springs. $1.00 each way and 1/2 price over 60. :popcorn:

Welcome to the Lake County Transit Division Website - RideLakeXpress.com

We saw 'Darkest Hour' there (AMC Leesburg) yesterday. As I said in previous post- the seats are simply fabulous and a 350 pounder could be comfy they are so big. One downside is, for MoviePass goers - cannot (as far as I can tell) reserve seats beforehand - must go to the theater and go to app to purch tics then pay with MP card at the booth to reserve seats - easy with kiosk. The movie was very good but dark and slow-ish; I almost fell asleep in that darn soft recliner.... So - no more Rialto for us - will go to Leesburg for movies only shown at Rialto.

You Wize Azz NJ Guy! :boxing2: :D I have no mortgage but do have the James Bond. Hadn't been to the movies in probably 10 years till we got here and it was a balmy 28 degrees (that's why I need FAST internet) :D But I really like that nice new clean theater with thick soft seats and clean johns down here in the southland of T.V. (where by the way it's also 20 degrees warmer).

:a20: