I've been wondering about this for a long time. I think we are officially in the age of multiplex cinemas...I mean you can't deny that the combination of shopping-hanging out for a coffee-catch a movie-go for food and drinks is very appealing. However, the movies they show are only the most recent ones. I think they could, and maybe it could be even good business, to use one or two small rooms out of their total to show popular older movies...? Like GodFather,Carlito's Way, old Burton's movies like Scissorhands, or Scorcese's or Fincher or Tarantino, Terminator, Mad Max? Or why not, some TV shows that are of cinematic quality? Imagine watching on the big screen 3 hours DeadWood! Fucking sweet!

Why they don't do it, at least from what I see here? Are there regulations or something that prehibit that?

I know little of the business side of the film industry, but I imagine that when contemporary movie studios want to release their films, they would want slots to be open in a theatre. Two screens dedicated to old movies may pull in less revenue than two screens showing recently marketed films. Also, I guess some old releases may not meet the specs of modern projection technologies.

When I was living in Atlanta, I remember a public home theater that was wholly dedicated to old releases

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Original post by zyrolasting I know little of the business side of the film industry, but I imagine that when contemporary movie studios want to release their films, they would want slots to be open in a theatre. Two screens dedicated to old movies may pull in less revenue than two screens showing recently marketed films.

Yeah I can understand that of course...but would the random boring CGI-infested action movie of the week cut more tickets than Road Warrior or other select timeless movies? They could try it as an experiment, couldn't they? One or two times they did it with Star Wars it was a success, but is it necessary to have a world-wide campaign to achieve that?

What makes you think no one has ever tried it? It's been tried a couple times in theaters near me and they don't do it any more. They make more money just showing the most recent movies. Simple as that.

Sicrane, single theaters or multiplexes? Because I go to theatres that run retrospectives often, but I haven't really seen it in Village multiplexes or any of that kind, at least where I live.

I don't know if it is still open, but in my hometown, in a rather run-down mall, there was a "Dollar Theater" ($1 admission) that only showed older movies. Generally, they showed movies that were released 6 months to a few years ago. If such a model worked (which it did for a several years, at least), then it'd probably also work to show arbitrarily old movies as well. I imagine a big part of their semi-success, though, was due to extremely low cost of space and the fact that they weren't trying to compete with large theaters at all - all of their theaters were rather small with rather plain seating etc, so they would have lost if they competed directly.

In my current place or residence, a couple of theaters have regular viewings of older movies, but they turn it into an event by not always showing older shows and by only showing a particular show for a few days when they are showing such shows. They have also done things like show the world cup games when the world cup was being held.

In Austin, TX. there is there the Alamo Drafthouse, which is a local chain of theaters that shows new and old films. You can also order food and some beer while watching your movie. The place pretty well rocks and is incredibly popular.

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Original post by mikeman Sicrane, single theaters or multiplexes?

Both actually.

I would guess that it might have something to do with the film itself. I can imagine that the film might be difficult to get your hands on in the first place and that it might be frigile.

Most art house theaters, community art centers, colleges, libraries and museums have been doing this sort of thing for decades now. Also many communities have film clubs that do this often in partnership with some bars and pubs.