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Sinemia will help movie theaters create their own subscription plans
While MoviePass' money woes have led it to change its service and its users' plans a number of times, Sinemia seems to have avoided the issues that have plagued its rival. The company offers a number of plans, including an unlimited version as well as family plans, but it'll soon add another service, this one for theaters themselves rather than moviegoers.
MoviePass’ surge pricing starts today
Last month, MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe announced that surge pricing would soon go into effect, charging customers a little extra for movies and showtimes that are especially popular. That added fee, which MoviePass is calling Peak Pricing, starts rolling out today to customers with a monthly plan as well as any new annual subscribers. When a film or a particular showtime is in high demand and subject to an additional fee, you'll see a little red lightning icon over the showtime. Any showtimes that are gaining in popularity and could have an added Peak Pricing fee soon will have a grey lightning icon above them.
Alamo Drafthouse will test its own version of MoviePass
Boutique theater chain Alamo Drafthouse is getting in on the movie subscription craze, too. Dubbed the "Alamo Season Pass," its version sounds incredibly convenient compared to the competition. Simply use the Drafthouse mobile app to make your purchase, and once you arrive at the theater it'll unlock your tickets -- no need to wait in line to scan your barcode at the box office. Your server will check your ticket once you're seated, when they take your food or drink order. You can purchase extra tickets for your party when you make your seat reservation.
After Math: Merry Christmas, you filthy animals
It's been a wondrous week working up to Christmas Eve and not just for the guys with the Tommy Guns. Alamo Drafthouse announced it is starting a rental store and loaning out rare VHS, Protera is going to wake up tomorrow with an order for 25 of its electric buses under the tree, and Google is practically giving away its digital movie rentals. Numbers, because how else will you know how many gold rings you've got coming?
Alamo Drafthouse to open video rental store with rare VHS tapes
Do you miss the days when finding a movie to watch meant browsing the local video store, hoping that you'd stumble across some rare gem? Alamo Drafthouse sure does. After amassing collections from small shops, the enthusiast-driven theater chain is opening a "reimagining" of rental stores, Video Vortex, that will sit in the lobby of the company's future Raleigh location. It'll include Blu-ray and DVD titles, but the real highlight will be a "massive" selection of rare VHS tapes, some of which never made the leap to digital. Alamo will even rent you a VCR (complete with an RCA-to-HDMI adapter), since you probably don't have one hooked up to your 4K TV.
The original 'Star Wars' trilogy is returning to theaters
If you yearn for the heady days when you could watch the original Star Wars movies in theaters, you're in for a treat. Alamo Drafthouse (a very big fan of classic movies) has arranged screenings of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi in special locations over 20 cities over the course of August, starting in 7 cities on August 6th. These are the tweaked re-releases from 1997 (sorry, no despecialized versions here), but they'll give you a hint of what it was like to see the adventures of Luke, Leia and Han in their initial format.
Theater chain bans Google Glass in a bid to cut down on piracy
If you're one of the few people in the country with a prescription Google Glass headset, you might want to keep extra glasses handy for when you go to the movies. First, some guy got booted from an AMC theater on the suspicion he was recording the film (he wasn't), and now a different theater chain has outright banned the headset. That theater company is Alamo Drafthouse, which operates in five (soon to be six) states and like AMC, it's trying to cut down on piracy. Indeed, the company's CEO Tim League said in a tweet that Glass specifically won't be allowed in auditoriums once the lights dim for previews. Fortunately, at least, you can continue to wear your headset while the house lights are up, or when you leave the screening room for a popcorn run. Once the movie starts, though, you'd better be wearing proper glasses, lest you get pegged as a movie bootlegger.
