Empty Screenings – Finds AMC movie screenings with few or no tickets sold

App concept & data quality

• People like the idea of discovering nearly empty AMC screenings, especially for a “private theater” feel or last‑minute plans.
• Several suspect AMC will eventually lock down or change its APIs, breaking tools like this.
• At least one commenter checked their local theater and found the app missing some showings, suggesting incomplete scraping or API use.
• Others note Fandango/AMC apps already expose per‑seat availability, so this is largely a clever repackaging.

Advance ticketing & assigned seating

• Strong split: some rarely or never pre‑purchase; others say they haven’t bought at a box office in years.
• Many report assigned seating is now standard in US multiplex chains (AMC, Harkins, Alamo) and has long been common in much of Europe and elsewhere, though small arthouse cinemas often still use open seating.
• Some say seat maps online accurately predict occupancy; others see many reserved seats go unused, suspecting subscription users who no‑show.

Theater experience: empty vs full

• Many cherish empty or near‑empty showings for quiet, freedom from talking/phones, and a “luxury” feeling.
• Others explicitly prefer packed rooms for blockbusters, citing shared reactions as a big part of the appeal.
• Noise (talking, phones, loud popcorn, crying babies) is a major reason some have largely abandoned theaters for home viewing.

Economics and decline of theaters

• Multiple reports of routinely empty AMC showings; some see this as evidence theatrical exhibition is “dead” or close to it.
• High concession prices and long pre‑show ad blocks are widely disliked, though some note chains like AMC signal trailer length so people can arrive late.
• Comments highlight that studios take a large share of ticket revenue, pushing theaters to rely on food/drink and premium formats.
• Dynamic pricing, misaligned incentives with studios, and contracts requiring runs of unwanted films are all cited as structural issues.

Reinvention & alternatives

• Theaters experiment with luxury seating, in‑theater dining, classic film series, foreign language films, concerts, gaming events, and private rentals.
• Some prefer arthouse and older films on the big screen; others have largely switched to home viewing, streaming, or non‑Hollywood content.