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Stuck in front at a movie?
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November 6, 1997: 3:17 p.m. ET
Don't crane your neck or stand in line any longer -- now you can reserve seats
From Correspondent Charles Molineaux
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - It could be the end of the line for the long ticket holders line at the movies -- that extra inconvenience that movie fans suffer just so they don't end up squinting from the front row.
Now, you can reserve your seat through MovieFone, which signed a deal with Cineplex Odeon theaters.
Company executives say it's a way to improve the movie-going experience as theaters face growing competition.
"We are virtually eliminating the need to stampede -- you can see it on a Saturday night -- to stampede into the theater to get a good seat," said Howard Lichtman, executive vice president of marketing at Cineplex Odeon.
And theaters in Europe that do it find they sell more popcorn and soda because fans aren't stuck protecting their seats.
The idea gets two thumbs up from movie-goers tired of long lines and bad seats.
"You can plan your night better, you go there, plan it out, go eat, see the movie, then leave," said one movie-goer. "It's a lot simpler."
But there are some people yet to be won over, since many folks still go to the movies on the spur of the moment.
Phone and Internet customers will pay MovieFone's normal service charge for reserved seats, but you can also get them at the box office for no additional charge.
The plan calls for reserved seating to be in place in three weeks in New York, by the end of the year in Los Angeles, and next year nationwide.
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