Discount theater

Discount theaters, also known as dollar theatres, dollar movies, second-run theatres, and sub-run theatres, are movie theaters that show motion pictures for low prices — often for as little as a dollar — after the films leave first-run theatres. These low-cost movie houses had their heyday in the 1980s as Hollywood studios were churning out motion pictures quickly, and the number of American screens had not yet expanded to catch up with the supply. These theatres, often the older theaters in older parts of town, typically had just one or two screens while newer multiplexes were built in the suburbs for first-run films. At that time, VHS was just beginning to catch on, and the DVD had not yet been invented. Consequently, budget-conscious film-goers might wait for a film to hit the local dollar house instead of paying more money to see the film first-run. However, there were problems in the industry.  more