Frequently Asked Questions

Recent

Q.  Are the new chairs recliners?

A. No. Our building is so old that the slope did not allow for recliners with a headrest without us building risers. However, our new custom-made seats do have a slight rocking ability. 

Q.  Why do you play so many Kids movies in a row? In other words, why don't you play more Rom-Coms/Horror/Action/ Thriller movies?

A. We get this kind of complaint a lot. We are not in control of what kind of movies the studios make or the dates they choose to release them!  Hollywood releases whatever they think will sell tickets. The best way to influence this, is to frequent the movies you love!

Q. What movies will be playing next? 

A. We book movies on Mondays, on a contractual basis, in order to get the best possible shows being released. We often request a certain movie, however, the studio may not release it to us because it is not released "widely".  For some limited release movies, studios often make exclusive distribution deals with certain theater franchises. But, we MAY be able to pick it up after it has been out for two weeks. Before 2020 there were about 15-20 movies available per month. In recent years there are only about 6-10 available. And sometimes we just have to agree to play what they send us. 

Q. Why do you have to play some movies so long?
 

A. When we book a movie on its opening day, we enter into a contract with the movie company and THEY define how many weeks we have to play the movie. We are considered a "multiplex" theater because we have two screens; therefore, the length of the contract varies from two to four weeks. When we get a movie a few weeks AFTER it's released nationally, our contract can sometimes be for only one week.

Q.  Why do we prohibit customers from bringing in outside food?

A. Much of the admission revenue goes to the movie company/studio for digital/satellite rental. The percentages can be quite high, especially for "blockbuster" movies. It is based on gross box office receipts, not net profits, leaving concession revenue to cover a significant portion of the operating cost of the theater. At Tawas Family Theatre, we strive to keep prices low to provide a fun and affordable night for families, one that won't dent your wallet as much as other mega-multiplex theaters.

Q. What is a Sensory Friendly Showing? 
 

A. There are individuals who would not be able to attend a regular showing of a movie because it is too dark or too loud for their senses. Often times there is one family member with sensory sensitivity and the rest do not. When this happens it can proclude a family from going to a movie all together. When we offer a Sensory Friendly showing in cinema 1, we do not turn down the house lights and we keep the sound a bit lower to reduce the anxiety it may cause. If these individuals need to talk to process what is occurring in the movie or stand up to watch it, that is not a problem, as it is also allowed to talk or move around. For those people who are sensitive even to others talking or moving about, we play the movie with house lights up and sound down in cinema 2 as well. 
Even the concession menu is simplified for individuals who are non verbal if they would like to try ordering themselves.
 

Q. What is a Captions On night?

A. Just like you can do at home, we can select to display captions ON so that the dialogue of the movie is displayed at the bottom of the screen. The Sound is still normal.

If "Captions ON Nights" are requested for a certain movie, we will usually plan one.  We have State-of-the-Art hearing impaired equipment available upon request, but our profoundly deaf patrons say they still prefer "captions on the screen" to "captions from the seat".  Check our Now Playing page for scheduled "Captions ON Nights"

To schedule a caption on night for a specific movie, call 989.915.9116 and leave a message.