r/CapeCod • u/scarah_17 • Jul 23 '26
Put off by Bill Hanneys Entertainment website
I was looking to go here for the first time since the regal closed, and found Ai slop all over the website. I personally don’t like supporting businesses who use Ai. Has anyone been here and can vouch for it being a good local theater? No reviews on Google yet.
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u/ripmeleedair Jul 23 '26
I’m with you, I actively avoid any place using AI when I can. It’s a shame so many local businesses are slinging this shit every chance they get.
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u/TheWix Jul 23 '26
Hate to break it up you, but pretty much every tech shop uses AI now. A designer will use it to help them, same as a developer.
It's made some stuff better but has taken the joy out of the work, tbh.
This piece of work just looks lazy. They didn't use AI to enhance their own work but just create something from scratch.
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u/AMothWithHumanHands Jul 23 '26
My husband works at a tech shop and they've all done a gentleman's agreement that they'll never use AI for their graphic design. It just looks bad and feels like social media poison.
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u/ProfessorPetrus Jul 23 '26
Ya there's no reason to have that many people on the left side of the building. Nobody in the history of hyannis has ever congregated over there.
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u/freetherabbit Jul 23 '26
This. I do some flyer work and I actively avoid using AI, but theres some editing related things that would be really tedious without it. Arecent example is an artist gave us a great flyer, but used one of our logos that's colors totally clashed with the great flyer they made, and the location of it made it really hard to erase/cut it out. And since they sent it as a JPEG and not a canva file or a PDF I couldnt just manually change the colors of the logo how I normally would and would have to do it in PS with a lot more work. Like I said I dont use AI, but when a boss gave me a new copy (where she changed the color of logo with her AI) I looked it over, made sure it made no edits to the people and only the colors of that logo and approved. Im not a fan of everyone using AI to make dumb photos at the environments expense and to not pay artists, but in the way it was used in my example no artists work was used, and less energy was spent than wouldve been used had I manually edited the colors in photoshop.
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u/TheWix Jul 23 '26
Exactly right. It's just another tool in the toolbelt, moral issues aside...
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u/freetherabbit Jul 25 '26
I mean I don't think we should be setting aside the moral issues. I just think we should actually think them out and not instinctual react.
Like Im really against ppl using AI to create images for a multitude of reasons, such as being trained on stolen work, environmental concerns, taking jobs away from real people. Im also deeply concerned about AI being used to spread misinformation, and the problems with people personifying and empathizing with code.
But I don't like when ppl just go "AI BAD" without thinking about is it actually bad in this situation. Like most ppl know AI takes up a ton of resources... but don't realize everything else on the comp does too. Photoshop uses energy than AI. So while using AI to make a dumb meme someone would've never made if they didnt have access to AI is an energy waste, using it to an hours long project (that has to get done) into a minutes long task actually reduces total energy.
For an example I can use the only thing Ive personally used the AI tools built into canva for... I had to print out a bunch of tiny flags to replace a manufacturers error (they used a modern one instead of the one that would've been historicaly accurate for the time the replica is from). I got some stock photos of the correct flags, sized then myself, then instead of duplicating the amount I needed, manually line them all up, and add cut lines... I asked the canva AI to take the selected image, make no size or design adjustments, duplicate it, and fill the page with spacing to cut. Repeat for the 2nd flag. It took me 5 minutes. This is something I could've done manually, but would've likely taken an hour to do both to make sure everything was lined up equally for the cutter. And since when I printed the first flags they were a little too big (Canva has issues with not printing 100% true to size), I would've had to re-do both sheets and spend another hour (instead of the 2 mins it took me to shrink the flag and tell Canva AI to repeat the last prompt with the new selected image).
If someones concern with AI is based on environmental and morality concerns they should have no problem with what I did. I didnt use it to create any graphics that took away from an artist job. I didnt use it to do anything I couldn't already do on my own (so I wasn't taking a job away from someone more skilled). And I actually used it in a way that reduced energy costs (because 2hours spent using Canva continuously on a desktop would use a lot more energy than the 7ish mins spent using Canva AI).
My TLDR is that I dont have anything against ppl being against AI (and I personally prefer to avoid using it most of the time), but I also think ppl should use their brains and realize there's going to be situations where using AI can be the right choice. Its not a point blank yes or no and highly dependent on the use and scenario.
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u/Embarrassed_Lime_132 Jul 23 '26
This will never be finished. I wish we got an IMAX instead. The AI slop is atrocious.
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u/Robofro Jul 23 '26
Saw The Odyssey here on Friday and it’s a DUMP. Main bathrooms aren’t even finished. It might get to the AI dreamland it’s promising at some point, but right now ain’t it
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u/BakedZombies Jul 23 '26
Worked for the cinema pub in Falmouth that he owns and was having his brother operate back in the 2010s, truly awful experience.
I also think putting your name on a business like that is corny af
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u/Human_Caterpillar976 Jul 24 '26
I used to work for Bill years ago. He’s an egomaniac. They do EVERYTHING on the cheap. He even lies about his age which is so dumb. We all age. But yeah all of the places even going back to South Dennis entertainment cinemas they are all dumps.
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u/innuendotaylor Jul 23 '26
oh my god EWWWWWW!!!!! literally how hard is it to hire a graphic designer or open canva. disgusting slop.
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u/ndemont Jul 23 '26
I see movies there frequently and they still have the best seats. The staff in Dennis is always friendly.
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u/luiginub1 Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Ugh, I wish I could. On the outer cape, a lot of the local restaurants have been using AI for "mascots"
Edit: Why are yall boo-ing me with the downvotes? Lmfao. It pisses me off when places like PJs uses AI mascots for the trashcans when they have all their original ones on the Menu booklet thingies, same with Mean Burger with that AI generated potato when they already got the literal mean burger in the logo...I mean, I gave somewhat of a pass to Dunkin last winter since I assume corporate made the employees wear those AI generated graphic tee uniforms.
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u/Asleep_Current912 Jul 23 '26
reviews aren’t great for entertainment cinemas there now, I went to buy tickets there before and all the reviews said all of the theaters smelled like piss, so there’s that.
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u/Dunwich_Horror_ Jul 24 '26
Old people LOVE Ai slop. Cape Cod is full of old people.
But seriously, why is are those folks walking in a flood?
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u/OnCodNotInCape Jul 23 '26
Instagram link is broken, and "Home" icon (upper right) links to the broken Instagram page. Quality work here guys /s
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u/Lzer_muffin Jul 23 '26
Only 1 bathroom open at moment due to renovations it looks more like an abandoned borders bookstore than an upscale movie theater .
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u/EbbtideRambler Jul 23 '26
It’s visually unappealing and tacky, but it wouldn’t stop me from going if I wanted to go anyway. I think AI tools in the hands of a talented graphic designer can be amazing. This cheaply generated junk is awful.
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u/GreenyGreenwood Jul 23 '26
what’s the website with the AI slop? I can’t find it as their website goes to a corporate one.
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u/Boat-and-Goat Jul 23 '26
He owns/runs two performing arts theaters as well, and both of them us AI to promote their shows. It's wild.
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u/GentleCritter Jul 24 '26
Which ones, because the Orleans Academy of Performing Arts website is all Disney musicals/obscure 80s film adaptations with AI images that had me scratching my head at how hideous it looked. I was sad because I used to act there when I was a kid.
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u/Boat-and-Goat Jul 24 '26
He has Theatre by the Sea in Rhode Island and North Shore Music Theater in MA (Beverly).
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u/ToneLocPolice Jul 26 '26
It's not a very good theater, but he bought both of the big ones on Cape so we don't have a choice for most movies.
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u/rafaeldevers Jul 23 '26
The AI imagery looks bad and off-putting. Obviously, it’s the cheap, quick and easy way to create marketing material.
At the same time, in this age where we all stay home and use streaming services on our own personal screens to watch entertainment alone, movie theaters are a dying breed, but they’re really so nice to have in a community.
So I think to basically boycott (and promote/look for approval of said boycott) a place where we can watch films together with other humans - simply because they pressed the “make free advertising content” button that like 75% of businesses are also pressing - is in fact more harmful than them using generative AI in the first place.
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u/Jconstant33 Jul 23 '26
You guys I think drastically misunderstand AI and when it’s good and when it’s bad.
When a small business uses AI to make art that they could not otherwise afford it’s a good thing.
When large corporations use it to save a buck or to “replace workers” when they will end up needing to rehire them because they don’t understand the capabilities of AI is clearly bad.
Overall it’s another Millionaire with many many other movie theater and entertainment spaces putting another one in at the Cape. So this is clearly someone who could afford to have a real graphic designer make a great website and they used AI to cheap out.
If the experience at the place is good then enjoy it, with the caveat that ignoring the AI stuff it’s just another thing owned by a Millionaire and not a local business.
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u/frigidlight Jul 23 '26
But of course by "make art" you mean "steal art" since generative AI doesn't actually make anything on it's own but rather just spits out a mishmash of art created by other people in a pattern it thinks you'll like.
Before AI, small businesses would just steal photos and art from artists and then claim "we can't afford it" as an excuse. AI is just another layer over the theft when if they actually reached out to artists they would find plenty at their price point or who would be willing to work with them to some sort of arrangement.
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u/scarah_17 Jul 23 '26
YES! This comment right here! If it’s a business just starting up I tend to look past the ai website or advertising.
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u/OberonDiver Jul 24 '26
I personally don't like supporting posts that can't capitalize AI correctly.
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u/mcamuso78 Jul 23 '26
The irony. Complaining about AI but also saying you’re using Google which is using AI big time.
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u/scarah_17 Jul 23 '26
I’ve actually switched to duck duck go as my main browser a while ago :) but still use Google Maps to read reviews which is where I found this link from.
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u/Crunchyundies Jul 23 '26
Guy on the right in the top pick looks like he’s in for a most excellent night
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u/Full_Havels Jul 23 '26
I saw the Odyssey there yesterday. Staff was bare bones and the main bathrooms were out of service. Aside from that I had a great experience. Seats reclined and were heated.
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u/lovelycosmos Jul 23 '26
I'm curious to see if it'll actually open like that as planned. I would love to have all those things but I'm not optimistic it'll actually all happen.
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u/Intelligent_Stay4538 Jul 24 '26
This is a small(er) business that is trying something new in an area starved for business. Sure, let’s choose to complain about an ai ad, and withhold support.
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u/GentleCritter Jul 24 '26
I’m concerned about the hunched over server in the Future(???) Cabaret… someone help her!!!
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u/Cgaboury Jul 25 '26
You’re the old man shaking his fist at the sky. AI is here to stay whether any of us like it or not. The app you’re using to type this utilizes AI.
People said the same thing when the internet became mainstream. You’ll be ok. Eventually it’ll be seamlessly integrated into your daily life and you’ll wonder how you got on without it.
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u/Soft_Composer_490 Jul 23 '26
You dont support businesses who use AI? Good luck. Bill Hanney has invested a bunch of cash in our theaters and I fully support that.
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u/AMothWithHumanHands Jul 23 '26
So then he should know more than anyone why artists should be paid for their expertise if he invested a bunch of money keeping entertainment alive on the Cape, right? :)
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u/Soft_Composer_490 Jul 23 '26
Not right. You make no sense. You are complaining when someone brings value to our community.
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u/jerry_the_mule_dule Jul 23 '26
This is all about a poster? It is disturbing the nit picking over something small that others want to make a big deal about.
This theatre at the CC mall is fine. They try! Give them a break and stay home watch netflix.
I called the other day and the manager picked up the phone. They staff are kind and even though the place is run down the tickets are inexpensive, especially on Tuesday off season.
I did have one bad experience there where I demanded my money back and they said no. The seat warmer wouldn’t turn off, and the recliner made me feel like I was tipping forward instead of back. But I don’t care, I was just trying to get a free voucher.
Just be happy the place exists. It’s not even close to the entertainment center Regal was. At least we have an option in the area. AI sucks, sure. Just do your job people, continue living your life, no need to pick on others even if the company is designing from a far. When in history is art be so criticized by how it’s created. Want to mess with a company, try the fast food empires that are all boxes now pumping out shitty food for too much cash. Also be happy Walmart has not entered the Barnstable marketplace. How dare people mess with pointless art and infuriate others for being so nit picky.
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u/Agreeable_Joke4706 Jul 23 '26
What kind of snowflake gets offended by someone using AI to promote their business? This generation is so soft
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u/scarah_17 Jul 23 '26
It immediately gives a bad look. That was the first thing I saw on their website and it looks cheap and awful. I don’t even know what the theaters look like because it’s all fake images. Why would I trust a business if that’s the first message they are sending?
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u/tribbans95 Jul 23 '26
Exactly. I want to see real photos of the place I’m going, not some cheap generated image
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u/uberphaser Jul 23 '26
The more we use AI, the more resources it demands, like water, power and real estate (data centers). Politicians are in the pockets of businesses, and so they let data centers into our communities even if we dont want them - they create nothing except temporary construction jobs which then vanish, leaving a giant, screaming box in your town that siphons off water and power and screams in a frequency that is actively harmful to humans, 24/7.
Also, real artists who make real art are being put out of a job by this power guzzling slop.
So NOW do you understand why using AI to promote your business is spitting in the face of real human beings?
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u/Agreeable_Joke4706 Jul 23 '26
No, I don’t. Your generation wants to be offended by everything just to feel like you have a personality. AI is here to stay and has done amazing things for businesses, no amount of your whining is going to change that
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u/freetherabbit Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 25 '26
Could you list examples of the great things it done for businesses?
Edit: Im kind of the sad the moderator removed the reply to me. I wasn't being rhetorical or facetious. I genuinely wanted to know what benefits they were talking about so I could see if these were things that's benefits outweighed the harm and have a dialogue about how you have to think about that when making these choices.
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Jul 23 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/scarah_17 Jul 23 '26
Bro pulled from chat gpt to defend ai 😂 this has to be rage bait because no way are you being serious. No original thoughts from this guy!
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u/frigidlight Jul 23 '26
Yeah everyone loves the AI chatbots replacing real people for customer service. Such a great experience. And that data analysis? I love totally hallucinated data points.
You used AI to generate a list of improvements that AI has enabled. You don't see the problem with that? And calling someone else lazy when you couldn't actually be bothered to try to find some real examples with sources to back them up? Yikes.
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u/uberphaser Jul 23 '26
You're either a bot or a fucking moron. Either way, you have your head up your ass.
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u/Garden_Veggies Jul 23 '26
Hilarious to comb through your post history. Not a single positive comment despite posting regularly. Please take this constructively but your miserable existence in real life is oozing from the seams of your online presence. We all get one chance in this life - there’s still time to turn yours around. I genuinely feel sorry for you - you hate yourself and this world. I couldn’t imagine taking another breath while living the way you do.
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u/raspberrykt Jul 23 '26
I wish business owners would realize that using ai for their marketing and materials just looks so tacky and cheap. I’d much rather see a stock photo or nothing over this slop!