I just don't understand it. We went to see the movie Doubt last night for $10 a ticket. They do not have a military discount, but they do have a student discount, but the discount is only available on thursdays.

Inside the theatre, if I wanted to buy their "Value meal" which was two large sodas and one large popcorn, it cost $16.50! Are you F%&$ing kidding me? This place was packed too. In a time when the economy is in a crisis, apparently the movie industry is thriving at our expense.

What could the overhead be that these prices are so ridiculous? Renting the movie reels, buying soda syrup, popcorn kernals, discount candy in bulk, containers to put them all in, minimum wage employees and underpaid managers. Don't forget insurance and rent for the building. I think with all these expenses, they made their money back before 5pm on any given Friday. $10 is the average price for a ticket, I seen some places where the tickets were $13.

These assholes need to be audited more then the cell phone companies, referring to the other thread on the boards about text messaging.

/rant off

:devil

Or you could wait for the DVD or "On Demand" and by microwave popcorn and get Pepsi on sale at 3 - 2 liter bottles for $2.59

If the keep making quality movies like Bedazzle and Desprately Seeking Susan, we will have to keep paying high ticket prices!

They don't do as well as you think. http://www.investor.amctheatres.com/secfiling.cfm?filingID=1104659-09-360

@ Rover: The big screen is more fun and a better experience IMO. I have surround sound and a 50'' HD in TV in my living room but there is something about a 25 yard Screen with that great buttered popcorn!

And cramped seats and people talking and expensive soda and popcorn.

I love movies, there are some great movies out right now too. I suggest Clint Eastwood's Gran Turino. I have a 58' Panasonic plasma with an Onkyo surround sound with Klipsch speakers. I have my own movie theatre at home too so to speak. I still like going out of the house to see a movie. I just want to do it for a more reasonable price.

:devil

This will sound like sacrilege, but I think that Orville Reddenbacher Corn on the Cob popcorn may very well be better than authentic movie theatre popcorn (especially when you get to the bottom of the bucket/bag of the movie popcorn).

When I go to the movies I go hungry so I can refill that tub of popcorn :)

I just don't understand it. We went to see the movie Doubt last night for $10 a ticket. They do not have a military discount, but they do have a student discount, but the discount is only available on thursdays.

Inside the theatre, if I wanted to buy their "Value meal" which was two large sodas and one large popcorn, it cost $16.50! Are you F%&$ing kidding me? This place was packed too. In a time when the economy is in a crisis, apparently the movie industry is thriving at our expense.

What could the overhead be that these prices are so ridiculous? Renting the movie reels, buying soda syrup, popcorn kernals, discount candy in bulk, containers to put them all in, minimum wage employees and underpaid managers. Don't forget insurance and rent for the building. I think with all these expenses, they made their money back before 5pm on any given Friday. $10 is the average price for a ticket, I seen some places where the tickets were $13.

These assholes need to be audited more then the cell phone companies, referring to the other thread on the boards about text messaging.

/rant off

:devil

And this is why we have not been to a theater since the 2nd Lord of the Rings movie in, what, 2002? Screw that. DVD and a comfy couch with the family is the way to go.

I do love the ambience of the theater, but I haven't been for months, mainly because I haven't really felt like making the trip.

These days I just wait for it to come out on video and I watch it from Netflix. However, ticket prices like those (seem way higher than my local theater(s)) somewhat show that even in a recession, many Americans are better off than they may think, or maybe aren't spending very smartly.

I enjoy the idea of going to the theaters. The price doesn't really bother me. The main factor driving me away are the other patrons who make the experience unenoyable and the employees/managers generally not giving a fuck. :rolleyes:

The only times it seems I go to the theatre now is when I take my daughter to a movie (granted I DID go see Indiana Jones this year, but I'm a huge Indiana Jones fan).

The look on a 4 year old's face at the theatre is worth the expense once in a while. Though I did tell her she'd have to wait to see Despereaux when it came out on DVD because she'd just gone to see Bolt due to the expense.

These days I try to catch matinee shows when the ticket prices are slightly less obscene. Still, I can expect to drop close to thirty bucks if I take a date.

I'm definitely leaning more to the DVD crowd more and more as time goes on.

For the cost of movie tickets plus food for the wife and me (and the munchkin sometimes) I can get it on blu-ray and watch from my house where I'm allowed to smack anyone who talks during the movie ;)

I've almost entirely stopped going to the theatre, but it wasn't the ticket prices so much as the constant, ubiquitous advertising. I don't mind paying $8 to see a film on the big screen -- but I'm not going to sit through 30 minutes of uninterrupted ads for candy, coke, lawn care, lawyers, housing ... ad nauseum.

There is still something cool about going to the theater and making an event of it instead of staying at home. If a $30 night out is gonna break your bank account, there's always the second run movie theaters or the "art house" theaters with documentaries and independent films. Compared to the cost of the Opera or a musical or even a night out at a bar, its still a deal.

Blu-ray is still not gonna have the picture quality of film, and while your average house may have a 5.1 surround sound system, the audio design house near me just got set up to do 22.2 which is frankly too many speakers to fit in my living room :)

I only go a handful of times a month - and admittedly we normally go after going out to eat dinner so we skip the concessions - but its not something I'll be removing from my list of activities for a long time to come.

*edit* Also, I nearly forgot the draft houses. I know these are big in Austin and we have two here in DC. A second run movie, pitcher of beer, dinner for two, and a comfy recliner of your own for $30 is a deal!

The last five movies I saw at a theatre:

1-3 The LOTR trilogy
4 The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (Narnia)
5 The Dark Knight

I might break down and go see the last three Potter movies on the big screen. Otherwise, nothing is piqueing my interest atm.


Each movie was viewed during the daytime, on the discount day, meaning I paid only $5 for admission. And, usually less than half a dozen folks in the theatre with me (and my son, if he came along). Still, the popcorn and soda adds up. But I will only go see a movie on the big screen if it is something with effects that makes it worth it.

I will have to try that Corn on the Cob variety, 'cus even the movie theatre variety still requires some additional butter.

I will have to try that Corn on the Cob variety, 'cus even the movie theatre variety still requires some additional butter.

It's the only kind of popcorn i buy anymore for home heh.

Movie n000b, I always bring some food in with me. Stuff a soda and some candy in my pockets.! I dont see to many though, really has to be a good one.

Well I get discount tickets thru work so the price doesn't bug me. We always cart in our own goodies b/c that shit they sell is crazy unhealthy. My issues with going to the movies are the very reasons already mentioned:

1. Other people with their cell phones, kids, and loud mouths
2. Employees at the theatre not giving a shit and thus said theatre is dirty, icky, and sticky
3. Stupid ads for overpriced shit in the concession stand that I will never buy

We still go some times though b/c my employer likes to give movie tickets away for monthly maintenance drawings, christmas gifts etc. I literally have about $50 in movie tickets at any given time. So on occassion we go, otherwise I prefer sitting at home lounging in my PJs and smooching on my sweetie where I'm not stared at for doing so b/c we're women. ;)

Lastly, I have no doubt that my home theatre provides better quality picture and sound than any theatre I've been to in the past year aside from the iMax in Harrisburg.

So on occassion we go, otherwise I prefer sitting at home lounging in my PJs and smooching on my sweetie where I'm not stared at for doing so b/c we're women. ;)

Lastly, I have no doubt that my home theatre provides better quality picture and sound than any theatre I've been to in the past year aside from the iMax in Harrisburg.


Yeah, I can relate. A girlfriend and I got arrested for trying to watch a movie at the theatre in our normal bedwear; of course, she usually just wears a t-shirt, and I sleep nude.

But if you ever replace your home theatre with an iMax quality one, I promise to buy some PJ's if I can come watch some good showings. :p

smooching on my sweetie where I'm not stared at for doing so b/c we're women.

I promise I won't stare...just let me watch one movie with you...PLEASE!

The movie theater in Sequim or Port Angeles are the only theaters I go to now. They are still the centers of small town weekend night life, kept sparkling clean (no sticky floors or stray popcorn kernels)and staffed with friendly people. I go to them once every 1-2 years when I go home and visit family.

That should put it into perspective. Its an event that marks an already rare event, thus making all that much more special. Typically its only when something really REALLY good is playing. It would be 100 dollars well spent for the memories.

The popcorn is how the theatre makes money. They make almost nothing on the ticket price. (typical movie deals run 90/80/50, meaning the theatre takes 10 percent the first week, 20 percent the second week, and 50 percent for each additional week. which is why theatres like movies with "legs" and studios like ginormous opening weekends.) If theaters didn't charge the ridiculous prices on food, ticket prices would be 25 to 50 bucks a pop....

it our fault prices are so high...if we were happy with claymation from Clash of the Titans for effects and film quality we'd have cheaper movies, but no we go rush out to watch 100 million dollar feats of movie greatness and love them

Clash of the Titans was uber in the day!!
And I was sooooo in love with the hunky dude and the chick chained to the rocks. Damn I was confused even back then =\

The popcorn is how the theatre makes money. They make almost nothing on the ticket price. (typical movie deals run 90/80/50, meaning the theatre takes 10 percent the first week, 20 percent the second week, and 50 percent for each additional week. which is why theatres like movies with "legs" and studios like ginormous opening weekends.) If theaters didn't charge the ridiculous prices on food, ticket prices would be 25 to 50 bucks a pop.... This is what's going on. And after a few weeks, the theater gets 100% of the ticket price. Movies that are in and out of the theaters in 2 weeks bleed money for the theaters, but movies that stay for weeks are the ones that save the theaters - The Full Monty was one such movie: the distributors didn't release it for every theater, and so there weren't a lot of places playing it, but the places that did play it were showing it for months.

I don't see the food price as being "out of sight" since I consider that the real movie ticket.

Clash of the Titans was uber in the day!!
And I was sooooo in love with the hunky dude and the chick chained to the rocks. Damn I was confused even back then =\

lmao Fil, thanks for the laugh.