Movie theatre pricing whine fest

[Stinsok]

How much do you think a large popcorn really costs to serve? Before going in to see the movie I asked my wife and son if they wanted popcorn and a coke. As I approached the concession stand I noticed you could buy a large popcorn and soda for $11.50! My son spoke up first and said "that's just too much, I can wait." I figured I could go 2 hours without eating so we skipped it.

After the movie was over we went across the street and ate at the IHOP for less than the popcorn and drink would have been.

[MakiSupaStar]

It hurts even more when the movie you're sitting through is that Transformers II garbage.

[mike_v_s]

Originally Posted by Stinsok

How much do you think a large popcorn really costs to serve? Before going in to see the movie I asked my wife and son if they wanted popcorn and a coke. As I approached the concession stand I noticed you could buy a large popcorn and soda for $11.50! My son spoke up first and said "that's just too much, I can wait." I figured I could go 2 hours without eating so we skipped it.

After the movie was over we went across the street and ate at the IHOP for less than the popcorn and drink would have been.

In the process of pointing out the absurdity of movie theater food prices...you completely neglected to mention the absurdity of the actual ticket prices. They're even more insulting that the food prices.

Mike

[Stinsok]

Originally Posted by mike_v_s

In the process of pointing out the absurdity of movie theater food prices...you completely neglected to mention the absurdity of the actual ticket prices. They're even more insulting that the food prices.

Mike

I was prepared for the brutal rape at the ticket desk.

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by Stinsok

I was prepared for the brutal rape at the ticket desk.

No matter how much you prepare for a brutal rape, you'll never fully mend from the psychological humbling issued by the dude that takes your ticket at the door. You buy it and in less than 20 seconds he's torn it in half.

[mike_v_s]

Originally Posted by Stinsok

I was prepared for the brutal rape at the ticket desk.

I loathe it. The only films I watch at the theater now are the ones my kids occassionally request. The last one I saw at the theater that was my idea might have been the first or second X-Men. Just not worth it to me (hey, you said it was a whine fest, so I came prepared).

I mean, at the theater you're paying the same price you can get the DVD for in about 2 years. The premium being for what? To be "current" with entertainment? To have watched the latest pile of feces thrown together for your viewing pleasure in a crowded, smelly and sticky venue with overproced food?

So my options are to get ready and drive 6 miles to drop $20 on a pair of tickets to sit with noisy strangers and enjoy the pleasure of their over-cologned attempt to get laid and top it off with a crappy and expensive food selection

OR

Wait a couple of years, pick the same film on DVD for the same $20 while shopping at Target, take it home and cook a very nice meal, sit in my own furniture without wondering what fluids were spilled or dropped on it by people I don't know and have the ability to pause or stop the film if I need to take a leak, get a (decent) beer, or possibly even suceed where others have failed without the crappy cologne?

I'll take option B.

Mike

[bobba66]

How was the movie at IHOP?

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by mike_v_s

I mean, at the theater you're paying the same price you can get the DVD for in about 2 years. The premium being for what? To be "current" with entertainment? To have watched the latest pile of feces thrown together for your viewing pleasure in a crowded, smelly and sticky venue with overproced food?

So my options are to get ready and drive 6 miles to drop $20 on a pair of tickets to sit with noisy strangers and enjoy the pleasure of their over-cologned attempt to get laid and top it off with a crappy and expensive food selection

This pretty much sums up my thoughts.

The guitar player in one of my bands is the manager of a theater, so any time I feel like making the drive (it's about 35-40 mins from me) I can see a movie for free. Still, I don't take advantage of that all that often (maybe 4 or 5 times a year), but the nice thing is that when we do he's almost certainly already seen it (and he has good taste) so I don't end up sitting through garbage.

When I was a kid it was almost like you had to see a film right when it came out so you could talk about it with your friends. Now? There's just no sense of urgency. I'm fine with waiting until the vast majority of films come out on DVD.

If it wasn't for my buddy or the occasional date movie (I am still single though with a woman currently tolerating me) I don't think I'd ever go to the movies anymore.

[Kwesi]

There's a really simple fix to this and I'm surprised it's not more common...

1) Wear cargo pants/shorts or invite someone who carries a purse
2) Go to Chipotle or your favorite "fill 'er up" fast food place and buy something
3) Pocket your burritos and drink or whatever you bought
4) Proceed to movie theater for feast
5) Enjoy your meal and the jealous faces of your fellow movie goers

Seriously, there is rarely something more satisfying than a full meal during a movie at the theater. For the same umpteen dollars you spend on a medium drink and a half full bag of gummy bears you can get a meal that'll put you to sleep!

[mike_v_s]

Originally Posted by Kwesi

Seriously, there is rarely something more satisfying than a full meal during a movie at the theater. For the same umpteen dollars you spend on a medium drink and a half full bag of gummy bears you can get a meal that'll put you to sleep!

You must have missed my post. It not only fixes the "umpteen dollars" spent on food, but the "umpteen dollars" spent on a ticket. Why drag Taco Bell into a subpar movie experience when you can have a better meal, better seating, better crowd, better alcohol, etc, etc, etc, ?

Mike

[guitfiddle0409]

What annoys me the most is when they run all those idiotic commercials before the previews and features. Given all the money that's been dropped the whole theater should launch into a chorus of "boos" as they are subjected to this garbage.

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by mike_v_s

You must have missed my post. It not only fixes the "umpteen dollars" spent on food, but the "umpteen dollars" spent on a ticket. Why drag Taco Bell into a subpar movie experience when you can have a better meal, better seating, better crowd, better alcohol, etc, etc, etc, ?

Mike

In Berkeley there used to be a an indie film theater that had comfortable seating around little tables and they had a menu of good finger foods, not to mention a nice beer & wine selection. Hands down my favorite movie going experience. Shame that it closed down.

Originally Posted by guitfiddle0409

What annoys me the most is when they run all those idiotic commercials before the previews and features. Given all the money that's been dropped the whole theater should launch into a chorus of "boos" as they are subjected to this garbage.

I'll tell you what REALLY annoys me is when I buy a DVD (something I don't do very often) and it has four or five minutes of ads that you CAN'T skip.

[EASonBass]

I think movie ticket prices are a great bargain. You can pay $10 to see a movie that cost $150M to make. Not a bad deal.

As far as the outrageous food prices at the theater, its really the only means for the theater to make a profit. Generally, the first week of box office receipts are paid directly to the film's distributor. Most theaters operate on 2-3% net profit margin. Not an easy business to stay profitable in.

[allexcosta]

I find ticket prices to be very fair.

I usually eat before going to see a movie and bring water in my wife's purse.

[Ziltoid]

Well for me it's not that bad the ticket price is around 6$ and I usually buy a big liquor and rarely something else, so all in-all it costs me less then an hour or work for the 1,5hr or so im spending there with friends or a date.

[varunkapahi]

meh dunno whats wrong over there across the ponds. the ticket rates are only going down here. am going to watch Transformers 2 tommorow, each ticket is like less than 1US$.

[tplyons]

Ticket prices are going up as the technology in the movies increases. Unfortunately, that means more computer generated graphics and less acting, but in the best cases, it's not noticeable.

The snack prices are rather extreme, however I cannot sit through a movie without a drink, due to a bad esophagus. So a movie costs me $15 at minimum... and I can get the movie the day it's released from Best Buy for $20.

I've seen one movie in theaters this year, and it was with a bunch of buddies from high school to hang out.

[Andrew.Glose]

I can't help feel that I could buy a child's ticket at the ticket machine inside the building and get away with it.

I think the ticket guy just looks at the showing so he can tell me where it is.

I have yet to test this.

And I usually go during the early day so I don't have to put up with the teen swarms.

Andrew

[hbarcat]

This is basic economics. Theaters are a business like any other and they need to make enough profit to stay in business while competing with other theaters. The prices for tickets and the prices for food and drinks are exactly what the market will bear - no higher and no lower.

Enough people with 15-20 bucks of spare cash in their wallets and purses keep going to the movies regardless of the complaints about the price or the 15 minutes of commercials before the main feature or even the crap quality of the movie itself.


I haven't been to the movies in years partly because of all these things but mostly because I don't want to hear other movie goers having conversations with each other or on their cell phones or having a group of them right in front of me doing stupid distracting stuff like throwing popcorn at each other or spilling their pop on the floor or changing seats constantly, etc. I can't justify paying $15 for the privilege of subjecting myself to that.

[Sonic_Death]

I am an insanely cheap person, but this is what it comes down to. Sometimes you just have to live a little.

Same goes for many over-priced things.