No Wonder People Are Staying At Home!

Sometimes I wondered why more and more people were staying at home and watching movies "on demand" or why Netflix and Redbox and Vudu are making a killing. Well now I know!

It's been a few years since I went to a movie theater to go see a new movie on the big screen. I have been wanting to see one of the newer 3D movies and since my hubby is out of town (he has epilepsy so we stay away from 3D just in case) I decided I would give one a try. I assure you it will never happen again!

Now the 3D effects were wonderful. Man, has technology changed since the last 3D movie I went to see in a theater (Friday the 13th 3 in 3D). I have to give it to the people that have improved 3D movies- it was awesome! The price tag though- not so much! I took one of my daughters and her best friend with me. Admission for three people= $34. Concession stand: one small popcorn, two small sodas and one bottle of water= $18. That's $52 not counting gas for driving the 30 mile round trip. Now that probably doesn't sound like a lot to some of you, but for where I live it is! The regular price of one admission to a movie is $7.50, with bargain matinee being $4.75. I think that $13 a piece is just a little too much for just one movie, I don't care how good the effects are!

Now mind you, I know that going to the movies is usually quite a bit cheaper in more rural areas than it is around large Urban areas so this makes me wonder- how bad are people living in Urban areas getting ripped off when they go to a movie? And the movie industry wonders why more people are waiting until movies come out online or on DVD! I think it's because the only one's who can afford to pay that much to see a movie in a theater are single people without a lot of bills, because for what I paid for one trip to the movies I could have paid at least one small monthly bill, bought a tank full of gas or bought several days worth of groceries. I assure you the next time I think I want to go see a 3D movie I will definitely remind myself of how much better my money can be spent!

reply to post by littled16


What theater did you go to? We went to the one by Parkdale Mall and spent around $75 just me, my husband and our 2 kids! We got one popcorn, 2 drinks, and 2 boxes of candy.

thats why i dont go to the movies anymore it cost to omuch money If me and my GF goes it easily cost us $50 and that is like 2 tickets, 1 popcorn, 1 drink, maybe 1 candy.. When we do go now we bring our own food even still it runs us like $20 depending on what time we go and we try to go to the early cheaper shows.. We also do go sometimes to the discount theater that is cheaper but play older movies.

We live on a very tight budget though most of the time our bills/food/gas run right at within about $10 of what we have for income. Now that is because I am not working so that is my GFs income but its very hard for me to find a job because I have a felony. But lots of people have only 1 income so that goes for allot of people.

I just download everything that I want to watch because I don't have the money to watch it otherwise.

reply to post by littled16


Yes going to a movie in this day and age (including treats) can cost what most people spend on a bag of groceries.

I don't go to the movie theater very often any more...(usually once or twice) a year; and then I go to a bargain morning or afternoon movie time. I smuggle in my own homemade popcorn, bottled water and any other treats I may want to have. I figure the ticket prices are expensive enough; where they really rob people; is at the concession stand.

reply to post by Ireminisce
It was the one out by the truck stop at Walden Road. They are a little bit cheaper than the one by Parkdale- probably because you have to drive out of your way would be my guess!

I will say in the movie theaters defense the reason why their food costs so much is because for the first few months they make no money from the actual movie only concession stands I am not sure for how long. But they have to charge that so they can make money.. Not that I agree with that but they are the ones who agree to not make money.

We go about once a year now. If I see a new preview after that I'm like "Well, we won't be going to that. Already been to the movies this year." I wish we had a theater that showed older movies and didn't cost as much. At least my kids wouldn't know the movies were old.

reply to post by caladonea
You're telling me! Back when the girls were kids I used to bring my big purse and stop off at the dollar store on the way to the movies to save money. It's only been less than two years since I went to the movies and since we ate ate home before we left I figured how much can a small popcorn to share and a couple of small drinks really be? BIG mistake!

reply to post by Ireminisce
There used to be a theater in Silsbee that was like that. $2 a head to get in, but only one or two movies that had just left the other theaters. I don't know if it's still open though.

The ticket price is dictated by the Movie companies MGM, Disney, ect. And almost all of that goes to those companies, the theater gets none to a very small %. The theaters operating costs and profits have to come through the concessions which is why the prices are so high. The theaters have to pay rent for the movies on top of giving the ticket money back to the movie companies. They also have to bid just to get some movies and have to agree to carry movies they don't want to play movies they do want.

The movie companies are whats driving the prices out of reach for a lot of people, not the theaters that play them.

Over a year ago I bought a big flat Sony TV with surround sound. It even does 3D! I can wait the six month to a year it takes for a flick to make it to video. If for no other reason; I can pause at will, I don't have to sit behind some big haired loud mouth candy wrapper crunching fool. I don't have to wonder if every weirdo has a gun.

No gas money, no admission. Although the price on the big TV was appreciable it will only take skipping out on about 30 movie theater experiences to pay for itself.

Originally posted by littled16
reply to post by caladonea

 

You're telling me! Back when the girls were kids I used to bring my big purse and stop off at the dollar store on the way to the movies to save money. It's only been less than two years since I went to the movies and since we ate ate home before we left I figured how much can a small popcorn to share and a couple of small drinks really be? BIG mistake!

Yes...the prices at the concession stand are just outrageous!

When I think about it all...staying home to watch a movie...to me is really much more fun! I can be in my flannel PJ's, the bathroom is handy; and I can lounge on the sofa; have all my inexpensive tasty treats handy; take a break if I want to etc.

reply to post by Carreau
Kind of makes sense as to why more and more movie theaters are closing. Seems a lot of movies are moving toward the "on demand" wagon, which is cheaper for people with families. What worries me is that once the movie makers run all of the theaters out of business they will jack up the "on demand" prices substantially to where it's just as expensive. No wonder "pirating" is booming!

Last time I went in Melbourne it was $15 a ticket, except tightarse Tuesday when it was $8. That was 3 years ago.

Here in Malaysia Its between 7 MYR during the day old movies to 12 MYR ($1 USD is about 3.1 MYR) for a new movie on a Fri or Sat.

Something I found weird here is that the drinks and popcorn etc etc isnt too expensive.
Can take a Girl to see a movie, get a couples seat at the back with a large coke and large chips for under 35 MYR (about $12 US)
I dont have to get the couples seat or go large on the coke and chips, I just do that so the girl knows Im classy

yep.. the cost of going to the movies has been going up.. and including the price of the snacks .. which was always outrageous to begin with..

It's odd.. they justify the price increase because they say they are losing the numbers.. less people going, so they charge more to make up for the difference... they don't seem to realize they are only making their situation worse.

If they slashed the cost in half.. they'd get more volume.. more volume = more money in the long run... it's hard for business owners IN GENERAL to understand that.. even a client of mine is the same way.. they don't like they idea of offering discounts.. they think discount = less revenue.. they fail to understand the idea of gaining volume

reply to post by littled16


I haven't been to a movie theater since Titanic back in 1996.
The ticket prices are too high and I would have to put a 2nd
mortgage on my house to buy junk food from the concession
stand.
I was seated in front of a group of giggling teen girls who had
watched the movie around a dozen times.Ooooh,Leonardo
and would yak,yak,yak about things that were about to happen.

I like to wait for a movie to come out and then rent it before
buying.

reply to post by miniatus


Here's an example why the theaters can't lower prices on snacks.

The first batman movie, 100% of ticket money for the first 4 weeks plus a $1500.00 per week rental fee. Then the theater got 10% per week after the first 4. so it looks like this: Warner bros. week 1-4,100% week 5, 90% week 6, 80% and so forth.

Every single operating cost must be paid by snack money. Payroll, taxes, utilities, equipment, repairs, security, supplies, cleaning, refunds, shipping, everything. The average theater operates at a

I would rather stay at home and watch movies because I don't wanna smell other peoples farts. I also don't wanna risk getting into a kungfu fight because someone is acting inappropiately and I have to ask them to shut the hell up or knock off whatever disrupting thing they are doing. Afterall, I paid money to be there. Another thing is that I don't understand this generation. They aren't nothing like me and my friends were. There just seems to be this attitude to bring the nasty that we all possess inside to the forefront at all times. They all seem to be covered in tattoo's too. I don't get it and I'm not gonna try to either! I'll stay home.

Originally posted by Carreau
reply to post by miniatus

 

Here's an example why the theaters can't lower prices on snacks.

The first batman movie, 100% of ticket money for the first 4 weeks plus a $1500.00 per week rental fee. Then the theater got 10% per week after the first 4. so it looks like this: Warner bros. week 1-4,100% week 5, 90% week 6, 80% and so forth.

Every single operating cost must be paid by snack money. Payroll, taxes, utilities, equipment, repairs, security, supplies, cleaning, refunds, shipping, everything. The average theater operates at a

Going to the movies used to be something to do. Now it's an event. I don't go alone. If the movie is worth seeing, that's about 2-3 a year, I take my kids. 4 of us with snacks is about $70. That's why it's only few times a year. And NEVER go the first weekend. I want to enjoy what I paid well for. Not listen to a bunch of noisy kids. Oh, my youngest is 17 so they're pretty much grown.