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From the "Thank God for Netflix" department: Movie Ticket Prices Going Up This Weekend

post #1 of 49
3/25/10 at 4:32pm
Thread Starter 
Hope you weren't planning on buying popcorn at the movies this weekend, because you might not have any cash left after you pay for your higher-priced tickets:

blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2010/03/24/movie-ticket-prices-heading-higher/

So they cry when no one goes to the movies, and when people are finally interested again, they jack up prices? And then they blame it on piracy? Hollywood is out of their fucking minds!

Well, looks like it's the second run dollar house for me!
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post #2 of 49
3/25/10 at 5:16pm
People will pay anyway. Regarding the article, prices are very market-specific. For example they cite IMAX 3D admission prices in Boston rising from $11.50 to $14.50. Here in Phoenix they're $15 a seat and have been since Avatar started showing last December. Avatar and Alice have sold out at IMAX in spite of it. Yeah it sucks, but as long as most people drink the Kool-Aid ticket costs will continue to creep up.
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post #3 of 49
3/25/10 at 5:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony J Case View Post


So they cry when no one goes to the movies, and when people are finally interested again, they jack up prices? And then they blame it on piracy? Hollywood is out of their fucking minds!
 

But it isn't "Hollywood" that's doing this. It's theater owners. There's a difference.

AMC Entertainment is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

Regal Entertainment Group is headquartered in Knoxville, TN.

Cinemark is headquartered in Plano, TX.

In fact, the only theater chain I can think of with an L.A. headquarters is Landmark. And none of these chains is owned by a movie studio.
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post #4 of 49
3/25/10 at 5:44pm
I think movies are kinda cheap.  Not for a "film buff" but for families just looking to get out of the house on the weekend and do something "fun".  I think the cinema for a film buff has pretty much died but most people I know go to the movies just to fill up their time.  I personally don't go as much due to having a new baby but the prices have kept me away for years.  I do find it rather amazing to see people paying $60 to get in and then another $40 for food and drinks.  Sometimes a lot more if they're buying the two slices of pizza for $15.  Not to mention the small bottle of whiskey for $20. 

It's rather amazing how much the movies have to offer.  Bars, big-time food, video games and so on.  It's more like a mall for teenagers (seems the main ones there on a Friday or Saturday).  I saw CRAZY HEART last week at a matinee and it was only $8, which was okay for me.  What wasn't okay was the fact that a small drink and popcorn ran $10.  Normally I just sneak a drink in but in the hotter months it's hard to do since there's no long coat to sneak them in. 

But to the point, I'm not sure this will hurt anything too much.  I do laugh when rich studio heads and theater owners talk about how much money they're losing to pirates when they're just as bad.
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post #5 of 49
3/25/10 at 7:30pm

As of last year, I started going to the theater much more than I ever had before. On average, I probably saw 5 movies theatrically a month last year and the same this year so far. Now, I'm not taking a family of four to the theater and I don't buy concessions so a ticket increase doesn't really effect me that much.

On a related note, since I started going to the theater more often, I've found a renewed or re-energized love for movies all together (which has also driven down my interest in complaining about bad movies) so the buck or whatever it is increase isn't a dealbreaker for me.

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post #6 of 49
3/25/10 at 8:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TravisR View Post


On a related note, since I started going to the theater more often, I've found a renewed or re-energized love for movies all together (which has also driven down my interest in complaining about bad movies) so the buck or whatever it is increase isn't a dealbreaker for me.


My experience was similar, but it happened a few years ago.

More than a few, actually.

Well, OK, it was pre-DVD, but the principle is the same.
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post #7 of 49
3/25/10 at 11:54pm
I think movies are reasonable if you don't mind going early.  The AMC here charges $5 ($8 for 3-D) before noon and I usually try and take advantage of that. 

I just checked and the prices are still the same for later today.  Probably because Indianapolis isn't considered a major market.
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post #8 of 49
3/26/10 at 3:26am
I don't go to many new movies a year anymore like I did 30 years ago , but just recently I went to see THE RUNAWAYS and it was $11.50 per ticket! I went with my sister and my nephew and while they paid their own admission, I bought them each a small popcorn, along with a hot dog and a small bottle of water for myself. The food itself came out to just under $20.00. So I spent over $30.00. Just totally ridiculous, just to go and see a movie.

For years I've defended ticket prices and theaters, but that's getting impossible to do. Luckily I don't go very often anymore so it's not that devastating. Usually the wife and I will go to the first early show on Sunday, and that is cheaper ... but what's considered a "bargain" these days, 9 or 10 bucks??

I've always said that there is no substitute for going to the theater, I don't care how much one likes NETFLIX or how fancy your home viewing system is. But when it gets to the point where you could just buy a DVD or Blu-ray for what its costs you to go to the movies these days...
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post #9 of 49
3/26/10 at 5:23am
Luckily for me I don't go to the movies to eat, I go to watch a movie so food prices don't affect me. I also don't go to the movies as often as I used to but when I make the effort I usually go to a morning show and pay $6 and on occasion I'll sneak in a cup of McDonald's coffee. Its surprising how crowded a theater can get in the mornings!
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post #10 of 49
3/26/10 at 7:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Reuben View Post

In fact, the only theater chain I can think of with an L.A. headquarters is Landmark. And none of these chains is owned by a movie studio.

Isn't Landmark owned by Mark Cuban who also owns Magnolia?  =)  Sure it's not a 'major' but still an upcoming studio!

I'll probably take my niece and nephews to see Dragons in 3d this weekend and not see another movie in a theater this year.
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post #11 of 49
3/26/10 at 8:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sam Posten View Post

Quote:


Isn't Landmark owned by Mark Cuban who also owns Magnolia?  =)  Sure it's not a 'major' but still an upcoming studio!


 

By what definition is Magnolia a "studio"? It doesn't make movies. It's a distributor, nothing more.

(And, BTW, it too isn't in L.A. Offices are in New York and Austin.)
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post #12 of 49
3/26/10 at 10:48am
Went to a 3D matinee of "Alice in Wonderland" yesterday. With ticket, popcorn and drink, the total was $19.

That $1 Redbox rental on my home theater with my own popcorn and drink (probably under $1 for both) is looking better and better.
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post #13 of 49
3/26/10 at 11:10am
I agree that movies are cheap entertainment but not for movie buffs who go to see them almost every week (as Michael stated earlier). In NYC the movie theaters are very expensive - $12.50. I see about 70 or 80 movies in the theater each year. It's a relatively cheap activity but it stacks up when you calculate how much I spend for the year. But I have my ways to save...
I hate paying full price so what I usually do is go on Saturdays or Sundays before noon at AMC Theaters. Tickets are only $6, and all major releases play at one of the handful of AMC theaters in Manhattan. The A.M. is also my favorite time to see a movie because it's quiet and when the movie is over, you still have the day to do something else. I also have bought a lot of those AMC Gold tickets, which are good for any movie (you have to pay extra for 3D and Imax though) and I pay $7.50 for each ticket at regular times. But if the movie isn't playing at an AMC theater, then I reluctantly cough up the full price.
Edited by streeter - 3/26/10 at 11:21am
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post #14 of 49
3/26/10 at 11:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by streeter View Post

I hate paying full price so what I usually do is go on Saturdays or Sundays before noon at AMC Theaters. Tickets are only $6, and all major releases play at one of the handful of AMC theaters in Manhattan. The A.M. is also my favorite time to see a movie because it's quiet and when the movie is over, you still have the day to do something else. 

FWIW, that $6 pre-noon price now applies on weekdays too. And neither the $6 bargain ticket nor the $12.50 base price has changed, just the 3D and IMAX pricing.
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post #15 of 49
3/26/10 at 2:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Luisito34 View Post

Luckily for me I don't go to the movies to eat, I go to watch a movie so food prices don't affect me.
 

Same here! I never eat anything at theaters. The only reason I mentioned I ate a hot dog this time was because I went right from work to a 6:00 show and knew I wasn't going to be eating any dinner!
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post #16 of 49
3/26/10 at 3:27pm
For me, going to a theater to see a movie and not having popcorn is almost a crime. It's a part of what makes the experience enjoyable. The completely outlandish concession prices that most theaters charge certainly do affect my movie going habits, and in part dictate how often I spring to see theatrical releases.
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post #17 of 49
3/26/10 at 3:34pm

I never buy food at the theater. Just this morning, I walked into the theater with a Burger King bag (containing a croissanwich and hash browns) hidden in my sweat shirt. The way I look at it is that if a theater employee is brave enough to ask me why I smell like greasy potatoes and sound like a crinkling bag, they deserve to catch me.

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post #18 of 49
3/26/10 at 4:34pm
I'm still trying to figure out how Luis sneaks in a cup of McDonald's coffee. I'd think there would be serious burn possibilities if that went bad.

And I agree that theater popcorn is part of the movie-going experience. When I can no longer afford popcorn, I'll probably stop going altogether.
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post #19 of 49
3/26/10 at 5:56pm
Quote:
And I agree that theater popcorn is part of the movie-going experience.

Agreed!


The price of the 3D movies already kept me from them ( I am currently unemployed and have to pick and choose my movies wisely). The wife and I hit matinees all the time and the Marcus theater up the street from us has $2.00 Tuesdays (small popcorn, small soda and some other concession items are 2 bucks). So when we go on Tuesdays it does not break the bank. Also just like few of you have mentioned we began to enjoy the theaters again (people seemed a little more polite and less chatty). But if they continue to raise the prices, like the Post Office, I will quit going to movies and just rent.
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post #20 of 49
3/27/10 at 5:15pm
I recently went to see Alice In Wonderland and heard the following conversation as I was entering the theater:

12 year old girl:  (excitedly) "I sure hope this is good!"
Mom of three kids:  "I just spent $60...it BETTER be good!"

I gave up on concessions when I spent $19 to see Up:  $9.50 for the ticket, $9.50 for soda/popcorn.  If it was real butter being used, I MIGHT consider it, but it's yellow liquid of some sort....
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post #21 of 49
3/27/10 at 8:18pm
I'm going to alternate weekends to get popcorn to offset some of the ticket price increases, and see how it goes. I may just give up popcorn at the movies, which wouldn't be a bad thing, health-wise.
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post #22 of 49
3/27/10 at 9:36pm
In 1977, when I first started paying attention to ticket prices because I was going to see Star Wars every other weekend, it cost $3.50 to see a movie. Adjusted for inflation that comes to $12.50. Now where I live, Phoenix, to see a standard, non-3D movie, is about $10.00. Ticket prices are really just about where they have always been in terms of the cost of living.

Doug
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post #23 of 49
3/28/10 at 10:53am
Prices of movie tickets going up, in all fairness, isn't any different than any other industry that raises their prices over time. And it's relatively cheap when you compare taking your family to a movie to, say, going to a Baseball game.

Quote:
 
But it isn't "Hollywood" that's doing this. It's theater owners. There's a difference.

However, it could be cheaper to go to the theater if the studios actually let the theaters keep some of the money from ticket sales. I read recently that virtually all of the money from ticket sales from the first four weeks of a run goes right to the studios. This is also why concessions are so expensive, because the popcorn is what keeps a theater in business. So even though I don't like paying the high prices for food, I try to make a point of buying something every once and a while.

Quote:
I may just give up popcorn at the movies, which wouldn't be a bad thing, health-wise.
 

I also recently read an article on how bad the popcorn is for you. I knew it was bad, but I was amazed at how bad it really was. Not saying I'm always the healthiest eater, but when eating popcorn is up there with eating a big steak, I say fuck the popcorn.
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post #24 of 49
3/28/10 at 11:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by WillG View Post

Prices of movie tickets going up, in all fairness, isn't any different than any other industry that raises their prices over time. And it's relatively cheap when you compare taking your family to a movie to, say, going to a Baseball game.
 


 


Yeah, I still buy a couple of magazines and they're $9 each so that's more than a movie ticket. And $4 is becoming the norm for a comic book and that's usually 1/4 or 1/6 of a story.
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post #25 of 49
3/28/10 at 12:00pm
I can see when it comes to a hobby of seeing movies in a theater or collecting movies, how much it costs (with in reason) does not stop people from enjoying their hobby. But, I still can not justify going to a theater or buying a movie when there is Block Buster. All that is needed is $19.95 per month and some patience. So I don't see a movie the first week (or 3-4 months) it is out - so what? I have about 100 movie collection of my favorites that I like to see again and again, but BB has thousands that can be delivered to the house. If the unexpected guest drops by and wants to watch a movie, I have 5 store trade-ins per month, so I can get something from the store. Why buy one DVD/BluRay or see one movie in a theater, when for $19.95 (about the same price) I have access to more movies than I could ever watch in a month?

 I did see Avatar in 3D in a theater and my kids go to the theaters for dates. I don't know how much of the movie they are watching though.
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post #26 of 49
3/28/10 at 2:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by WillG View Post

 

However, it could be cheaper to go to the theater if the studios actually let the theaters keep some of the money from ticket sales. I read recently that virtually all of the money from ticket sales from the first four weeks of a run goes right to the studios. This is also why concessions are so expensive, because the popcorn is what keeps a theater in business. So even though I don't like paying the high prices for food, I try to make a point of buying something every once and a while.


 
This has been true ever sense the studios were forced to give up ownership of their theaters in 1948. Its the reason they don't let you bring your own food into the theater. You are robbing them by doing that. If they didn't sell popcorn, soda and candy, there would be no theaters to see movies in.

Doug
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post #27 of 49
3/28/10 at 3:15pm
When I go see a movie I go to one of our local casinos that offers a brunch for around $4.00 and then the tickets are $3.50. So for $7.50 I get to see the movie in a theater with very few people in it (sort of like having my own very large home theater) and lunch. I don't go to movies right when they come out. The last time I tried to do that not only did they oversold the theater and we walked in to all the seats full with people sitting in the aisles. I went back up to the desk and not only did we get our money back but they gave us tickets to see it at a later time.
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post #28 of 49
3/28/10 at 3:28pm
Concessions prices are staying the same but portion sizes are reduced (I'm told by a theater manager) :)

The pricing caught me by surprise, when yesterday's movie was fifty-cents (per ticket) more expensive than the last movie I saw.
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post #29 of 49
3/28/10 at 3:51pm
Plus, theaters seem to try to jack up 2D tickets when the summer comes around in May to take advantage of the larger crowds, who don't object as much to the 50 cent bump in ticket prices.  But the 3D price bumps will get people's attention, and I suspect people will be pickier in which 3D movies they go see at the theaters.
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post #30 of 49
3/28/10 at 4:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Sun View Post

Plus, theaters seem to try to jack up 2D tickets when the summer comes around in May to take advantage of the larger crowds, who don't object as much to the 50 cent bump in ticket prices.  But the 3D price bumps will get people's attention, and I suspect people will be pickier in which 3D movies they go see at the theaters.
 

Exactly. Ticket prices creep up every year. It's just because 3D is such a big story now that this is getting as much press as it does.
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