National Cinema Day September 3, 2022 All Movies All Formats $3.00 (1 Viewer)

[B-ROLL]

The average movie ticket price is about $9.50.
My point is that if you take away concession profit margins, the 'fair market' price would be $20-40 to achieve the same profits.
Nobody would want to pay that.

To see The Towering Inferno in 1974 My Mom Paid $14.50 each (MANN Theaters wouldn't allow a Student Discount without a MANN STUDENT DISCOUNT CARD - Cost $5.00 good for one quarter {four months}: discount: $2.50 - by my memory. So I was charged as an "Adult" ie over 12 years old.)

According to this site $1 in 1974 = $5.05 in 2021 so each ticket would have been about $73.

Value of 1974 US Dollars today - Inflation Calculator

How much are 1974 dollars (USD) worth today? This tool calculates the time value of money based on inflation and CPI historical data from the United States.

www.inflationtool.com

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I would have bought that but didn’t see it on the board at this location.

I saw that offer in the email from AMC telling me about the $3 tix too.

Here yah goes... although the site doesn't make clear about any other day besides Tues (and something about Disney+ subscribers in another section I found):

Discount Tuesdays

Save on tickets and more on Tuesdays! It’s just a weekly reminder of the many perks of being an AMC Stubs member!

www.amctheatres.com

One more reason to go on Tuesdays -- and like you, I could certainly stomach $5 for their cameo combo, especially if I'm only paying $5 for the ticket... although I'll probably need to be careful about needing a sudden bathroom break, LOL.

If folks think that theaters shouldn't rely on concessions to make a profit, just ask yourselves if you are willing to pay $20-$40 for a movie ticket?
Ever since the Consent Decree in 1948, the studios have taken to asking for more and more from theaters. The Decree was overturned a year or so ago, so we'll see if any changes are forthcoming (Netflix and Amazon have recently bought theaters in L.A.).
Still, until then, theaters' business models rely on concession stand sales for profit. It's that simple.

Not sure that matters a whole lot as I'm already paying (well) over $20/ticket unless I go for whatever discounted deals outside their busier times (and even then, it's still over $20 in some cases, especially if one includes the convenience fee) or maybe something like AMC's A-List deal -- I prefer to go during non-busy times though anyway.

Either way, basically, the theaters need to make enough $$$ however they get there. Some of us just don't want to feel like we're being ripped off w/ outrageously priced concessions that we might not even normally want -- as I said, I'm not a big snacker during movies, no longer into junk food in general and would be much more willing/wanting if they're offering (more) "real" food (though still w/out being outrageously priced... and some like Alamo do offer that). IF the cost of a ticket really needs to be $30-40, so be it -- many of us do pay waaay more for other entertainment events afterall while some already do it for movies by buying their concessions anyway. Maybe that'd also push theaters to actually do better in the actual presentation of movies and make people value the experience itself more/better than many seem to. People do have a tendency to value things less if priced (substantially) cheaper.

Definition of CONCESSION

the act or an instance of conceding (as by granting something as a right, accepting something as true, or acknowledging defeat); the admitting of a point claimed in argument; something conceded or granted:… See the full definition

www.merriam-webster.com

con·ces·sion | \ kən-ˈse-shən
\

plural concessions

Definition of concession​

1a : the act or an instance of conceding (as by granting something as a right, accepting something as true, or acknowledging defeat) The union will seek further concessions before accepting the contract.

b : the admitting of a point claimed in argument



2 : something conceded or granted:

a : acknowledgment, admission

b : something done or agreed to usually grudgingly in order to reach an agreement or improve a situation The ending of the movie was changed as a concession to the American audience's sensibilities.

c(1) : a grant of land or property especially by a government in return for services or for a particular use

(2) : a right to undertake and profit by a specified activity a concession to drill for oil

(3) : a lease of a portion of premises for a particular purpose also : the portion leased or the activities carried on



3a : a small business or shop where things are sold in a public place (such as a sports stadium or theater) The theater had real Raisinets at the concession, so I got some of those, too.— Neal Fandek … Billie's visiting with her father, and I'm standing alone at the concession stand, buying my butterless corn.— Carrie Fisher

b concessions plural : things sold at such a business Spectators spend an average of $5 per game on concessions.— Jack Gallagher

From an advert on HTF:
View attachment 151945

Hmmm... all that would seem to apply if/whenever I do buy concessions at a theater for outrageous prices, LOL...



_Man_

 

[JoeStemme]

To see The Towering Inferno in 1974 My Mom Paid $14.50 each (MANN Theaters wouldn't allow a Student Discount without a MANN STUDENT DISCOUNT CARD - Cost $5.00 good for one quarter {four months}: discount: $2.50 - by my memory. So I was charged as an "Adult" ie over 12 years old.)

According to this site $1 in 1974 = $5.05 in 2021 so each ticket would have been about $73.

Value of 1974 US Dollars today - Inflation Calculator

How much are 1974 dollars (USD) worth today? This tool calculates the time value of money based on inflation and CPI historical data from the United States.

www.inflationtool.com

Not sure where you are getting THAT info! The average ticket price in 1974 was about $1.80, or about $10 today.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

FWIW, I would add I'm not completely unsympathetic about the theaters' plight... just as w/ other bizz like restaurants, etc too.

However, I do want to see them try/do better though if I'm gonna do my part to help them stay in business... and I do find their model stagnant and contributing toward what seems like careless, lazy, poorly run operations much too often...

And it doesn't help them that the at-home competition has risen to where it is nowadays...

_Man_

 

[Colin Jacobson]

AMC here has the Cameo combo for $5

Small popcorn and soda. Good deal. Right @Colin Jacobson

On that we agree!

Is it still available everyday for $5 at the AMCs you frequent?

 

[Colin Jacobson]

I think you gotta ask for it. I don’t think they’re advertising at the theater.

Correct. I've never seen the Cameo Combo actually listed on the menu at an AMC.

And in its non-discounted version, it's not a great deal. It's like $11.50 or $12 if they don't apply the discount to make it $5.

That's cheaper than a large combo by $5, but given the difference in size, the large is probably how I'd go if I couldn't get the Cameo for $5.

Actually, for A-List or "Stubs Elite" - or whatever the paid Stubs program is called - it'd be cheaper to order a medium drink and a medium popcorn ala carte.

We get a free large upgrade for the price of medium, so ala carte medium popcorn + drink = $15.20 or about $1.50 cheaper than the large combo.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

To see The Towering Inferno in 1974 My Mom Paid $14.50 each (MANN Theaters wouldn't allow a Student Discount without a MANN STUDENT DISCOUNT CARD - Cost $5.00 good for one quarter {four months}: discount: $2.50 - by my memory. So I was charged as an "Adult" ie over 12 years old.)

According to this site $1 in 1974 = $5.05 in 2021 so each ticket would have been about $73.

Value of 1974 US Dollars today - Inflation Calculator

How much are 1974 dollars (USD) worth today? This tool calculates the time value of money based on inflation and CPI historical data from the United States.

www.inflationtool.com

Wait - you claim that tickets for "Towering Inferno" were $14.50 in 1974? In actual 1974 dollars? Not the 1974 price adjusted for 2022 dollars?

 

[JoeStemme]

Wait - you claim that tickets for "Towering Inferno" were $14.50 in 1974? In actual 1974 dollars? Not the 1974 price adjusted for 2022 dollars?

As I posted above. I looked it up. The average was about $1.80 or just over $10 adjusted

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Wait - you claim that tickets for "Towering Inferno" were $14.50 in 1974? In actual 1974 dollars? Not the 1974 price adjusted for 2022 dollars?

Yeah, that's gotta be wrong, if he's thinking 1974 dollars. Movie tickets didn't even reach ~$10 over here in NYC until the very late 80's at least, if not early 90's, IIRC. People in the mainstream were definitely complaining about breaking that $10 level back then...

I was too young to recall back in '74... plus I wasn't even in this country back then, LOL, but pretty sure we didn't even pay $10 (for adults) for Empire Strikes Back.

_Man_

 

[B-ROLL]

Yeah, that's gotta be wrong, if he's thinking 1974 dollars. Movie tickets didn't even reach ~$10 over here in NYC until the very late 80's at least, if not early 90's, IIRC. People in the mainstream were definitely complaining about breaking that $10 level back then...

I was too young to recall back in '74... plus I wasn't even in this country back then, LOL, but pretty sure we didn't even pay $10 (for adults) for Empire Strikes Back.

_Man_

It was Xmas day and that's what they charged. Maybe it was for the both of us but that's what they charged. If I went to a movie I paid at least $5 for a matinee $7.50 for Prime-time. At one time they had a "Kiddie Matinee" that had a stage show from local kids show hosts, cartoons. an episode of a serial and a feature for 50 cents that went up to $1. Other than at a "Dollar" theater I don't remember paying less than $5.00 for a regular new release film.

 

[JoeStemme]

It was Xmas day and that's what they charged. Maybe it was for the both of us but that's what they charged. If I went to a movie I paid at least $5 for a matinee $7.50 for Prime-time. At one time they had a "Kiddie Matinee" that had a stage show from local kids show hosts, cartoons. an episode of a serial and a feature for 50 cents that went up to $1. Other than at a "Dollar" theater I don't remember paying less than $5.00 for a regular new release film.

Sorry. But your memory is faulty here. Go to the MPAA site and other similar ones. The averages for 1974 run between about $1.70 to $1.90. Yes, that means there may have been $3-$4 in some big cities, but, that would also mean a whole lotta 50c to $1 to meet that average.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

As I posted above. I looked it up. The average was about $1.80 or just over $10 adjusted

That has nothing to do with what I asked.

The post claimed that a ticket to "Towering Inferno" cost $14.50. I asked about that claim.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

It was Xmas day and that's what they charged. Maybe it was for the both of us but that's what they charged. If I went to a movie I paid at least $5 for a matinee $7.50 for Prime-time. At one time they had a "Kiddie Matinee" that had a stage show from local kids show hosts, cartoons. an episode of a serial and a feature for 50 cents that went up to $1. Other than at a "Dollar" theater I don't remember paying less than $5.00 for a regular new release film.

Here in the DC area, matinees were still $5 or so through the end of the 1990s.

Honestly can't imagine anyplace in the US charged $5 for matinees 25 years earlier.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Apparently, I misremembered and was probably a decade early w/ my stated $10 ticket price too...

Film Price Hits $8.50, But There Are Ways To Save (Published 1996)

www.nytimes.com

Not sure how true the NYT article claim is, but it states that Manhattan had the highest ticket prices around the country (in case anyone can't/don't want to get thru the paywall).

I wasn't in NYC much during the late-80's (nor went to movie theaters here w/ any regularity back then) though due to being away for college...

But yes, I do remember complaints about it reaching/exceeding ~$8 around the early-to-mid-90's as well now that I dug that up, LOL...

_Man_

 

[Tino]

Memory is a funny, unreliable thing. Don’t rely on it

 

[John Dirk]

If folks think that theaters shouldn't rely on concessions to make a profit, just ask yourselves if you are willing to pay $20-$40 for a movie ticket?

Respectfully, whatever happened to people just agreeing to disagree? Why the need to force others to see things the way you do? It's usually futile and always rude.

 

[JoeStemme]

Respectfully, whatever happened to people just agreeing to disagree? Why the need to force others to see things the way you do? It's usually futile and always rude.

I have several friends in the theater business. I know the numbers. I know their stories.

If you set concessession stand prices at right above wholesale level, ticket prices would rise. Probably to double or more. It's simple economics. Facts (they used to mean something - and it wasn't "force").

OK. Have a good day in your world.

 

[John Dirk]

So telling the truth of the situation is a "force"? "Futile"? "Rude"?

If you set concessession stand prices at right above wholesale level, ticket prices would rise. Probably to double or more. It's simple economics. Facts (they used to mean something).

OK. Welcome to America 2022.

You stated an opinion. Others considered it. Some agreed but others disagreed and stated rebuttal opinions. In the spirit of mutual respect, that's where I would leave it.

 

[JoeStemme]

So why single me out? it's obvious that the facts I delineated struck a nerve. Just say you disagree and move on. No need to single mine out as "rude" (talk about the pot calling the kettle black).

 

[Robert Crawford]

I think all of us need to move on!