Outrageous Prices at the Movies

[FI@35]

Gave up movie theaters a long time ago too for all of the reasons already posted. I use Netflix and watch movies on my laptop using Bose headphones (good for apartments). I've found that the experience of watching a DVD with my laptop 20-25" from my face is similar to watching a big screen. And I can crank up the volume with the headphones and it's as good or better than theater sound IMHO. Also, now I don't need to buy a big flatscreen TV  .

 

[bpp]

I'm amazed that you haven't been labeled a whiner! Hawaii's cheapest tickets start at $6.25... and spam musubi are selling for prices that must mean that they're made out of gold bullion.

$6.25 is cheap! Try $15/ticket, and you can't even get spam musubi. I do actually prefer the communal, big-screen experience, but dang. I haven't been to a movie theater in about 10 years. My kid probably doesn't even know that movies come in any format other than video.

 

[FlowGirl]

We like the theater experience, but lately there's not much out there that we want to see so we end up going out only about once every 2 months. We have Netflix (yes they deliver to military addresses abroad, and with a pretty decent turnaround time too) and an average size TV. I could probably get by without the Netflix, but the husband has pretty obscure taste in film.

 

[KB]

Our matinee is 6.25 and the evening movie is 10.50.

Lately, I've been going to the movies with my son; the 18 year old son who moved out last October. We go to lunch before the movie so we don't need a snack or drinks. I always bring a water in my purse.

I'm willing to spend the money to spend time with my kid. Otherwise I wouldn't pay for the movies. I wait until free HBO or another movie channel on DirecTV and record all the movies I want to see.

 

[astromeria]

I'm content to see most movies at home, but I prefer the theatre for great cinematography or sound--so far this year Brokeback Mountain, The New World, The DaVinci Code, Prairie Home Companion. DH went to MI-III and X-Men III, but I require redeeming social value in a guy movie

I care about the "shared experience" when I see movies with friends or family. But as an INTP, I tend not to bond with groups of random strangers, even if we happen to laugh at the same thing I like to go to the movies when as few people as possible are there (not the first weekend, for example).

 

[kaudrey]

We like movies too but don't go often because of the cost - it's about $9.50 here for regular tickets.

We have a Cinema-N-Drafthouse that we go to more often - they have $1 movies on Mondays, and it's $5 the rest of the week. They serve regular food (pizzas, hot sandwiches, salads, appetizers), snacks, and have a full liquor license. It's great. And the food/drinks are not overpriced.

 

[Nords]

... but I require redeeming social value in a guy movie 

Well, heck, then it wouldn't be a guy movie!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

What is this "redeeming social value" that you speak of?

 

[JB]

I find it very difficult to watch some types of movies at home. Some films require that you're forced to sit through uncomfortable or even boring parts. These can be great films, but if I'm at home it's just too easy to become distracted or fall asleep. An example is David Lynch -- Eraserhead or Mulholland Drive. It's also much easier for me to engage in a film with subtitles while in a theatre.

 

[astromeria]

What is this "redeeming social value" that you speak of?

Something to watch & listen to besides stuff blowing up, car chases, and scantily clad women--like characters & relationships with a little depth. The Matrix (decent premise & acting, unusual visuals, interesting interpretation of the hero's journey, "There is no spoon"), Star Wars (great music & production, Alec Guinness, relationships), Total Recall (good story & visual effects, relationships), The Fifth Element (unusual!), some of the Bond movies, classic 50s sci-fi like Forbidden Planet (good story, sound effects & Theremin), The Day the Earth Stood Still (Michael Rennie--swoon, good story), Them, some film noir (Dark Passage, Maltese Falcon, White Heat), Treasure of the Sierra Madre (story, direction, Bogie, the Hustons)...

 

[Nords]

Something to watch & listen to besides stuff blowing up, car chases, and scantily clad women--

Sorry, you lost me when I noticed that this list doesn't include "body count"...

 

[mickeyd]

CINEMARK

If you have a Cinemark theater in your community as I do, you can see movies for a cheap as 75 cents if you get there for the first showing of the day (around 11-noon usually) during school days. On Tuesday during the summer all seats are $1.00. Normal admission cost is $1.50.

Not all moveis are available, but they are ones that are just about to go to DVD.  Most have been in release for a couple of months.

Skip the concession stand and smuggle in your own eats. I often bring lunch in my jacket pocket.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Thats funny. I've bought my own food and drinks into movie theaters for years and not once ever had anyone say anything to me. Until I read this thread it never occurred to me that the movie theater people would have any problem with it.

 

[Eagle43]

Don't go to the movies anymore, primarily because people disturb me with cellphones, yaking, taller, etc.  Also, the price.  I like getting the DVD and watching at home; if I wanna stop the video for phone call, bathroom break, or snack break, booze break, or even to replay a scene, I can... for half the price.

When we were going, we used to bring our own popcorn, candy bar, etc.  I think the movie industry calls people who bring food "picnickers".  Most of the food at the movie theater is way over-priced. I even get the DVD from the library when I can. I've been watching The Sopranos lately. I am just a cheap ba$tard, I guess. 

 

[KB]

My son was stopped last week walking in with a soda. Had to throw it out before going in.
We usually take water bottles in, but they are in my purse or in pockets. So, apparently if they can see it, it isn't allowed.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Huh. I've walked in with sandwiches, bags of french fries and a soda in my hands. Granted not in the last 5 years. Never even thought about it.

If they told me I couldnt bring in my own food, they'd have to refund my ticket!

Theres no way i'm giving them ten bucks for a soda and popcorn.

Theres only one time I had someone give me a hard time about bringing in food, and that was at a hotel in Cancun about 15 years ago. Not a particularly special place, seemed nice but middle of the road. I'm walking in the front door with a six pack, and some dude directing cab traffic out front points at a freshly erected sign that says "This is a ***** hotel, outside food and beverages are not allowed". Having had that pointed out, I removed two of the "*"'s, handed them to the guy and said "there, now you're just a three star hotel and my six pack is a-ok" and proceeded through to the beach.

They kept putting the "*"'s back up and I kept taking a random number from 1-4 down every day and hiding them somewhere in the lobby. Either they were good at finding them, or they had a big bag of stars somewhere...

 

[mickeyd]

This thread prompts me to ask a question about outside food and beverages on ship cruises. I have always assumed that passangers on the cruise are allowed to bring aboard anything that they please including snacks and adult beverages.

I know that food is part of the price on a cruise (never been aboard one) but I am under the impression that cocktails, beer, wine etc are a cost item (at a high price). Am I correct on this assumption?

If the cost is high, as I assume, and a crusier brings aboard goodies that reduce the bar tab a bit, what's the harm?

 

[Nords]

If the cost is high, as I assume, and a crusier brings aboard goodies that reduce the bar tab a bit, what's the harm?

NCL will allow liquor to be brought on board their Hawaii ships, but they hold it "in bond" for you until debarkation. You can't imbibe it on board unless you buy it from them.

Presumably it's a customs issue on their Fanning Island cruises, and perhaps they've relaxed the rules on the neighbor-island cruises. But I doubt they'd give up one of their major profit centers...

 

[spideyrdpd]

They have discount deals if you buy tickets in bulk. You can get them online from the warehouse stores or the entertainment book. Although they are cheaper they still arent cheap though .
if you really want to buy in bulk you can get them straight from regal
http://www.regalcinemas.com/cgi-bin/shop/shop.pl?terms=22
Maybe it would work with that barter system

 

[mickeyd]

In pursuit of a reply about stashing a bottle or 2 of Jack Daniels in the luggage, are the bags of the passangers searched in order to ferrit out contraband like JD? If not, what is to keep a cruiser from getting liqurered up in the stateroom prior to shipboard activities?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I guess the bag full of booze bottles and the battery operated blender I bought on my last cruise would be frowned on these days

 

[Nords]

In pursuit of a reply about stashing a bottle or 2 of Jack Daniels in the luggage, are the bags of the passangers searched in order to ferrit out contraband like JD? If not, what is to keep a cruiser from getting liqurered up in the stateroom prior to shipboard activities?

I'm sure the luggage is sent through some sort of imaging system before it goes onboard.

So the JD or the Wild Turkey might get through unscathed. But the Chivas or the single malt would probably be "missing"...

 

[justin]

check out cruisecritic.com message boards for your cruise line of choice to see what the unstated policy re: alcohol and searches is.

When returning from the daytrip to some Caribbean island, I've personally walked on board a Celebrity ship with 2 large cardboard boxes labeled "LIQUOR" in really big letters. They were obviously full of liquor and were heavy. There's a check-in table where they ask you to deposit your liquor while you're on the ship. Then you pick it up when you disembark. I just held my head up high, acted uber-confident, and walked straight past the liquor-check table and proceeded to my stateroom. Needless to say, the 3-4 gallons of liquor I bought were more than plenty.

As to carrying it on board, I think their security checks are mostly for explosives and weapons. I'm guessing a bottle or two wouldn't be noticed. If you're worried, conceal the contents in ubiquitous containers. Tequila or dark rum goes in the 20 oz apple juice bottle. Vodka or clear rum goes into Evian bottles. You get the idea.

I've heard some people even take a 12 pack or two on board.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Hmm...lets see...we're putting billions into bureaucracy to protect us from terrorism and we dont x-ray checked airline baggage.

What do you think the odds are that a cruise line is doing it in exchange for your $2000 fare?

The good news is, after a cruise ship is blown up, we'll add a whole new division to HS and put a huge and annoying group of security people to check you as you embark and disembark. But we still wont check your baggage.

 

[Nords]

What do you think the odds are that a cruise line is doing it in exchange for your $2000 fare?

I can only speak for NCL and the imaging system that they have at the Honolulu Harbor embarkation pier. You know, the one you pass your luggage through and watch on the screen before you go stand in line...

$2000?!? Yikes! $250-$500, and that's including a week of port taxes & tips. It helps to be living 30 minutes away from the pier.