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[bud]

i don't like to eat while watching a movie. i can't stand hearing myself chewing on popcorn or whatever while i'm trying to listen to what's happening on-screen.

heck, i can't do anything else while watching a movie.

 

[CassidyIzABeast]

a chick with a big purse FTW

 

[StoOgE]

So does not buying any food/drink at all because it's so expensive amount to theft as well?

No. That is part of the theaters gamble is that you will want snacks while you watch the movie.

You are not obligated to buy drinks/snacks. But the theaters rules are that you can't sneak outside food and drink into a theater. That is part of your agreement when you purchase your ticket.

Sneaking stuff into a theater is dishonest.

As someone who managed a theater in college, I can tell you, theaters make almost nothing on big new releases. The theaters in your town get into a bidding war to get the movies and typically have to give up 100% of ticket sales for the first 4-6 weeks.

The entire film industries business model is borderline retarded which causes ticket prices to go up (theaters with higher ticket prices win the bidding wars for the big new movie since the studio makes more), causes theaters to have to jack up prices on snacks (giving up 100% of ticket sales to the movie studio gets you the big movies, but then you make nothing on tickets).

Alamo Drafthouse is the only theater I've ever worked for that had a business model that actually makes any fucking sense at all... their ushers make a shitload of money off of tips and the theater chain is actually profitable. People want to buy their food because it is actually good and not overpriced.. because Alamo doesn't have to pay their ushers minimum wage because of the tip money.

Both Regal and Cinemark are a couple of bad years from going bankrupt. Hell, Regal is just coming out of bankrupcy from about 5 years ago.

Small town theaters ironically are typically pretty profitable and have better drink prices because they don't have to get into a bidding war for the movies they want. The worst thing that can happen to a small towns ticket and snack prices is a new cinema opening up across town.

 

[x Power Pad Death Stomp x]

Sneaking stuff into a theater is dishonest.

This.

When I go to the movies with friends, a quick stop at the store for candy/soda and wearing cargo shorts/pants is a must.

When I take my daughter to the movies, it's overpriced candy/juice/popcorn for us.

I figure I am already ruined, but I refuse to show her the bad example.

 

[GhaleonEB]

This.

When I go to the movies with friends, a quick stop at the store for candy/soda and wearing cargo shorts/pants is a must.

When I take my daughter to the movies, it's overpriced candy/juice/popcorn for us.

I figure I am already ruined, but I refuse to show her the bad example.

As a general rule, I'm fine taking stuff into the theater that they don't sell, or that they mark up beyond what I consider to be reason. So I'll buy their popcorn even if it's expensive as hell because I like popcorn with the movie. I figure that's just the price for loving popcorn while watching movies.

But if I've got candy at home they don't sell there, and we want some, we'll bring it. And if they're charging $3 for a box of milk duds when it's $1 at the store next door, we'll go there. Their concession stand is in competition with everyone else, and I don't feel the need to abandon comparison shopping just for them.

 

[timetokill]

It's funny... I never saw Titanic in theatres (only on video after my sister got it for Christmas one year).... and there's a good chance I won't see Avatar :lol

I just cannot get over how awful the story stuff looked in the trailers, and from reviews it hasn't really got me thinking any differently about it. The only reason to see it, it seems, is to see the tech -- and I just can't imagine it being mindblowing enough to spend the money on it when things are tight.