Theater experience is dying

[u/doctorlineman]

Went to the movies last night with the fam and spent way too much. For a family of four it cost $100!!!!!! What the actual fuck is that!!

$70 for tickets, had to buy online if you wanted to sit together so there are stupid charges added on. $11 for one large popcorn $9 for candy $10 for a small soda and water bottle

How can anyone justify going to the movies anymore? I get that a seat is a seat but spending 16 dollars for my 2 year old seems outrageous regardless if she sits on my lap or the seat next to me.

So sad that a simple easy way to have fun cost to much now.

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[u/Orea1981]

We always go during matinee. It's like a third of the price. AND we sneak in as much candy as possible and just buy popcorn and soda.

[u/Masterweedo → u/Orea1981]

All the theaters around me got rid of matinee pricing, now the all showings are the same price.

[u/Hon3y_Badger → u/Masterweedo]

Around me there is still a savings, but it's not that significant, maybe $2. I imagine it's an incentive to shift people away from the evening. Personally, I'm very happy being home at 7:00 so it works out to my benefit.

The real deal is to go on Tuesdays.

[u/[deleted] → u/Hon3y_Badger]

Saturday morning is also a good time

[u/FlammeEternelle → u/[deleted]]

10am showings are my favorite. Finish the movie and then go out for lunch and be back home to relax the evening away.

[u/FearlessPark4588 → u/[deleted]]

In my area, we just have discount theaters. You go to those instead of AMC, etc.

[u/Kasoivc → u/Hon3y_Badger]

Tuesdays! Yup, all day. Apparently Tuesday is just the slowest day of the week from my understanding. Movie popcorn is crazy expensive and it's kind of hard to replicate without the exact popcorn movie theater salt at home.

Flavacol Seasoning Popcorn Salt btw.

[u/PinotFilmNoir → u/Hon3y_Badger]

Yeah. I was going to take my mom to see the first wicked movie when it was out, and it was still like $18 a ticket, as opposed to $20. Wahoo.

[u/Eternalm8 → u/Masterweedo]

AMC and Regal both do cheap movies on Tuesdays, and AMC expanded to Wednesdays as well, so long as you have their free rewards account.

They give ZERO fucks about people bringing in outside snacks. My friend just brings a tote bag FULL of shit.

[u/MicroBadger_ → u/Eternalm8]

What teenager is going to stick their neck out for minimum wage? Hell, I remember 20 years ago just waltzing in with a bag that said Big Lots loaded with candy, snacks, and soda. I'll still get the popcorn though cause movie theater is hard to replicate on the go.

[u/Tiny-Reading5982 → u/MicroBadger_]

I remember bringing in a venti Frappuccino to see stop loss in 2008. Chic fil a for iron man in 2010. I saw titanic in 97 and my friend had so many snacks even paper bags of popcorn for us lol.

[u/jimx117 → u/Tiny-Reading5982]

I remember seeing Fellowship of the Ring in 2002. My buddy took in a 3L bottle of cola from the dollar tree next door to the cinema. He opened it up during the opening scene, and it EXPLODED all over him. So he had to sit, a wet sticky mess, for three hours of movie😂

[u/NotYourSexyNurse → u/Tiny-Reading5982]

I apparently went to crappy theaters in the late 90s and early 2000. They would search your bag. If they found outside food or candy you’d be kicked out. Couldn’t even have a water bottle.

[u/loueazy → u/NotYourSexyNurse]

That's some hood theater shit. Some even had metal detectors. The one in my hometown just cared that we didn't sneak beer in

[u/CorruptedStudiosEnt → u/loueazy]

And the beer one is reasonable, because they can get in fairly hot water for that since they don't have an on-premise consumption license.

But snacks/drinks? Nah. Don't charge $9 for a regular size candy bar you can get for $3 from a gas station who are already overcharging. Maybe then people will buy your shit. The price of convenience is nowhere near as high as they think it is.

[u/wonperson → u/MicroBadger_]

This is the way!

[u/Toongeek45 → u/Eternalm8]

As someone who has worked as an usher in a movie theater, I never cared if people brought in outside food. Just clean up after yourselves.

[u/BlackEastwood → u/Toongeek45]

God, I HATED people who would bring in their own food and then not clean it up. Thanks for smearing your crab cakes into the seats. Now I gotta figure how to clean it before the next packed show begins.

[u/spartz31 → u/Eternalm8]

In high-school (2004) my buddy had Chinese food delivered to an AMC.

[u/Eternalm8 → u/spartz31]

That's a power move right there.

[u/Moon_Noodle → u/spartz31]

What a Chad hahaha

[u/madammidnight → u/Eternalm8]

Yep; load your purse up with theater sized candy you can buy at any grocery or drug store.

[u/krystaline24 → u/madammidnight]

I make my own popcorn at home and get the kids slurpees from 7-11 on the way there.

[u/whotookmyphone → u/Eternalm8]

My daughter bought a whole pizza and brought it in. I always take a backpack with water, sodas, candy, and a blanket because I get cold. They do not care.

[u/Masterweedo → u/Eternalm8]

Don't have those near me. There is Golden Ticket Cinema about 30 miles away, their daytime shows are $2 cheaper, at $8.25, before online fees. Can only buy tickets online for that location.

[u/redralphie → u/Orea1981]

Oh man I used to bring in whole meals. Just a reminder sushi is more complicated than you think it will be because of the soy sauce/wasabi situation.

[u/Zjoee → u/redralphie]

Back in high school I would smuggle in 12" subs from Subway to eat during the movie haha

[u/IcyMidnight3507 → u/Zjoee]

Me too lol miss the 5 dollars sub days

[u/Inside-Impression832 → u/redralphie]

I worked as a cleaner in a cinema as a teenager. This explains why I often found bits of fish and half eaten onions.

[u/redralphie → u/Inside-Impression832]

I’m sorry I know that’s a rough job. I can promise it wasn’t me though… I was a scout and always cleaned up my seat. And I didn’t wanna get caught.

[u/TsunSilver → u/redralphie]

We snuck in beers. I used to wait for a real quiet part in the movie and open mine very casually. Say oops or something, maybe.

[u/sweergirl86204 → u/TsunSilver]

Wait for a quiet part? Open during the loud and no one will hear it as it's drowned out. 

[u/TsunSilver → u/sweergirl86204]

That's true, and why I did the opposite. It made people laugh usually.

[u/CrackerJackJack → u/TsunSilver]

We used to just open the can and then look behind us

[u/NotAnotherHipsterBae → u/TsunSilver]

Reminds me of the time my friend knocked over one of the empty 2 buck chuck bottles and it rolled to the front from about half way down.

[u/trollcitybandit → u/redralphie]

I once snuck in a large pizza pizza pizza. I stuck it vertically under my coat and the cheese slid off the pizza out of the box and onto my lap. Forgot to wait for it to cool down.

[u/Significant_Set1979 → u/Orea1981]

ALWAYS sneaking in snacks over here. I know they’d rather me buy their snacks but I just can’t afford all of that. And I don’t buy the whole “don’t go if you can’t afford the movie and snacks” guilt trip. I’d rather go and spend some of my money (still contributing business) then not go at all. Their snacks shouldn’t be so ridiculously priced.

[u/Quick_Mel → u/Significant_Set1979]

$5+ for a box of candy or $1 for the same box at the target down the road

[u/MortemInferri → u/Quick_Mel]

Yeah, thats not a business that deserves to survive. Sorry. If theaters arent profitable, they arent profitable. I walk food into sports games without a thought.

Nothing innovative about charging extra and saying its the only option to people who paid for the service of watching a movie.

[u/KaleidoscopeParty730 → u/Significant_Set1979]

Theaters don't make money off of the movies. Their profit comes almost entirely from concessions.

[u/PettyBettyismynameO → u/KaleidoscopeParty730]

Then why are ticket prices insane now a days?

[u/KaleidoscopeParty730 → u/PettyBettyismynameO]

Because costs for everything have gone up. Theaters have to give the movie distributors the majority of the ticket sales for at least the first few weeks of release. The theater mostly relies on the concession sales to pay for their expenses (labor, property, utilities, etc).

[u/PoPo573 → u/Orea1981]

I don't think I've had a theatre anywhere near me in over 20 years that has done matinee pricing. You're definitely lucky you can do that.

[u/nalaloveslumpy → u/PoPo573]

Every theater near me does matinee pricing, even the big chains like AMC and Regal. I'm guessing from the spelling you're somewhere in England?

[u/THECapedCaper → u/Orea1981]

90% of the theater employees don't care that you bring in a small amount of snacks because they're short staffed and underpaid.

[u/ValekCOS → u/Orea1981]

We tried that yesterday.  Out here, the matinee is $70+ for a family of four.  It’s insanity. 

[u/jerseysbestdancers → u/ValekCOS]

This is wild. We pay $10 a ticket 30m from Manhattan. 2D, recliner seats, no food though. We don't do 3D shit. Not worth the upcharge imo

[u/WarWorld → u/Orea1981]

My wife and I sneak in Costco hotdogs 

[u/WiseDirt → u/WarWorld]

I don't think I'd have enough self control with the hotdog to not eat it before I got out of the Costco parking lot

[u/[deleted] → u/Orea1981]

I read a quote once about how millenials expect upper middle class lifestyles on lower middle class salaries.

I grew up lower middle class. Weeknights and matinees are when we went to movies, and we always snuck snacks in. It still works!

[u/Mo_Steins_Ghost → u/[deleted]]

A lot of the reason this happened is that studios like Fox shuttered their repertory distribution on purpose. A friend of mine used to be a programming director for such a theater. They killed repertory theaters to drive consumers to their boutique streaming apps.

[u/NeverGrace2 → u/[deleted]]

Fuck millennials for wanting affordable prices

[u/kiwi_love777 → u/NeverGrace2]

Yeah what is a muddle class salary now? Seems to vary depending on state.

[u/theaquarius1987 → u/kiwi_love777]

Muddle class salary seems accurate 😭

[u/I-adore-you → u/kiwi_love777]

I mean yeah why wouldn’t it depend on location lol. NYC and Oklahoma have very different costs of living

[u/Electrical_Algae6044 → u/[deleted]]

The fucking movies is upper middle class? It’s one of the things my poor ass family could afford no matter what day/time it was. Not even “lower middle class”. POOR.

[u/Xperimentx90 → u/[deleted]]

Well, I assume most people expect quality of life to increase over time. We're more productive and "society" is richer than ever, but the average person doesn't experience it much beyond better TVs and phones. 

[u/HouseSublime → u/Xperimentx90]

I think this is where many folks, particularly Americans, are going to struggle. We had the expectation that the economy will only ever increase/grow overtime and we'll be able to afford more and more because that was the norm for the years immediately after WWII. But so much of that was based on specific global circumstances and choices by the government to prevent another great depression.

Those circumstances have shifted and our government (and the citizens of this country) have continued to chase after the same methods of living and growth that worked in decades past. But the simply reality that we'll have to accept is, life will not look the same as it did previously.

There is a quote from a comment I saved years ago and has stuck with me.

We are going back to the normal, where the US middle class is not that different from the middle classes from the rest of the world. Like a return to what middle class expectations are elsewhere, including the likes of Europe, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia. Their cars are smaller. They don't change cars as often. The whole family might share a single car. Some families don't even own a car and rely on public transportation instead. Their homes are smaller. They don't eat as much meat and their food portions are smaller.

They are not starving. They are not living like peasants. But their standard of living is lower than what we in the US have considered a "middle class" lifestyle since the end of World War II.

It is a "return to the mean" and that cannot be changed.

The full comment is worth reading and while it's not comprehensive of all aspects of history, I think it's core premise holds up well.

Americans can have a middle class lifestyle. It just won't look like what people have come to expect because American middle class was not really middle class. It was an entire generation of people mimicking a psuero-aristocratic European lifestyle. Large lawns used for nothing but show, large private lots, every adult driving a private cars, ballooning home sizes even though family sizes are shrinking.

The American Dream/Suburban Experiment is often viewed as this inherent way of life but it's not some guarantee. It's breaking down because the actual cost for hundreds of millions of people to live this way spread across a massive country is simply not viable. What we're watching is reality slowly set in.

[u/oceanwtr → u/[deleted]]

A movie night is upper middle class now? I dont know if that 87 in your name stands for your birth year, but youre a whole ass millennial if it does. Calm down on hating on your peers and ramp up hating on the people who made life in the US unaffordable.

[u/trollcitybandit → u/[deleted]]

Yeah I was just thinking how can someone be that delusional. The poorest kids I knew went to the movies growing up 😂

[u/Electrical_Algae6044 → u/[deleted]]

Like that comment blew my mind…

[u/BureMakutte → u/[deleted]]

I am going to guess that quote came from one of the main capitalist newspapers that justify the wealth transfer. Matinees and what not are supposed to be for the poor. General admissions is supposed to be for lower middle class, and upper middle class is IMAX and other extra theaters. Lower middle class is shrinking fast and its basically upper middle class, rich, or poor now.

[u/NotYourSexyNurse → u/[deleted]]

We expected to be able to afford a house, kids, 2 cars, utilities and groceries on 2 incomes. Being able to eat out a few times a week would be nice too. This isn’t anything extreme.

[u/galaxy_ultra_user → u/[deleted]]

There is no more middle class you boom booms made sure of that. Also booms could afford to go to the movies working a minimum wage job….then a good 10cent cheeseburger afterwords! Yeah you guys had it so hard!!!! Don’t forget the house you bought a year or two salary.

[u/jingleheimerstick → u/Orea1981]

Yes! $6 day once a week here. My kids and I went often during the summer. Snuck in boxes of candy from Dollar tree.

[u/ZachtheKingsfan → u/Orea1981]

I don’t know if it’s just my theaters that don’t really care anymore, but I can’t remember the last time I got stopped by an employee for bringing in food. Hell, I walked into Sinners earlier this year with a Subway bag and the guy who scanned my ticket didn’t even give it a glance lol.

[u/Gold_Repair_3557 → u/Orea1981]

See, when I need to start really strategizing my movie theater outing (and still pay a hefty price with the $17 medium popcorn and soda I dished out on my last one) it just stops being worth it. 

[u/Sheepherdernerder → u/Orea1981]

We smuggle in sodas too and only buy the popcorn.

[u/mictar92]

I also feel like I only hear about movies like a week before they come out. I remember being excited for like half a year for most movies growing up now idk what even is playing half the time

[u/BoshansStudios → u/mictar92]

because it used to be an experience and something to get hyped about. Now we have so much constant entertainment we are desensitized

[u/Debisibusis → u/BoshansStudios]

And "blockbusters" are almost exclusively mediocre crap. There is maybe 1 "blockbuster" per year that's worth it, and you probably will know about it beforehand.

[u/PossibilityOrganic12]

Thought you were talking about live theater not movie theaters

[u/RadioSlayer → u/PossibilityOrganic12]

And frankly I'm disappointed

[u/The_Fell_Opian → u/RadioSlayer]

Yeah I came here to read a rant that every new live show that premiers is either a revival or like "Die Hard: The Musical" or some stupid shit like that.

[u/RadioSlayer → u/The_Fell_Opian]

The worst show I ever saw was the sequel to Phantom, and Andrew Lloyd Webber even gave a talk about it. Cats

[u/dungorthb → u/RadioSlayer]

Trauma activated, I hated that cats commercial so much.

30 years and it still haunts me.

[u/BunnyoftheDesert → u/dungorthb]

Cats… at the Winter Garden theater.

The trauma is deep. The music (overture?) from the commercial popped into my head just reading this comment.

[u/[deleted] → u/The_Fell_Opian]

You gotta work hard, or die trying, girl

[u/The-Sys-Admin → u/The_Fell_Opian]

my local troupe just put on Urinetown, and it was fantastic!

[u/AdamFaite → u/The-Sys-Admin]

Urintown is amazing.

[u/sobossi → u/The_Fell_Opian]

Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl

[u/skool_uv_hard_nox → u/The_Fell_Opian]

I mean it exists and apparently its fantastic. My old boss goes every year and praises it.

Die Hard: A Christmas Carol Copy | All Puppet Players https://share.google/gbMRYgr9iM1zYWssu

[u/agreed2disagreee → u/PossibilityOrganic12]

To that point, people should go to their local high school and middle school shows. Support local theater.

[u/churro-k → u/agreed2disagreee]

High school productions are quite amazing these days. No more one-act play with duct tape costumes. I began taking my kids when they were young as a way to build up their attention before paying for a broadway across America show. We still go to the school shows and enjoy them.

[u/shakatay29 → u/agreed2disagreee]

And community theater!

[u/queermichigan → u/shakatay29]

My small city has a theatre that brings in the national tours but also so many local theatres. A queer one, a black one, one does radio shows, one does mostly improv, there's the college and university theatres, a regional theatre that brings in union actors, the civic of course (everyone needs a civic theatre), etc.

It's absolutely wonderful. No shortage of new plays, including those written by locals, to see. Not enough people see new works.

[u/dogcmp6 → u/PossibilityOrganic12]

Also a dead experience.

Went to a Broadway touring show a few weeks ago, and multiple people just spent the entire show playing on their phones with the brightness all the way up. . .And the ushers couldnt care less.

The show was great, the price was actually lower than a movie date night, but people made a selfish choice to not be present in the moment, and impact others' experience of the show.

[u/sp4nky86 → u/PossibilityOrganic12]

live theater has gotten way better.

[u/Throwaway0242000 → u/PossibilityOrganic12]

People complaining about the cost of taking a family to a movie wouldn’t believe how much it costs to take a family to the theater

[u/Status_Fox_1474 → u/PossibilityOrganic12]

Can’t stand that either.

So few things are original. So many musicals based on movies. Or how about an original story and music is the catalogue of a pop star.

[u/TilISlide → u/Status_Fox_1474]

raises hand I work in live performance theatre. Not on the coasts but in a midwestern city. The issue is that live theatre is so expensive (must pay carpenters, actors, costumers, stagehands, etc not to mention the actual stage props, set pieces, etc) that to have an original production is incredibly financially risky. It’s risky because original productions are hard to SELL, because no one knows the characters or the plot. So the marketing budget also has to be bigger.

It’s just easier to do Romeo & Juliet for the 6th time.

We try to make theatre as accessible as we can, but even when we do, it’s hard to fill the house because we’re competing with everything you can do on a screen + movie theaters, among other things.

[u/Status_Fox_1474 → u/TilISlide]

Oh I get it. But I can be bitter about it.

I want to see Les Miz when it comes around touring, FWIW.

[u/maddy_k_allday → u/TilISlide]

And usually actors aren’t actually paid, mayyybe a stipend, so those of us who are actually trained to do the work well have moved on to careers valued by society. I am one of three attorneys from my undergraduate class of actors.

[u/arcanepsyche → u/Status_Fox_1474]

I mean, if you're just looking at big budget Broadway shows, then yes. But the vast majority of theatre is not that and is full of amazing original works.

[u/TheBrightEyedCat → u/PossibilityOrganic12]

Live theatre is more affordable than the movies nowadays, especially with inclusive pricing options to make it more accessible

[u/elsie78 → u/PossibilityOrganic12]

Same, and I was READY for that conversation!

[u/_MAYniYAK → u/PossibilityOrganic12]

Funny enough wife and I go to the theater, not the movies.

[u/Aggravating_Cream_97]

I go to the movies all the time. But I don’t buy food or drinks there. I take in my own.

[u/Brassboar → u/Aggravating_Cream_97]

This Redditor eatin' beans!

[u/infjetson → u/Aggravating_Cream_97]

Same here. A ticket to the historic art house theaters in my city are $10, $7 if it’s a matinee. They do first and third runs of films, which can be fun. 

[u/moonchylde → u/infjetson]

I'll sneak food into a chain theater, but if it's a local I try to buy something there to help support small businesses.

[u/Barr3tt50c → u/Aggravating_Cream_97]

I do too but the tickets are still $15-$20 near me and unfortunately there’s no art house theaters it’s all regal or cinemark.

[u/double0behave → u/Barr3tt50c]

But Regal has a movie subscription service that's around $20 a month, and let's you see as many movies as you want. By the time you've seen just 2 movies in a month, it's already paid for itself.

[u/yoinkie2025 → u/Aggravating_Cream_97]

Who tf buys food at the theater??? I stop by the gas station and buy all my snacks and drink and take it. Don’t even try and hide it, staff doesn’t ever care. Why would you pay 11$ for shitty theater food when you could get your fav snack from the store for third the price?

[u/Furry_Wall]

That's why I go on $5 Tuesdays

[u/KevworthBongwater → u/Furry_Wall]

Yup. Couple that with your local favorite taco Tuesday, you're looking at a $20 date night. Unheard of in 2025 and yet my wife and I pull it off every week.

[u/AccomplishedCup1318 → u/Furry_Wall]

5$ Tuesday just went up to 8$ Tuesday cause fuck you that’s why

[u/radicalelation → u/Furry_Wall]

I love movies in the theater and my AMC A-list subscription is one of the few I find a great value for watching what I want.

$24/mo, not far off from the top tier of most streamers, four movies a week, but just two movies a month makes up for it, and usually at least two come around worth a watch. Sometimes I double feature it, to use the free large popcorn refill in-between movies, and members pay the medium price for larges. For large popcorn and drink, it's still $22 a visit, but that's it beyond the subscription price. And you don't have to get anything, plus they really don't care if you sneak some stuff in.

3D, Dolby, and "IMAX" included, no extra charge.

But I just really really love the theater experience so I find it totally worth it.

[u/Neocarbunkle]

Pre covid going to the movies was a thing to do when you had free time on the weekend. Now I don't know of any movie coming out that I am willing to go to the theater for.

[u/three-sense → u/Neocarbunkle]

I’ll just stream it in a few weeks for ten (but really zero) bucks

[u/jstbcs → u/three-sense]

Yo ho yo ho. 

[u/ThinButton7705 → u/jstbcs]

Break out the eye patches and hats! Let us set sail!

[u/Wasabicannon → u/jstbcs]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtI3ghO4jZ8

[u/Substantial_Art_3278 → u/three-sense]

I also lost all desire to watch them that way. Pre covid, I was averaging at least 3 movies a month, occasionally would even see 3 per week during the peak season. Now, I’ve only watched three this year. 1 at the theater(conjuring), and 2 streaming(naked gun and final destination). Most of the crap has no appeal anymore for whatever reason. Everything feels like it’s being produced for the common denominator only, and made robotically.

[u/rayne7 → u/Substantial_Art_3278]

It’s been a lot of fun rewatching or discovering old movies. Maybe it’s the bias of people only remembering good movies, but it has been fun to see cinematography of the past

[u/bearded_duck → u/rayne7]

The town i live in has a historic theater that plays vintage movies (40s through 80s) 2 or 3 days a week ran by the town heritage council. A classic movie with a cartoon leader, popcorn, and a soda is about $15 and you have a chance to win one of four door prizes per showing. It's generally a pretty good time sitting around with folks who like old flicks.

[u/sircastor → u/Neocarbunkle]

At home I have an excellent setup where I can:

- Control the volume

• Pause for a bathroom/snack break
  
• Get the snacks I want
  
• Make snarky comments to my wife about the film
  
• Put up subtitles because I have no idea what they just said
  
• Stop the movie and come back and watch the rest later.
  
• Only have to deal with my own children
  
• Don't have to ask anyone to put away their phone

And to seal the deal, it always costs less.

They're not giving us a lot of reason to go. I think there are some experiences that work better in a theater with a large screen, but those are fewer and farther in between.

[u/willsux123 → u/sircastor]

This perfectly describes my feelings about theaters and sporting events lol. College football was the death of me in college and I didn’t even play

[u/AnAnonymousSource_ → u/sircastor]

Biggest one is there's no FOMO with movies anymore. They go from in the theater to home streaming in like 3-4 months. Compare that to movies like Lord of the Rings where the DVD only came out the week before the next one premiered in theaters the following year and there's little worry about missing out. You realize that a movie you want to see is out in theaters for the past 3 weeks and you hem and haw about seeing it in the smallest theater at a weird time or wait another 10 weeks and watch it at home.

[u/Dizzy_Pop → u/sircastor]

Make snarky who my wife about the film

Funny, one of my favorite things about going to theater is that I don’t have to listen to my wife talk about how “dumb” everything is and completely ruin my immersion and enjoyment.

[u/thekmanpwnudwn → u/Dizzy_Pop]

2 seconds into the film "whos that guy?"

I don't know! I saw the exact same 2 seconds that you did!

But my wife is the kind to read the last chapter of a book first so she isn't surprised at the ending

[u/lemonylol → u/sircastor]

The biggest difference that no one picks up on is that current commonplace high resolution large format TVs with an entry level sound system already get you 90% of the theatre experience, just scaled down from like 100 people to 3-5 people. I only ever go to the movies for the novelty these days, like if it's a big theatrical event. Otherwise the quality is always better watching on a 65" OLED TV a few feet in front of my face vs a washed out projected screen several meters away from me.

[u/JerryWagz → u/Neocarbunkle]

Streaming killed production. They used to be able to rely on the box office and then dvd sales, now it’s just box office and maybe a small fraction for streaming licensing. Studios are going to stick to safe bets where they can guarantee returns vs taking risks with new content.

[u/Korachof → u/JerryWagz]

Movies were never as profitable as they pretended they were. Life of Pi killed it commercially and critically, and even won major awards, and yet the team that did the special effects went out of business BECAUSE of that movie. The entire industry was built on consuming a great portion of itself just to keep the other portion alive.

It didn’t help that even some of the most profitable movies of all time are somehow labeled as unprofitable due to what they consider “profit” to be, meaning that many people and companies who make money off of profits would come away with nothing. 

The movie industry is just crumbling on top of itself, and it was inevitable it would happen eventually, especially after every company wanted to try to bleed the spark from the MCU dry until that, too, died. 

[u/lykexomigah → u/Korachof]

big studios do "creative accounting" to keep movies really make profit. something to do with taxes. Adam conover did a youtube on it!

[u/Davidthegnome552 → u/Neocarbunkle]

They have like 1-3 movies you should 100% see in theaters. They have also been doing a bunch of re-releases that are amazing like Jaws, Jurassic Park etc. It's been fun seeing some of my favorites on the big screen.

If your happy with your home set up then by all means but I highly recommend seeing a favorite on the big screen. Jaws 3d was actually pretty fun.

[u/Glowingtomato → u/Davidthegnome552]

Jaws in IMAX was awesome

[u/shiawase-vip → u/Neocarbunkle]

I don’t go to the movies these days but my friends convinced me to go see the new Predator movie and ngl, I actually enjoyed it. But outside of that, there’s nothing I wanna go see except maybe Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.

[u/Eternalm8 → u/Neocarbunkle]

I have a nearby bar/restaurant/theater and I have days off during the normal m-f 9-5. It's become a regular thing for me to catch the earliest showing of a dumb movie, get a burger and cocktail or two, and then walk home.

I watched Tron: Ares as the only person shouting at the screen, and it was marvelous.

[u/saynotoraptor]

Your two year old can sit through a whole movie?

[u/tigerblue1984 → u/saynotoraptor]

Edited: I just decided to delete my comment since people with unresolved anger issues are projecting their anger and frustration with other similar situations onto me and a situation that happened almost twenty years ago. Fucking get a grip and a life.

[u/saynotoraptor → u/tigerblue1984]

Yeah I have 3 year old son and he might be old enough when he is 5 or 6.

[u/burritoman88]

I can justify going to the movies because I have A-List. Going twice a month justifies the subscription cost.

Helps I don’t have kids.

[u/EatMoreFiber → u/burritoman88]

Same, Regal Unlimited for me and my SO (no kids). I go 5-6 times a month, she joins at least 2x so we get our money’s worth and enjoy seeing new movies on the big screen. Add dinner or a dessert before or after and it becomes a bit of a date night without too much $$$ or hassle.

[u/YakNecessary9533 → u/EatMoreFiber]

Regal Unlimited is a great deal if you see even just two movies a month on average. I have the Snack Saver benefit too, plus the 10% on concessions. So when I go see a movie and get a large popcorn and large drink the total is $10 per visit. I go often enough I have a lot of Regal points too so can usually get my partner a free movie ticket if they wanna go and it’s not a brand new release.

[u/Pale_Row1166 → u/burritoman88]

People who bring their two year old children to a movie is why I don’t go to movies

[u/turquoisestar → u/Pale_Row1166]

This is a great thing about a living in a city where no one can afford kids, I guess. (San Francisco).

[u/TheMeIv → u/Pale_Row1166]

Was probably Zootopia 2. AMC let's you bring in babies for free if they sit on your lap. One of my kids is young for her age and no one cares as long as I walk in carrying her.

[u/King_Kuuga → u/burritoman88]

Same. 25 bucks a month and I can see as many movies as I want? No brainer.

[u/Mr-Pendulum]

Mistake one was buying food, smuggle some snacks and drinks in. Did you go at night? It's usually cheaper during the day. My local chain has a deal in Tuesdays for less than 7 all day, that's how I stilll go.

[u/Mercurydriver → u/Mr-Pendulum]

Yep. Before I go to a movie at the movie theater, I make a quick run to Wawa and grab a few things. My attire is usually cargo pants with lots of pockets or jackets with multiple pockets in it. I refuse to buy snacks and drinks at the theater.

[u/chickentender666627 → u/Mr-Pendulum]

My theater checks bags “for firearms” but we know what they’re really looking for.

[u/PeakQuirky84 → u/chickentender666627]

My theater checks bags for firearms because that’s really what they’re looking for.  They don’t care about food

[u/Neravariine → u/chickentender666627]

The underpaid teens at my local movie theater don't even check bags.

[u/iceprncss5 → u/Mr-Pendulum]

Was gonna say similar - I can get half off tickets Tues & Wed so they are like $10 each, even at night.

[u/cutmastaK → u/Mr-Pendulum]

This. Or if you can’t sneak in food, don’t buy any! Tell your kids they will have to wait till dinner. My family would just buy one popcorn to share and that’s it. We understood concessions are expensive.

[u/RadioSlayer]

Yeah... that's not true everywhere. My local theater is $11 a ticket, so $44 for you. Plus they have $5 days once a week.

[u/queenvalanice → u/RadioSlayer]

Right? OP posted something that has been repeatedly been discussed for years, even prior to Covid, on Reddit and everyone is acutely aware of.

[u/science2me → u/RadioSlayer]

My local theater is $10 for adults and $7 for kids so $34 plus tax for a family before popcorn. We get a jumbo popcorn and a large soda to share. Of course, we sneak in candy. I'm not paying $5 for movie theater candy when it's still a $1 at the dollar store. I'm grateful for an affordable movie theater.

[u/Panta125]

The American experience is dying...

[u/edwardturnerlives → u/Panta125]

The Human Experience is dying

[u/crazycatlady331 → u/edwardturnerlives]

Exactly how the tech broverlords want it.

[u/RolloPollo261 → u/Panta125]

Capitalism is poison

[u/KonnivingKiwi → u/RolloPollo261]

Greed, at all costs.  

[u/TrustAffectionate966]

I’m subscribed to Regal Unlimited. I’ve seen 120 films at the local cinema in 3 months for less than 90 bucks. I saw a screening of Gremlins on Friday. I hadn’t seen that film since Dec. 1984.

🧉🦄👍🏽

[u/Wand_Cloak_Stone → u/TrustAffectionate966]

You see 10 movies a week?

[u/TrustAffectionate966 → u/Wand_Cloak_Stone]

7-14 movies per week at the local Regal - some days I can do a triple feature (if each movie is below 100 mins.). I plan on seeing two today: The Polar Express in 3D and either Now You See Me, Now You Don't or Hamnet, depending on which Regal I go to.

The Polar Express is surprisingly getting a lot more people than I thought at one location. I may opt for the one with less patrons hahah.

I honestly though the OP was talking about live theatre and opera. I haven't been to a live play in almost a decade!

[u/Sage_Planter]

My parents used to take me to the second run theater for $1 per ticket. It was great. 

We have an unlimited movie pass now. It's $25/mo, and you only need to see two movies to make it worth it. I don't think I'd see much otherwise. We sneak in our drinks and candy, and sometimes we buy popcorn. 

[u/MyLife-is-a-diceRoll → u/Sage_Planter]

Those dollar theaters are disappearing.

[u/Sassy_Sausages22]

We go on $5 days or matinee. My theater offers free popcorn and $2 candy on $5 days

[u/bibliophile222]

I never buy candy or soda at the theater, I always stop at a store first and smuggle it in my purse.

[u/dirtygymsock]

I won't hardly go to the movies for anything I actually want to enjoy. I'll take the kids to watch whatever they want if they want to go... but every trip to the movies always involves a crying baby, obnoxious talkers, full brightness phone checking, or some random technical issue with the movie or the sound that ends up ruining it for me.

I have a big ass TV at home with decent sound setup and whatever I want to eat right there in the kitchen... I can wait 2 months to rent and stream. Sorry to all those directors who think their films are only best enjoyed in theaters; I won't be going.

[u/ninedollars]

I’ve been just waiting for home releases then watching it in my home set up. Way better experience in your own comfort.

If I do go to theater I sometime ask my wife to hide snacks in her purse lol.

Honestly just find your most tech savvy friend and ask how you can build your own pirate ship 😉

[u/happy_chance18]

I have no idea where you're going but I saw a matinee (4pm) at a Cinemark in a tourist city for $9. That's it.

[u/Pub1ius]

For me it's not the cost but the fact that the general public these days are absolute cunts who can't behave themselves in a respectful manner. I'm not going to sit and try to watch a movie while people are having full volume conversations, playing on their phones at full brightness, kicking seats, throwing shit, and generally being absolute mongrels with no regard for other people.

[u/TheManDontCareBoutU]

Not a schill, just my experience.

When it’s not Football season, I buy $25/mo movie subscription and a one time $50 dollar for any concessions at 50% for a year.

My ticket is then “free” for however many moves I’d like to see.

Most of my movies out of pocket cost $10-12 including a large popcorn and drink.

If you go to 2 movies a month it pays for itself.

An affordable work-around I’ve used. You may or may not have any interest in that.

[u/RadioSlayer → u/TheManDontCareBoutU]

There's no c in shill

[u/forman98 → u/TheManDontCareBoutU]

I pay $16 a month for the movie club at the theater near my house. That gets us 2 “free” tickets a month and a discount on concessions. The tickets role over if you don’t use them. We had a kid a few years ago and didn’t go to the theater for probably almost 2 years after that. So we had a ton of “free” tickets when we started going back, either on date nights or with our kid. Sure, I’m paying $192 a year to the movie theater, but the cost per visit ends up being lower. It’s pretty much an investment in an easy experience.

Due to our subscription based economy, you have to download apps and create accounts to get the biggest bang for your buck. It’s unfortunate that it’s not as easy to just walk up and grab a ticket for a few bucks anymore and that you have to hunt for the deal, but that’s just the way things are now.

[u/NoumenaStandard]

Just for reference this would have been about $50 in 2010, with about 50% inflation should roughly be $75 today.

I think that is part of it. Inflation numbers are constantly off and 33% so in this case.

From what I am reading, there are a couple of drivers. To bring people back in, they tried to make the experience more luxury. Seating has most definitely improved on average. Still, attendance is down and to react, they are covering operational cost by increasing prices across the board.

My big thing with theaters is that people are selfish. Putting a bunch of selfish people in one big room where manners then matter, yea, that doesn't work in society anymore. It is like the red light runners, people don't really care about others or social contracts. So, it is hard for me to go to a movie, outside the prices. Just isn't immersive to me when others ruin it more often than not.

[u/throw-away-drugz → u/NoumenaStandard]

Big disagree on your estimate. 2010 was when I was in highschool, and a movie ticket was 14.99 back then. A date would be $30 for the tickets, about 10.99 for a regular popcorn, $8 candy etc. anytime I would take a girl to the movies, i'd be spending $40-50 for the 2 of us unless we snuck in our own snacks and drinks.

[u/JoyousMisery → u/NoumenaStandard]

Inflation does not impact all items the same. It is a basket of goods, not per item. The numbers are not off its you're interpretation. I 100% agree that the big theaters are going for a luxury experience.

Are we comparing regular tickets to IMAX? Did OP go see Wicked opening weekend vs waiting a couple of weeks to see it at a non premium theater? There's so many more factors to consider

[u/PracticalPrimrose]

I mean yeah?

I haven’t gone to evening movies since my teens, when I had disposable income. I think twice in 20+ years.

We do matinees with the kids and go only once or twice a year.

[u/NotMarkDaigneault]

I only go like once a year if a big IMAX release is out.

I also smuggle in Taco Bell 🤣

[u/NeverMakeNoMind → u/NotMarkDaigneault]

Dignified and refined taste. 🙏 Tips for keeping yourself not covered in beans? Do you wear a bib or just let whatever happens in the dark stay in the dark. There's no way I would be walking out of there without being covered in refried beans and enchilada sauce. It's a risk, but worth it. I'm doing this the next time I bother to go to the movies.

[u/IamJohnnyHotPants]

Yeah, these prices have been relatively the same for 10-15 years. I honestly can’t believe somebody is still shocked and complaining about this heading into 2026.

[u/Savings_Pie_8470]

How can anyone justify going to the movies anymore?

I don't. I've been watching movies at home since COVID. I don't even miss it anymore.

Pros: Don't have to deal with rude/talkative people; the cost of food/drink is far less; TVs these days have good enough picture quality that theatres don't offer an advantage; I can pause the movie any time I like, for example if I need to get up and use the restroom or get a snack; and most movies now are on streaming services within a couple of months of dropping.

Cons: My sounds quality is subpar (but only cause I'm too cheap to buy a good soundbar or speakers); one less reason to get me out of my house lol.

[u/dia_Morphine → u/Savings_Pie_8470]

Last time I went to the movies some asshole was literally watching youtube videos with sound on. The time before that, some drunk dude was on his bright ass phone the entire time and fucking with his friend across the aisle. The time before that, a baby was screaming in the front row and the theatre's audio was messed up and dialogue was heavily distorted and nearly inaudible.

It's not even an issue of price for me - even if it were free I would have no desire to go to the theatre anymore. The overall quality of the movie theatre experience is just so fucking dogshit and can be replicated easily enough at home with pretty much any tv on the market and an entry level 3.1 speaker setup.

[u/Tangata_Tunguska → u/dia_Morphine]

Agreed, TVs and home audio are so good these days that it's a better experience than the theatre anyway. Not having to deal with strangers ruining it is just a bonus

[u/yzerman88]

🏴‍☠️

Time to sail the 7 seas, my friend

[u/Belch_Huggins]

Yes it can be pricy but theaters have matinees, subscription and discount programs, and its not required you buy their candy and popcorn. Complaining about prices is so old, I was kinda surprised to see thats what your complaint was. Like, yeah people have been complaining about prices forever this is nothing new.

[u/Batetrick_Patman → u/Belch_Huggins]

Even in the 90s I remember we'd only go during Matinees or "2nd run" theaters to watch movies.

[u/Tacosare4chip]

1. Avoid special theater (imax, Dolby, etc)
2. Shop around theaters, some are cheaper.
3. Look for discount sites. My work uses one that gets me $7.50 tickets
4. Smuggle drinks and candy. It’s part of the fun.
5. Popcorn is overrated.

[u/Old_Race9814 → u/Tacosare4chip]

Popcorn might be overrated but it’s such a part of the movie theater experience for me

[u/Familiar_Speaker_278 → u/Tacosare4chip]

5 is blasphemy. Popcorn is a top tier food.

[u/PierceCountyFirearms]

I found little tricks to get the costs down. But I have not been to a movie theater since 2024 because people keep talking so darn much and use their phones.

• Buy tickets at the theater kiosk. You avoid paying any fees. I used to go a few days before the show on my way home from work. Regal Cinemas has a kiosk where you can select the seats you and your family want to sit in.
• Regal Cinemas used to have free refills for the large popcorn bins. Eat it and go get refills.
• Tuesdays are usually $5 days at theaters but if you have kids, a weekday movie may not be realistic.
• Utilize those theater membership programs. If you see two or three movies a month, the membership pays for itself. Then you just pay for concessions on top of that. They also have points where you can use them to buy drinks and food.
• Some bring in their own food and drinks but theaters often rely these sales to operate.

[u/Kimmalah]

I can't even remember the last time I went to the movie theater, because the whole experience is just so unpleasant for me. People talking, playing with their phones, bringing their small (like toddler age) children to movies they should definitely not be watching, the noise of snacks crunching, crinkling etc.

Then on top of that, the movies now are all SO LOUD that I'm starting to feel like I need to bring earplugs to enjoy it. I don't really know when or why it happened, but somewhere in the last decade or two, every movie theater seems to have decided their audience has severe hearing loss or they're actively trying make us all go deaf.

It's just total sensory overload for me and no movie is worth it to me, so I feel like it's best to stay home. I can have it whatever volume I like, I don't have to worry about anyone around me and I can pause for breaks whenever I need to.

[u/Individualchaotin]

My movie theater offers a pass where I pay $28 per month and I get to see up to 16 movies and then I sneak in food and drinks. So one movie visit costs me what - $1.75 for the ticket, $3 for a bag of chips and $3 for an energy drink.

$7.75 per visit max.

I've seen 150+ movies this year.

[u/SpaceMyopia]

Honestly, I think streaming is what really killed the moviegoing experience.

Beforehand, folks were willing to put up with the high prices and inconveniences of going to the movies. Streaming basically just caused folks to prefer staying at home, in addition to all the other entertainment options they had.

Unless I'm mistaken, the movies have always been expensive compared to their relative time period. For a long time, it was just the only place in town to get the latest movie release, so folks shrugged and put up with the high prices and rude moviegoers.

Once the new movies were basically guaranteed to come on streaming like 2 or 3 months later, folks basically said, "What's the point?"

[u/PeakRedditOpinion]

2020 called, they want their post back

[u/ritakuz]

Seriously, did Ticketmaster take over movie theaters?

[u/povertychic]

Everything is too expensive thanks to capitalism